'Directors of football are just a joke' - Redknapp on Tottenham crisis

[avonspurs]

Of course it can be linked!

I mean who brought the players in last season Goldilocks?

We have a DOF who (with the exception of Lloris) blew the Bale money. We have a DOF who brought in players this season who have still to start a PL game!

The link between poor player recruitment and on field success is so bloody obvious to be untrue. Every man and dog can see that, even the coach can see that. You just need to connect the dots back to the DOF to see where the issue really is.

Neither AVB, Sherwood and now Poch can get Lamela or Soldado to score, Pualinho is finished and God knows where Chiriches will end up but he needs to go, so with the exception of Eriksen and Chadli i'd say somewhere, in some dark corner of this Club the DOF should be taken to and shot.

We have been playing piss poor football for two seasons come January and to say it's got bugger all to do with the DOF and the players he is recommending and then buying in bares no logic whatsoever.

I'd take your argument more seriously if you didn't contradict yourself in the space of 2 or 3 paragraphs. I'll let you look back, examine and determine what I mean

But always remember: Don't hate what you don't understand.

 

[avonspurs]

Yes, a club Director. A Director of Football is simply a club Director's way of dictating player recruitment. All well and good if you want to make a profit above all, but not so good if you want to run a football club above all. We sacked the best football manager we've had in thirty years for non-footballing reasons - go figure.

I assume you know implicitly what each persons role in the club is from your statement? Good to know.

and lets not re-hash the whole "shouldn't have sacked Redknapp" argument. Its stale beyond belief.

 

[Gaz_Gammon]

I'd take your argument more seriously if you didn't contradict yourself in the space of 2 or 3 paragraphs. I'll let you look back, examine and determine what I mean

But always remember: Don't hate what you don't understand.

You stated:

"It's a silly, bordering of pathetic, attempt to try to link the DoF structure to how poorly we are playing at the moment"


Contradict myself?,

Excuse me for understanding how a DOF actually works, i thought for one crazy moment that the DOF actually finds and recommends the players. How can he not be "linked"?

I mean if he isn't linked to the transfer structure at the Club what exactly doe he do, shine boots and clean out showers?

 

[avonspurs]

You stated:

"It's a silly, bordering of pathetic, attempt to try to link the DoF structure to how poorly we are playing at the moment"


Contradict myself?,

Excuse me for understanding how a DOF actually works, i thought for one crazy moment that the DOF actually finds and recommends the players. How can he not be "linked"?

I mean if he isn't linked to the transfer structure at the Club what exactly doe he do, shine boots and clean out showers?

keep looking back: You'll find it soon enough

 

[Gaz_Gammon]

keep looking back: You'll find it soon enough

Nope. Your right the DOF has no connection whatsoever to the quality of players being brought into a club. He is completely blameless for the performances of the players he has helped to bring in based on his recommendations.

So, given that logic is has to be the coaches fault. There is no one else to point fault at given your flawed guff.

 

[striebs]

I don't suppose Redknapp cares about Excel spreadsheets or Opta stats .

Rather than a D.O.F. or a Latino manager Spurs might do better just getting an English manager and an admin assistant .

I believe they used to call them secretaries .

 

[guate]

You could of course remember that Harry was the transfer decision maker when his strategy to nail down our Champions League spot was to sign Saha and Nelsen in the January window. Not surprising that didn't work out too well..

I don't agree with that at all. If my memory serves me right "Arry was given NO money to spend in that January transfer window consequently he brought in Saha and Nelsen on free transfers to add some experience to the team.

 

[diamondlight]

I assume you know implicitly what each persons role in the club is from your statement? Good to know. and lets not re-hash the whole "shouldn't have sacked Redknapp" argument. Its stale beyond belief.

Sarcasm and calling the argument 'stale'. Well done for finding two different ways of not actually engaging with the points that I made.

 

[slartibartfast]

You could of course remember that Harry was the transfer decision maker when his strategy to nail down our Champions League spot was to sign Saha and Nelsen in the January window. Not surprising that didn't work out too well..

Wow.
Just.... wow.
You really thought long and hard about that one didn't ya.
Some people eh.

 

[avonspurs]

Sarcasm and calling the argument 'stale'. Well done for finding two different ways of not actually engaging with the points that I made.

Well, ok: how about you tell me how you know EXACTLY that how you explained the DoF role is how it works?

 

[diamondlight]

Well, ok: how about you tell me how you know EXACTLY that how you explained the DoF role is how it works?

Fair enough, I don't know exactly. Just a suspicion, based on the fact that Harry didn't get the striker he wanted, AVB didn't get Moutinho, and Poch didn't get Schneiderlin. And every transfer window Levy and the DOF spring a few random bargains on the coach at the last minute. The whole thing smacks of profiteering.

I vaugely remember when ENIC first took over, a few people warned that most of the clubs in the ENIC group were mediocrities, stagnating, that the company ran football clubs for profit not for football. As time has passed, I've become more and more convinced these doubters were right, and I suspect the DOF structure is how ENIC puts its profit-led strategy into action.

But you're right - it's just a suspicion.

 

[avonspurs]

Fair enough, I don't know exactly. Just a suspicion, based on the fact that Harry didn't get the striker he wanted, AVB didn't get Moutinho, and Poch didn't get Schneiderlin. And every transfer window Levy and the DOF spring a few random bargains on the coach at the last minute. The whole thing smacks of profiteering.

I vaugely remember when ENIC first took over, a few people warned that most of the clubs in the ENIC group were mediocrities, stagnating, that the company ran football clubs for profit not for football. As time has passed, I've become more and more convinced these doubters were right, and I suspect the DOF structure is how ENIC puts its profit-led strategy into action.

But you're right - it's just a suspicion.

Exactly, and that's my point. I don't know either - you may be right. But what get's me is this assumption (and it is an assumption until someone knows for a fact) that the DoF comes along with a list of players and says to the manager "right, you're having him and him and him, whether you like it or not".

 

[avonspurs]

I don't agree with that at all. If my memory serves me right "Arry was given NO money to spend in that January transfer window consequently he brought in Saha and Nelsen on free transfers to add some experience to the team.

He didn't seem too upset about it (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/fo...napp-happy-chance-Louis-Saha-Ryan-Nelsen.html)

 

[avonspurs]

I don't suppose Redknapp cares about Excel spreadsheets or Opta stats .

Rather than a D.O.F. or a Latino manager Spurs might do better just getting an English manager and an admin assistant .

I believe they used to call them secretaries .

Anyone in mind?

 

[diamondlight]

Exactly, and that's my point. I don't know either - you may be right. But what get's me is this assumption (and it is an assumption until someone knows for a fact) that the DoF comes along with a list of players and says to the manager "right, you're having him and him and him, whether you like it or not".

Well, facts, as you say, are hard to come by. But the evidence is that no top four club in the last 20 years (maybe even ever?) in England has had a DOF structure. When Tottenham were in the top four that was the only time we didn't have a DOF. And when the club failed to back Harry in the transfer market, we soon sacked him, reinstated the DOF structure and slipped straight back out of the top four. The evidence suggests that proper football managers are more successful, in England at least.

"Right, you're having him and him and him" may be a caricature, but the manager certainly has less control under the DOF structure. That was the whole reason Levy implemented it, by his own admission: taking player purchasing out of the hands of the manager meant that Levy was able to ensure 'continuity' between coaches. He certainly got just that: the continuity of mediocrity.

 

[dannythomas]

Wow.
Just.... wow.
You really thought long and hard about that one didn't ya.
Some people eh.

And your point is ?

 

[avonspurs]

Well, facts, as you say, are hard to come by. But the evidence is that no top four club in the last 20 years (maybe even ever?) in England has had a DOF structure. When Tottenham were in the top four that was the only time we didn't have a DOF. And when the club failed to back Harry in the transfer market, we soon sacked him, reinstated the DOF structure and slipped straight back out of the top four. The evidence suggests that proper football managers are more successful, in England at least.

"Right, you're having him and him and him" may be a caricature, but the manager certainly has less control under the DOF structure. That was the whole reason Levy implemented it, by his own admission: taking player purchasing out of the hands of the manager meant that Levy was able to ensure 'continuity' between coaches. He certainly got just that: the continuity of mediocrity.

And yet it works well within Europe.

I concede your point about us having top 4 without a DoF - however, I think it's a tad simplistic if anyone tries to argue that there is a direct causation between the two without looking at other factors. As an example, AVB got our highest PL points total EVER with a DoF - a points total that, in any other year, would have got top 4. So, did we not get top 4 that year because we worked with a DoF despite the fact that he beat HR's points total?

Yes, he has taken player purchasing out of the hands of the manager - but player PURCHASING and player SELECTION are two different things - - its the detail about the involvement of the DoF in those two roles that is important. It seems to be that most people believe that a DoF just picks the players he wants with no input from the coach - - if that is the truth, then I concede to your argument that it would never work. I just don't believe that to be the case - however, mine is as much of an assumption as yours so.....

 

[diamondlight]

It seems to be that most people believe that a DoF just picks the players he wants with no input from the coach - - if that is the truth, then I concede to your argument that it would never work.

Harry seems to think that's the way the DOF works; I'm inclined to believe him rather than you

 

[avonspurs]

Harry seems to think that's the way the DOF works; I'm inclined to believe him rather than you

How very dare you!!

Except, of course, he has never worked under a DoF.....

 

[slartibartfast]

How very dare you!

Except, of course, he has never worked under a DoF.....

And you have lol?
I strongly suspect he has a better idea about it than you, no disrespect.
Imo the problem is the DOF answers to the Chairman, not the Manager and this is where it breaks down. Think we all agree on that.
Sidenote- Not being an expert on european football can you give a few examples of clubs where it works where they dont spend shit piles on players? Real Madrid doesnt count.
Not being pissy. Genuinely curious if it does work.
I hate the idea and am totally against it but still believe it can work if the relationship between coach and dof are very very good and the chairman isnt a cock.
Just dont really see the point. Undermines the manager imo, which is why most managers hate it.