The Daily ITK Discussion Thread - 7th July

[widmerpool]

I get that the current first team would rather like more money. But why would they be arsey about Levy not investing in their own replacements as a "sign of intent"?

The bleatings sound rather as if they come from people close to angry agents who have put in lots of work on speculative deals which haven't come off.

 

[Hercules]

So many police men/woman playing detective on respected information. It is frightening. This why I hate this itk malarkey. Not that I don't believe it, as in the majority of cases I do. It is more to do with how some love to tear information apart from such and put their stamp of disproval at best on it.

 

[arunspurs]

Btw, Barkley for 20m ? That in current market is a bargain. Exactly what we need at the moment. And I remember multiple ITKs saying in past that he has been Poch's no1 wanted choice this summer.

If we do sign him, thats one way to appease him & keep him on board for Levy. But needs to be done faster to give any chance for Poch to get the best out of him

 

[SpartanSpur]

I'm glad the ITK is nothing imminent like a key departure.

That said Poch is obviously the glue that is holding this house of cards up, but at least there's still time to turn it around. I just hope Poch is constantly in Levy's ear about this, he had enough sway for the uncharacteristic Sissoko deal so you'd hope he could force his hand again.

I fully understand Poch's stance and like I said it's time for us to put up or shut up. I genuinely believe he does like doing things this way, as an Espanyol man, but he needs to be given help every now and then. He's good but he can't keep succeeding with such handicaps. Barkley/Lemar are still a level below what City/Utd/Chelsea are shopping for.

Failing on Lemar if a fee was indeed agreed is going to be a kick in the nuts, stalling on Barkley doesn't help either. Losing a key target to a non-CL rival has to be brutal (Batshuayi/Lemar).

The margins are so small in football all of these near misses from Levy could have made a big difference. He needs to loosen the strings a bit, this current manager and squad are on borrowed time unless things improve. We've just added 18,000 season ticket holders at an average of around £900 each, TV money is madness now, Nike deal is a big jump in commercial income, the time to put a deal in jeopardy over a couple of £m at the last minute is long gone, especially when we only need to bring 1-2 in these days!

 

[bubble07]

Time Poch gave baldy some ultimatums

 

[Hoopspur]

Barkley fee agreed at £20m for me. Seems a bit low and out of sync with how i see transfers working

In the Berkley thread recently there's a bit kind of alluding to the sort of fee. If Ross wants Spurs and we want him then it's crossing and dotting. It'll get sorted.

 

[bubble07]

Just hope our players are not twats like chelsea and down tools because of Daniel

 

[Ron Burgundy]

We often this kind of Levy sniping ITK though don't we? I think it's part true, part speculation would be my guess.

Just thinking about it logically though, just consider the following:

How long has it taken Levy to find his right manager? Someone who massively increases the value of his existing squad, builds morale and brings through the kids. Someone who has over delivered season on season and has brought us one of the most exciting periods in our history.

If this person was to make noises behind the scenes about leaving if he wasn't backed a little more - and we're not talking dramatic changes here, but being slightly more aggressive with certain targets do you Levy would (a) try and meet him in the middle and make the occasional large signing or (b) be so stuck in his ways, be so unwilling to alter his DNA, that he would be prepared to lose this guy?

Surely it's (a)? Hopefully anyway!

 

[acid-casual]

Just looking back through the Goat's previous. The info generally turns out to be complete balls tbh

 

[Cornpattbuck]

Nothing too surprising in the ITK posts in the read only.

Goat's stuff is very anti Levy

Agree, we're in knife in the back territory here. Not at all promising.

 

[DiscoD1882]

I'm glad the ITK is nothing imminent like a key departure.

That said Poch is obviously the glue that is holding this house of cards up, but at least there's still time to turn it around. I just hope Poch is constantly in Levy's ear about this, he had enough sway for the uncharacteristic Sissoko deal so you'd hope he could force his hand again.

I fully understand Poch's stance and like I said it's time for us to put up or shut up. I genuinely believe he does like doing things this way, as an Espanyol man, but he needs to be given help every now and then. He's good but he can't keep succeeding with such handicaps. Barkley/Lemar are still a level below what City/Utd/Chelsea are shopping for.

Failing on Lemar if a fee was indeed agreed is going to be a kick in the nuts, stalling on Barkley doesn't help either. Losing a key target to a non-CL rival has to be brutal (Batshuayi/Lemar).

The margins are so small in football all of these near misses from Levy could have made a big difference. He needs to loosen the strings a bit, this current manager and squad are on borrowed time unless things improve. We've just added 18,000 season ticket holders at an average of around £900 each, TV money is madness now, Nike deal is a big jump in commercial income, the time to put a deal in jeopardy over a couple of £m at the last minute is long gone, especially when we only need to bring 1-2 in these days!

This seems to be the Arsenal mould of promising the world before the season ticket window ends and then butt fucking the fans once they have paid. This DOES sound very levy-esque. I have to admit.

 

[nferno]

The goats itk doesn't make sense given Levy spunked 30m on
Sissoko...

But taking that as an outlier, it's not difficult to believe the itk. It's no wonder other chairmen hate him, there's good and bad to it.

 

[Sandro30]

@Archibald&Crooks you said last night you had 2 bits of ITK for the goat, are they both represented in that large post? EG negative is 1 source, positive side is another? Or is there more Goat to come later?

 

[LukaKranjcar]

I'd absolutely take Barkley at £20m. Complete no brainer. The deal that is, not Ross.

 

[Danfunkel]

I don't know how much of the goat stuff is correct, but there is at least one part that is 100℅ not the case.

The bit about Poch starting to feel frustrated I hope. But then again...

 

[kaz Hirai]

100% believe and not surprised by the goats ITK. In fact I said jokingly last summer that Poch would eventually get pissed off with how we do things.

Did the same to AVB , asked for gold, and was given shit and excuses until he just quit, never believed he was out right fired.

Really redknapp was the perfect dream manager for him. Happy to get in the likes of John Terry and maybe ask Rio if he wouldn't mind being player coach for a season .

He better change his ways because he won't find a better coach anywhere than Poch

 

[DiscoD1882]

Agree, we're in knife in the back territory here. Not at all promising.

Tim Sherwood?

 

[Ossie'sAardvark]

So that bit of ITK although truly heard, I believe was wildly whispered. We're supposed to think that Levy will haggle over the price of a player to the detriment of basically everything. Sorry, that dog aint gonna hunt. If true he should own West Ham.

 

[jackson]

No big surprises there, Levy not delivering on promises of players has been the complaint of many a manager gone by and changing deals last minute has been muted as the collapse of many a deal in the past...

The difference this time though is that we can't afford to lose Poch and subsequently half the team.

I think Levy/Enic want to get to the new stadium whilst remaining very atractive on paper then sell up

 

[LukaMotion]

Barkley fee agreed at £20m for me. Seems a bit low and out of sync with how i see transfers working

Trix rated this Winner so clearly he's saying we don't have any sort of price agreed for Barkley.