The Steve Hitchen thread

[rez9000]

Well this thread was only created because of our terrible season, if we weren't playing so bad this thread wouldn't have been created.

Well, speaking as the thread poster, I can tell you (with all due respect and regard) that you're 100% wrong in that. I started it to find out more about someone related to the club that I have little knowledge of.

 

[Metalhead]

Paul Mitchell.

"Following Pochettino's move to Premier League rivals Tottenham Hotspur, Mitchell completed his switch in November 2014 to link up with the manager.He helped the club sign players such as Dele Alli, Son Heung-min, Kieran Trippier and Toby Alderweireld. In August 2016, reports suggested Mitchell was to leave the club "after his dream job turned into a nightmare" and he had fallen out with chairman Daniel Levy. In December, it was revealed Mitchell was serving his 16-month notice period.

In February 2018, Mitchell was named Head of Recruitment and Development by Bundesliga club RB Leipzig. In his first transfer window with the club, Mitchell helped sign Matheus Cunha and Nordi Mukiele, as well as Arsenal youth prospect Emile Smith Rowe on loan. Mitchell attracted interest from several Premier League clubs throughout 2019 and was heavily linked to a move to Manchester United. Reports suggested he could be offered an expanded role as Technical Director to oversee Red Bull's global football – including FC Liefering, Red Bull Salzburg and the New York Red Bulls

In June 2020, Mitchell joined Monaco as sporting director."

That's the lad. Thanks mate.

 

[rez9000]

Paul Mitchell.

"Following Pochettino's move to Premier League rivals Tottenham Hotspur, Mitchell completed his switch in November 2014 to link up with the manager.He helped the club sign players such as Dele Alli, Son Heung-min, Kieran Trippier and Toby Alderweireld. In August 2016, reports suggested Mitchell was to leave the club "after his dream job turned into a nightmare" and he had fallen out with chairman Daniel Levy. In December, it was revealed Mitchell was serving his 16-month notice period.

In February 2018, Mitchell was named Head of Recruitment and Development by Bundesliga club RB Leipzig. In his first transfer window with the club, Mitchell helped sign Matheus Cunha and Nordi Mukiele, as well as Arsenal youth prospect Emile Smith Rowe on loan. Mitchell attracted interest from several Premier League clubs throughout 2019 and was heavily linked to a move to Manchester United. Reports suggested he could be offered an expanded role as Technical Director to oversee Red Bull's global football – including FC Liefering, Red Bull Salzburg and the New York Red Bulls

In June 2020, Mitchell joined Monaco as sporting director."

That sounds like someone we should have kept...

 

[mill]

That sounds like someone we should have kept...

The were reports going around at the time that he struggled to work with levy.

 

[IamSpurtacus]

In truth, it is an interesting debate this one, as you say...credentials and networks are decent yet we end up with lo celso over Fernandes. I know us fans see it fairly simply as either the managers fault, or chairman’s or scout, I guess an accumulation of all for us at Spurs currently

Thought we didn't do Fernandes because they wanted the 64M up front plus add ons (or some serious cash down)?

That's not on Hitchen

 

[Wheeler Dealer]

Steve Hitchin is very highly regarded in the game, and has superb connections.

So is Katie Price

 

[SecretLemonadeDrinker]

I’m not convinced by the guy, but he delivered Tanguy which was a signing many thought we could’t make. He identified and put Grealish on a plate only for Levy to mess it up. He identified Bruno only for Levy to fuck about over Eriksen. There have been some near misses where he’s not really the person to blame.

Meh.

Not that it should need repeating for the umpteenth time but Fernandes was back up option for GLC. And Grealish was only ever one of those opportunistic Levy specials that only happen at a bargain price . Poch wasn’t especially bothered about signing him so Levy was never going to cave in to Villa’s initial demands.

 

[synththfc]

The were reports going around at the time that he struggled to work with levy.

Pretends to be shocked

 

[Snarfalicious]

 

[rez9000]

The were reports going around at the time that he struggled to work with levy.

That's a real shame. RB Leipzig have done very well in identifying players that fit, none of whom are massive names. He did the same with us in finding Sonny, Dele and Toby (they had reps as players, but weren't at the time we got them real football-household names).

Dear, oh dear - an opportunity lost. It has shades of Edward Freedman, Spurs' commercial division's manging director in the early 90s. He was poached by Man United and turned them into a commercial juggernaut, but when he left Spurs, our commercial revenue was 50% greater than Man U's - in fact I think we had the highest commercial revenue of any club in England. But Freedman wanted to do more - he had a lot of ideas, but they kept being rejected by the board is the story I heard. So he upped sticks to Manchester, they gave him free rein to do what he wanted and the rest is history. They redeveloped Old Trafford off the back of Freedman's ideas generating huge revenue for them, it funded Ferguson's transfers during the time he built them up into the commercial giant they became.

Obviously, a scout and a commercial director are two very different things, but still... <sigh> how very Tottenham.

 

[SecretLemonadeDrinker]

Steve Hitchin is very highly regarded in the game, and has superb connections.

Highly regarded by whom, though? And for what?

Does the regard for him remotely compare to that for the likes of Luis Campos, Monchi, Ralf Rangnick or Liverpool’s Michael Edwards?

Is he really DoF material? Does he have an overarching footballing vision or is he really just a glorified scout? Like someone else at the club, is he living off reputation rather than recent achievement? And how good are his connections really outside of France?

I find it hard to believe that we couldn’t do better.

 

[Tucker]

I liked him in AON but thought he was better in eastenders.

 

[SecretLemonadeDrinker]

That's a real shame. RB Leipzig have done very well in identifying players that fit, none of whom are massive names. He did the same with us in finding Sonny, Dele and Toby (they had reps as players, but weren't at the time we got them real football-household names).

Dear, oh dear - an opportunity lost. It has shades of Edward Freedman, Spurs' commercial division's manging director in the early 90s. He was poached by Man United and turned them into a commercial juggernaut, but when he left Spurs, our commercial revenue was 50% greater than Man U's - in fact I think we had the highest commercial revenue of any club in England. But Freedman wanted to do more - he had a lot of ideas, but they kept being rejected by the board is the story I heard. So he upped sticks to Manchester, they gave him free rein to do what he wanted and the rest is history. They redeveloped Old Trafford off the back of Freedman's ideas generating huge revenue for them, it funded Ferguson's transfers during the time he built them up into the commercial giant they became.

Obviously, a scout and a commercial director are two very different things, but still... <sigh> how very Tottenham.

I’m not sure that Paul Mitchell was that big a loss. I got the impression that his ego exceeded his ability.

A far bigger loss was Michael Edwards - now Liverpool’s Sporting Director but poached from Spurs by Comolli.

 

[Nine while nine]

That's a real shame. RB Leipzig have done very well in identifying players that fit, none of whom are massive names. He did the same with us in finding Sonny, Dele and Toby (they had reps as players, but weren't at the time we got them real football-household names).

Dear, oh dear - an opportunity lost. It has shades of Edward Freedman, Spurs' commercial division's manging director in the early 90s. He was poached by Man United and turned them into a commercial juggernaut, but when he left Spurs, our commercial revenue was 50% greater than Man U's - in fact I think we had the highest commercial revenue of any club in England. But Freedman wanted to do more - he had a lot of ideas, but they kept being rejected by the board is the story I heard. So he upped sticks to Manchester, they gave him free rein to do what he wanted and the rest is history. They redeveloped Old Trafford off the back of Freedman's ideas generating huge revenue for them, it funded Ferguson's transfers during the time he built them up into the commercial giant they became.

Obviously, a scout and a commercial director are two very different things, but still... <sigh> how very Tottenham.

To be fair, Dayotchanculle Oswald Upamecano is quite a big name...

 

[Leachie]

i don't know how long he's been here for but our transfers have been pretty diabolical for a while now:

16/17:
wanyama 11m
janssen 17m
nkoudou 11m
sissoko 30m
lopez loan

17/18:
gazzaniga 4m
sanchez 38m
foyth 8m
aurier 23m
llorente 12m
lucas 25m

18/19:

Spoiler

19/20:
sessegnon 30m
lo celso 42m
ndombele 55m
clarke 10m
bergwijn 27m
gedson loan

20/21:
hojbjerg 15m
doherty 15m
reguilon 27m
rodon 11m
hart 0
bale loan
vinicius loan


shocking. can count on one hand the number of good signings there.

You must have at least 15 fingers on one hand.

 

[rez9000]

I’m not sure that Paul Mitchell was that big a loss. I got the impression that his ego exceeded his ability.

A far bigger loss was Michael Edwards - now Liverpool’s Sporting Director but poached from Spurs by Comolli.

Christ, another one??? We have trouble moving our players on, but there seems to be a revolving door when it comes to ancillary staff.

 

[VegasII]

To be fair, Dayotchanculle Oswald Upamecano is quite a big name...

That would melt Pleat faster than the Ark of the Covenant melts bad guys.

 

[Metalhead]

I’m not sure that Paul Mitchell was that big a loss. I got the impression that his ego exceeded his ability.

A far bigger loss was Michael Edwards - now Liverpool’s Sporting Director but poached from Spurs by Comolli.

I must admit that I've never heard of him.

 

[Hoddle&Waddle]

Steve Hitchin is very highly regarded in the game, and has superb connections.

He may well be, but the proof is in the pudding and recruitment has been unacceptable.

 

[rossdapep]

That's a real shame. RB Leipzig have done very well in identifying players that fit, none of whom are massive names. He did the same with us in finding Sonny, Dele and Toby (they had reps as players, but weren't at the time we got them real football-household names).

Dear, oh dear - an opportunity lost. It has shades of Edward Freedman, Spurs' commercial division's manging director in the early 90s. He was poached by Man United and turned them into a commercial juggernaut, but when he left Spurs, our commercial revenue was 50% greater than Man U's - in fact I think we had the highest commercial revenue of any club in England. But Freedman wanted to do more - he had a lot of ideas, but they kept being rejected by the board is the story I heard. So he upped sticks to Manchester, they gave him free rein to do what he wanted and the rest is history. They redeveloped Old Trafford off the back of Freedman's ideas generating huge revenue for them, it funded Ferguson's transfers during the time he built them up into the commercial giant they became.

Obviously, a scout and a commercial director are two very different things, but still... <sigh> how very Tottenham.

Alli was scouted by Pleat I thought?