Daniel Levy - Chairman

[Spur of the moment]

I just wish fans who crave trophies per se would acknowledge that nowadays we have to contend with at least three other clubs that have basically gone out and attempted to buy silverware, plus two others that can comfortably outbid us in the marketplace.

These clubs stockpile the best players that come onto the market leaving us to make the best of the rest, something we are fortunately getting better and better at, much to the credit of Levy, Poch and his team..

Once we recognise what's going on surely it makes sense to adjust our expectations accordingly? I do not believe a trophy is beyond us but we will generally need to have that much more going for us on the day when competing with clubs overloaded with top talent.

So I am prepared to be patient, believing that day is coming closer and closer.

Meanwhile, week in week out I enjoy watching Tottenham. We play mostly exciting footy,score plenty and win more games than we draw and lose. When fully fit our first XI plus our best three subs is not that far from matching the very best in the PL. It's only when we have several players out injured that we start to look stretched in comparison to the money-doped clubs.

 

[greatwhitenorf]

We should have two separate forums.

One for ardent, frustrated trophy cravers.

The other for those who simply trust the process under Levy.

 

[billyiddo]

Fair, but on the other hand, look at Arsenal. Their stadium engendered a level of expectation in terms of competing with the elite that hasn't materialized - although they have picked up FA Cups along the way. However, they expected titles, so the cups are a disappointment nonetheless. We're moving into our stadium from a lower base, so even the three-odd FA Cups would be success in my eyes. But don't we run the same risk? We might think the stadium will take us up a level, when really, it could be that it will only solidify our *current* level - which hasn't been good enough to win us a trophy, despite its excellence relative to the rest of our recent past.



Oh, not saying you did (and thank you) - I was making a broader point. Thinking about it, a lot of why I think Levy's just been generally fair-to-good (as opposed to *great*, as is the opinion of most here) is because of the fact that we haven't won much through his tenure, despite our slow upward climb using our own finances. Two League Cups in two decades - that is the reward for slow upward mobility.

I suspect my opinion would have been very different with just an FA Cup or two added to that record. I don't know if it was because I was just young and carefree back then, but winning the League Cup in 2008 was one of the most blissful moments I've ever had supporting this club - the memories of my happiness on that warm evening will stay with me for a long, long time yet. So I suspect just one or two more moments like that would have drastically revised my opinion of Levy's tenure here.

That was my point, really. Poch may have different priorities, but his attitude to the cups reflects poorly on him to me (although he's earned the right to take that approach) - and, by extension, on Levy, because it probably means that we will keep going without trophies for a while yet.

Arsenal built their stadium when they were the second biggest side in the league and were serial title challengers, it was before City and Chelsea won the lottery and before domestic TV money went through the roof - with hindsight it was probably the worst possible time for them to take on such a build. Different set of circumstances for us.

 

[Grays_1890]

Our expectations are different to when Arsenal moved, 51 and 61 is hardly long history of titles to cause for uproar when when we don't win the league. Arsenal went from winning leagues to moving and not, big difference.

Spurs move is for us to continue to grow, our business of buy young sell high has yielded more results than anyone and has funded our rise but we needed a plan B for sustained growth, this is it. I expect silverware to follow but titles would be a bonus.

West Ham were sold a dream of move and the promised land would follow, I like to think one we haven't been sold that dream and 2 we as fans are more educated. Some test that faith but overall the fans are

 

[Grays_1890]

I just wish fans who crave trophies per se would acknowledge that nowadays we have to contend with at least three other clubs that have basically gone out and attempted to buy silverware, plus two others that can comfortably outbid us in the marketplace.

These clubs stockpile the best players that come onto the market leaving us to make the best of the rest, something we are fortunately getting better and better at, much to the credit of Levy, Poch and his team..

Once we recognise what's going on surely it makes sense to adjust our expectations accordingly? I do not believe a trophy is beyond us but we will generally need to have that much more going for us on the day when competing with clubs overloaded with top talent.

So I am prepared to be patient, believing that day is coming closer and closer.

Meanwhile, week in week out I enjoy watching Tottenham. We play mostly exciting footy,score plenty and win more games than we draw and lose. When fully fit our first XI plus our best three subs is not that far from matching the very best in the PL. It's only when we have several players out injured that we start to look stretched in comparison to the money-doped clubs.

They won't even ackowledge the clubs moved forward under Levy, how do you contend with that logic

 

[StephenH]

We have spent close to £900m on a stadium and no matter how you spin it that will like with Arsenal it will impact us over the coming seasons and quite a few of them.

Levy has done a brilliant job but you can't make a omelet without breaking eggs!
The impact will be felt for between 10-20 year!

 

[ShipOfTheseus]

We should have two separate forums.

One for ardent, frustrated trophy cravers.

The other for those who simply trust the process under Levy.

I suspect that the majority vacillate between the two positions and/or are essentially neutral. Can we have our own board, too?

 

[the dza]

I will say this about the trophies -- I really hope we can win one this year or next, to keep up our record of winning at least 1 trophy every decade since the 50s. I'm quite proud of that record.

 

[billyiddo]

We have spent close to £900m on a stadium and no matter how you spin it that will like with Arsenal it will impact us over the coming seasons and quite a few of them.

Levy has done a brilliant job but you can't make a omelet without breaking eggs!
The impact will be felt for between 10-20 year!

I think you'll be surprised - afaia we already have loans in place and have been paying them off for a while now i believe so we aren't going to move in and then see the payments start a fresh from the next season, or increase even, yet our revenue will rise so the payments should have less of an impact than they do currently.

Maybe someone else has a better understanding of it or maybe i have the wrong end of the stick but that's how i have come to understand the situation...

 

[Grays_1890]

I think you are right but the costs have gone up form the original quote. There is a myth going around also that Levy has all the costs covered with certain deals but I don't understand that to be the case.

There will be an element of one step back before going forward even from the extent that we might stand still for a year whilst Emirates Marketing Project continue to invest, but I don't wind myself up on that because even if we were well heeled Emirates Marketing Project are obsessed with spending money as some kind of c0ck measuring contest.

 

[K.D.D.D.D.Soc]

Depends on how long you think we can go without trophies, I guess. How much time do you think we have to win a trophy before the upward trend we're on flatlines or takes a dip?

Currently we aren't strong enough to compete on all levels and so it's a matter of setting goals, I believe the club see getting in CL on a regular basis as the quickest way over increasing revenue and allowing the club to move forward. Much as I want us to win the FA Cup I doubt it would mean much to anyone other than our fans (who else should the club by thinking of) I don't think missing out CL and winning the cup would help in either increasing revenue much or recruitment of top players. Its a dilemma which will continue until we can finance big signings without the fear of plunging the club into decline.

 

[the dza]

I think you are right but the costs have gone up form the original quote. There is a myth going around also that Levy has all the costs covered with certain deals but I don't understand that to be the case.

There will be an element of one step back before going forward even from the extent that we might stand still for a year whilst Emirates Marketing Project continue to invest, but I don't wind myself up on that because even if we were well heeled Emirates Marketing Project are obsessed with spending money as some kind of c0ck measuring contest.

I partly think that Levy has the ground, facilities and everything in place to make the club ready-made for the next billionaire to buy. It would not surprise me if some rich yank bought us in the next couple of years.

 

[Grays_1890]

I partly think that Levy has the ground, facilities and everything in place to make the club ready-made for the next billionaire to buy. It would not surprise me if some rich yank bought us in the next couple of years.

Well if that is the case there is an argument that the "Levy Out" phalanx get their wish, levy gone and a money man who can take us to the next level?

This is where I find their argument flawed because they scream out "Levy is only building the club to sell it to a rich man" but thats what they want, thats those fans end goal.

And if that was the case (I don't think it is) you could also argue that Levy deserves credit for taking the club into the new era where someone would be willing to pay for a world class club rather than the 55m Enic paid for their original share.

 

[nayimfromthehalfwayline]

I think you'll be surprised - afaia we already have loans in place and have been paying them off for a while now i believe so we aren't going to move in and then see the payments start a fresh from the next season, or increase even, yet our revenue will rise so the payments should have less of an impact than they do currently.

Maybe someone else has a better understanding of it or maybe i have the wrong end of the stick but that's how i have come to understand the situation...

Dont forget the initial plan was to have naming rights effectively pay for it. We havent heard a thing about it yet, but I imagine there will be deals in the works that will pay a huge chunk of that spend.

And you are right, we have been buying land and paying for things for years, its not like we have suddenly got £900m in the overdraft, I doubt its anything like that.

And the point about Arsenal confuses me somewhat. As I recal they made so much money they paid their debts early. And they continued to spend significantly in the transfer market and on wages, so how exactly did it effect them so badly?

 

[milo]

I doubt that Levy and Lewis are the types to sell up because of a handful of protests anyway.

 

[Grays_1890]

Dont forget the initial plan was to have naming rights effectively pay for it.

The biggest of naming right deals would come nowhere near. The biggest deal in history of sports is around $500m for 25 years, we won't get anything near that and even if we did the excess £500m has to be found elsewhere and no tractor naming rights is covering it.

There will still be loans in the city that Spurs have to pay, people do have to realise that when setting their expectation.

We have a loan over three banks in the US and lines of credit all over the shop

 

[Spur of the moment]

Well if that is the case there is an argument that the "Levy Out" phalanx get their wish, levy gone and a money man who can take us to the next level?

This is where I find their argument flawed because they scream out "Levy is only building the club to sell it to a rich man" but thats what they want, thats those fans end goal.

And if that was the case (I don't think it is) you could also argue that Levy deserves credit for taking the club into the new era where someone would be willing to pay for a world class club rather than the 55m Enic paid for their original share.

Maybe they also need to ask how many trophies Liverpool have won since Fenway Sports took over? Answer: in seven years of ownership they have won just the one measly Carling Cup, back in 2012 when they defeated the mighty Cardiff City.

Okay so that's still one more than us over the same period (given we last won a trophy back in 2008) but it's hardly the most irresistible argument in favour of being owned by an American syndicate.

Some fans need to be careful what they wish for.

 

[nayimfromthehalfwayline]

The biggest of naming right deals would come nowhere near. The biggest deal in history of sports is around $500m for 25 years, we won't get anything near that and even if we did the excess £500m has to be found elsewhere and no tractor naming rights is covering it.

There will still be loans in the city that Spurs have to pay, people do have to realise that when setting their expectation.

We have a loan over three banks in the US and lines of credit all over the shop

I dont think anyone expects us to start splashing the cash like we just won the lotto.

However, I also dont think its going to be the case we will be financially strapped while under some huge burden of debt.

It seems clear we have taken lessons from the like of Arsenal (who were able to clear their debts early) to maximise the revenues of the stadium.

So, while we will have debt to service, I dont think its going to be as high as people anticipate, and with our increased revenues Im sure it will be affordable without impeding the football side of the business.

Short version : Dont worry about money while Levy is in charge of finances.

 

[Grays_1890]

I think we will continue to invest in the same vein if not slightly more, we would not be bidding for Moura if not. Just don't see a massive increase or decrease for the first season or two

 

[milo]

I think we will continue to invest in the same vein if not slightly more, we would not be bidding for Moura if not. Just don't see a massive increase or decrease for the first season or two

I agree. I think that we might see a little more latitude on salaries but we will still be paying considerably less than the richer five clubs.