We aren't that bad, but...

[monkeybarry]

i don't think it was ever too early - it is possible to build a team good enough to get in to the top 4 positions despite being at a financial disadvantage, we proved it possible on two occasions and on one of those we could have had a title challenge, also Liverpool/Everton look like doing it this year (although unlikely in Evertons case tbf).

for me the aim is to build the best teams/squads we can and then see how we fair against those with more resources, there's no reason why we can't build teams better than those above, although it should not be expected - the trick is to make the most of the teams that we build and making sure that any time our opponents are at less than their best we are there to over take them.

But because of making CL once, we now expect it every year ( which is unrealistic) rather than focusing on achieving it.
If we solidified EL for a few years, learned how to manage regular domestic and European involvement, we would then be able to build for the next step.

Albeit not a perfect comparison, but A.Madrid are a good example and solid gradual rebuilding.

I'm not saying we shouldn't be aiming high, you should always start the season wanting to win the lge, but I do feel we would have a stronger, more stable club and team if he hasn't made the CL for 1 season.

 

[billyiddo]

yeah i agree, it has raised our expectations - 11/12 was almost the perfect example of everything going right for us (up until Capello quits the England job anyway) - players we signed with potential becoming great at the same time, short term signings made at the right time to give us a balanced first XI, plenty of depth in the squad, three of the 'richer' clubs above having shocking seasons etc

all those things came together in one season to put us in a great position, we can't expect/demand all of that to happen on a regular basis, we just need to make sure we're in a position where it can happen again. falling back and finishing 6th for one season is not a big deal in the grand scheme of things IMV

 

[Chachaboom]

I'm absolutely fine with top six finishes. As long as we see good attacking football plus the occasional victory against one of the sides above us. A decent cup run and actually winning a pot wouldn't go amiss either.

It's the chairman who keeps pitching each season as a challenge for CL football and then not providing a reasonable platform for the manager that he appointed to achieve it.

 

[billyiddo]

It's the chairman who keeps pitching each season as a challenge for CL football and then not providing a reasonable platform for the manager that he appointed to achieve it.

you talk as though it's a regular occurrence - it's the first time we've had a 'poor' season in quite a while and even then i don't think there were many arguing that Levy wasn't trying to provide the manager with the right platform.

 

[Rossi22]

Can you realistically expect to improve if you break even every season? Genuine question.

Just look at Arsenal's transfer dealings since 2005. £270m spent with £270m recouped. That's gotten them five 4th place finishes and three 3rds, whilst they currently sit in 4th place, again. Even plucky little Liverpool have spent £97m net over the past three years(£61.5m under Rodgers) whilst maintaining a wage bill comparitive to Arsenal and well ahead of us - still some way behind the two Manchesters and Chelsea though in fairness.

 

[billyiddo]

break even in what sense, purely in transfers ins/outs?

you tell me....which season was the best Spurs side you have seen in the Prem? was it one of the sides built when we had a negative transfer spend or was it in 11/12 when we were breaking even for a couple of seasons? even this seasons squad - potentially with the right manager we could have a team which is better than everything bar 11/12 - this time with a positive net spend.

under Levy we have always pretty much broken even as a business, even when we had high negative net transfer spends. with the new TV deal bringing in around an extra 30-40 mil a year i expect this will filter down to the transfer kitty in keeping with hoe they have always run the club (if there is money available it gets spent on the team)

 

[Raziel]

Break even can work if it's done over a 2-3 year period.

i.e. make an investment with the intention of CL revenue, improved merchandising, sponsorship in 1/2/3 years, while making some allowances for if you don't make it.

 

[Raziel]

Break even can work if it's done over a 2-3 year period.

i.e. make an investment with the intention of CL revenue, improved merchandising, sponsorship in 1/2/3 years, while making some allowances for if you don't make it.

 

[Chachaboom]

you talk as though it's a regular occurrence - it's the first time we've had a 'poor' season in quite a while and even then i don't think there were many arguing that Levy wasn't trying to provide the manager with the right platform.

In Harry's last two seasons and avb's first we were crying out for fresh blood up front to give us the extra push to finish over the line. Levy didn't provide it.

 

[Jordinho]

In Harry's last two seasons and avb's first we were crying out for fresh blood up front to give us the extra push to finish over the line. Levy didn't provide it.

2008/09: Dos Santos, Pavlyuchenko, Defoe, Keane

2009/10: Crouch and Gudjohnsen

2010/11: Van der Vaart

2011/12: Ade and Saha

2012/13: Dempsey and Bale now playing as a forward instead of a winger.

 

[Chachaboom]

2008/09: Dos Santos, Pavlyuchenko, Defoe, Keane

2009/10: Crouch and Gudjohnsen

2010/11: Van der Vaart

2011/12: Ade and Saha

2012/13: Dempsey and Bale now playing as a forward instead of a winger.

If you think we have sufficiently solved our lack of goal scoring options since we last had Keane and Berbs up front then look at the margins by which we missed CL qualification the past two seasons. Also have a look at our goal difference this year.

In the January windows of those two last seasons we either got nothing or cheap crappy loan or swap deals for clapped out knackered has beens

 

[Jordinho]

If you think we have sufficiently solved our lack of goal scoring options since we last had Keane and Berbs up front then look at the margins by which we missed CL qualification the past two seasons. Also have a look at our goal difference this year.

In the January windows of those two last seasons we either got nothing or cheap crappy loan or swap deals for clapped out knackered has beens

In both Ramos's and Harry's first two windows we forked out a substantial amount of money on players, many of them approaching 30. That was always going to have an effect on future spending.

 

[Chachaboom]

In both Ramos's and Harry's first two windows we forked out a substantial amount of money on players, many of them approaching 30. That was always going to have an effect on future spending.

Well I'm sure he got his fingers burnt with the Bent and Bentley deals as well. Anyway didn't Levy's nan tell him to always hold something back for a rainy day (or the January transfer window).