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Credit Where Credit is Due

beats1

Well-Known Member
Feb 22, 2010
30,006
29,551
Yikes. That wouldn't be good having to put a 4th keeper on. We can still loan him out to lower league sides right?

Loan window isn't open yet unfortunately but I'm confused whether you can make changes to the 25 man squad if you sign free agent

I'm sure newcastle did with kuqi
 

SpurSince57

Well-Known Member
Jan 20, 2006
45,213
8,229
All we needed last year was a striker who can put himself about, good in the air, hold the ball up and know where the goal is. Welcome Mr Adebayor! Together with that we've shored up the GK position with a truly seasoned professional and got a top quality midfield player in Parker.

That was certainly the No. 1 priority. The reason we missed out on fourth or even third last season wasn't Harry's admittedly sometimes ad hoc tactics, but the failure of Defoe and Crouch to do what they're paid a shedload of money to do. (I'll except Pav because you can't complain about his goalscoring record even if you can complain about just about everything else.)

One very important thing we've done by clearing some of the deadwood is to massively reduce the wage bill - I think a lot of people underestimate just how much wages drain from a club's finances - usually a lot more than actual transfer fees in the long run.

I think they do too.

I've made this point before. If people want to know why ticket prices have skyrocketed in the last 20-odd years, consider this: in 1988 we paid £2m for Gazza and paid him £1500k a week; now those figures would be £40m and at least £150k a week (probably at City).
 

whatsappnin

Well-Known Member
Jun 9, 2004
1,981
258
No need for that. Spare us the cheap personal shots or take the consequences, and if you still feel the need to insult people I suggest you learn to spell.


well said, that was out of order!
 

shaqTHFC

Well-Known Member
Jan 28, 2011
1,546
807
Anybody who has read me this summer know my opinion on our spending. In case you missed it: http://www.epltalk.com/the-problem-at-white-hart-lane-34299

But whether you are happy or sad or indifferent, I think there is something that Levy AND Harry have done that is quite astonishing and commendable.

How many teams in the world have added
A) A world class defender that has won two titles
B) A proven premiership forward that has attributes we need
C) One of the best goalkeepers of the past 10 years
D) Two products of La Mesia

How many added them for NOTHING

While our poor record in sales has hamstrung us in the market, Levy and Harry have found a way to get around this and even make the team better.

So be angry or whatever you do for a hobby, but recognize and appreciate the amazing ability to get around certain constraints (whether you like these constraints or not) to add quality players for free.

The five players we have picked up for free over the past two summers is an impressive accomplishment.

Our value for money has been very good over the last few years. Of course I wish we spent more, but we don't have City's money and I'm proud that we got 4th without a sugar daddy and not by spending £25m on loads of players paying them insane wages. Comparing the cost of our best 11 (imo) compared to City's (our main rivals the last 2 years) and Liverpool's (our main rivals this year imo) the difference in cost is quite large yet we still compete or competed with these teams.

Tottenham

Friedel £0

Walker £5m?
Gallas £0
Dawson £4m
BAE £3m

Parker £5m
Sandro £6m

VDV £8m
Modric £16.5
Bale £7m

Adebayor LOAN

Total = £54.5m

Manchester City

Hart £0

Richards £0
Kompany £6
Kolo Toure £16m
Clichy £7m

De Jong £18m
Yaya Toure £24m

Silva £27m
Aguero £38m
Nasri £22m

Dzeko £27m

Total = £185m

Liverpool

Reina £6m

Johnson £18m
Carragher £0
Skrtel £6.5m
Enrique £5m

Adam £7m
Lucas £5m

Suarez £23m
Gerrard £0
Downing £20m

Carroll £35m

Total = £125.5m

I know we're all annoyed that we wouldn't splash out on a Rossi, Falcao, or Llorente, but our management team have shown that they can build a team without spending that much money on it which is a big positive. I know there were expensive flops like Bentley but there were also masterstrokes like Lennon.

I'm sure nobody really cares about money spent on squads I just thought I'd put a positive spin on our lack of spending compared to City and Liverpool rather than the obvious negative way to look at it
 

RuskyM

Well-Known Member
Jul 9, 2011
6,921
22,732
That is an excellent point.

Considering our first team was built at about 1/3 of the price of other teams, we've done very well.
 

KentuckyYid

*Eyes That See*
May 11, 2005
13,013
2,265
Tottenham

Friedel £0

Walker £5m?
Gallas £0
Dawson £4m
BAE £3m

Parker £5m
Sandro £6m

VDV £8m
Modric £16.5
Bale £7m

Adebayor LOAN

Total = £54.5m

I know there were expensive flops like Bentley but there were also masterstrokes like Lennon.

Such a masterstroke that he's not even in your team :grin:
 

nidge

Sand gets everywhere!!!!!
Staff
Jul 27, 2004
24,858
11,358
Manchester City

Hart £0

Richards £0
Kompany £6
Kolo Toure £16m
Clichy £7m

De Jong £18m
Yaya Toure £24m

Silva £27m
Aguero £38m
Nasri £22m

Dzeko £27m

Total = £185m

Joe Hart isn't a product of the City youth system and the fact that it is nearly always mentioned that he is bugs me.

Hart Started his career at Shrewsbury Town and spent 3 years there making 50 odd appearances.

So there would have been a fee involved.

That being said the rest of your comment is pretty reasonable. :up:
 

DogsOfWar

Well-Known Member
Jan 12, 2005
2,293
3,603
I think this window demonstrates how Levy and Redknapp both have an input into transfer dealings which ends up with the club benefiting even though we fans may disagree.

Redknaps thoughts:

We didn't score enough goals with Crouchy last year so we need a new, quality, big man up front with Prem experience.

Gomes threw too many shots into his own goal last year so we need a new, quality, keeper with Prem experience.

We lacked a stronger CM so we need a new, quality, CM with Prem experience.

We have too many injuries to King/Gallas so we need a new, quality, CB with Prem experience.

Levy's thought:

They have to reflect true value in terms of fee and wages.

Don't sell Luka.

Get rid of the deadwood.

As a result I have no doubt the list was Adebayor, Friedel, Diarra, and Cahill so we got 50% of the original list.
Diarra was blown out due to wages and Cahill due to transfer fee.
We subsequently got Parker who Harry would have been happy with as well as Levy paying a reasonable price.

So, our management team got 2 out of their main targets as well as a secondary one so they would have been more than happy. We might disagree with the policy or the targets but they would have been generated by the manager with the chairman making sure we were not being ripped off.
Add to this not selling Modric and removing the deadwood and the club can say that they have pretty much hit all their Summer targets (I assume we'll go back in for Cahill in Jan).

We can argue the toss about what we would like to do, who we would like to buy but Harry and Levy don't really give a toss about our FM style opinions.

As a result, from the clubs point of view, this would have been a very successful window. From our point of view we'll have to wait to see the results before judging the clubs performance.
 

shaqTHFC

Well-Known Member
Jan 28, 2011
1,546
807
Such a masterstroke that he's not even in your team :grin:

lol. Still £1m is a bargain for someone of his quality. Yeah, he may not be in the best of form but he'll always be in and around the 1st XI due to injuries or the impact he can make as a sub.

Joe Hart isn't a product of the City youth system and the fact that it is nearly always mentioned that he is bugs me.

Hart Started his career at Shrewsbury Town and spent 3 years there making 50 odd appearances.

So there would have been a fee involved.

That being said the rest of your comment is pretty reasonable. :up:

Fair enough. According to wikipedia he cost £600,000 rising to £1.5m based on appearances. Forgot he was at Shrewsbury Town before City, but I did remember hearing it somewhere last season. Did City play them in a cup or something?
 

mark87

Well-Known Member
Nov 29, 2004
36,032
114,065
Joe Hart isn't a product of the City youth system and the fact that it is nearly always mentioned that he is bugs me.

Hart Started his career at Shrewsbury Town and spent 3 years there making 50 odd appearances.

So there would have been a fee involved.

That being said the rest of your comment is pretty reasonable. :up:


I believe he cost them 300k
 
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