DL, DC and JR - the three MuskerSpurs!!!!

[sloth]

Our youth signings and those involved certainly have been impressive. I think David Pleat deserves alot of the credit as well. He is the one who really insticated our youth policy, but gets little credit and mostly criticism from Spurs fans. You can't go straight from being a bottom half of the table team, to signing some of the best young players in the world. It's been a long and gradual process and the roots of which firmly sit with David Pleat. He was the one who brought in the likes of Gardener, Doherty, Davies, Ferguson and Etherington. People may say they weren't good, but at the time we couldn't get the best, but these signings mark a turining point in our history. He also tried to sign Rooney (or so he claims). Peter Reid said we first went for Lennon when Pleat was in charge and George Burley said that we'd been after Huddlestone from the moment he made his debut. Gradually over time we've moved forward as a club and can now attract the best youngsters, but it was Pleat who saw the best way forward for the club was to invest in the future and he started this, before the likes of DL, DC, JR of FA were at the club.

You're right in a sense, but all you're really saying is that we had a youth policy b4 Ramos, as we did before Pleat and as we have since almost day 1. Every club has a youth policy, always has and always will do, it's the efficacy of our youth policy that I'm talking about, the professional approach, the knowledge of the game world-wide, having an integrated strategy from first team down to the minis, it's about throwing money at it, employing the best people to get the job done etc etc and imo we've seen a step change since DL took over. He introduced the DoF/head-coach European style system he appointed Arnesen when he thought he'd take us further than Pleat and got Comolli in when Arnesen bailed ship, he appointed Jol and then Ramos and the seeds he planted are starting to bear fruit.

What I wrote served two purposes, one to say well done and give a bit of credit, the other to ask of the management's critics, are you having a change of heart? Given your previous on this issue and given that you're a thinker your response comes across as grudging.

 

[DC_Boy]

HI PT (and others)

Maybe Levy has realised that without spending mega money we have no realistic chance of breaking into the Big 4. Of course, we have to hope it's not gambling with our future, but I (and others) have been saying for so long either ENIC or someone needs to splash the cash and big-time. (This includes wages as well as transfer fees - though I hope we don't push wages up too much - but it seems rightly we're gradually upping the wage structure)

Even by spending plenty, chances are we'll still be pressed faces at the window panes of the Cartel's annual dinner and dance (expensive clothes only and no fake jewellery) -

but hey we're looking like we've found the right address anyway

This post is overstacked with silly metaphors, but hey I'm glad we're giving it a g(i)o. We still need at least to buy a GK CB and DM for me, before we're anywhere near contenders.

 

[Mullers]

There is one particular aspect to our emergence as a player in the market that fascinates me.

We've oohed and aahed when we've splashed the cash on players such as Rebrov who wore the badge of Record Signing for a few years, then Berbatov for the same value, followed by Darren Bent for a new record signing.

however, just recently the expectation has rocketed through the roof. Another major signing with Luke modric coming in preceded by Woodgate and Chimbonda. These players were no less than five millions yet we fully expect to continue to compete for another keeper etc etc.

Where has this cash cow come from? If we've been sitting on it and accruing it, or if we are spending ahead of receipt of it, ie income from the tv deal and sponsorships, why have we suddenly ramped it up with Ramos at the wheel? Were we waiting to pull in a "name" who could ensure our competitiveness? Was it the fact that we didn't trust previous encumbents?

How much is there left to invest with? It surely is not a bottomless pit, even though Daniel Levy is on record as stating that for the right player, the money will be there. how many more ten million plus ticketed players can we go running around Europe after?

I think that the board really believe Ramos is the man to take the team forward especially now he has won a trophy. Where as they never had that belief with Jol. It seems like they backed and trusted Commoli more than Jol. I don't know where the money is coming from but lets not forget Joe Lewis is a billionaire , maybe he is investing more money.