“DL has done a great job backing my judgement and improving the squad and the club…”

[sloth]

Harry Redknapp speaking yesterday.

But how well has Harry really done with his signings? How have they improved the squad and also what value for money were they?

So which players were Harry’s signings backed by Levy as implied in the opening quote?

[EDIT] Some confusion re the Harry signing's bit. This is what's meant:

"Obviously Harry has the final say on all our signings and so in that sense they're all his signings.

What I meant were players that Harry went to Levy and said "I've had my eye on this lad and I want him", rather than Levy going to Redknapp and saying "These guys are available, we can buy them, do you want them?""

So:

Player / HR’s Choice /Cost / Current 1st team regular / Current Squad regular / Estimated increase in current value

Gallas / Yes / Free / Yes / Yes / +£8m

VdV / No / £8m / Yes / Yes / +£7m

Plet / Yes / Loan / No / Yes / -

Sandro / No / £6m / No / No / =

Kaboul / Yes / £5m / Yes / Yes / +£5m

Kranjcar / Yes / £2.5m / No / Yes / +£7m

Bassong / Yes / £8m / Yes / Yes / =

Crouch / Yes / £9.5m / Yes / Yes / +£2m

Naughton / Yes / £4m / No / No / -£1.5m

Walker / Yes / £4m / No / No / =

Keane / Yes / £15m / No / Yes / -£7m

Chimbonda / Yes / £3m / - / - / -£1m

Cudi / Yes / Free / No / Yes / £3m

Palacios / Yes / £12m / No / Yes / -£1.5m

Defoe / Yes / £16m / Yes* / Yes / =

* He’s injured but he’s clearly a first-team regular when fit.

So of the 15 players we’ve bought 13 have been Harry’s for a combined cost of £79m, my estimated current market value of Harry’s signings is £100m.

Of those 13 players though only five are first team regulars and in fact if we assumed all our players were fit that would probably fall to as few as 3.

Every single one of them has had first team play this season though.

I think on the basis of the above you’d have to say that Harry’s judgements have generally bene sound and that Levy has done well in backing them. The values of his purchases have appreciated and all played their part in avoiding relegation the first year and getting us into the CL last year.

What do other people think?

 

[sloth]

On that value for money issue I’ll just quickly say why value for money is important, as I know many people think it’s ridiculous that fans should concern themselves with issues like this. It’s important because every pound spent today on a player who proves poor value for money is a pound which can’t be spent on a player tomorrow. The opposite also clearly applies.

 

[$hoguN]

Redknapp has already said he wanted VDV and Sandro, they are not Levy choices

 

[Rocksuperstar]

Hmm, if my memory serves, Naughton wasn't his choice either, he just came as part of the Walker deal, didn't he? :think:

Whilst i admire the way Harry's reshaped our squad, i do get the impression that some of the players that have come along have sort of dropped into his lap, as it were (no, not like that). VDV wasn't his first choice, probably because of the cost and the fact that he'd pretty much wrapped up a deal to go to Germany, but an opportunity came up. Gallas as well, i didn't see him as an option, but all of a sudden there's the opportunity again, and these two are probably his most high-profile signings for us.

 

[sloth]

Another thing revealed by the above is that Harry's spent £40.5m on strikers who imo have a current market value of roughly £35m. The striking department is where most would say we need to improve.

On the other hand it was the weakest department of all and while the blame for that has to partially be laid at the feet of Berbatov and Keane it's mainly the fault of the previous regime. When you come into a club in relegation trouble you have to take swift action and damn the value. Redknapp did that, it made a difference and so he should be praised not criticised.

In fact the only real criticism that I can lay at his door (and I'm not Harry's greatest fan) is that his high value signings have not appreciated in value. His four most expensive signings (Palacios, Crouch, Keane and Defoe) collectively cost £52.5m but by my estimation are worth only £45m today with only one, Defoe (maybe two if we consider Palacios' form a blip rather than a longer-term decline), with a long-term future at the club.

 

[whitelightwhiteheat]

Harry saying things like "Levy's done a great job backing my judgement...." is just oiling the wheels ready for January and a possible assault on the market (a striker of top quality if possible) I'd say.

Also, the majority of Harry's signings have come off and done the business. Fair play.

 

[sloth]

Redknapp has already said he wanted VDV and Sandro, they are not Levy choices

Obviously Harry has the final say on all our signings and so in that sense they're all his signings.

What I meant were players that Harry went to Levy and said "I've had my eye on this lad and I want him", rather than Levy going to Redknapp and saying "These guys are available, we can buy them, do you want them?"

 

[Spurs_Bear]

He mentioned that VdV was on the list at the start of the window, but that it appeared he was too expensive, so I'm not sure that counts as a 'Levy' signing, in the same way there was no mention that the two Kyle's were Harry signings.

What Harry said about Sandro was that he didn't 'spot' him, but he would have been part of the committee that decided whether or not to proceed with the offer for him, then Levy would have done the rest. (I presume).

What I am trying to say......is that I don't think there are Harry/Levy/Chief Scout signings, they are THFC signings, all of them.

I read/heard this interview this morning, and just put it down to another 'Harryism'.

 

[sloth]

He mentioned that VdV was on the list at the start of the window, but that it appeared he was too expensive, so I'm not sure that counts as a 'Levy' signing, in the same way there was no mention that the two Kyle's were Harry signings.

What Harry said about Sandro was that he didn't 'spot' him, but he would have been part of the committee that decided whether or not to proceed with the offer for him, then Levy would have done the rest. (I presume).

What I am trying to say......is that I don't think there are Harry/Levy/Chief Scout signings, they are THFC signings, all of them.

I read/heard this interview this morning, and just put it down to another 'Harryism'.

I think you're right they are THFC signings.

I was immediately annoyed by his words once again, there he is trying to grab the lions share of the glory and relegate Levy's role to one of mere compliance with Harry's judgement. So this exercise started out with the intention to show that Harry was mistaken, in reality it showed he was largely right. Which is even more annoying.

I still think his words were self-serving however and under-value Levy's contribution.

 

[Spurs_Bear]

Another thing revealed by the above is that Harry's spent £40.5m on strikers who imo have a current market value of roughly £35m. The striking department is where most would say we need to improve.

On the other hand it was the weakest department of all and while the blame for that has to partially be laid at the feet of Berbatov and Keane it's mainly the fault of the previous regime. When you come into a club in relegation trouble you have to take swift action and damn the value. Redknapp did that, it made a difference and so he should be praised not criticised.

In fact the only real criticism that I can lay at his door (and I'm not Harry's greatest fan) is that his high value signings have not appreciated in value. His four most expensive signings (Palacios, Crouch, Keane and Defoe) collectively cost £52.5m but by my estimation are worth only £45m today with only one, Defoe (maybe two if we consider Palacios' form a blip rather than a longer-term decline), with a long-term future at the club.

That's a fair point regarding the strikers, but I think with Keane and Crouch you have to take into account that their ages will depreciate their value as well rather than a blip in form. Harry felt they were what we needed at the time, Keane to help us stay in the division and Crouch to help the squad qualify for the Champions League. Having said that, although we achieved those things, I wouldn't obviously say it was because of those signings!

Obviously Harry has the final say on all our signings and so in that sense they're all his signings.

What I meant were players that Harry went to Levy and said "I've had my eye on this lad and I want him", rather than Levy going to Redknapp and saying "These guys are available, we can buy them, do you want them?"

But surely Levy wouldn't be doing his own scouting to find out if players were available or not? Him and Redknapp sit down, make a list, then Levy goes and finds out, "yes Harry, player A is available but player B is not etc etc". Like with VdV, if he was in fact on the list at the start of the summer it would have presumably run something like "Harry, VdV is now available after not being earlier in the summer".

Just my take anyway, I don't think the team of Redknapp and Levy should be underestimated, it appears to work ok.

 

[sloth]

That's a fair point regarding the strikers, but I think with Keane and Crouch you have to take into account that their ages will depreciate their value as well rather than a blip in form. Harry felt they were what we needed at the time, Keane to help us stay in the division and Crouch to help the squad qualify for the Champions League. Having said that, although we achieved those things, I wouldn't obviously say it was because of those signings!



But surely Levy wouldn't be doing his own scouting to find out if players were available or not? Him and Redknapp sit down, make a list, then Levy goes and finds out, "yes Harry, player A is available but player B is not etc etc". Like with VdV, if he was in fact on the list at the start of the summer it would have presumably run something like "Harry, VdV is now available after not being earlier in the summer".

Just my take anyway, I don't think the team of Redknapp and Levy should be underestimated, it appears to work ok.

Ha! We crossed.

 

[Spurs_Bear]

I think you're right they are THFC signings.

I was immediately annoyed by his words once again, there he is trying to grab the lions share of the glory and relegate Levy's role to one of mere compliance with Harry's judgement. So this exercise started out with the intention to show that Harry was mistaken, in reality it showed he was largely right. Which is even more annoying.

I still think his words were self-serving however and under-value Levy's contribution.

Yeah, I still think it's more of a 'Harryism', as I posted on another thread, he says whatever he feels, at different times of day to different reporters, like tonight for example he has told one journalist that we need to be cautious against Inter and then in the same breath told another that we were going to go there and attack!

I don't see how he's trying to steal any limelight to be honest, Levy is there to back the manager, whoever it is, like he was with the others. In many ways, I would prefer not to have a meddling chairman than one that goes out and spends £30m on Schevchenko just because he's a mate of his.

 

[markiespurs]

I think you're right they are THFC signings.

I was immediately annoyed by his words once again, there he is trying to grab the lions share of the glory and relegate Levy's role to one of mere compliance with Harry's judgement. So this exercise started out with the intention to show that Harry was mistaken, in reality it showed he was largely right. Which is even more annoying.

I still think his words were self-serving however and under-value Levy's contribution.

It's strange, i read the same words and thought the opposite in that Harry was praising levy's contribution in backing him in the transfer market.

 

[Archibald&Crooks]

It's strange, i read the same words and thought the opposite in that Harry was praising levy's contribution in backing him in the transfer market.

That's how I understood it too.

 

[sloth]

It's strange, i read the same words and thought the opposite in that Harry was praising levy's contribution in backing him in the transfer market.

That's how I understood it too.

Imo praise would be "Daniel's doing a great job."

Self-serving praise is "Daniel's done a great job in backing my decisions."

The first says Levy should get the credit for the great job he's doing.

The second says I'm doing a great job and Levy should get the praise for backing me.

 

[danielneeds]

You would have to be a moron to call VDV a "Levy signing"...

 

[sloth]

You would have to be a moron to call VDV a "Levy signing"...

Thanks mate!

I think I'll edit the OP to make it clear what I meant by a Harry signing.

 

[Bulletspur]

It's strange, i read the same words and thought the opposite in that Harry was praising levy's contribution in backing him in the transfer market.

That's how I understood it too.

Me too. Saying that some of Harry's previous comments does come across as self serving.

 

[brett.spurs]

I prefer DL's targets.

 

[Lanh]

That's how I understood it too.

And me. :up: