With Tottenham Hotspur registering back to back losses once again in the Premier League with the frustrating 3-0 defeat to Manchester United at the weekend, news on Monday of Nuno Espirito Santo’s departure from the club probably didn’t come as a great surprise to anyone.
Wherever you sit on the Nuno debate, there were obvious flaws with his handling of the group and with the players just not stepping up for him, there was a sense of unavoidable inevitability about it.
This of course means we now head into preparations for our Group G clash with Vitesse managerless as the merry-go-round has once again begun, and after October’s slip up against them, we simply couldn’t stomach another defeat if we hope to try and top the table.
With speculation returning about talks being held with Antonio Conte, whether he (or a new face) will be in place by Thursday is open to debate but whoever it is has got a massive job on their hands.
What will be will be, as the ditty goes, we just have to hope our next gamble pays off because the decision makers aren’t going to sack themselves are they.
TK… As to levy spending money spurs haven’t got… See BS post above add to that joe lewis (worth £4b ?) A Sugar etc. have funds as needed. Perhaps a sponsorship loan / facility to THFC similar to other deals rival PL clubs arrange?
Hi TK
As you say the CL (thingy) wasn’t the seminal moment, I more see it as Lemony Snikett, “A series of unfortunate events” many and indeed all of which have been ingredients to our current issue.
Unlike some here, I do feel we have a few good players, and Selling 5 for around 120 mil could get us 3 in for around the same price.
I know I’m in cuckoo land 😉😂
IMO …. We lost the midfield when Dembele left. It’s difficult to win games consistently when you fail to control midfield. We need to get it back!
Good call Geoff
Yep you sort of knew in games with that mix of, Lloris, Walker, Tobs, Verts, Rose, and Dembele that cert ain teams just weren’t getting past us and we had a nailed on win, every team knew they were in for a hard game.
Let’s hope that Anto can bring that sort of side back together again with a few home truths and personnel changes.
Yes Geoff, for me it was the loss of Dembele at the same time that Eriksen was going off the boil was what caused our decline. He was the heartbeat of the team imo. And to those who say that Poch wasn’t backed by Levy, I remind you that Hoddle said that money was available but Poch chose not to use it. The feeling was that he didn’t want to destabilise the group.
jod – I knew it was a matter of time before someone played the Covid card. The problem with that argument is that every club in the world has had to deal with Covid, yet most of our rivals have gone about their business as usual.
Which can mean one of 3 things:
1. Either the effect of Covid are overblown by Levy and there is still plenty of money going around in the PL, and money to be spent;
2. THFC are impacted more than any other club in the PL by Covid, in which case it is fair to question how/why we have been made so vulnerable to this sort of event;
3. Levy is smarter than just about any other chairman out there, all the others don’t know what they’re doing, and all other clubs in the PL are run terribly (which would be a formidable statement to make).
Quite simply, DL has but all of his eggs in one giant stadium-shaped basket, hoping it would generate interest and money. What he has overlooked, however, is that if the product on the pitch isn’t worth watching, fans will stay away. And attendances have on average been lower than expected (about 93% of capacity on average, lower than most in the PL). Is that a coincidence?
BS….your summary doesn’t mention the near 200,000 people who attended 2 NFL and 1 boxing event at the stadium at a time when there were no matches due to the international break/away games.
It’s plainly evident that Covid has hugely affected the finances of all football clubs. And of course, those that were already better off, suffered less than those much lower down the scale.
But EPL spending has been significantly less during the TW’s, amid the pandemic.
It’s funny though. Because the point I made was that Spurs, despite it’s huge debt, and despite covid, have actually spent quite a lot on new players, in this time. And that now the new stadium is being used as intended, THFC will have more money to spend than most other clubs.
But to say that PL clubs have been doing business as usual, is plainly wrong. It just isn’t so.
By the by, when WHL was still in operation and almost half the capacity of the new stadium, it often had less than capacity attendances, a lot of the time. And especially when the team was in poor form. This is the norm. But, just having got Conte in will boost attendances almost immediately. But covid will also still be affecting this as well. Many people are fearful and will still not attend crowded events. But if our results improve, then so will attendances. I for one will start going much more often, as I did throughout MP’s time.
But as TQ has pointed out, the stadium is now hosting sell-out events that are non-football. And this is the whole idea. To maximise revenue outside of just the football club’s operations. Which to me makes more than perfect sense. As opposed to a crumbling WHL that was empty more often than not. And mostly only ever staged 1st team football. Leaving the stadium redundant for most of the days of the year.
I do find it strange that people seem to have expected some sort of immediate change in Spurs on the field actions, and significant increases in player spending, from almost the minute the stadium was open for business. And especially as it was then almost straight away closed for business. And as if somehow the pandemic has had no affect on business whatsoever.
Although we have spent money on players recently, only N’Dombele could be classed as “expensive” and that signing has hardly been worth it. The rest have been the usual Levy cheapies, sometimes desperate buys.
Admittedly, players like coaches have been reluctant to come to Spurs for various reasons. However, Conte’s stature should not only attract decent players (and we certainly need some excitement and class in several positions) but also start filling the stadium again. If press reports are correct, he already has his eye on some top, young players in key positions.
Since the loss of Walker, Rose, Toby, Verts, Dembele, Erikson, we have struggled to dominate games. We now only have Son and Kane who would fit in to any of the top four teams. Yet some of the benched players ( Man C.for example) would walk into our first team. We have fallen behind dramatically and it will probably take 2 summer transfer windows to get us back up there with the inevitable big boys.
Hopefully, we are at the start of something new. We need a clearout and some sparkling purchases to get us back to the exciting football we all wish to see.
Let’s hope our scouts can find the young stars of tomorrow.
By way of banging my own drum here…
When I said on here pre-season that we will be surprised by the status of our next managerial appointment and also the amount of money we will then have to spend on players this season. And meaning this in a positive way. I was laughed at. You know, the usual “What drugs are you on”? LOL!
Well, I was temporarily wrong about the high standing our new head coach. But only by 4 months! And now, I’m still certain that we will be pleasantly surprised with the players we then buy over the next couple of TW’s.
And, for those of you that were adamant in stating that no manager/coach of any worth will want to come to Spurs. And all because of Levy… Well, now we have one of the worlds most respected football coaches at Spurs. And according to Conte himself, it was all because of Levy and how he initially impressed him during the summer! 🙂
Of course many of you will say it’s all PR faff n nonsense. And that may be so. But we can’t deny that what Conte said…. Conte has actually said! And he is now our coach! In spite of the summer madness that preceded Nuno’s arrival… Levy (eventually) got his man!
And now it’s up to Conte, Paratici and the players to make it all work…
And meanwhile, Levy has other important (club-running) stuff to do…
You may want to beat your own drum here but I won’t ;-).
It could just as easily be argued that there is no way Levy would have stumped up for Conte if the Nuno debacle hadn’t happened. It’s almost as though he was shamed into doing the right thing after his initial plan spectacularly backfired.
The truth is we’ll never know…
Either way, as fans we ought to be happy that Conte is here now. But as far as saying you called it right in the first place…
But Conte is now our man… So I did call it right… LOL!
Even so BS… I wasn’t being so serious as to really believe that I knew what was about to occur… I obviously didn’t. But I know that Spurs is a big pull for players and coaches. And my real point was that they will not be put off by Levy for the reasons that people keep insisting on. It’s just stupid to say such stuff, because it’s without foundation.. IMO!
But if I don’t bang my own drum, who will?
Oh, and I am a drummer! 😉
Interesting article. I would lie to give Dele a bit more of a chance to find his form otherwise the rest are spot on.
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/sport/football/ranking-spurs-squad-from-world-class-to-get-rid-with-antonio-conte-set-to-become-manager/ar-AAQdgLx?ocid=mailsignout&li=AAnZ9Ug
Calling Sanchez a “solid” player is a stretch
HT – The point wasn’t that Covid hadn’t happened. It has. The point I was making is that Covid has impacted all clubs – not just us.
So again, either we are more susceptible to it than most, which begs questions on the club’s financial strategy, or we are no worse off than our peers (and by peers, I mean clubs of comparable stature – there is no point benchmarking THFC with Norwich).
As far as general trends are concerned, EPL spending in the TW is down 11% year on year. We are far from the catastrophic fall some are quoting. 2020 total transfer spending was actually higher than in 2018, pre-pandemic.
In fact, this is what partners at Deloitte had to say about the last window:
“Despite declines in some areas, Deloitte’s Sports Business Group director Tim Bridge said spending had outstripped expectations in the era of coronavirus, saying many people “would have actually predicted the drop to be much larger”.
“Even with the pressures of a pandemic, there have been a number of high-profile deals, with some of the highest revenue-generating Premier League clubs flexing their financial muscles to strengthen their competitive position both domestically and at a European level,” he said.
Dan Jones, partner in Deloitte’s Sports Business Group, said: “This has been a remarkable transfer window. Club spending records have been broken, player moves – including the two greatest players of their generation – have grabbed the headlines and Premier League clubs have spent in excess of £1 billion for the sixth summer in a row.”
TQ2Spurs – In the last report published by Deloitte, in 2020, THFC’s revenue split was as follows:
Broadcast: 53%
Commercial: 29%
Matchday: 18%
To quote Deloitte: “Spurs’ revenue increased by £79.9m (21%) which was largely attributable to revenue from broadcasters and commercial sources”.
You mention the 3 recent events at the stadium, but whatever amount those 200.000 people spent will have been split up between the organisers and the hosts. So how much is that worth really, in the end?
Don’t get me wrong, any little bit helps. But this isn’t where most of a PL club’s income comes from.
The club would be far better served signing a naming rights deal for the stadium than organising events such as those.
The transformative potential of the stadium resides in its ability to attract big commercial deals more so than any amount coming from the events themselves.
But BS… EPL football and world football doesn’t just operate in a multi-billionaires paradise and within a Messi and Ronaldo bubble. And if we add Grealish, You’re talking Man U, Man City and PSG here. Not Tottenham Hotspur. And certainly not most pro football clubs. And the EPL is also the exception in all the recent spending. Simply because its revenues are by far the highest.
And, the pandemic has indeed seriously affected the finances of some of the richest clubs in football. This is actually apparent in the sales of both Messi and Ronaldo. And also evident when we see Bale on loan to Spurs because no club could afford him on his wage packet.
Of course business has now picked up. And especially for the richest of clubs. Including Spurs. But that’s because the stadiums are now open and up and running again. But up until the summer, things were very much not looking rosey…
But, what if England were to go into another lockdown? What then?!
I really don’t understand your main point in this BS. No one on here has made the ridiculous statement that only Spurs have suffered during the pandemic. It’s only you that has mentioned such a strange comment. Not me. Not jod…
In fact I have said more than once on here that Spurs have got through it better than most. And I would say that Levy should take enormous credit for this.
HT – (I won’t go into Levy’s decision-making during Covid (the decision to furlough staff, only to have to be shamed into reversing it) and how much credit he deserves – that’s another story.)
I think that from the get go, we disagree on what today’s EPL is really like. In my view, it is precisely turning into the multi-billionaire playground you claim it is not. Rightly or wrongly (mostly wrongly), these are the new rules of the game. And Newcastle’s recent takeover is the latest example.
From that point onwards, as much as we can laud Levy for trying to compete with richer clubs by doing things the “right” way, you have to question whether this strategy is ever going to pay off.
For me, there is no point looking at what is happening outside of the PL because those clubs operate under different rules, with different constraints, and different revenue streams and splits. It’s like comparing apples and oranges. The only valid comparisons are clubs within our own league, that have similar revenue streams and that operate under the same rules. La Liga has far more lenient financial rules than the PL, hence why its clubs were more susceptible to struggle. The PL runs a tighter ship from the get-go, so Levy’s extra set of safety nets feels like overkill.
For years now, I have felt that THFC was not spending as much as it could afford to, because DL had a very personal, and arbitrary, view of what a PL club should spend to remain prudent.
While that strategy has put in a strong financial situation, it has failed to deliver much on the playing side.
I have always held the view that we were being held back by DL’s conservatism, and this seems to be backed up as soon as we benchmark Spurs with any logical point of comparison (ie, other PL clubs of comparable stature).
Even before Covid, DL has always been more careful than others, and Covid has only made it worse. That is the main point. Covid shouldn’t be used as a convenient excuse not to spend, when plenty of other clubs re carrying on with business. Look at how much Arsenal have spent this summer!
From a sporting point of view, I think Levy’s compass is broken and his strategy for our club is never going to deliver trophies if we carry on like we are. Either we accept more risk in our strategy and give ourselves a fighting chance, or we remain prudent forever and risk seeing the club fall farther behind.
I do find it funny. The statement; “I think Levy’s compass is broken and his strategy for our club is never going to deliver trophies if we carry on like we are”.
Levy’s current and recent strategy has been to bring in two of footballs (currently) most successful and highly respected coaches. And to do his utmost to keep hold of two of the worlds best strikers. In Harry and Son.
Not to mention the building of one of the most impressive stadiums in world sport. And the great money-making potential it now has for THFC. (Unless we go into a permanent lockdown!)
Sissoko handled the ball to give away the early penalty in the CL final. MP picked an unfit Kane in that same CL final. Mourinho chose not to play Bale and set up his teams to fail as it did…. Blah blah, et., etc…. Not DL!
And it’s Kane that can’t currently score goals. Not DL!
And DL was not, in any way, responsible for Covid-19!
Or was he!?
Hi folks
Wading into the argument here a bit here.
HT where is your memory, weren’t you the one “banging” on about Nuno’s exceptional win rate with Wolves, when ever the likes of me said he had to make an incredible improvement on his wins to compete with the likes of Klopp and Pep.
Whilst I was underwhelmed, you were accepting and indeed positive of the Nuno signing.
Like it or not m8 you were very pro Nuno at the time. 😉
At that time I was wanting the likes of Mancini.
Re the stadium, I was among those who thought that player recruitment and focus suffered because of this.
However we were in the past, praised in our finincial prowess and nouse over the last few years, prior to COVID and indeed, who could have forseen the out come of this tragic virus and indeed the sad outcomes for many families and indeed businesses.
With that said we are where we are and the stadium is starting just starting to generate some income with (good) possibilities of more, and as many have said, why have an empty “white elephant” on non match days.
Niall… I did back Nuno at the start. That’s what I do. I also backed Jose for a while, against my best intuition. But never did I once say say I wanted him at Spurs. Or believe he was in the same league as Pep or Klopp… LOL! I also didn’t want Conte! But here he is 🙂 And here we go! Again…
My intention was to be positive about him. That’s all. (As I will be with Conte, for now).. But 6 games in and I was saying he needs to go and that I think that he looked clueless…
His record with Wolves however was impressive for all of 3 seasons. Under Nuno they had finished the PlL on level points with Spurs, when under Jose… When we finished 6th… And they reached the EL QF, that same year.
But that has nothing to do with what I’ve been saying on here on this thread. I haven’t been talking about Nuno at all… Like I said, I also backed Jose for a while, albeit completely against my better judgement. But not for long.
And if it ain’t happening with Conte. I reserve my right to turn against him too…. As I have recently turned my feelings against Kane….
Both of whom, also have impressive records… 🙂
To me the big problem with Levy is his constant looking for bargain basement buys. It has happened so often. We have missed out on many occasions when his stubbornness has lost us decent players.
Levy should not be part of the bargaining process. Leave that to the coach/ manager, scouts etc.
We really have made some awful purchases in recent years. Hence the poor squad we have now. Players are just not performing; they are simply not good enough.
No HT,
I just couldn’t remember your quote from 11:05
But I do remember your, string of quotes in support of Nuno around early July.
You were quite laquatious in your support chum.
Whilst I wasn’t “dancing round the lounge at the news”
BTW you didn’t call it you wanted Ten Hag
Neither did I, I wanted, Mancini.
That’s all m8 😊😉
But you are right Spurs is a bigger pull for coaches than many think and we do have a few very good players to work with if we can get our act together. 😊
Agree. Changing your mind is OK and everyone can do it. But when people are so adamant about something, be it through conviction or just excessive enthusiasm/a desire to will things into reality, I feel that a bit of teasing is fair ;-).