Harry putting pressure on Levy?

[walworthyid]

Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp is pleading with chairman Daniel Levy to loosen the purse strings.

Redknapp has identified three world-class players - but admits wages could be a stumbling block.

He said: “I think we need to bring in three real quality players that can push us on.

“This is a chance that Tottenham really shouldn’t waste. We have got ourselves into our best position since the Premier League first started, and we have to build on that.

“We now have to move forward and not take a step back and sit and look at what we’ve done. I feel it’s a great chance.

“This is a massive opportunity and we have got to grab it, to make sure we stay where we are.

“We have got to keep improving if we are going to stay there. I’m not saying that we necessarily need to spend fortunes, but we have to go and get two or three players who will make the difference to us.

“I have got three players in mind and if I can get these players we would be a different team.”

During the last couple of weeks Harry has been producing these types of quotes in just about every related interview, particularly in the aftermath of the Joe Cole affair. It seems to me, as others on SC have also speculated, that Harry is trying very hard to put pressure on our Daniel to grasp the nettle and spend more money.

It is a very difficult time, do we go all out and build on our success or do we play it safe and carry on with the model that has served us so well over the last few years?

We are definitely at a crossroads. We were very close to the top 3 last season, we really were, and with Man and Chelsea not yet strengthening and Arsenal doing their usual, there is a real chance, as Harry says, that we could get a few world class players and close that gap still further. I honestly believe that if we were to get somebody like Dzeko and maybe Ozil or Turan and a CB, we would be in a position to push for the title. Perhaps not win it, but be there or there abouts.

This is without looking at the CL and how well we could do in the competition this year.

But Daniel has many things to consider in terms of the long term security of the club. We need to be sensible in our pursuit of success and of course there is a stadium to build and pay for?

All in all it is a pivotal moment. Do we or don't we?

 

[Dr Know]

I can't see any mortal being that can put pressure on Levy.

 

[ILS]

I can't see any mortal being that can put pressure on Levy.

In away, i'm on Harry side that we need to take our chance this season with two or three top class players. I just don't see us doing well in both the CL and the league with the current squad we have especially the current crop of strikers.

People will say, "well you don't want to do a Leeds" but Levy is not Risdale and is not going to give a player of the calibre of Seth Johnson 43k a week when he only wanted 25k.

 

[NickHSpurs]

I think Levy would say the same, but he's not about to change his ideals now and blow fortunes on a 30 something player, them ideals have got us this far, the player has got to be right for the club.

 

[3Dnata]

I think it's more the case that Harry is stating his intentions to possible signings.

 

[chkthfc82]

maybe with harry coming out in public with his comments means that levy isn't sharing his thoughts on improving the squad and feels the need to let the world know that he isn't getting the backing from the chairman.

this could go one of two ways:-

levy backs harry and brings the players in he wants or:-

levy gets the hump with harrys comments and basically say's "get stuffed, it's my way or the highway"?????

dangerous game harry is playing which could effect the players as well.

 

[ILS]

maybe with harry coming out in public with his comments means that levy isn't sharing his thoughts on improving the squad and feels the need to let the world know that he isn't getting the backing from the chairman.

this could go one of two ways:-

levy backs harry and brings the players in he wants or:-

levy gets the hump with harrys comments and basically say's "get stuffed, it's my way or the highway"?????

dangerous game harry is playing which could effect the players as well.

Or he knows Levy is currently working on a couple of deals and is haggling over a few grand for players that will improve our side greatly.

 

[chkthfc82]

Or he knows Levy is currently working on a couple of deals and is haggling over a few grand for players that will improve our side greatly.

good shout, lets hope they don't go the same way as the joe cole deal.

 

[brett.spurs]

It does seem weird that we've finally got to where Levy wanted to take us and we're suddenly conservative over what we spend, this could be our only chance to attract the higher-bracket players and push on again, if not we could fall back into 6th-8th region and not have this chance again, could also leave us vulnerable to offers coming in for our curent top players.

Obviously we don't want to do a Leeds, but we definitely need one or two top quality signings, by the time exisiting fringe players are sold and we hopefully qualify for the CL then we'll be in a good position.

Maybe Levy is already working on it, the one good thing is he's no pushover, so if it doesn't suit him then it's for the benefit of the club.

 

[mill]

It's clear most of us feel we are 2-3 top class players from challenging for the title I just hope it happens, but I won't hold my breath

 

[rabbikeane]

This is what Harry have done at every club, and why they've all struggled financially.
Luckily we've got Levy to make the right decisions and I'm fully behind him.
Especially when I got the feeling that Harry's thought on reinforcement was to give shocking wages to guys like Bellamy, Joe Cole and Richards.
Harry's good at what he does, but need someone like Levy to keep things realistic

 

[mil1lion]

We dont have to spend high wages to get quality players. Just look at the players we already have on the wage bill. We just need more Modric's, Bale's and Lennon's.

I think we just need to sign top quality players from teams who don't pay ott on wages themselves. I'm not sure what the likes of A.Madrid, Wolfsburg and Ajax pay on wages, but i'd like to think we can pay similar wages.

 

[jimmy-jojo]

It does seem weird that we've finally got to where Levy wanted to take us and we're suddenly conservative over what we spend, this could be our only chance to attract the higher-bracket players and push on again, if not we could fall back into 6th-8th region and not have this chance again, could also leave us vulnerable to offers coming in for our curent top players.

Obviously we don't want to do a Leeds, but we definitely need one or two top quality signings, by the time exisiting fringe players are sold and we hopefully qualify for the CL then we'll be in a good position.

Maybe Levy is already working on it, the one good thing is he's no pushover, so if it doesn't suit him then it's for the benefit of the club.

So just because we reached the play-offs for the CL we should throw away all sense of good financial management?

 

[mil1lion]

Who knows, maybe things will change if we actually make it into the Champions League. For all we know, Daniel Levy may be waiting for that until he commits to anything big.

 

[brett.spurs]

So just because we reached the play-offs for the CL we should throw away all sense of good financial management?

That's not what I said though, I said we need to find the right balance.

We've hardly been shy in splashing the cash in the past have we?

 

[WhiteHart4Ever]

Combined with the general tone in most believeable ITK we're after a few big fishes and this is most likely directed towards them (and/or us) than Levy. The best way of influencing Levy is surely not challenging him in the media? Take this as a good sign(ing).

 

[ILS]

If we pay 35 million on two top class signings and then recoup say 20m for players like Keane, O'Hara, Jenas, Taarabt, Hutton(Hopefully) which is possible and realistic, how is that breaking the bank for a team that is hoping to get into the CL?

 

[DC_Boy]

it is, of course, a balance

and given our current financial model, i'm on Levy's side of the balance

i suspect levy blocked james and cole coming here, and those were two targets i wasn't happy about overall, so for me, well done Levy

Harry does need a counter balance

as does Levy I'm sure

(we all do in our lives, i reckon)

it's a crying shame sandro isn't on that US tour, because i think he could be the key addition we need (along with a striker and back up keeper)

 

[sloth]

It does seem weird that we've finally got to where Levy wanted to take us and we're suddenly conservative over what we spend, this could be our only chance to attract the higher-bracket players and push on again, if not we could fall back into 6th-8th region and not have this chance again, could also leave us vulnerable to offers coming in for our curent top players.

Obviously we don't want to do a Leeds, but we definitely need one or two top quality signings, by the time exisiting fringe players are sold and we hopefully qualify for the CL then we'll be in a good position.

Maybe Levy is already working on it, the one good thing is he's no pushover, so if it doesn't suit him then it's for the benefit of the club.

It's all about being able to afford whatever team we put together even if/when we don't qualify for CL next year.

Also consider that under-performing players on high wages can be a mill-stone around your neck, they're impossible to shift without taking a big hit. So it's also about being prudent today in order to be able to continually reinvest in other areas of the squad in the future (bloody hell, I sound like Gordon Brown's speech writer :grin.

Finally, supporters of other teams simply don't accept that apart from the occasional rights issue we're self-funding. It doesn't make sense to them that year after year we miss out on CL qualification, we have a below average size stadium and no more TV exposure than ay other top-half team and yet can invest in the playing squad the way we do each window. The reason is Levy's acumen. And it's also that acumen that sees us in the CL without paying the wages that a West Ham, Newcastle or Leeds are famous for.

In my opinion we should trust Levy on the finances and Harry on the playing side and leave it at that.

 

[markysimmo]

I remember a similar scenario back in the man in a rain coat days, we just won the worthington cup was in europe for the first time for years and we brought nobody and didnt go up the next level when we had a good chance