Nothing surprises me in football. All I know is that everyone thinks that they could do better than Levy and perhaps one or two could, the other 6.99999 billion on the planet wouldn't. I'm happy to wait and see. I doubted that we would make the top 4 last season so it shows what I know.
Have to say that’s my fear too. Poch has been patient understanding the costs etc in building the new stadium, but if he starts to feel that the club has no intention of building a team to match his ambition, then he won’t be short of takers if he’s finally had enough of Levy.
Yep. We all know that stage one of the project has already been achieved and we are ahead of schedule by being a regular CL team. Poch will naturally want to go to the next level, which he's practically already said. Poch and his coaching staff are well aware of the value of their stock and what they are capable of. If Levy/ENIC show no interest in wanting to fulfil Poch's ambitions, I will have no gripes if he decides it's time to go. His talent is being wasted at Spurs if they think they can continue with the same objectives.
That burden falls on Poch and he feels the heat as he is clearly demonstrating...A season or 2 out of top 4 and Levy would just pull the trigger and point at Poch’s failure as a reason and everyone will forget the lack of support he received in getting to that point. Seen it all before. You might think it’s difficult but I dont think it is...any less investment and we would be struggling...Levy always does enough to keep the top 4 challenge. You can see it develop in front of your own eyes every season...enough investment to keep the top 4 challenge realistic but not enough to really push to win anything. We are not in the position of a mid table team so I refuse to think like one for the rest of my life...that’s one guaranteed way to start going backwards. In football these things creep up on you over time and without a doubt today we are weaker than when Poch and his team were at their pomp about 3 years ago. Wether it’s because of the stadium or not the fact is that we have stood still with regards the team and it is only because of Poch’s management that we are still where we are. I’m always reminded on here that ‘we are punching above our weight’. That’s just another way of saying we have a team that isnt in reality as good as the results are showing.
So let's do a thought experiment. Let's replace ENIC and Levy. But to make it less risky let's put in an investor and Chairman who have a proven record of success in football. Who do you suggest?
I doubted it too. However that we did was solely down to on-pitch matters (some out of Pochettinos' control) and nothing to do with ENIC.
Not my problem All I know is anyone investing North of a Billion pound of their own money aren’t in it to **** it up the wall. Levy isnt the only Savvy businessman in the World. I’m more than confident when ENIC sell it won’t be to any Del Boys, them days are gone, they don’t have the money we are talking about in top flight football nowadays. At worst we end up with a Kroenke who’s doing exactly what ENIC are doing anyway. We are all still waiting for Gangster Abramovic to get sick of his ‘toy’ and to asset strip it btw.
Let's do another thought experiment : Let's buy out ENIC and the new owner offers Levy a 30% share in THFC to remain as chairman. Do you think the new THFC will operate better/same/worse in the transfer market (ie getting the non Messi costing transfer targets that the manager wants, with days before the transfer window closes rather than hours etc) ??
FSG. Seemed to have turned liverpool round well. Cant believe levy has hit the jackpot with poch but wont invest in him. Im always told how you have the 6th best players (by how much you cost and spend) and how poch is getting more out of the team than anyone (also true) yet making 100m getting deep into the last 2 seasons has warranted a net spend of 15m even after all the increases in revenue from the new stadium. Better hope poch is still happy to make do when he knows the club is stacked in cash
I have estimated that the total club profit for the past two seasons (before any potential repayment on new WHL is made) is 220m. At least I am happy to be called on it next April.
Liverpool have had one good season. Let's see if they can maintain that. I agree that we should be investing in the squad. But I don't agree that it is easy to do. In any walk of life, paying more than fair value for anything is not a way to success. If we don't spend because we can't get value for money then I am happy not to spend.
I think that number is right. But it doesn't mean that spending it to buy players worth £150m is the right thing to do. The issue is whether we have the right player valuation process.
Think they have won a few more things in their time in charge. In any case it was more an example they have set. Liverpool under klopp have built in a similar way to tottenham under levy (minus the stadium). They had a low net spend until the coutinho sale (you rival this with your profits). Liverpool had a very successful season the previous year too. They got top 4 and made the cl final (unless you think spurs did badly this season?) And subsequently they invested a lot of money this year for a title challenge, got close to it but won the cl. Spurs this year mirror exactly that but unlike fsg who are happy to reinvest the revenues, levy doesnt appear to want to pay over the odds. Yes, you dont want to go over crazy and prices like 80m is far too much for maguire. However after overachieving for 5 years (is it that much) you would think poch would get backed slightly by overpaying a little. This isnt ed woodward and his scattergun approach. This is poch saying i believe this guy will improve us in the long run. Unfortunately any other business/walk of life spurs is a massive success and pochetino will be happy to stay and run the business for life. This is football and managers change all the time, some are fired, very few retire and many move onto clubs who can offer the same ambition. Im amazed poch has been loyal all this time as in the modern game, him and klopp are a very rare breed but how much longer his patience will be tested remains to be seen.
You are not spending 150m in one season. If the money for NDombele + Lo Celso (no add ons) is 120m, and the payment terms are 3 yrs, then that is 40m per season that must be found. 40m for the next 3 seasons for a club that is ALREADY operating at 100m+ PROFIT per season WITHOUT its new stadium : 1. fully online for an entire season 2. staging non football events
I agree we can afford to sign players for well over £150m. My point is that if those players are only worth £100m then it is better not to overspend.
Liverpool's record in the ten years before FSG was better in every respect than the ten years since. They had a higher league position and won more cups. Under Levy we have gone from being a mid table side to being established in the top four. Only Man City have done improved more over that period. Everyone else has gone backwards. I understand why people are frustrated by the lack of trophies and the seeming reluctance to spend but it would still be massively risky to trade in ENIC for some unknown quantity. Even a multi-billionaire glory seeker that was prepared to pay over the odds to get the best possible squad wouldn't guarantee success. Poch has a brilliant track record in improving good players. Who knows whether his judgement about signing the best will be good. I could easily name a squad costing close to a billion that would struggle to get top 4.
