The Daily ITK Discussion Thread - DEADLINE DAY 31st August 2021

[bigfrooj]

The whole discussion here about Levy not backing his manager and DOF is really annoying. He can justifiably be bashed for so many things, he’s made so many bad decisions. The thing is I’ve think he’s done the right thing here.

You can pick Mane, Grealish, Skriniar, and probably another dozen important players over the years that we haven’t got because infuriatingly Levy won’t go the extra mile - but not paying £50m for Traore? For what he would bring to the team? Oh come on.

 

[Bluto Blutarsky]

Appreciate the perspective, but there's a massive difference between your situation and Paratici

I assume your bosses established a clear line of responsibility for decision making, that you were a "junior" employee, and never under the illusion you could make the transaction decision yourself. I'm guessing, based on your post, you weren't allocated a budget for M&A and deal constraints and told - "you have total autonomy within these constraints to conduct the deals you chose"

Unlike your bosses, Levy doesn't have more competence than the people making the initial recommendation.

Paratici was bought in at board level and was - apparently - sold on the notion he would have decision-making rights within the constraints of the budget and other financial conditions.

Based on Herc and JJ, Levy circumvented the very framework he put in place. So why hire someone to the board only to overrule them in the day to day in an area where they have significantly more competence?

It's classic "sea gull management" - swoop in, sh*t all over everything, then fly off leaving everyone else to clean up the mess.

For sure - I had the Steve Hitchen role here.

As for the rest: Maybe. I don't know. But everyone in this story has to answer to someone else. Paratici did not have carte blanche to sign players. Levy would have signed off on even the lower level deals that Paratici completed - primarily on the financial structures of the deals. I would guess that all deals had to be approved, and that certain deals, involving a specific cash outlay would be more scrutinized than others.

And, Levy does not have carte blanche to sign players either. When Levy was in the Bahamas earlier this summer, it wasn't just to slather sunscreen over his bald head. I am pretty sure he was there presenting the fiscal budget for approval by Joe Lewis. That budget would have accounted for expected transfer expenditures - and should the need arise to exceed that budget, Levy would have had to get approval from Lewis.

We still don't know why Levy turned down the transfer - But, if he asked Paratici: "Will Traore get us 4th?" and Paratici shrugged, then I can understand why Levy might not sanction that deal. Now, if Paratici stuck his neck out here, and said, Traore is the missing piece to the puzzle, and we need him to get 4th - and Levy still refused to sanction the deal - then I think we have a bigger problem.

As it stands now, I think Traore is a player that both Nuno and Paratici wanted, and a player they thought would make Spurs better - but not necessarily better enough to make CL qualification likely.

 

[Archibald&Crooks]

The whole discussion here about Levy not backing his manager and DOF is really annoying. He can justifiably be bashed for so many things, he’s made so many bad decisions. The thing is I’ve think he’s done the right thing here.

You can pick Mane, Grealish, Skriniar, and probably another dozen important players over the years that we haven’t got because infuriatingly Levy won’t go the extra mile - but not paying £50m for Traore? For what he would bring to the team? Oh come on.

I don’t understand why or how you’re ‘annoyed’, you obviously haven’t read the thread if you think all of that is what people are talking about.

 

[bigfrooj]

I don’t understand why or how you’re ‘annoyed’, you obviously haven’t read the thread if you think all of that is what people are talking about.

Absolutely right. You don’t understand.

 

[Archibald&Crooks]

?

Now I think I do

 

[sausage]

Was an exageration but the point is valid that Levy does not accept current market values for players and has not for many many years. Grealish is a good example where we lost out because Levy felt the valuation was too high but it really was not for a player who the club highly rates and does not want to sell. and this was a trend in the transfer window for quite some time where Levy would move late and lowball. Then blame a difficult window when the club rejected the offer and the window closed

It was. He was a championship player at Skipp levels of experience going for the equivalent of around £40m in todays money.

There was basically no one even on SC at the time who though that was a good move at the money it would have taken. It's not only exaggeration, it's rewriting history.

 

[BuckeyeSpurs11]

There are also some folks who have said that Paratici knew what his budget would be and signing Adama would be going over budget which is why Levy was brought into the process. If you choose to believe that, then Paratici worked very happily, independently and without meddling while within the budget constraints and once he needed additional funds to be there ,that's when Levy shot down the idea.

 

[Archibald&Crooks]

There are also some folks who have said that Paratici knew what his budget would be and signing Adama would be going over budget which is why Levy was brought into the process. If you choose to believe that, then Paratici worked very happily, independently and without meddling while within the budget constraints and once he needed additional funds to be there ,that's when Levy shot down the idea.

Seeing as this isn't the little house on the prairie, I have to ask........who are 'some folks'?

 

[Dashy]

Ok then how the fuck do you put the entire transfer window section on ignore?

You could try posting a couple of pictures. Then you won't be able to access this bit and read all of the Levy Happy clappers attempt to alter reality.

 

[TorontoYid]

It was. He was a championship player at Skipp levels of experience going for the equivalent of around £40m in todays money.

There was basically no one even on SC at the time who though that was a good move. It's not only exaggeration, it's rewriting history.

I recall quite a few people saying Grealish would be a good addition to the team and he was only a championship player because they had literally just been relegated but he had Premier League experience and they came back up pretty quick so who is rewriting history?

 

[sausage]

I recall quite a few people saying Grealish would be a good addition to the team but not going to waste time arguing.

It was a point about the fee, not the player. People like to retrospectively correct opinions that just weren't there at that time. Even more so because the "Levy felt the valuation was too high" is not even referenceable as fact, like the absolute majority of the basis of any of the wars waged on here. People are encouraged to use ITK as 'pinch of salt' and yet it often gets engraved as factual quotes from the board.

 

[BuckeyeSpurs11]

Seeing as this isn't the little house on the prairie, I have to ask........who are 'some folks'?

Someone from another forum, “The Cockerel” and Paul o Keefe intimated at everybody knowing the situation and being on board with it.

 

[Russ1201]

This was just to brag about your job wasn't it
[/QUOT@blue

This was just to brag about your job wasn't it

Bluto was pre negotiating bigger deals than Fab no chance Levy would employ him poor Levy would have a fit anything over £30m ??

 

[Trent Crimm]

My company is for sale. While i want 100m, 30m would do it.

For me, it all comes down to Fabio's attitude post window. If Herc's info is correct, then I am concerned. We've needed someone like him for a long time

I’ll give you a cleaner 3 days a week and a 1984 Ford Fiesta.

 

[Trent Crimm]

Well he's already back in Italy so....

Post window holiday back home surely.

 

[LukaKranjcar]

As someone who hasn't at all followed this thread since early on deadline day, has there been anything of note spoken about aside from the stuff in the tracker? The massive increase in pages makes me worry i may have missed something.

 

[sausage]

As someone who hasn't at all followed this thread since early on deadline day, has there been anything of note spoken about aside from the stuff in the tracker? The massive increase in pages makes me worry i may have missed something.

No, mostly just a long running discussion on why we should be annoyed about not signing Traore.

 

[LukaKranjcar]

No, mostly just a long running discussion on why we should be annoyed about not signing Traore.

Excellent, thanks.

 

[mill]

No, mostly just a long running discussion on why we should be annoyed about not signing Traore.

Or why people are annoyed it seems levy overruled his recruitment team because he believes his football knowledge and player evaluation is better than the team he’s assembled to carry out such tasks, which I’m sure you already know

 

[sausage]

Or why people are annoyed it seems levy overruled his recruitment team because he believes his football knowledge and player evaluation is better than the team he’s assembled to carry out such tasks, which I’m sure you already know

Well, not really, because that would be the very definition of conjecture.

One minute this place is telling us not to micro-analyse a small nugget into an epic story in the Kane thread, the next minute it's encouraging confirmation bias to turn ITK, which we are continuously told is "a pinch of salt", into absolute, undeniable fact.

If what you said above was true, we wouldn't have made 5 other signings.