The Daily ITK Discussion Thread - 28th August 2014

[dondo]

Call me a sop, but I see no glory in winning with their record. Would honestly prefer to be slugging it out for fourth on English money rather than "propelled" to first on a foreign sugar daddy's coin.

I wouldn't. want to see us win the league before I die or go senile and sadly getting taken over by a sugar daddy is the only way I can see this happening

 

[Drexl]

Yeah, that doesn't make such sense. Replace "English" with "earned" and he has a point. At the moment it has the slightest whiff of UKIP about it.

We spend what we earn though, through gate receipts, tv money, player trading etc, i would not say for one moment we live on money from a tax haven

 

[Good Doctor M]

I wouldn't want to see us win the league before I die or go senile and sadly getting taken over by a sugar daddy is the only way I can see this happening

I rated his agree, but I don't agree entirely.

You're right though, realistically, that's the only way it will happen. If there is a takeover as some are suggesting, it's going to be a very nervy time on here as we wait to see who the new owners are and what their intentions and ambition amount to.

The ideal scenario obviously would be someone to come in and throw money around, but I think although it may bring success, I would probably fall out of love with the club to some (if only minor) extent.

 

[Good Doctor M]

We spend what we earn though, through gate receipts, tv money, player trading etc, i would not say for one moment we live on money from a tax haven

We spend what we earn indeed. It's the notion that it's "good proper honest English" money that I have issue with.

 

[SpartanSpur]

Vertonghen leaving would almost be the death of ITK after all the new contract info. Probably just speculation as to why the new contract hasn't been confirmed.

Levy would surely take that idiot Woodward to the cleaners if they had an interest though, Luiz money! Gonna side with the likes of Rebrab and JJ on this one, looked a born again player v QPR, not a sulking one...

 

[Ghost Hardware]

I rated his agree, but I don't agree entirely.

You're right though, realistically, that's the only way it will happen. If there is a takeover as some are suggesting, it's going to be a very nervy time on here as we wait to see who the new owners are and what their intentions and ambition amount to.

The ideal scenario obviously would be someone to come in and throw money around, but I think although it may bring success, I would probably fall out of love with the club to some (if only minor) extent.

It really depends to what extent the hypothetical new owners throw money about, Arsenal and Pool have started making it rain, so to have Utd but you wouldn't put them in the same boat as City, Chelsea, PSG etc. I would be more then happy if we get a new owner and he/she/they start spending a little more on a slightly higher profile players as long as we don't do it the City way and overpay on fees and wages.

 

[Tonio]

I rated his agree, but I don't agree entirely.

You're right though, realistically, that's the only way it will happen. If there is a takeover as some are suggesting, it's going to be a very nervy time on here as we wait to see who the new owners are and what their intentions and ambition amount to.

The ideal scenario obviously would be someone to come in and throw money around, but I think although it may bring success, I would probably fall out of love with the club to some (if only minor) extent.

Money doesn't bring instant success, we'd still have to slug it out against the Chelseas and Citehs. the thrill of watching the team play with some of the worlds best players would be insane. The thrill of wondering who were going to buy each window would be brilliant. Just look how excited we all got when we spunked 100 million after bale left. Money (unfortunately) is a big part of the game and has been for a good while now. Like you said its realistically the only way we are going to play on the big stage.

 

[SpursSvedala]

Yeah they have silverware and the record books will show they won that silverware but where is the satisfaction in doing it? they both just bought their titles by spending trillions, far more respect is deserved for Fergie and dare I say Wenger who won titles by finding the best youths and turning them into stars

City/Chelsea titles are shallow and hollow, meaningless, because they were bought over the counter

Wow, just wow. That´s a rather bold statement putting Wenger in the winners circle?
Wenger finding talented youth however... OK

 

[fatpiranha]

Surely FFP has taken the gloss off the sugar daddy scenario.

Is this even ITK though? I'm not sure if we should be discussing it here at all .

 

[Amo]

I'd find it very hard to support the club if we become like Man City and Co.

If I did support it, I'd be the biggest hypocrite ever.

 

[Rob]

Vertonghen leaving would almost be the death of ITK after all the new contract info.

But they're surely not mutually exclusive? A possible scenario would be Jan signs a new contract on Tuesday, Utd offer £25 mil on Wednesday, we hold off announcing the contract as he now might leave.

 

[spursintheblood]

Ok. My only word on the possibility of a sale to foreign ownership or a sugar daddy is that I think it would be an error. We have steadily stabilised over the last 10 years into a top 6 side. we have quality in all positions. By the looks of it a great coach. No major debt. new training grounds and stadium on the way. What would such money do except destabilise the steady progress? Leeds spent what they didn't have. Now look at them. Man City were lucky to find another buyer after Shinawatra. Southampton are in trouble as the next scion of there ownershop family doesn't give a fig about football.

The only route I would like to see us go down is to be more like the Bundesliga with fan ownership and an elected board. with Levy as chairman.

Also. Only sell Verts to Man Utd for a record fee. Pay for the new stadium. He's not leaving. Reckon he's going to be announced as captain in a big media hoo hah with contract. Trust in JJ and the itk the mods on here have validated. Makes the summer bearable.

 

[whitechina]

But they're surely not mutually exclusive? A possible scenario would be Jan signs a new contract on Tuesday, Utd offer £25 mil on Wednesday, we hold off announcing the contract as he now might leave.

This sounds like a reasonable way to do it. I'm sure Levy would really be happy to entertain a HUGE bid, if this does not materialize then no problem announce the new contract- a Levy win/win

 

[Breezer]

I'd find it very hard to support the club if we become like Man City and Co.

If I did support it, I'd be the biggest hypocrite ever.

A league title and a few other trophies would soften most peoples stance.

 

[CockOnBall]

But they're surely not mutually exclusive? A possible scenario would be Jan signs a new contract on Tuesday, Utd offer £25 mil on Wednesday, we hold off announcing the contract as he now might leave.

That would be an unlikely to turn of events, to be fair. What's interesting is that Poch has refused to name his captain until after the window closes. So far he's preferred to give it to a defender (Kaboul) when he's played. I suspect he wants to give it to Vertonghen (who he called whilst at WC to specify his importance to his plans).

However, Vertonghen is perhaps waiting to formally commit to his deal when the window closes (in case a really top club expresses an interest).

I really want to believe this deal is actually done but we heard that about Bale last summer. Maybe he's verbally agreed to it but I don't know why the club wouldn't announce if it is actually signed.

 

[Indisguise]

I know the consensus is that ENIC has always looked to turn this into a profit via sale. But I am starting to wonder if they are interested in that all. I kind of feel that they are here for the long haul and that this is a pet project because Levy actually loves the club. We fail to realize that sometimes. While he can be a cheap bastard at times, I do think that he cares about this club and has no interest in moving on. He's made his fortune and now has his dream job. Just an opinion, and with my track record, he'll sell tomorrow. But I think ENIC/Levy will be in charge for a long time. Much to the chagrin of many, I guess I should add.

I've come round to the same way of thinking. I remember an article where Dawson spoke about the time that all of the players were invited to meet Joe Lewis on his yacht; he very much conveyed the impression that JL was a big fan of the club. There's been quite a few similar hints about him and Levy over the years and it would go some way towards explaining why they tinker with some of the footballing decisions. They're financially invested, yes, but I think it's becoming more and more obvious that they're emotionally invested too, so they just can't help themselves. In their positions I'd do the same. I gripe about DL occasionally but I wouldn't willingly swap him and Lewis for any other management set up.

 

[Drexl]

Wow, just wow. That´s a rather bold statement putting Wenger in the winners circle?
Wenger finding talented youth however... OK

Wow, just wow. That´s a rather bold statement putting Wenger in the winners circle?
Wenger finding talented youth however... OK

Much as I loathe anything Arsenal what happened in 2003 deserves a lot of credit, winning the title unbeaten without going on a massive spending spree, Wenger's titles in the early 2000's are 1000 times more meaningful than Mancini, Pellegrini and Mourinho's titles, their titles are like playing FM in cheat mode

 

[SpartanSpur]

But they're surely not mutually exclusive? A possible scenario would be Jan signs a new contract on Tuesday, Utd offer £25 mil on Wednesday, we hold off announcing the contract as he now might leave.

I appreciate that things can change quickly but no ITK has come out and mentioned any interest in the week(s) since (and Rebrab just dismissed it again) and you'd imagine the bid would have come in by now.

I'm pretty sure it's all a moot point anyway

 

[yido_number1]

But they're surely not mutually exclusive? A possible scenario would be Jan signs a new contract on Tuesday, Utd offer £25 mil on Wednesday, we hold off announcing the contract as he now might leave.

I agree with the sentiment in that ITK only knows what's happening inside the club. No one knows if Barcelona or Real madrid are preparing 50m offers for Vertonghen, but I can't see Vertonghen leaving this window. Almost every player we have had serious interest on we have at least held onto one year more than the first interest. I think Berbatov was the last major player to go that actually went in the window he wanted to. Bale and Modric were both forced/asked to stay and did. With only a few days left I can't see any first choice players leaving with only players in the fringes likely to leave.

 

[yankspurs]

This is about the time I put SC in its place wrt winning, but i wont do it since i learned last time i did most of you are lost causes.

But ill just say this, what franchises are the most famous in the world? How many titles do they have? Eeeeeeexactly.

As for Vertonghen, yeah right. They already spent like 140m on 4 players. You think they're going to push a 200m expenditure for 5?(levy will ask alot more than what chelsea got for that awfully shit twat from psg). Laughable.