Managing Director Football: Fabio Paratici

[the lad]

You mean he won't just throw money at a deal just to get done ?

Unlike you apparently I think we have three very clever successful people (Levy, Paratici and Conte) running the football side of the club and I believe they know what they are doing. Perhaps not completing deals as fast as most would like but working in the best interests of the club and its future.

Successful and Levy in the same sentence ????

 

[hellava_tough]

You mean he won't just throw money at a deal just to get done ?

Unlike you apparently I think we have three very clever successful people (Levy, Paratici and Conte) running the football side of the club and I believe they know what they are doing. Perhaps not completing deals as fast as most would like but working in the best interests of the club and its future.

I don't think Levy is particularly good at the on-pitch side of things.

He's A-1 at building infrastructure though.

Problem is, the first one is our bread and butter.

 

[littlewilly]

Successful and Levy in the same sentence ????

I’d imagine so. By any standards, Levy has had a very successful life and career?

 

[DannyNZ]

Not impressed.

Back up goalie = Crap

He buys Emerson Royal who is a FB, Gil who is a LW and then pursues his dream manager Conte who doesn't even play players in these positions.

This is a bit of a worry having a DOF buying players that are so limited in their ability to play multiple formations. Would be understandable if we had a strong playing philosophy and were buying players that fit but we certainly have not had a footballing identity for years now.

Gollini is just an odd one as he just doesn’t look like a quality keeper. Not a great shot stopper, not great distribution wise and doesn't look comfortable on crosses - even for a back up keeper these are fundamentals.

Still on the plus side Romero looks top drawer.

 

[SpursSince1980]

This is a bit of a worry having a DOF buying players that are so limited in their ability to play multiple formations. Would be understandable if we had a strong playing philosophy and were buying players that fit but we certainly have not had a footballing identity for years now.

Gollini is just an odd one as he just doesn’t look like a quality keeper. Not a great shot stopper, not great distribution wise and doesn't look comfortable on crosses - even for a back up keeper these are fundamentals.

Still on the plus side Romero looks top drawer.

I believe Gil and Sarr may well turn out to be excellent signings. Far too early to tell. But I feel and understand the frustration. As we needed immediate help. Both of the aforementioned won’t start making a significant impact for another couple of seasons. Also unfair to judge Emerson on half a season. Gollini I can accept looks like a dud.

Romero is and will continue to be an exceptional signing.

Hard to say what’s going on in January. Our lack of action so far is disappointing but I get the sense that a lot of business will be done in the last week. Lots of cat and mouse games going on.

I just hope Fab and Conte are being backed by Levy. There is a massive opportunity to finish in the top 4 this season, if we are willing to be brave and bring in three signings that can have an immediate impact. No one expected for there to be a window into a CL spot this season, but looks like it is wide open. Not just 4th. But 3rd too.

Sadly, Jan is always hard to get impact deals done. Then we have the Levy factor. Even if he isn’t involved in the transfer part anymore, he still holds the purse strings. Only he can decide to go for it and make a big investment to help push us into a CL spot. Alas, history is precedent, and we all know what Danny does when something like this happens. He doesn’t dare or do.

 

[Wheeler Dealer]

I’d imagine so. By any standards, Levy has had a very successful life and career?

I can only dream about the wealth he's accumulated.. I'm more worried about paying my gas and electric

 

[Wsussexspur]

Love to know what Paratici actually does? I.E what is his job description? He certainly doesn’t seem that active in selling players and bringing new players in? I thought he was meant to be the “don” according to some of our fan base and have amazing contacts in football. Given this amazed how quiet everything seems not only the incoming front but the out going as well.

Barring cheer leading on the touch line with his boy Hitch and correcting the huge mistake he made in appointing Nuno what has he been doing for the past 5months since the summer transfer Window closed?

 

[Bainzey]

Love to know what Paratici actually does? I.E what is his job description? He certainly doesn’t seem that active in selling players and bringing new players in? I thought he was meant to be the “don” according to some of our fan base and have amazing contacts in football. Given this amazed how quiet everything seems not only the incoming front but the out going as well.

Barring cheer leading on the touch line with his boy Hitch and correcting the huge mistake he made in appointing Nuno what has he been doing for the past 5months since the summer transfer Window closed?

Based on his history, I suspect he's spent the last 5 months talking to players and agents with expiring contracts and convincing them to join (there's a pretty big list of quality players available on free's this summer) whilst simultaneously convincing Conte to join us (I don't believe that was a Levy/Hitchen masterstroke). He's probably also been trying to get rid of our deadwood which to be honest.. is a herculean task. Historically he's bought 1/2 players in January's - which follows the general trend of clubs not buying in Jan, so I'll be surprised if he manages to find 3 players that are available in Jan.

Granted, thus far is underwhelming but I suspect we'll see his 'cooking' in the summer when he can get us free's.

 

[Ghost Hardware]

It would be nice if we see some movement soon, we really badly need reinforcements and upgrades. I’m sure it’s busy behind the scenes but from the outside it all seems very static. January is always a tricky window but I hope we don’t leave it until last minute as I’m sure whoever we are trying to buy, the clubs who own the players will want to bring in replacements and we have been burnt in the past in this regard.

 

[Pekoni]

Hopefully we'll see some action next week. I don't believe he has just been twiddling with his thumbs all this time.

 

[Ghost Hardware]

Hopefully we'll see some action next week. I don't believe he has just been twiddling with his thumbs all this time.

Would hope so because there will only be two weeks of the window left. I know things can move swiftly but if we do actually have financial restraints and need to be creative in our accounting then we will probably need all the time we can get. I just hope that we have deals already lined up and it’s just a matter of finalising things. I really feel with just 2 or 3 quality, or at least clever, signings we could get top 4.

 

[Wsussexspur]

We certainly need something in the next two weeks just to lift the mood around the club! It’s pretty depressing and down at the moment. Not just among the fan base but most of the media reports are very negative as well.. mainly centring around the clear lack of quality in our squad and why Is there no pro active movement to sort this issue out.

 

[whenstevewentup]

For me it’s not just about signing a player , we need to sign someone that offers us a spark , A new centre back would be great but it’s not going to give the club the lift it needs . As much as I’m not a huge fan of Traore , at least he offers us another attacking threat and the the way the table looks at the moment and without the distraction of European football , 2 new signings could get us top 4 , stay as we are and I can see an 8th place finish .

 

[Cavehillspur]

Tic tok Fabio, time to get your arse in gear..

 

[Freddie]

Based on his history, I suspect he's spent the last 5 months talking to players and agents with expiring contracts and convincing them to join (there's a pretty big list of quality players available on free's this summer) whilst simultaneously convincing Conte to join us (I don't believe that was a Levy/Hitchen masterstroke). He's probably also been trying to get rid of our deadwood which to be honest.. is a herculean task. Historically he's bought 1/2 players in January's - which follows the general trend of clubs not buying in Jan, so I'll be surprised if he manages to find 3 players that are available in Jan.

Granted, thus far is underwhelming but I suspect we'll see his 'cooking' in the summer when he can get us free's.

Historically he's been at a title winning side which didn't need much work doing to it. We however are rather desperate for incomings. Also, as you say it's his job to get rid of deadwood. Seems to be no movement on that front either (wouldn't class Bergwijn as such). I know it's hard to do deals in January but doing hard deals is kinda why we got him...

 

[PaulM]

I don't think Levy is particularly good at the on-pitch side of things.

He's A-1 at building infrastructure though.

Problem is, the first one is our bread and butter.

I’d agree with this. Levy is a brilliant businessman and, in business terms, player transfer fees are fucking stupid.

You buy this asset that stays on your books for the length of his contract and depreciates almost as soon as you sign him. What’s worse, the ones that are going to do the most for you on the pitch (i.e. the 28 year old finished article) are the ones who will have the lowest resale value and cost you the most in wages.

From a business and investment point of view, signing players is fraught with a lot of downside and very little upside.

From a football perspective, to be any way successful, they are the lifeblood of a squad.

All of us support Tottenham Hotspur Football Club rather than Tottenham Hotspur Limited so, while I understand his reluctance to spend on players, Levy’s approach really does boil my piss sometimes.

 

[shelfboy68]

Historically he's been at a title winning side which didn't need much work doing to it. We however are rather desperate for incomings. Also, as you say it's his job to get rid of deadwood. Seems to be no movement on that front either (wouldn't class Bergwijn as such). I know it's hard to do deals in January but doing hard deals is kinda why we got him...

I'm surprised nothing has happened so far especially as paratici and agents would have been talking for weeks if not months prior to each window.
It smacks of the usual way we do our business leaving it to the last couple of days which makes us so small time with our bargain bin attitude.

 

[hellava_tough]

I’d agree with this. Levy is a brilliant businessman and, in business terms, player transfer fees are fucking stupid.

You buy this asset that stays on your books for the length of his contract and depreciates almost as soon as you sign him. What’s worse, the ones that are going to do the most for you on the pitch (i.e. the 28 year old finished article) are the ones who will have the lowest resale value and cost you the most in wages.

From a business and investment point of view, signing players is fraught with a lot of downside and very little upside.

From a football perspective, to be any way successful, they are the lifeblood of a squad.

All of us support Tottenham Hotspur Football Club rather than Tottenham Hotspur Limited so, while I understand his reluctance to spend on players, Levy’s approach really does boil my piss sometimes.

That's one way of looking at it.

Another way is that the players are the raw materials in a production process, which you have to pay for; the end result is the league finishes and cup runs, which you can sell (or leverage) for advertising and commercial revenue.

Hopefully the cost of the product is lower than the profits.

Whether Levy views it like that is another matter.

 

[agrdavidsfan]

Loves a loan to buy doesn’t he?
How many loans are we allowed in a match day squad? ?

 

[hellava_tough]

Loves a loan to buy doesn’t he?
How many loans are we allowed in a match day squad? ?

I think we worked out it was 4 in the end