"Levy must fully back Conte in the transfer window"

[SUIYHA]

I've heard this phrase a lot recently, as I did when Mourinho, Poch, AVB, Redknapp, Ramos and well...pretty much everyone went into a transfer window in their honeymoon period at Spurs manager. I'd like to say I agree with it - given that Conte is certainly a lot more qualified than some of the names I've mentioned and our squad certainly needs some investment. However, I'm not sure I understand what people mean or expect when they say they want the manager to be "fully backed".

Quite understandably, people were angry at Levy in 2018 - to go an entire summer without signing a single player was unheard of, especially with the club in the Champions League having been on the verge of challenging for the title in the last couple of years. So in 2019 we had the right to expect big things especiaally having the money from the Champions League run. By all accounts - Pochettino identified Ndombele, Lo Celso, Sessegnon and Clarke as priority targets - all of which were delivered, at a high price, including beating Man Utd to Ndombele's signature as a real coup. The struggles of these players have been well documented, and of course what people remember about this window is actually who we did NOT sign - Dybala and Fernandes. Once again, people were angry at Levy, claiming that Poch had been let down again.

In came Mourinho. In his summer window, we signed seven players despite being in the middle of a pandemic and the club's entire business model of the past decade having taken a battering that nobody saw coming. Yes we missed on on Skriniar and had to settle for Rodon, but with a club legend in Bale coming back alongside proven Premier League performers in Doherty and Hojbjerg and some exciting young players coming from abroad in Reguilon and Vinicius with Hart to add some experience, our fans were salivating and people on this very board were calling it a "ten out of ten window". As we all remember, things quickly imploded, Mourinho implied he wasn't happy with the squad, and our very same fan base that had been crowing loudly at few months earlier were now frothing at the mouth again, clamining that Levy had once again failed to back a high profile manager and signed a load of duds.

Then again this summer - the majority of you declared the window a success - https://www.spurscommunity.co.uk/index.php?threads/summer-2021-window-rating.147141/ - Now I think they were made to look a lot worse than they are through poor coaching, but it didn't take long before our fan base had declared Gil too lightweight, Gollini and Emerson useless and that once again, Levy had failed to back his man. You see a pattern emerging here.


My question is therefore, before we start getting into looking at things with hindsight, is what does "fully backed" mean to you?

I want Conte to sign some top players and turn us into a top side. But it's a layered, nuanced game that we're playing here. We are in a January transfer window which is always an awkward time to sign players, out of Europe, and coming off the back of an £80m and £64m loss in the past two seasons (£144m total). So what do you consider to be the key criteria/strategic landmarks that would signify the manager being "fully backed"? Easy to just say "sign whoever he wants" - but it's not always as simple as that...

What if, like Andre Villas-Boas, the players Conte picks out as "first choice" are completely unrealistic targets for a club in our position?

What if the player in question is available but his club say they want double the transfer fee to sell now instead of in the summer?

What if the player in question wants astronomical wages that would shatter our existing structure (let's say £200k+ more than what Kane and Son are already on)

What if he finds a squad player that he feels will improve the side, but that player is in his 30s, wants a long contract and particularly high wages?

What if he wants a couple of specific players but each of them would cost over £100m each, with Paratici recommending a few alternatives of a similar profile that would be in the £20-40m bracket?

Or perhaps - you are happy with a bit of "wheeler dealing" in January, and think Conte should be patient and wait until the summer to do any real business?

Bearing in mind the club has just lost £144m in two seasons - what does "fully backing Conte" look like to you?

 

[stormfly]

Fully backed to me means we come out of the window stronger than when we started. More importantly our manager comes out of it happier than he was going into it.

 

[bubble07]

Mate do we really need a new thread on this?

 

[SUIYHA]

Mate do we really need a new thread on this?

I'm posing a specific question by calling out past fan behaviours and asking people to lay down specific parameters of what they see backing the manager to be as opposed to just general waffle about it needing to happen, so...yes.

 

[Goldman]

I hope we sign the players he wants. And if we can’t, I hope he has a list of high quality alternatives. Being rigid with only wanting first choices is obviously not great. Alternatively, we don’t want to bloat the squad with average players. So there needs to be some flexibility from both Conte and those in charge of transfers.

Some people will always be results oriented and want to look back and find faults in a transfer window, looking at what we might of had, or amending the windows rating based on players’ poor returns. That’s just the nature of a football forum, that’s just people. Not everyone shares the same opinion though…

So in short, 2/3 signings on Conte’s list in the positions he wants. (As long as they are realistic )

 

[carmeldevil]

This should be merged to Conte's thread.

 

[Nocando]

Mate do we really need a new thread on this?

I think we do because it poses a reasonable question about what our expectations are, whilst under lining a quite accurate point about how some of our supporters behave / or react. Although it's probably pointless as im sure they will think its refering to someone else.

In fact when was the last time someone admitted they are a bit of a cock and actually theyre wrong?

Anyway I haven't said fully backed so doesn't apply to me. What I do hope, if that Conte is realistic and Levy gives him what he needs at the appropriate time.

However judging from the player threads we need to replace, Golloni, Davies, Dier, Ndombele, Lo Celso, PEH, Emerson, Sanchez, Moura, Winks and Doherty. So we might have a busy couple of windows.

 

[tototoner]

Move on the players he doesn't want at the club and bring in the players he wants to make us stronger as a team and squad

We have needed a refresh now for 4 years

 

[Gassin's finest]

It means going out and signing the players Conte tells him to sign, and doing it straight away... no fucking about.

 

[JCRD]

It is a valid question because ive been askign myself that.

I mean if Conte says go get Mbappe - and we dont get him - then what?

I think it is all about having an open dialogue and working collaboratively concerning Conte, Paratici and Levy.

 

[JayB]

It’s extremely simple: Do everything in the club’s power to give him what he wants, within reasonable budgetary constraints that all parties agree upon at the outset of the window.

The problems with recruitment during the Poch era went far beyond just the cataclysmic 2018 window from which we’ve yet to truly recover. For years leading up to that Poch was given bargain basement alternatives to his true targets.

Poch was given Njie and Nkoudou in the successive summers he wanted Zaha, Janssen instead his first choice of Batshuayi, Aurier instead of first-choice Walker replacement Ricardo Pereira, and panic purchase Sissoko because Levy refused to pay Mane market-rate wages when Poch had met with Mane at his house and convinced him to come. Levy did absolutely sweet fuck all to strengthen the midfield when it was clear to see that Wanyama was crocked and that Dembele was on his last legs. Levy played (and lost) a game of brinkmanship over Grealish when Villa would have sold him for a non-derisory offer. I could go on.

Poch was a poor scout of a player and had become stubborn to a fault by the time of the 2018 window, but looking at that list of failed business it’s not hard to imagine why he might have tired of Levy’s Plan B, C, and D targets.

The same dynamic played out to a lesser extent with Mourinho and Nuno. Mourinho correctly identified that our CBs could not withstand the constant pressure that his negative tactics would put them under and wanted a top CB in Skriniar to shore up that area. Instead he was given young, inexperienced Rodon purchased from cash-strapped Swansea and, what do you know, errors from our defenders proved to be Jose’s undoing. Nuno made Traore his top target and ITK has told us that Paratici negotiated the purchase within the budget that had been laid out at beginning of the window, but Levy nixed the deal.

We can argue about the wisdom of any of those individual instances of Levy interfering in his manager’s transfer plans, but one thing is constant: None of our recent managers have been given the tools they’ve asked for. That’s what cannot repeat with Conte at the helm, because if he’s treated the way that Poch was treated he’ll fucking walk and we’ll be dead in the water.

 

[Mr Pink]

I think it means doing everything to sign the players Conte wants.

Of course these players have to be somewhat realistic but the crucial element for me....

Is going that extra bit further to secure them, than we previously might not of done, if needed.

So I think it will require a tweaking of Levy's MO, and compromise with FP and Conte, if we our to deliver satisfactorily.

 

[Wheeler Dealer]

Move on the players he doesn't want at the club and bring in the players he wants to make us stronger as a team and squad

We have needed a refresh now for 4 years

Easier said than done.. Never easy shifting the deadwood

 

[tototoner]

Easier said than done.. Never easy shifting the deadwood

It would be easier if Levy didn't hold out for unrealistic prices for them

 

[dontcallme]

It’s extremely simple: Do everything in the club’s power to give him what he wants, within reasonable budgetary constraints that all parties agree upon at the outset of the window.

This is the point that isn't simple though.

Take the Adama Traore deal in the summer. Rumours were that Wolves were asking for up to £70m. We could have backed the manager and got him but that's a huge fee for someone who might not be a guaranteed first team starter.

But if we listen to the ITK that Levy pulled out of the deal because he felt we had enough attacking players then this is a problem. But I live in hope that this won't happen with Conte and Paratici both here.

 

[ajspurs]

I would think that a lot of these would have been established in discussions prior to him taking the job, especially with Paratici there who will be fully aware of what our structure is and what our limitations are.

I think any disagreements would be something like, only being willing to pay £20m for Traore, but Conte would see him as a vital piece to the puzzle so would want us to spend £35m to secure him, as opposed to him saying he'd want specific players who would cost £100m. I would be utterly shocked if he didn't already know such transfers wouldn't be possible.

 

[JayB]

This is the point that isn't simple though.

Take the Adama Traore deal in the summer. Rumours were that Wolves were asking for up to £70m. We could have backed the manager and got him but that's a huge fee for someone who might not be a guaranteed first team starter.

But if we listen to the ITK that Levy pulled out of the deal because he felt we had enough attacking players then this is a problem. But I live in hope that this won't happen with Conte and Paratici both here.

The fee was supposedly £50m, and according to ITK was within the budget that Levy had given Paratici and Nuno. We can argue about the merits of any individual transfer, but if the same scenario arises under Conte and Levy interferes again it would massively unsettle Conte.

It is simple. If Conte targets a player, the player is willing to come, and it fits the budget that Paratici was given out the start of the window, we need to close the deal. No more meddling from Levy. If the player prefers other clubs or if it doesn’t fit the budget that was promised, that’s where it gets more complicated.

 

[Nice One Cyril]

Would be nice if our business could be completed early... Not going to be holding my breath though.

 

[dontcallme]

Would be nice if our business could be completed early... Not going to be holding my breath though.

Every club does most of their business late. Some deals are very easy to do but the big money ones take a lot of negotiation most of the time.

It’s far from a Spurs specific issue.

 

[Tottenham_God]

It means going out and signing the players Conte tells him to sign, and doing it straight away... no fucking about.

Has to be this. Levy must be bent over, lubed and absolutely ready to back up (or onto) Conte by any means necessary.

This is taking into context funds and the financials must have been already laid out at the time of his appointment.

If he wants a 32 year old Perisic for 1mil. Do it, don't fuck about.