ENIC...

[southlondonyiddo]

So we're back to when ENIC don't spend they are being tight but when they do spend it is with some level of desperation.

They don’t spend because it’s not a great business decision (for example spending another 100m on 1 or 2 players in January which may or may not win a league title) When they do spend its because of a business decision ( we are clearly a mid table side without investment in the 1st XI right now)

 

[wrd]

I think fans have every right to be critical of those responsible for how the 2 years prior to last summer went where Poch and Levy have to take responsibility. Poch called for a painful rebuild and for whatever reason that didn't happen. I thought the summer was very good business but I'd argue a summer too late to save the current squad (I say current it now looks like old squad).

However at a certain point you have to see let things go and for me I now look at it that we have fully began the transition into the next squad beginning with the aforementioned summer business and I'd have to say as far as January windows go we've done good business which is inline with trying to rebuild the squad with young components in Gedson and Bergwijn. Of course I wanted us to go big guns with Bruno but it is what it is and I'd say there's argument that we're better off trying to develop young talents at a lower cost than these ready made stars. You look at our business from a rebuild stand point and we've signed: Ndombele, Lo Celso, Sessegnon, Gedson, Bergwijn. That's a lot of fantastic young talent to begin a new phase.

If I look at it from this seasons stand point, do I think this window has been brilliant? No because we have glaring holes in a lot of positions which will make it difficult to make this season a successful one and we've missed out on Bruno. If I look at it from a longer term view and a rebuild then I do think we've done some fantastic business and I'd rather we waited until the summer if it means we get some excellent players in as long term solutions at FB and DM.

As I say I agree with the criticism of how the old squad was handled and we should have kicked on but you have to drawn a line somewhere and start judging Levy on the rebuild and from where I'm sitting, he is doing a good job at now putting the pieces together but I'm still off the opinion that we need to wait for a proper summer with Jose until we start casting all those who are critical of Levy as fools.

 

[dontcallme]

They don’t spend because it’s not a great business decision (for example spending another 100m on 1 or 2 players in January which may or may not win a league title) When they do spend its because of a business decision ( we are clearly a mid table side without investment in the 1st XI right now)

Really can't think of a time when us spending £50m on a realistic target could have won us the league.

 

[Donki]

It’s obviously panic buying when we’ve lost our Manager, most creative player and could lose our best defender with the very real prospect of losing out on Champions League money.

Ok so we shouldn't buy then? Shoudn't try and add creativity, and shouldn't try to increase our prospects of CL football?

I am not quite sure what you think we should be doing

 

[dontcallme]

Ok so we shouldn't buy then? Shoudn't try and add creativity, and shouldn't increase our prospects?

I am not quite sure what you think we should be doing

Turning back time and spending then seems to be the thought.

 

[Donki]

Turning back time and spending then seems to be the thought.

Where's Levy's DeLorean?

 

[southlondonyiddo]

Hard one. I think a lot of the players and maybe the manager where knackered, we’d been for so long punching so much above our weight that when it finally came down it really came down.

Emotionally I was so sad to see the best manager we had in decades leave but I can logically understand the call, Levy probably thought less players would leave and the rebuild would be smaller under Jose and it would put some fire in our belly.

I agree 100% he had to go but I’m also 80% of the opinion that his bed was made by others

In hindsight we can see that Poch was right about needing to be brave and it was going to be painful and Levy is now shitting himself about how much it actually might cost with his recent neglect on the pitch

 

[Dillspur]

What would be seen as a successful window in your eyes?

Honestly, I'm not sure. I'm just not buying into "this is a brilliant window" narrative.

What's wrong with that? Presumably the club will be targeting more players in the summer so I guess that there needs to be some balancing of the budget.

Nothing, I didn't say there was anything wrong with that strategy, just trying to add a little caution as we have been here before.

Bruno, Cavani, Bale and Koulibaly ofc.

I'm more realistic than that, I knew we were never seriously in for any of those players, but at least we tried.

 

[southlondonyiddo]

Really can't think of a time when us spending £50m on a realistic target could have won us the league.

Time after time after time we’ve been in great positions to push on even more but we’ve either bought nothing or cheap/inexperience

Always business decisions. Never for Glory

 

[sausage]

Worth mentioning the exception to the rule - Newcastle bought when they were in a strong position, and it was credited as something which upset the team dynamic. They have never recovered.

Before straw men construction begins, this is balancing out the "you should always strengthen when you're strong" statement, not contradicting it. It's not always the best thing to do.

 

[Dillspur]

Worth mentioning the exception to the rule - Newcastle bought when they were in a strong position, and it was credited as something which upset the team dynamic. They have never recovered.

Before straw men construction begins, this is balancing out the "you should always strengthen when you're strong" statement, not contradicting it. It's not always the best thing to do.

Never seemed to hurt sides that actually won stuff

 

[dudu]

Aren't bothered about Silverware?...clearly ENIC's fault that we've reached 20 semi finals since 1991 and only won one measly cup in that time, totally ENIC's fault that Poch decided to play Son at LWB against Chelsea despite having Davies on the bench, likewise their fault as well we lost to a shite Portsmouth team in the FA Cup in 2009, I could go on but you get the point...

This is what you call twisting the narrative to suit ones agenda, why everyone needs to I have no idea, it's almost as if some Spurs fans have anti ENIC/Levy tourettes and keep repeating ENIC out but have no idea why they're saying it.

No matter how many times you or I bring this up, we never seem to get a response.

 

[southlondonyiddo]

Worth mentioning the exception to the rule - Newcastle bought when they were in a strong position, and it was credited as something which upset the team dynamic. They have never recovered.

Before straw men construction begins, this is balancing out the "you should always strengthen when you're strong" statement, not contradicting it. It's not always the best thing to do.

Would be lovely though to see us try just the once to build from a position of strength wouldn’t it!

Im all for exceptions to the rule and playing devils advocate and not wanting to bankrupt the club but just a slight steer towards glory rather than business would be lovely to see.....

 

[dontcallme]

Worth mentioning the exception to the rule - Newcastle bought when they were in a strong position, and it was credited as something which upset the team dynamic. They have never recovered.

Before straw men construction begins, this is balancing out the "you should always strengthen when you're strong" statement, not contradicting it. It's not always the best thing to do.

I have no problem with the thought of us not buying when in a position of strength.

But I was responding to a poster talking about us not buying a £50m player to win the league, pretty sure that opportunity presented itself.

After the Ramos debacle we were in a position where we could have faced relegation. We had huge gaps in the team and Redknapp got ENIC to spend big to fill those gaps.

But once in a position of strength we have struggled to find players of the quality we require to help us push on within our budget. People talk about Redknapp not getting the striker but he bought us the strikers that made us have four and we then struggled to sell them. Once we did sell we bought Adebayor on a higher salary than our norm.

So I find the argument of us not buying in a position of strength a bit weak.

 

[dontcallme]

Would be lovely though to see us try just the once to build from a position of strength wouldn’t it!

Im all for exceptions to the rule and playing devils advocate and not wanting to bankrupt the club but just a slight steer towards glory rather than business would be lovely to see.....

When Redknapp had us in a strong position and needed a striker, once we sold one of the 4 we had we bought Adebayor on a wage much higher than our norm.

There you go.

 

[dudu]

Would be lovely though to see us try just the once to build from a position of strength wouldn’t it!

Im all for exceptions to the rule and playing devils advocate and not wanting to bankrupt the club but just a slight steer towards glory rather than business would be lovely to see.....

Was Sanchez a purchase from strength? Aurier and Moura the same year too?

 

[Dillspur]

When Redknapp had us in a strong position and needed a striker, once we sold one of the 4 we had we bought Adebayor on a wage much higher than our norm.

There you go.

Weren't city paying 70% of his wages? (That might be a slight exaggeration)

 

[dontcallme]

Was Sanchez a purchase from strength? Aurier and Moura the same year too?

I am going to guess they don't count for some reason.

 

[Archibald&Crooks]

Pete Burns would get a No1 hit record out of this thread

 

[dontcallme]

Weren't city paying 70% of his wages? (That might be a slight exaggeration)

They paid a percentage and I believe we paid him £80k a week, higher than we were generally paying others at the time.