Two wins away from the most sought after club trophy without spending like idiots.As will our trophy cabinet.
Clubs that throw a lot of money at their problems tend to throw their managers under the bus too when things don’t go right. He’s got a good thing going here and the fact that he hasn’t spent the money has highlighted his talents as a coach.If this is even remotely true and we're shopping in the bargain bin (not saying it is) - Poch should leave and go to a club that will back him properly.
No disrespect but with the best will in the world I don't think it's likely that this club will be CL winner's, a wonderful romantic notion but Barcelona are on a completely different level and no way past them.Two wins away from the most sought after club trophy without spending like idiots.
Who cares if teams outspend us? Their stadiums will still be shit. It’s short term thinking.
Two wins away from the most sought after club trophy without spending like idiots.
Sometimes football shakes off the shackles of notion and becomes a full blown romance. Otherwise why do we even bother?No disrespect but with the best will in the world I don't think it's likely that this club will be CL winner's, a wonderful romantic notion but Barcelona are on a completely different level and no way past them.
Last summer was ‘the summer’ too. Every summer is. But ‘the stadium’ has to be paid for. And you can’t just keep sticking transfer budgets rounded up to the nearest £50m out there because we don’t know who or for how much are targets will be. Makes for great headlines, has very little to do with reality for 99% of clubs.This is THE summer to show whether we are truly ambitious as a club or not.
Up to now, we are world class at excuses.
Even half the contributions to this forum seem to be content that we have a stadium but win nothing. What ambition is that? Who ever decides to follow a football club as a kid because they have a great stadium?!?!?
If we didn't already know it, it should be pretty obvious that we should look at the scousers as a model of how to run a club and really compete with Europe's elite. They got their manager and backed him. They're not funded by some Russian or Arab prince. They are a sustainable club, doing things the right way, investing in young and established players alike. Are our owners brave enough to follow their example?
Maybe someone on here who's happy that we'll only ever be also rans might explain to me why we can't compete with Liverpool?
We are based in London (which is a hell of alot more attractive than living on Merseyside), we have a super manager, we've a recent track record of playing in the Champions League, we've a better & bigger stadium, etc.
So why shouldn't we be able to match Liverpool?
Spending €100m in today's transfer market ain't gonna cut it. Minimum 4 first team players are needed now - and we need to be signing another couple as yong, unproven players (the next Dele and Dier, etc.) to make sure we have the pipeline of talent coming through. Net spend of at least €150m needed. That should be available after spending nothing for the last 16mths....
Clubs that throw a lot of money at their problems tend to throw their managers under the bus too when things don’t go right. He’s got a good thing going here and the fact that he hasn’t spent the money has highlighted his talents as a coach.
Last summer was ‘the summer’ too. Every summer is. But ‘the stadium’ has to be paid for. And you can’t just keep sticking transfer budgets rounded up to the nearest £50m out there because we don’t know who or for how much are targets will be. Makes for great headlines, has very little to do with reality for 99% of clubs.
The core of our squad is fine. A right back, a creative CM, a winger, and a back-up striker won't cost us the Earth.
They also tend to win things, when the combination of talented coach and ambitious board is there. Poch has said every window we need to be braver, now we’ve got a top of the line stadium with 0 investment where it matters, on the pitch.
Having said that, I’m sure we’ll actually address the clear problem areas of the squad this window. I’m not even being overly negative, regardless of what the sensitive hobbits who disliked my previous post think.
We can kid ourselves in both directions as far as the club’s ambitions are concerned but going by recent experience no amount of pointing out we need to spend will sway Levy. It’ll happen when it happens so guessing the war chest amount now and speculating players we should sign is just pissing in the wind.None of us know what will happen this summer. And I certainly don't put any weight into what is reported in the media. Levy plays his cards close to his chest - as can be proven by the lack of accurate ITK over the last couple of seasons. We'll know who they sign or sell when the deal is done.
However, that being said, it's blindingly obvious that we need to upgrade in order to challenge for honours and even just to stay competitive. We've lost significant ground to Liverpool and City this season. And Arsenal, Chelsea and United have closed the gap. None of that is surprising given zero investment in playing resources over the last season & a half.
It's also obvious that Pochettino now expects or wants to see the club being "brave" (his choice of word). We can kid ourselves, but we know that he doesn't mean that we continue to shop in the bargain basement, if we shop at all.
The stadium has been delivered behind plan, while the on field performance is being delivered ahead of plan. That's why we are now at a critical crossroads in terms of what happens this summer. We either become like Arsenal (a decent team in a big stadium but with a general feeling of unfulfillment amongst the fans and the players) or Liverpool (a club with ambition and the courage to back itself and who know they are on the verge of something really big).
What does 'success' mean to us?