Gassin's finest
C'est diabolique
- May 12, 2010
- 37,722
- 88,895
The ousting of Daniel (COYS)
- Thread starter ChappersES
- Start date
Bluto Blutarsky
Well-Known Member
- Mar 4, 2021
- 15,292
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Other than the last player in - those were all Paratici deals, weren't they?
Japhet
Well-Known Member
- Aug 30, 2010
- 19,313
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Cel
Well-Known Member
- Jan 31, 2013
- 717
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You should stay out of those schools mate. You'll end up on a list.
septicsac
Well-Known Member
- Jan 10, 2010
- 1,417
- 3,882
Hard to see either Conte or Kane committing to the club based on this windows transfers.
Looks like Porro will come in, but looking at the transfer it was yet again a mess and he could have played against city and arsenal in Jan had we done it sooner.
Danjuma reeks of no planning at all, had practically signed for toffees b4 we made our move, what was that all about?
We clearly still have no forward planning regarding out first team and squad. We also have a multitude of players we need to move on, which will undoubtedly be used as an excuse regarding future signings or lack of same.
Top that off with the hiring of FP as director of football , who has been banned for 2.5yrs in Italy with same likely to be extended to Europe by uefa.
It's a mess and the person in charge has to answer for same.
Looks like Porro will come in, but looking at the transfer it was yet again a mess and he could have played against city and arsenal in Jan had we done it sooner.
Danjuma reeks of no planning at all, had practically signed for toffees b4 we made our move, what was that all about?
We clearly still have no forward planning regarding out first team and squad. We also have a multitude of players we need to move on, which will undoubtedly be used as an excuse regarding future signings or lack of same.
Top that off with the hiring of FP as director of football , who has been banned for 2.5yrs in Italy with same likely to be extended to Europe by uefa.
It's a mess and the person in charge has to answer for same.
cookiemonster
Well-Known Member
- Dec 29, 2005
- 2,749
- 5,927
Dennis Levy OUT
This stuck out for me, and believe it is at the heart of what is wrong.
We as fans want success. But they don't, it's a nice to have but costs money, we're the 9th richest club in the world without winning anything and without the big spending it takes to do so. It just proves that winning stuff is a bit of a false economy when you have the infrastructure we have built to generate revenue, sustainably over the long term. We have no strategy for success as we don't need to be successful, we don't need to win anything to earn profit. The fan base will always be there to fill the ground, the club just needs to trundle along, surviving, while we happily pay for our season tickets because of our emotional connection to the club that will endure the mediocrity we see year after year, game after game.
How do you measure success? There are other metrics aside from just trophies. I think it's pretty unfair and hyperbolic to describe the last 10 years as mediocre.
Under Levy we have consistently played European and Champions League football, have had title challenges, played in multiple cup finals, and have built the infrastructure to establish ourselves as one of the biggest clubs in the world by revenue. Given where we were 20 years ago i would say that is pretty successful. Personally, i certainly wouldn't give that up for a couple of fa/league cups.
Now i am not sure if Levy is the right person to take the club to the next level and win major honours. I understand why people want him to step back. But we shouldn't undersell and dismiss what the club has achieved over the last 20 years. Villa and Everton fans would bite your hand off to be where we are now.
Business success vs Footballing success.
We have been successful in building a sustainable, profitable club, and that in itself is an achievement for any football club/business, so yes very successful in that respect. But im highlighting the differences of how that success is defined for fans and the club. The moments you mention, cup finals, challenging for trophies, etc highlight the issue. At any one of those moments instead of seeking to take advantage and build on the momentum by investing at the right time or in the right way, we've been held back from breaking that glass ceiling and actually achieving footballing success.
So yes we are a very successful business but not a very successful club, consistent, yes but successful no. Now agree that Everton and Villa are cack but its relative, we have the ability to change the course of our future on the pitch, we have the financial muscle, the reputation to get world-class managers, and the stadium to generate the stability we need. But we don't have the ambition to take the next step, and I think the risk v reward of taking that next step is just not compelling enough for a businessman like Levy to take.
mil1lion
This is the place to be
- May 7, 2004
- 42,678
- 78,546
The problem with this comment of 'backing Conte' is that to back him requires building a squad to compete for titles. In that sense we're still falling short.
People will look at the signings we've made and claim we've backed him but we haven't assembled a title challenging squad as yet.
I do feel that we've really missed Paratici this month, it doesn't seem he's been able to do so much in this window and that has really shown.
I still hold hope that we have a strong summer window where we sign a few first team quality players and the odd squad addition.
Very much for change of owner but I'm more concerned with building a squad to challenge and we are on track. We just fall short too often to get our hopes up.
People will look at the signings we've made and claim we've backed him but we haven't assembled a title challenging squad as yet.
I do feel that we've really missed Paratici this month, it doesn't seem he's been able to do so much in this window and that has really shown.
I still hold hope that we have a strong summer window where we sign a few first team quality players and the odd squad addition.
Very much for change of owner but I'm more concerned with building a squad to challenge and we are on track. We just fall short too often to get our hopes up.
fishhhandaricecake
Well-Known Member
- Nov 15, 2018
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Me and many others said it was a 6/10 solid window but that we were still left short especially those 5th & 6th quality attacking options as Lucas & Gil both not up to the standard we need when playing CL&PL.
We also all expected more Spence gametime to solve our RWB issue.
This Jan is similar, sure Danjuma is an upgrade on Gil and Porro is a fantastic signing but we are an injury or 2 at AM or CB away from having big gaps in quality again.
It’s the same thing every window we always leave ourselves short in a few or multiple areas which then comes back to bite us.
Something/someone has to change.
In terms of future success, from our current position, yes i would probably agree that we need to win more trophies to be considered successful. I have no major objections to Levy being replaced, as long as it's not by sportswashers.
My point is more around the journey we have undergone over the last 20 years, from the level of Villa/Everton to our current position. That is absolutely football success in my book, not just business success. I think that success deserves to be acknowledged and is often dismissed by fans due to the current frustration with Levy.
the lad
Well-Known Member
- Jan 31, 2013
- 774
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Thank you Sir, your last line is the question that needed answered long long ago.
fishhhandaricecake
Well-Known Member
- Nov 15, 2018
- 19,541
- 48,824
THST have asked for comms on our football strategy and vision, club said they’d wait until after financial results are released in Feb, let’s see… will there be a statement or one of those PR videos from Paratici or levy to try and brainwash our fans further.
What was it the last one said a few years ago after Jose was sacked? “We’ve lost focus on what is important on the football side because of our focus on the stadium. We want to play open attacking football that is in our clubs DNA and that the fans want to see”.
Then we hired Nuno and still didn’t have a clear plan to give us the best chance of success on the football side of the club.
Would love to hear if/what they come out and say but even if they do put out a statement or video it’ll just mention net spend and that we are ambitious blah blah, will just be fake bs lip service as usual with Levy.
SirNiNyHotspur
23 Years of Property, Concerts, Karts & Losing
- Apr 27, 2004
- 3,132
- 6,771
So to summarize this window we signed one player last minute instead of the start of the window as we thought we could get him a few pennies cheaper, in the end taking him on loan and got another random player who was about to sign for someone else but we took an interest last minute as we could get him cheap on a loan, game changing stadium ? ? ? ? ? taken for mugs 23 years and counting...
Johnny J
Not the Kiwi you need but the one you deserve
- Aug 18, 2012
- 18,704
- 49,313
I heard a good point on the VFTL podcast, which is that Levy's been woeful at not just moving on players who haven't made the grade, but also at cashing in at the best time, or even at all.
We don't want to be a "selling club", but literally every club sells good players and reinvests in the team. Dortmund do it exceptionally well.
I have no idea if this is true, but the journo said that we could have sold Rose, Dele, Toby, Dier etc for big money at a point where they had likely peaked. Instead, we held onto them as they declined, with the inevitable impact on the team.
And even now, we still haven't properly replaced Jan, Rose (we'll see how Udogie does), Eriksen.
The one player I do remember us selling in their prime was Eriksen, and Inter got him for a song.
When you add in the failure to shift out average players, no wonder our squad is in such a state.
We don't want to be a "selling club", but literally every club sells good players and reinvests in the team. Dortmund do it exceptionally well.
I have no idea if this is true, but the journo said that we could have sold Rose, Dele, Toby, Dier etc for big money at a point where they had likely peaked. Instead, we held onto them as they declined, with the inevitable impact on the team.
And even now, we still haven't properly replaced Jan, Rose (we'll see how Udogie does), Eriksen.
The one player I do remember us selling in their prime was Eriksen, and Inter got him for a song.
When you add in the failure to shift out average players, no wonder our squad is in such a state.
fishhhandaricecake
Well-Known Member
- Nov 15, 2018
- 19,541
- 48,824
Yes this is and has been a massive massive issue, it’s not just the lack of plan and execution on good quality incoming players to strengthen us and fill gaps in quality but also the ability to quickly move on/sell players at the right time in order to free up funds and wages and squad spots to then bring in new players.
