Have we made progress or not - tomorrow will tell

My last post referred to City's unlikely 4th consecutive defeat. Tick. 100% from everyone, all the time. Didn't happen. Hugo's rising liability status. In progress. Lamela still showing nothing. Still showing nothing. Toby's absence. Continuing. And everyone's on the same page so I'm no lone-voiced expert, but I am a seriously depressed fan today. I have to admit I switched off when Sterling scored - I just couldn't sit through the rest. Rant almost over but stay with me another second or two: Anyone who has an answer to this, please give it to me NOW :- how when you need your best on the park, you continue to leave out Toby out ? Head and shoulders, the best centre back in the PL; not injured, not unwell, not anything other than a damn fine footballer. He wants more money, good, so does half the country but cutting noses to spite faces certainly doesn't help the team. In my (thankfully over) working career I thought I was worth more and made it clear but the Upstairs crew said NO, but they didn't relegate me to watching other people try to do what I did a sight better than them. Jesus.

 

They're going to sell him Gordie.. it's the Tottenham way.

Pooch either doesn't want to damage the goods or he's teaching him a lesson for not buying into the project.. the talk that he has to bide his time because of the players ahead of him is of course nonsense.. Alderweireld's been our best player the last two seasons.

Come next season it looks extremely likely that 3 of the EPL's best back 4 will have been liquidated.. mind boggling really.

 

Well Jam - if the 5-year project consists of building a really good side and then dismantling it bit-by-bit, inside the aformentioned 5-year spell, it's Business Plan is spot-on and well on course but a tad flawed in my eyes. In my post-playing days and running a team, admittedly not a PL side, there were differences with players, important, though obviously on a relative level, but if the player showed his worth on the grass, he played. Full stop. To Hell with this Manager Vanity, if that's what it is. If it's not, then who's decision ? Levy's ? None of his business - he doesn't pick the side, run training, attend to injuries or any of the other day-to-day stuff that I know of. Is Poch his stooge then ? Maybe he is and if so it'll end in tears. Shortly.

 

I had no doubt following defeats recently that City would be a wounded and aggressive animal and so it proved. We started very poor and our fine win at Chelsea the other week looks like a distant memory. Apart from Eriksen, none of the team really turned up and City could have hit us for 5 again as they did in the Tim sherwood era. Lloris needs to be dropped immediately now and improve again, mora needs to start games from the whistle (how the **** is he going to play well if he doesn't get game time?), Bury the hatchet with Toby and Play him for Christ's sake before we end up selling him. Kane is not fit and it shows, Son should have had the nod ahead of an ineffective Lamela yesterday aswell. Poch didn't do the homework it would seem and now we have go again on Tues before Saturdays big cup match, a game we cannot afford to lose right now! I'm keeping my fingers crossed!

 

Definitely Pooch's call.. I would hope he's not the vindictive type.. but that may well be part of it.

In his defence he does have depth at centreback.. Sanchez.. Dier.. and young Foyth will be given more game time next year. None of those guys are Toby.. but it seems we can't afford (or simply refuse to) have a steak on every plate.

Rose going is another kick in the nuts as far as I'm concerned.. as much as I admire Davies' earnestness we need more. The only positive spin will be if we are able to bring in say a Shaw or a Sessegnon in his stead.

Finally you were a manager back in the day? brilliant.. so how would you describe your management style?

 

Spurs will not be the club that gives a player his last contract. Should Toby agree to 2 year, then at 31 by the end of the term he still could be sold, although for much less then this summer, when his value will be at the top. As such, Toby is not on MP list and could not be started.
As Felon 82 correctly pointed out in his numerous rants, Levy's PRIMARY objective is to make money, not to win trophies. That is why top 4 finish is the most important. It doesn't yield a trophy, but brings a lot of money.
Selling of Toby will bring money to keep up with top PL clubs, who have built their large capacity homes already. Keep in mind that selling Bale was intended for keeping the club afloat while new stadium is being built. Spurs exceeded that plan.

 

It was only Junior League level. Briefly - certainly not a cup-throwing shouting-contest at half time style, thought I was fair enough, as in fair-minded, and receptive to views. Play the game, as I did, but don't be bullied. Enjoyable - but that was 30-odd years ago.

 

"Sold Elvis and bought the Beatles" apparently, so no money for the kitty. Reality was he sold Elvis and bought Chicory Tip (look them up).

 

Amusing.. and true.

Levy didn't study Economics to win the FA Cup.

That said it would benefit him greatly to produce a successful football team if he wishes to fill his pockets.

 

Very good.. you strike me as manager material.

Perhaps in the Redknapp mould.. a man manager par excellence.

And lest you take offence.. that is a compliment.

 

Cheers Fran - I'm well embarrassed now !

 

Oops - Jam !!!! Dazed & Confused I guess (with acknowledgements to Plant & Page).

 

The thing is Felon I just feel very nervous about the new stadium cost and borrowing paralysing our Chairman with fear, such that we won't spend any money.....weed and feed. Toby and Rose, LLorente and Janssen and other fringe players should give us a reasonable pot......

 

The bigger the washing machine the bigger the rinse.
I have been saying for a while whilst many have pinned their hopes on this new Stadium, it is only worth the outlay if the profits are pumped back into the 1st team and hard.
Did we really need NFL franchises, retractable pitches, in house cheese rooms FFS?
Seems old Danny Boy doesn't mind spending our money on his Corporate Temple and charging top whack for the 'experience' but the 1st team product?
See how Toby's getting on with that.....

 

I don't see any benefit on not playing Toby. He's our best defender and we are still paying his wages. If he is to be sold then surely by not playing him his price tag will be much less.
It does look like we are slowly selling off the crown jewels one by one and Harry will almost certainly leave to either city or united.
I posted an article a while ago about how city overcome the financial fair play despite there mega spending. Basically because they invested heavily keeping their top players, paying players their worth and signed top players they almost guaranteed success firstly be regular CL football qualifiers and then actually winning trophies means the money comes rolling back in two fold.
Speculate to accumulate is the term..

 

Felon, Fran,

I absolutely agree but I just don't think he'll do it. It's going to be weed and feed only for Poch....I'd like it to be more, but I just don't see it......I/we wish.

 

Awful! Why do we have these games where we start like it's a practice match? It's a massive game isn't that incentive enough? Grrr!
Does anyone think that Hugo's clear drop in form is due to Toby not being in the team? Exposes him? Hugo unhappy with Toby's treatment (just asking)? Something doesn't look right in his demeanor. I don't want him to leave though. IMO he's a top keeper but something isn't right.
We desperately need good player investment if we are to kick on next season.

 

Young Sanchez has been brilliant. Like him a lot. He was not expecting the amount or intensity of games when he joined, and he is looking a little jaded, which isn't surprising for the young lad. He will be a top player.

 

Funny enough Bruski I was having this exact conversation with a fellow Yid yesterday.
Not to knock Sanchez because I've been very impressed with him but Toby has that calming influence that the defence around feed off of, Jan Walker Rose Lloris were conceding left right and centre until Toby arrived.
Alderwerild I thought was Solid until I saw him play from the Stands, when everyone else was throwing themselves around panicked he cooley more than once just waltzed out with the ball by just reading the game (only have I seen the King with the same calmness) was then I realised what top Quality he was/is.
It's no coincidence the sloppy goals we've started shipping again in his absence , this whole scenario now is just Petty imo he's contracted and our best defender to not play him is cutting nose off to spite face.
Poch needs to Grow Up , if he is to be sold then so be it but I'd still be playing him and getting Sanchez & Foyth to learn as much as possible from him.
As for Lloris he's supposed to be a Captain yet is the least commanding inspiring character going and seems to be getting a touch of the Hurellios about him more and more.

(The whole pay/wage problem and the club's stance on it bothers me if it's to Ostracize players who don't tow company line, Toby has been top quality for us and in doing so has a right to ask closer to his market value if other offers r there also the Club has a right to have a Wage structure so if both parties can't meet then a sale is the more likely out come but in the meanwhile surely it's not too much for the Club to be amicable about it? It's not as if there's refusals to play etc unlike previous players)

 

The situation regarding Toby has turned into a saga and an embarrassing one at that. Insulting fans and media alike that it's for tactical reasons and picking players on form when every man and his dog knows it's down to his contract negotiations.
Due to being very media friendly and savvy poch is getting an easy ride on this one as he did the juventus return leg.
By the consensus on this site Toby is our best defender and should play then do we progress if he plays in either of them games. Do we concede 3 yesterday or two shockers at anfield ?
I think the fans deserve to be told the truth regarding Toby. We've been here before losing our best players and it hurts to see the leagues best defence slowly being sold off.