The January Transfer Scouting Thread

[Timberwolf]

So if we ignore the really expensive signings we made under Poch, he didn't spend as much as Conte? That's your argument?

Well yeah I'm ignoring the ones that had zero impact on his consistent record of achieving top 4 on a limited budget , which is what we're discussing. When those 3 players arrived:

a) Poch already had years of success on a shoestring
b) 2 were injured and practically never played under him
c) the squad was already ravaged by years of underinvestment and had been awful in the league for about 4-5 months.

Context is kinda important. Poch didn't get £150m straight out of the gate like Conte did to help him get top 4. He got it once the squad was fucked and he was in a downhill spiral.

 

[elfy]

I'm hoping the axe dangling over Levy's head if Conte fails to work out is enough to keep him on track. Think a few of our ITK's intimated that, with Lewis' daughter coming in to replace? Who knows, but if Conte walks, I don't think the supporters won't take it

Like fans wouldn't take it if we signed Adebayor? Or if we sold Bale? Or if Poch was sacked? Or if Jose or Nuno was hired?

I think us fans overstate our importance at times.

Literally, WHAT are you going to do? Chuck in your season ticket? Awesome, the 50000+ on the wait list will thank you heartily.

We can bitch and moan all we like, there is no 'axe' over Levy and bugger all we can do to change that.

 

[Trix]

Naturally I get that there is sensitive information shared behind the scenes that's not suitable for public consumption (yet) but there does seem more than a whiff of the air of inevitability here surrounding an eventual breakdown between Conte and Levy (and by extension, the board) with the clamour to bring back Poch as some way to appease the fan base whilst simultaneously allowing some breathing room in the finance department which Conte will rightly be demanding.

None of this is appealing to me whatsoever and if it comes to pass that Levy has sought the 'easy' option in not backing Conte sufficiently then he and the board of directors can royally go fuck themselves.

I'll just remind you of the mess "the board" made of replacing Jose, another manager who was told who he had to integrate into the team rather than get rid of them. Turns out Jose's opinion was completely shared by Conte in regards to Dele and NDombele and we had to get rid anyway.

 

[HildoSpur]

I'll just remind you of the mess "the board" made of replacing Jose, another manager who was told who he had to integrate into the team rather than get rid of them. Turns out Jose's opinion was completely shared by Conte in regards to Dele and NDombele and we had to get rid anyway.

The difference is that we did actually get rid of them both (well a loan for N'Dombele) when Conte wanted them out which at least shows some signs of progress.

 

[Joshua shepherd]

So inevitable but so depressing.

 

[Gspurs11]

Like fans wouldn't take it if we signed Adebayor? Or if we sold Bale? Or if Poch was sacked? Or if Jose or Nuno was hired?

I think us fans overstate our importance at times.

Literally, WHAT are you going to do? Chuck in your season ticket? Awesome, the 50000+ on the wait list will thank you heartily.

We can bitch and moan all we like, there is no 'axe' over Levy and bugger all we can do to change that.

Well, hence my double-negative; fans' rage most of the time is a storm in a tea cup. I think the Man U game, where the atmosphere was overtly toxic was one time I've felt a palpable shift, but Nuno would've probably been sacked regardless. Do I suspect Jose would've lasted as long with fans in the ground? Maybe.

I ultimately agree, though. We are simply a CRN, no more no less. I'm just going by what Trix and Herc said previously when we had the episode around Joe Lewis and Companies House recently.

 

[Rosco1984]

That Alphonso Davies fella from Canada is not bad. He must be attainable ?

Piero Hincapie (LCB) and Pedro Porro (RWB) would be very high on my wish list but not sure if either would be available in January.

If we are looking at RWB from the world cup I watched Iran vs Wales and the England game and he was a handful in both and a very tenacious defender (despite the England score) He did more in 90 mins vs wales than all 4 of our fullbacks combined so far this season.

 

[felmani26]

I'll just remind you of the mess "the board" made of replacing Jose, another manager who was told who he had to integrate into the team rather than get rid of them. Turns out Jose's opinion was completely shared by Conte in regards to Dele and NDombele and we had to get rid anyway.

Not surprising whatsoever.

At some point you hope the board, and I think we can safely assume Collecott and Cullen, must defer better judgement over to the head coach. As has been said, it's the managers head who's on the chopping block if results go awry and if you truly purport to sufficiently 'back' a manager with a world class managerial pedigree in Conte then it can't possibly be conducive to a winning formula on the pitch with in essence the tail wagging the dog.

 

[brasil_spur]

I think the key is shifting some players. According to the official sites first team and loans we have 32 players. We surely can't keep adding without some sales.

You can't really include those out on loan in the numbers though, as options exist for several of them.

Out of the 25 registered squad players there are several who are clearly not Conte players:

Emerson, Doherty, Tanganga, Gil and Sarr.

Realistically we need to shift as many of those as we have incoming players in Jan. I can sell Gil and Sarr getting loans for the rest of the season and we're going to have to cut our loses on Doherty and/or Emerson to shift one of them.

 

[funkycoldmedina]

This.

Just to add to the worry is that if Trix and Hercules know he's still courting Poch then it's likely Conte will have wind of it and I can't imagine that will play out well

 

[npearl4spurs]

Context is kinda important. Poch didn't get £150m straight out of the gate like Conte did to help him get top 4. He got it once the squad was fucked and he was in a downhill spiral.

Mate, your posts are normally spot on but I think you've had a mare here with "context."

Conte just got the £150m after getting top 4 with a "fucked" squad. He didn't get it straight out the gate. Conte shipped out Lo Celso, Ndombele, and Dele (all of whom Poch brought in, by the way) then brought in Deki and Bentancur with Paratici and miraculously got us top 4 with a Europa Conference League performing team.

If we stick with Conte, we get top 3 this season and keep pushing forward towards greater and greater significance. We twist and go back to Pochettino or someone else, and we will slip further and further into obscurity.

 

[jpascavitz]

With the problems going on at Juve, I wonder if that is why there was early interest/rumblings on here around Bonucci a few weeks back.

 

[Rosco1984]

Well articulated Trix

would explain why that ex seems to be turning down job offers at the moment. TBH I wouldn't be too upset I can't see us competing under Conte as much as I think he is more of a winner we just won't spend the money required to get the experienced players he wants when newcastle etc are all going to be even more flush with cash and we won't spend that way. The ex's ability to a tune out of younger players may be more suitable when we realise we can't compete for the players Conte would actually put on the pitch or we will end up with 10 more Spences sat watching a medicore safer option play.

 

[Rosco1984]

He didn't do it cheaper at all. Where are you inventing this?

He definitely did... we didnt spend any money for three transfer windows and got to a champions league final. We have spent constantly since Conte came in.

 

[Joshua shepherd]

would explain why that ex seems to be turning down job offers at the moment. TBH I wouldn't be too upset I can't see us competing under Conte as much as I think he is more of a winner we just won't spend the money required to get the experienced players he wants when newcastle etc are all going to be even more flush with cash and we won't spend that way. The ex's ability to a tune out of younger players may be more suitable when we realise we can't compete for the players Conte would actually put on the pitch or we will end up with 10 more Spences sat watching a medicore safer option play.

And... It starts.

 

[Trix]

would explain why that ex seems to be turning down job offers at the moment. TBH I wouldn't be too upset I can't see us competing under Conte as much as I think he is more of a winner we just won't spend the money required to get the experienced players he wants when newcastle etc are all going to be even more flush with cash and we won't spend that way. The ex's ability to a tune out of younger players may be more suitable when we realise we can't compete for the players Conte would actually put on the pitch or we will end up with 10 more Spences sat watching a medicore safer option play.

The whole point of bringing in Fabio is his ability to find top players on low contracts, or out of favour and convinces them to come. So whilst money will inevitably need to be spent it shouldn't need to be in the realms that the other bigun's are spending. Let's be honest Poch worked miracles but those miracles had long since faded before he left. If he came in now we'd basically have to completely reboot again, which takes more time and money.

 

[Rosco1984]

Mate, your posts are normally spot on but I think you've had a mare here with "context."

Conte just got the £150m after getting top 4 with a "fucked" squad. He didn't get it straight out the gate. Conte shipped out Lo Celso, Ndombele, and Dele (all of whom Poch brought in, by the way) then brought in Deki and Bentancur with Paratici and miraculously got us top 4 with a Europa Conference League performing team.

If we stick with Conte, we get top 3 this season and keep pushing forward towards greater and greater significance. We twist and go back to Pochettino or someone else, and we will slip further and further into obscurity.

Conte got Benta and Kulu after 2 months! Poch only got Son in his whole tenure to compare with those signings in terms of quality to argue that Poch didnt do it on a shoestring is bizzare.

 

[Timberwolf]

Mate, your posts are normally spot on but I think you've had a mare here with "context."

Conte just got the £150m after getting top 4 with a "fucked" squad. He didn't get it straight out the gate. Conte shipped out Lo Celso, Ndombele, and Dele (all of whom Poch brought in, by the way) then brought in Deki and Bentancur with Paratici and miraculously got us top 4 with a Europa Conference League performing team.

If we stick with Conte, we get top 3 this season and keep pushing forward towards greater and greater significance. We twist and go back to Pochettino or someone else, and we will slip further and further into obscurity.

Yeah fair enough.

Was more making the point that Poch got like 30m net spend in 4 years and Conte got 150m net in 9 months. True that Conte did amazingly last season with one window, but he'd 100% walk if he got "Poch" levels of investment over the next few seasons.

Not saying Poch is better by any means - the league was different back then and a lot less competitive. But hard to see Conte being happy with the kind of investment Poch got at Spurs.

The crux of the argument is that Levy might think he can get top 4 with Poch for cheaper in the long run. I think that's horseshit, but you can see how he could come to that conclusion.

 

[Joshua shepherd]

Conte got Benta and Kulu after 2 months! Poch only got Son in his whole tenure to compare with those signings in terms of quality to argue that Poch didnt do it on a shoestring is bizzare.

Toby?

 

[npearl4spurs]

Conte got Benta and Kulu after 2 months! Poch only got Son in his whole tenure to compare with those signings in terms of quality to argue that Poch didnt do it on a shoestring is bizzare.

Where did I argue Poch didn't do it on a shoestring [budget]? Your reading comprehension is bizarre, bro.