To Dare is Too Dear

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Dignified, succinct and emitting class throughout: the Tottenham Hotspur Supporters’ Trust’s official statement in response the transfer window can’t be commended enough. (If you haven’t read it, I implore you to do so.) It proved that — in an age where considered opinion from the terraces is unfairly muffled and muted by the big wigs — fans have the right to question; the right to know why. Because as of 5pm yesterday evening, Tottenham Hotspur become the first Premier League team not to make a summer signing since the windows’ introduction in 2003. And as fans, what was there left to do apart from to ask “why”…

Why do the Club think our squad is good enough to compete for honours when the same squad fell short last season, and the season before that? (It is said the definition of “insanity” is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result.)

Why did Daniel Levy and Donna Cullen publicly state the cost of the new stadium would have no bearing on transfer budgets and dealings?

Why do we think our squad can’t be improved period, when Manchester City — a team head and shoulders above their contemporaries last season — felt compelled to bolster their team (and break their transfer record) with Riyad Mahrez? (In football, “to stand still is to go backwards.”)

Why are the fans led to believe there was not one single player coveted by Pochettino available at a respectable fee/wage that would have improved the squad as a whole?

Why should fans be satisfied with not signing any players when we know for a fact the club made concrete efforts — Grealish, Zaha, Martial — to acquire new players and failed?

Why does the Club charge 2018 prices for season tickets, merchandise and outgoing players, but attempts to buy players for 2008 prices?

Why does the Club refuse to play ball in a (I concede, inflated) market that everyone else exists and operates within: do we think we’re above it?

Why didn’t the Club overtly clarify that Pochettino’s comments about being “brave” and “taking risks” related to using youth team players instead of signings/only tying up new deals for players? (If that is what he meant.)

Why do we — the fans — think that we’ll be stronger when our injured players return to fitness (Rose, Alderweireld, Wanyama, Lamela), when we are ignoring the fact other players are certain to suffer an injury at some point throughout the season? (i.e What good is it having Lamela back if, say, Son gets injured?: we’re back to square one!)

Why won’t the Club back the best manager they’ve had in a generation (with a transfer window he’s been promised), or risk him walking away?

In the days to come we may get answers to some of these questions posed. I predict it will come in the form of a cleverly spun, carefully worded PR move that reveals the plan for this summer was to only “enter the market for the right player at the right price”; that Pochettino is happy with how the window panned out. And if that’s what they’re selling, I don’t buy it. Do you?

 

Well done for being brave enough to post this in the face of the inevatible outburst that’s bound to follow from the ‘how dare you, don’t you know the sun shines out of chairman’s arse’ brigade. Let’s be honest the owners lack ambition and have always done so.

 

To me this is what's irrelevant, the transfer market is closed....we have the squad that we have and still a capable team. Good enough to compete in t he CL, better where we ended last season. Secure another CL position within our league, and definitely challenge and win some of the cup competitions. These are realistic goals for our team, it'd be nice to be challenge for the league but we have to be realistic.

It's important that we do recognize how far we've come and not take this team and manager for granted. I can't even imagine why some feel the need to be critical of the manager, he's done all he can do without sabotaging our team. Let's not even bring his new contract into this, if money was what he was after; he can get it anywhere else and hell of a lot more.

It will do nobody any favors by being pessimistic as this season is just getting underway, the key to me is that Poch has the players believing and excited to be back, ei Eriksen returning well ahead of time and also Moura looking fit and ready to go. All in all, we've got a few more talented players whom weren't available last season and didn't contribute much. Not expecting any miracles and who knows maybe in January we can maybe add to the squad, but with or without...it's time to believe in our team!!!

COYS!!!

 

If (as our fan base does) you find glory in failure, excuses in defeat, are more interested in buildings and balance sheets than Trophies and Football then you create an atmosphere that doesn't demand success it actually asks for/applauds 2nd best.
When you have an ownership that isn't interested in buying the best players and challenging properly for Trophies who drip feed just enough to keep us in the mix at best always leaving our ability to stay up there in limbo added to that a fan base that deems that acceptable then a formula for winning this does not make.

ENIC just want to maximize the profits , yes that's our money/the club's money they want and anything else they can squeeze from the deal.
Sponsorship/TV money/Merchandise/Food/Drink etc , there's never been a bigger influx of extra money and this Metal monstrosity has been created just to cost twice as much to visit and see the same results.

It's not something to celebrate from you , you wouldn't continually give money to some one else then applaud them at how well they've kept your money and tell people how astute they've been and how grateful you are about it.

It sounds bizzarre but that's effectively what's going on, add to that all the resources going on Buildings for ENIC to eventually make a killing from.

And that's what a huge chunk of our fan base are cheering on.

Only in some warped parrallel universe is that something to get excited about and defend as a Supporter.

 

Please can someone tell me what great owner/s we have had that you are all comparing Enic too that makes them so bad?

 

does anyone think enic are going to sell the club

 

I cannot stress enough how important at least 1, just 1 quality addition, in the position (wide-front man) we have yet to have any real success in acquiring to boost our chance of further progression/success.

This was the very least Poch and Us, the supporters deserved for our continued commitment and progression to/for the club. Yes I know Poch gets 7mill a year for his commitment, but you know what I mean! The lift this sort of stela singing, Zaha, Martial, Pulisic would have giving to the terraces would have been invaluable imo. 70m Zaha! Buy him! 80m Martial! Buy him! 60m Pulisic! Buy him! All 3 of them kicking their heals during the w/c. Pay the asking price, (for just one of them) do the medical, agree a contract all by late June early July and have them ready for pre-season and the start of the season because half a dozen of our w/c players won't be!!!

I for one feel "cheated" and slightly deflated! I haven't reached the anger stage and I do not want to, but this is my fear. We MUST start the first 4 games well 8 points minimum before we host Liverpool because should we go into that game with a poultry 4-5 points on the board and they go ahead in the game I fear that cheated, slightly deflated feeling, if shared by the masses on the terraces just might turn to anger and then that could be the beginning of a regular theme for The New Lane and that is something that would break my heart to see/hear!

I'll do my bit by waiting until December to vent, if I have to? I just hope we all do the same and trust (not in Enic) Poch and the lads to come good again and save DL arse in terms of direct abuse!

 

Isn't that Moura's position though? Now he's had a full pre-season I expect him to fill that role.

 

Not very thoughtful questions. Clearly intended as insults rather than legitimate questions. Interesting how much writers like Josh are willing to overlook or ignore in order to try to make their point. Simplistically, this is not about the new stadium. We know that Levy was prepared to make funds available and suspect even more than was prudent if Poch had signaled an available target. ( He clearly offered an excessive amount for Grealish) . Every team can make improvements. Acquiring new players at whatever cost is neither good business nor good management. The gaps at Spurs currently are in the defensive line and the midfield; but none are critical or urgent (especially given that Toby and Mousa are staying) We also have some academy players who are near ready - We have 6 months to see if they fit the gaps. Yes - every team has injuries - but the idea that one should hire a star who is willing to ride the bench until and unless a starter is injured is a pretty ridiculous argument. The kind of players that Spurs might have acquired to raise them a notch are not of that ilk. The best additions to a strong team that is very solid are prospects with potential to grow into the job. Certainly Grealish and Martial fit that description but both were massively over-valued by their current clubs.
In the meantime; We have Onomah, Foyth, N'Koudou, Carter-Vickers, Walker-Peters, Amos and more already in that category and already in our organization. They may not all "make it" but suppose that half of them follow the Dele / Kane path to stardom. To what advantage would we have overpaid for Zaha or Gomez (or Grealish or Martial).
Injuries are a concern for all players. Spurs have had injury issues with Kane, Lamela, Dembele. Winks, Wanyama, Alderweireld, Vertongen and Foyth. If they all get injured - we're in deep doo-doo. If none of them are held back -we have a squad of great depth - all the time.
Last but not least, We have Moura- acquired last year to fit this year and he does. adding a pinch more quality to an already outstanding team.
Had your column been a list of the outstanding players who would have been available to Spurs at a reasonable price -it would have been much shorter. If it had listed those available that we need- it would have been blank. Enjoy the season- An exciting challenger is on the horizon.

 

I can't give you a comparison Tig but I will say for all the great work Enic have done (and they have) to get us, with a bit of luck to, to where we currently are and therefore give us supporters and I'll include Poch, a genuine right to dream/expect continued progression/success by adding at least 1 stela signing that was needed for so many reason explained before during this window is at best negligent, worse sadistic!!

The love I have for our club and to have be taken on this ride of progress and promise to then be told effectively we have run out of fuel as other clubs are passing us by is so frustrating to say the least!

I'll concede, the season/race is yet to begin this year and I am hoping that we get to the top of the hill before we run out of fuel so we can coast down the other side and be in with a chance of continued progression/success.

For further long-winded analogies please contact antony on waffleon.com!!

 

That's a fair point Glint but I don't see Moura leading the line and holding up play like Kane does when Kane ain't available where as a Martial or a Zaha could have done imo.

 

I believe Levy was willing to back Poch if the players whom he wanted had been available. Martial and Zaha weren't, if they had been and Levy wasn't willing to pay, we'd have seen them move else where. Maybe in January we can acquire one of them, once MU or CP finally allow either of them to leave. Rather than buy for the sake of buying, keeping the squad that we have isn't really that bad an option.

It would have been nice to bring in some new talents, but only if they are good enough to challenge our top 11. Otherwise, we have a strong bench and some really good prospects coming though. This is where we should focus now!

 

Money talks Remy we all know that and I believe these players would have been available had DL been willing to agree to the potential selling clubs valuation and he wasn't! I admire what Enic have done to get us to this top 4 status, I really do, but just occasionally when it is glaringly obvious what is needed to progress further and what an 80 million stela addition can potentially do for all aspects, the vibe of the club if you like, could potentially see a 80 million£ investment look like small change on the scale of things 2 seasons down the line.

We know there are no guarantees of this and we may end up this season as champions and CL winners with the squad we have? As unlikely as this is with or without Johnny Stela I'm fairly sure the bookies would give you better odds with him! An there lies my frustration!

 

Wale and Richardson, who paid a then record transfer fee in 1961 for a certain Jimmy Greaves.

 

I still think we have a good chance to get into the top 4 have a good Cup run and get in to the knockout stages but i all so think we won’t win anything if you think it won’t have consequence it will I mean next summer we’ve made a lot harder now
at the end of this season
Toby can leave for 25m will be age 30
Dembélé can leave for nothing contract runs out. will be age 32
Llorente can leave for nothing contract runs out. will be age 34
Vorm can leave for nothing contract runs out. will be age 35
Vertonghen can leave for nothing contract runs out. will be age 32
Rose the longer he hear the price keeps dropping. will be age 29
Janssen will have a year left on his contract so he will be going for chocolate Buttons
and we got to get rid of all the Deadwood if we got to sell to buy we are in big trouble your not get a lot of money for them
all so next season we won’t have the hype from the new stadium training ground and lodge
PS Eriksen will have 2 years left on his contract so if he doesn’t sign a contract this season we will have to sell him

 

No comparison to today the premier league changed things as did the money!
Would be easy to get players if the wages were£20 as they were then .
Your clutching at straws.

 

What's also concerning is (without your own legence to Spurs) if you are say Eriksen what does the club not buying anyone say to you?

I know if it was me I'd be thinking-

Do this club really want it??
Are they matching my ambition??
Could I earn more elsewhere and play for a side that doesn't settle for 2nd best and pleads poverty?

Any self respecting top player wants Medals followed by Money and a club that at least goes all out for both.

 

So your saying Kane is not self respecting! I hope he doesn't read this.

 

If you read my post it says without a Spurs legence, Kane is like u or I it's his club he would be more willing to stay and see things through, other players are career footballers and will have loftier ambitions than a cup 'run' or a project with a current employer as opposed to their boyhood club.

 

I know one thing if Eriksen haven't signed a contract in the next 4 months we will sell hem in the summer because he only have 2 years left on his contract