EPS article: Tottenham may lack vision on the field, but not in the boardroom

[shelfmonkey]

I would hate to become like Chelsea, Real, Barca even the recent Man Utd, almost totally dominant!! I appreciate that not winning all the time makes it a helluva lot better and more meaningful when a trophy is won!! Constant success would become boring, run of the mill, pretty much like football is nowadays.

 

[Mullers]

I would hate to become like Chelsea, Real, Barca even the recent Man Utd, almost totally dominant!! I appreciate that not winning all the time makes it a helluva lot better and more meaningful when a trophy is won!! Constant success would become boring, run of the mill, pretty much like football is nowadays.

Finishing 5/6th and winning nothing every season is exciting?

 

[Norwegian Spurs fan]

Finishing 5/6th and winning nothing every season is exciting?

Like watch paint dry

 

[Wheeler Dealer]

Too bad the people at City didn't want to be based in London and buy us instead of them

City were financially on their arse when the Oil Barons picked them up for nothing. Same story with Chelsea. Smart investors don't over pay and we're over valued in my opinion.

 

[Lilbaz]

City were financially on their arse when the Oil Barons picked them up for nothing. Same story with Chelsea. Smart investors don't over pay and we're over valued in my opinion.

City weren't really on gheir arse. Thaksin just needed a quick sell.

 

[Shea]

City were financially on their arse when the Oil Barons picked them up for nothing. Same story with Chelsea. Smart investors don't over pay and we're over valued in my opinion.

But abromavich had to pick up Chelsea debts as well as pay whatever ken bates wanted

They were probably expensive he just didn't care because he wasn't looking to be a smart investor

We are over valued I agree and we already have smart investors owning the club

I was just saying it would have been nice for me and anyone who shares my point of view had one of those two wanted to buy us and not be smart investors just spunk a bunch of money to win us the league and make us an elite European club

I'm not sure it could happen again now the ffp is in effect anyway

Also I'm not convinced we could ever realistically bridge the gap without it

I suppose we will always wonder what could have happened had we signed Suarez when we were in touching distance of competing

Would be amazing if we can do what we do and still win the league but I don't personally believe I will ever see it without something like what happened to Chelsea and man city happening to us

 

[Col_M]

Anyone got some more salt that I can run into my wounds of disappointment ?

 

[Mullers]

But abromavich had to pick up Chelsea debts as well as pay whatever ken bates wanted

They were probably expensive he just didn't care because he wasn't looking to be a smart investor

We are over valued I agree and we already have smart investors owning the club

I was just saying it would have been nice for me and anyone who shares my point of view had one of those two wanted to buy us and not be smart investors just spunk a bunch of money to win us the league and make us an elite European club

I'm not sure it could happen again now the ffp is in effect anyway

Also I'm not convinced we could ever realistically bridge the gap without it

I suppose we will always wonder what could have happened had we signed Suarez when we were in touching distance of competing

Would be amazing if we can do what we do and still win the league but I don't personally believe I will ever see it without something like what happened to Chelsea and man city happening to us

But that's just it, Ambrovich and the city board are smart investors, the reason being is that they put massive investment into the teams and were prepared to take losses in the short term knowing that later on the profits will come.

 

[Shea]

But that's just it, Ambrovich and the city board are smart investors, the reason being is that they put massive investment into the teams and were prepared to take losses in the short term knowing that later on the profits will come.

Well they were certainly smart with their player investment prior to the FFP restrictions As its given then a huge advantage in player trading now

I don't know if ambrovich was planning to make a long term profit with Chelsea or not

But either way I think they type of take over was our only chance to ever win the league and multi silverware and now the FFP is in place I think we've missed the boat and it will never happen


Good news for those who'd prefer to see us do things the right way

 

[shelfmonkey]

Finishing 5/6th and winning nothing every season is exciting?

The excitement is in the chase, not when it's an annual procession ending with the same teams winning everything, if you want constant, yearly success then go and support B Munich or Barca!!!

 

[HotspurFC1950]

The excitement is in the chase, not when it's an annual procession ending with the teams winning everything, if you want constant, yearly success then go and support B Munich or Barca!!!

Correct.

 

[npearl4spurs]

@shelfmonkey I don't think you're being completely clear - are you saying you wouldn't want to be completely dominant the way most of these teams are, that is by buying everyone who is good?

or are you saying you wouldn't even want constant success with talent that we develop?

 

[shelfmonkey]

@shelfmonkey I don't think you're being completely clear - are you saying you wouldn't want to be completely dominant the way most of these teams are, that is by buying everyone who is good?

or are you saying you wouldn't even want constant success with talent that we develop?

The former, but that said, even with academy produced talent I still wouldn't want us to be totally dominant, without the disappointments you can't fully enjoy the successes, thats just my way tho', others might enjoy sweeping every other team aside in every competition each season, I would find that boring.

 

[KILLA_SIN]

We finished behind United, Chelsea, City and Arse, who all have far more financial clout than we do. I don't see any shame in that. And not sure how were going to bread into the top four until we do become financially stronger. If we get a 60,000 seater stadium and still don't compete for top four then I think we should be worried but right now we are where we are and its going to stay like that for a while.

And barring one season we haven't regressed under Enic we have consistently stayed just outside the CL spots. We might not be moving up but were not moving down either.

 

[Lilbaz]

The harder the conflict, the more glorious the triumph. What we obtain too cheap, we esteem too lightly; it is dearness only that gives everything it's value.

 

[Sevens]

We finished behind United, Chelsea, City and Arse, who all have far more financial clout than we do. I don't see any shame in that. And not sure how were going to bread into the top four until we do become financially stronger. If we get a 60,000 seater stadium and still don't compete for top four then I think we should be worried but right now we are where we are and its going to stay like that for a while.

And barring one season we haven't regressed under Enic we have consistently stayed just outside the CL spots. We might not be moving up but were not moving down either.

ENIC have us punching where we should be. Therefore they aren't doing a great job. They aren't doing a bad job either. I genuinely believe that profit comes before success for them in the long term (they are an investment company after all) and Spurs success coincides with that. However not to the point of potentially lowering club value. That's a risk they will never take. There will be no Audere Est Facere whilst ENIC are in charge (as we saw so obviously in two critical transfer windows where we never pushed on. The Summer following CL qualification and the January of Redknapp's last year where a couple of expensive players may have won us the title). ENIC are following a low risk strategy.

That said in pure cold hard facts the era under ENIC has been a commercial success and a romantic disappointment. Since taking over in 2001 we have won just one trophy in 14 years. Just to put this into context we won a single trophy under Sugar in the 10 years he was in charge (and arguably it was in an era where it was harder to win a domestic cup than now). We still haven't got a new stadium. The League showings and the fact we have been a Europa League regular for a few seasons now (although we have been generally woeful in the competition IMO) are a major plus point but let's not kid ourselves that Levy has been a roaring success.

With our fan base and revenue we should be finishing around the top six. Levy hasn't turned Spurs into a successful club. All he has done is got us back to where we should be following a very poor preceding decade and that has made him look good.

 

[Lilbaz]

ENIC have us punching where we should be. Therefore they aren't doing a great job. They aren't doing a bad job either. I genuinely believe that profit comes before success for them in the long term (they are an investment company after all) and Spurs success coincides with that. However not to the point of potentially lowering club value. That's a risk they will never take. There will be no Audere Est Facere whilst ENIC are in charge (as we saw so obviously in two critical transfer windows where we never pushed on. The Summer following CL qualification and the January of Redknapp's last year where a couple of expensive players may have won us the title). ENIC are following a low risk strategy.

That said in pure cold hard facts the era under ENIC has been a commercial success and a romantic disappointment. Since taking over in 2001 we have won just one trophy in 14 years. Just to put this into context we won a single trophy under Sugar in the 10 years he was in charge (and arguably it was in an era where it was harder to win a domestic cup than now). We still haven't got a new stadium. The League showings and the fact we have been a Europa League regular for a few seasons now (although we have been generally woeful in the competition IMO) are a major plus point but let's not kid ourselves that Levy has been a roaring success.

With our fan base and revenue we should be finishing around the top six. Levy hasn't turned Spurs into a successful club. All he has done is got us back to where we should be following a very poor preceding decade and that has made him look good.

How many times since the Glory years have we finished in the top 5 in the league? How many of those times under Enic?

In a world of CL and Oligarchs our natural competitors are Aston Villa, Newcastle, Everton and the like. We are closer to the revenues of West Ham than we are of Liverpools, yet we have finished above them 5 out of the last 6 years.

We need to win trophies. But these days it is all about the race for the top 4 and everything else comes second.

People blame Enic for us not winning trophies and challenging for the league. But they have done a fantastic job with what they have had. The main problem is the Champions League and what it has done to football in Europe. It has distorted it so much it is almost impossible to compete. Man Utd finished outside for 1 season. What do they do? Spend £200m to get back in. How can we compete? Throw in a few oligarchs and it is a joke. Yet somehow we got top 4 twice and have been the best of the rest for a number of years now (all things being equal). All the while spending £1/2bn on infrastructure for the club, which will mean that what ever happens in the future we will have a very secure basis. Once it is all built and paid for then we can spend money again. Then all we need to do is gain one position on average and we can start competing seriously.

 

[KILLA_SIN]

ENIC have us punching where we should be. Therefore they aren't doing a great job. They aren't doing a bad job either. I genuinely believe that profit comes before success for them in the long term (they are an investment company after all) and Spurs success coincides with that. However not to the point of potentially lowering club value. That's a risk they will never take. There will be no Audere Est Facere whilst ENIC are in charge (as we saw so obviously in two critical transfer windows where we never pushed on. The Summer following CL qualification and the January of Redknapp's last year where a couple of expensive players may have won us the title). ENIC are following a low risk strategy.

That said in pure cold hard facts the era under ENIC has been a commercial success and a romantic disappointment. Since taking over in 2001 we have won just one trophy in 14 years. Just to put this into context we won a single trophy under Sugar in the 10 years he was in charge (and arguably it was in an era where it was harder to win a domestic cup than now). We still haven't got a new stadium. The League showings and the fact we have been a Europa League regular for a few seasons now (although we have been generally woeful in the competition IMO) are a major plus point but let's not kid ourselves that Levy has been a roaring success.

With our fan base and revenue we should be finishing around the top six. Levy hasn't turned Spurs into a successful club. All he has done is got us back to where we should be following a very poor preceding decade and that has made him look good.

Are not all the top 5 or 6 where they should be?

 

[yojambo]

Don't like that article, too many asumptions made out to be fact, how does he know what Levy thinks? Also this guy writes like he is the voice for all fans. "A season that didn't live up to expectations" - Not for me, i was pleased but then perhaps my expectations were a little more realistic, a 5th place finish and a cup final is about as good as we've had in the premier league.

"Fans see things rather differently. Our priority is the trophy cabinet" - again not for me, the emergence of homegrown youth players that give everything for the shirt means more to me then winning a trophy the way City have.

 

[StartingPrice]

The notion that ENIC are somehow letting us down because they have lots of money, but aren't behaving like Abramovich or Mansour, entirely misses the point. They have a lot of money to us, but nowhere near as much, and nowhere near as much in liquidity, as the oil mafioso's. It would be like going down the pub and attempting to play brag with one guy who could blow you outta the water (Abramovich), and another who could hire a giant suction pump, hoover you up along with all of the water you have just been blown out of, hire a fleet of spaceships from the planet Zog and deposit you on Mars. It would just be pointless, spending all of their limited (in real terms) resources just to see them buy better and more expensive players anyway. Developing the youth and infrastructure while spending within means is just simply a more sensible way of attempting to compete - and IMHO has a much better chance of succedding in the long term. And why? Because spending lots of money on good players didn't help Blackburn once Jacky-Boy was outta the picture - and they, at least, had the possibility (probability, IMHO) of buying immediate success - whereas, as explained above, we have zilch chance of doing that against Citeh and Chelsea and the financial powerhouse that is United.

It ain't as immediate as all of us (bar none, believe it or not) would want. But it is sensible and we are in a much better position now, in so many ways, than we were pre-ENIC, or, more pertinently afaiac, pre shake-up initiated by Levy after dismissing GHodd.

Don't like that article, too many asumptions made out to be fact, how does he know what Levy thinks? Also this guy writes like he is the voice for all fans. "A season that didn't live up to expectations" - Not for me, i was pleased but then perhaps my expectations were a little more realistic, a 5th place finish and a cup final is about as good as we've had in the premier league.

"Fans see things rather differently. Our priority is the trophy cabinet" - again not for me, the emergence of homegrown youth players that give everything for the shirt means more to me then winning a trophy the way City have.

Exactly what I thought when I read it.
Too many Spurs fans have let a couple of really poor games (and they were), after the defeat at OT, cloud perceptions IMHO.