Daniel Levy's Transfer Policy Revealed

[braineclipse]

Re: Ratings Vs Leeds

KD made a good post in the Transfer forum about this.

We have scouts, right? Is it totally beyond belief that there is no striker out in the big wide world who would fit our needs? Hell, we got Berbs once by doing this.

I would love to see us pick up the next Berbatov like this, of course. I'm not stoked about us picking up the next Pavlyuchenko like this though.

I'm a big fan of some of the signings we've been making from abroad in recent years, picking up relatively young players from somewhat smaller leagues like Sandro, Vertonghen and Lloris. Top top signings and good value signings. I would love to see us pick up a striker in a similar price range safely assuming that this would be a player AVB and the scouts all rated very highly.

We have 3 players who can play up front at the moment, and another who can play in the hole. We're not as desperate as some people here claim that we are. Look at Chelsea, Arsenal and Liverpool as a comparison. None of them have as many strikers as Stoke (who seemingly is the club someone wants to compare us to when it comes to number of strikers in the squad, for whatever reasons).

Strikers are generally expensive and sought after, at least if they're very good. If AVB and the scouts have identified the right striker who is available for £10-12m and they feel that this isn't just a player that will be an option for us, but who will most likely be clearly better than our current strikers and Levy isn't moving on it then I would be frustrated too. I have no reason to think this though.

 

[Jurgen the German]

Re: Andre Villas-Boas - Head Coach

Do you think that signing players they couldn't actually afford paying them wages they couldn't actually afford might be part of the reason why they're in this much worse financial situation?

Look, I've responded to a post from Jimmy and to be honest, I don't have the energy to respond every time another poster poses the same questions to me so I'll just copy and paste what I said to Jimmy:

That is not the point. The point has been raised that other clubs who have more money than us can afford to splash money on big name players whereas we have to be more selective which I fully understand, but other clubs who have LESS money than us still sign players in positions which they need but we still haven't replaced Berbatov. Honestly, people act like I'm saying we have to spend £30m on Cavani or another top name. My point was that with good scouting, you can identify good players who don't cost a fortune.

Do you understand?

 

[Jurgen the German]

Re: Ratings Vs Leeds

And this tired old argument.

After a bright start last winter Jelavic hasn't exactly been a superstar this season. 6 goals in 22 (those are all starts by the way). I think most people here would have been unhappy with that return.

Meanwhile up north Cisse has 4 goals in 20 starts this season, unlike Jelavic he has been playing in various positions, but even so. He's a player who is mainly a goalscorer like Jelavic and that record isn't good enough for someone like that.

Adebayor who has been slated by many on here actually 2 goals in 9 starts this season. 5 sub appearances makes that stat a little worse, but his record is actually similar to Cisse's and not far of what Jelevic has produced in terms of goals. Despite Ade having a stop start season whereas Cisse and Jelavic have been fit pretty much throughout.

Obviously both Defoe and Dempsey are outperforming Jelavic and Cisse while Sig is struggling.

Dempsey and Sig aren't strikers but that's another issue.

What's your solution? We don't buy anybody?

And again, the point is, there are players out there that could improve us that wouldn't cost £20m+

 

[BrainOfLevy]

Re: Andre Villas-Boas - Head Coach

Look, I've responded to a post from Jimmy and to be honest, I don't have the energy to respond every time another poster poses the same questions to me so I'll just copy and paste what I said to Jimmy:

That is not the point. The point has been raised that other clubs who have more money than us can afford to splash money on big name players whereas we have to be more selective which I fully understand, but other clubs who have LESS money than us still sign players in positions which they need but we still haven't replaced Berbatov. Honestly, people act like I'm saying we have to spend £30m on Cavani or another top name. My point was that with good scouting, you can identify good players who don't cost a fortune.

Do you understand?

We replaced Berbatov with Crouch, and if you don't think he was an adequate replacement then we certainly replaced him with Ade. Just because Ade has since turned a bit poor, it doesn't mean we haven't actually replaced him.

 

[Jurgen the German]

Re: Ratings Vs Leeds

I would love to see us pick up the next Berbatov like this, of course. I'm not stoked about us picking up the next Pavlyuchenko like this though.

I'm a big fan of some of the signings we've been making from abroad in recent years, picking up relatively young players from somewhat smaller leagues like Sandro, Vertonghen and Lloris. Top top signings and good value signings. I would love to see us pick up a striker in a similar price range safely assuming that this would be a player AVB and the scouts all rated very highly.

We have 3 players who can play up front at the moment, and another who can play in the hole. We're not as desperate as some people here claim that we are. Look at Chelsea, Arsenal and Liverpool as a comparison. None of them have as many strikers as Stoke (who seemingly is the club someone wants to compare us to when it comes to number of strikers in the squad, for whatever reasons).

Strikers are generally expensive and sought after, at least if they're very good. If AVB and the scouts have identified the right striker who is available for £10-12m and they feel that this isn't just a player that will be an option for us, but who will most likely be clearly better than our current strikers and Levy isn't moving on it then I would be frustrated too. I have no reason to think this though.

I've heard you say befoe that we "can't stockpile strikers were not Manu Utd", but in an ideal world, I would like us to have more than 2. Don't really think that's asking for too much.

 

[BrainOfLevy]

Re: Andre Villas-Boas - Head Coach

Why? Why is there any reason to believe the injury is more serious than what has been explained?

Ahh, no worries. Just seen the ITK thread.

To be honest I think he is injured then, and it makes sense. With all the conflicting information coming out about him. ESPN saying he was rested and then apparently a hip injury, but other reports saying hamstring...something's definitely up. And I fully expect AVB to be in on the cover up in order to keep prices down for a striker.

It makes me laugh a bit though. Surely any club with a striker worth us buying is going to look at our games and say 'Hmm...is Defoe really not injured or is he out for 3 weeks?' and if the club won't tell them honestly in negotiations, surely these clubs will have people within the game that would know. If ITKs can know, then surely there must be networks of people within the game that can get the true information to the selling club.

I'm really interested in how this all works, the claiming that he is not as injured as he actually is. Maybe if AVB came out and said 'we are desperate, we need someone' a selling club would lump the price up straight away but by playing this cloak and daggers game would it actually make any difference? Surely the selling club would be smart enough to lump the price anyway?

 

[braineclipse]

Re: Andre Villas-Boas - Head Coach

Look, I've responded to a post from Jimmy and to be honest, I don't have the energy to respond every time another poster poses the same questions to me so I'll just copy and paste what I said to Jimmy:

That is not the point. The point has been raised that other clubs who have more money than us can afford to splash money on big name players whereas we have to be more selective which I fully understand, but other clubs who have LESS money than us still sign players in positions which they need but we still haven't replaced Berbatov. Honestly, people act like I'm saying we have to spend £30m on Cavani or another top name. My point was that with good scouting, you can identify good players who don't cost a fortune.

Do you understand?

I might understand, but I don't agree.

What clubs with less money than us have better squads than us in your opinion?

What clubs that you think it would be fair to compare us to have better striking options than Defoe, Ade and Dempsey. Name clubs and players please.

 

[Jurgen the German]

Re: Andre Villas-Boas - Head Coach

I might understand, but I don't agree.

What clubs with less money than us have better squads than us in your opinion?

What clubs that you think it would be fair to compare us to have better striking options than Defoe, Ade and Dempsey. Name clubs and players please.

I'm not saying they have better squads, I was pointing out that other clubs have shown that you don't have to break the bank to bring in certain players. Hell, we've done it before!

Liverpool- Suarez is better than anyone we have. They realised they were short of options so they went out and got Sturridge. Now they have Borini who is injured, not saying he's better than anyone we have, but at least he's an option.

Everton- Fellaini and Jelavic

Arsenal- Now I'm not saying there strikers are massively better than what we have, but they do have more options. Wenger is missing a trick by not sticking Podolski up front more often. Walcott (again not saying he's better than ours) is and always will be an out and out striker despite Wenger playing him out wide.

Now there is no point my comparing our strikers to United or Chelsea because they are in another planet in terms of what they can pay in wages and transfer fees. And really no point comparing our strikers to clubs like Reading because the opposite is true. But the clubs above I mentioned have more bodies they can call upon to play up front.

Even if you don't believe our rivals have a similar or even worse strikeforce than ours, why should that stop US trying to sign better players?

 

[braineclipse]

Re: Ratings Vs Leeds

Dempsey and Sig aren't strikers but that's another issue.

What's your solution? We don't buy anybody?

And again, the point is, there are players out there that could improve us that wouldn't cost £20m+

I didn't say that Sig is a striker, did I?

AVB has said that he thinks Dempsey can play as a striker/forward if he wants him to play there. What more do you want than our manager saying that.

Clearly my solution is to not buy anybody. Yes. Just shut down all incoming transfers indefinitely... :-"

We have a similar amount of strikers as Chelsea, Liverpool and Arsenal. 3 clubs I think it's (somewhat) fair to compare us to. Our manager seems happy with the number of forwards/strikers we have. Thus I don't see any reason to panic.

When we already have decent cover I think buying more players who are of similar quality to those we have (or worse) would be really bad business. Not only would that cost the money the player costs (say £10m for Cisse), but it would also most likely make someone unhappy because they wouldn't get game time. It would also put us in a situation where this new player should be given time to adapt, get used to our system and given a chance to prove his worth. Say a season or two. This would mean that money was spent going sideways (at best).

You say that there are players out there that would improve us that won't cost £20m, but you also go on about how we haven't replaced Berbatov in however many years it's been. Pav, Defoe, Keane, Crouch and now Ade have been signed. It seems to me obvious that those player you talk about are difficult to identify, it might take time, and there might not be anyone available right now.

Given all that, my "solution" would be to wait, until the right player has been identified and is available for the right price. Levy has shown that he will back his manager with the money that is available if the right player for the right price can be found.

 

[Jurgen the German]

Re: Ratings Vs Leeds

I didn't say that Sig is a striker, did I?

AVB has said that he thinks Dempsey can play as a striker/forward if he wants him to play there. What more do you want than our manager saying that.

Clearly my solution is to not buy anybody. Yes. Just shut down all incoming transfers indefinitely... :-"

We have a similar amount of strikers as Chelsea, Liverpool and Arsenal. 3 clubs I think it's (somewhat) fair to compare us to. Our manager seems happy with the number of forwards/strikers we have. Thus I don't see any reason to panic.

When we already have decent cover I think buying more players who are of similar quality to those we have (or worse) would be really bad business. Not only would that cost the money the player costs (say £10m for Cisse), but it would also most likely make someone unhappy because they wouldn't get game time. It would also put us in a situation where this new player should be given time to adapt, get used to our system and given a chance to prove his worth. Say a season or two. This would mean that money was spent going sideways (at best).

You say that there are players out there that would improve us that won't cost £20m, but you also go on about how we haven't replaced Berbatov in however many years it's been. Pav, Defoe, Keane, Crouch and now Ade have been signed. It seems to me obvious that those player you talk about are difficult to identify, it might take time, and there might not be anyone available right now.

Given all that, my "solution" would be to wait, until the right player has been identified and is available for the right price. Levy has shown that he will back his manager with the money that is available if the right player for the right price can be found.

Now that I simply can't agree with. He could have done more to back AVB in the summer window. I could name other managers he didn't back, but the mere mention of his name in another thread will probably land me in trouble.

 

[jimmyb]

Re: Andre Villas-Boas - Head Coach

Yeah, go on.

Amortisation refers specifically to intangible assets and is defined* as the deduction of capital expenses over a certain period - usually the life of any intangible asset.

Player registrations are deemed by accountants to be intangible assets. Their value is amortised over the duration of the initial contracts with the club. So, for example, if a player is bought for £10 million and on a four year contract, his expense would be recorded as £2.5 million per annum for each of the four years of his initial contract.

So if players X, Y and Z were bought in 2009 for a combined £50 million in transfer fees, each on five year contracts, Spurs would still, as far as the accounts are concerned, be paying a combined £10 million per annum for them in 2013.

So regardless of the fact that we might, on the face of it, only have spent £8 million on Parker and Coulibaly in the last financial year, we still had significant player trading costs carried forward from previous transfer windows. The money spent on Parker and Coulibaly, in fact, will have accounted for only a small proportion of the whole because their registrations too are subject to amortisation.

Amortisation also complicates the accounting of the sale of players. If we sell five players for a total of £50 million, it doesn't mean that we have made a £50 million profit. The amount of profit depends upon the valuation of the players' registrations in the accounts (and the valuation of the players' registrations is, itself, determined by how many years remain on each of the initial contracts). If player X is sold for £10 million but his valuation in the accounts is £5 million, then we have made a profit of £5 million - not £10 million. In the example that you use, I imagine that we actually made a rather big loss on the sale of Robbie Keane and only small profits on some of the others.

So this £27 million profit that you claim Spurs to have made on player trading is pure fiction.

* Amortisation can also be defined as the paying off of a debt on an intangible asset over a certain period.

 

[braineclipse]

Re: Andre Villas-Boas - Head Coach

I'm not saying they have better squads, I was pointing out that other clubs have shown that you don't have to break the bank to bring in certain players. Hell, we've done it before!

Liverpool- Suarez is better than anyone we have. They realised they were short of options so they went out and got Sturridge. Now they have Borini who is injured, not saying he's better than anyone we have, but at least he's an option.

Everton- Fellaini and Jelavic

Arsenal- Now I'm not saying there strikers are massively better than what we have, but they do have more options. Wenger is missing a trick by not sticking Podolski up front more often. Walcott (again not saying he's better than ours) is and always will be an out and out striker despite Wenger playing him out wide.

Now there is no point my comparing our strikers to United or Chelsea because they are in another planet in terms of what they can pay in wages and transfer fees. And really no point comparing our strikers to clubs like Reading because the opposite is true. But the clubs above I mentioned have more bodies they can call upon to play up front.

Even if you don't believe our rivals have a similar or even worse strikeforce than ours, why should that stop US trying to sign better players?

Nothing is stopping us from trying to sign better players. I'm just accepting that doing so isn't easy, that Defoe, Ade and Dempsey are very good footballers and that improving on them might be challenging.

You won't count Dempsey as a forward/striker, but Podolski and Walcott who both have played the vast majority of their football in wide positions are?

Fellaini was £14-15m iirc, and surely you can't count him as a forward without counting Dempsey as one?

Suarez was £23m or something like that. Liverpool have 3 players who can play up front now, but both Sturridge (for Chelsea) and Borini (for Liverpool) have played wide quite a bit. They can play multiple positions, not unlike Dempsey.

 

[jimmyb]

Re: Andre Villas-Boas - Head Coach

?

That is not the point. The point has been raised that other clubs who have more money than us can afford to splash money on big name players whereas we have to be more selective which I fully understand, but other clubs who have LESS money than us still sign players in positions which they need but we still haven't replaced Berbatov. Honestly, people act like I'm saying we have to spend £30m on Cavani or another top name. My point was that with good scouting, you can identify good players who don't cost a fortune.

Do you understand?

Of course I understand.

But do you understand that spending as a whole is Levy's responsibility - not spending on specific positions?

And the fact is that Spurs are currently, and for the past number of years, better than Everton because they have spent more and more wisely as a whole.

 

[braineclipse]

Re: Ratings Vs Leeds

Now that I simply can't agree with. He could have done more to back AVB in the summer window. I could name other managers he didn't back, but the mere mention of his name in another thread will probably land me in trouble.

We generally end up spending all the money we have available. It might not be straight away, but we're not paying out profits to the owners or sitting on money. How much more should he back the manager?

Backing the manager doesn't mean buying every player he wants.

 

[jimmyb]

Re: Andre Villas-Boas - Head Coach

He is no where near pulling the trigger! Does anyone seriously think he would be that stupid, considering Chelsea only drew with Brentford, and Liverpool got knocked out today too? The idea that Levy will now 'hold this against him' is absolute gonad*s. 5th will see him touting the job around...goodness grief.

Levy has been around this game long enough to know that results like this can happen. He's also a big fan of AVB. He sacked a manager who has got us 2 top 4 finishes because it's not just about the immediate performance, it's also about the type of man he is working with and what other strengths that brings. Wishful thinking Golfball.

Sorry, mate....couldn't help pointing this out because it did make me chuckle!

Nice mingling of "good grief!" and "goodness gracious me!" there!

 

[Jurgen the German]

Re: Ratings Vs Leeds

We generally end up spending all the money we have available. It might not be straight away, but we're not paying out profits to the owners or sitting on money. How much more should he back the manager?

Backing the manager doesn't mean buying every player he wants.

I'm thinking specifically with Moutinho if you want an example.

 

[Armchair Expert]

Re: Andre Villas-Boas - Head Coach

My GHod. Lose an FA Cup match and the whole thing goes into meltdown. jesus wept ... :lol:

 

[Jurgen the German]

Re: Andre Villas-Boas - Head Coach

Nothing is stopping us from trying to sign better players. I'm just accepting that doing so isn't easy, that Defoe, Ade and Dempsey are very good footballers and that improving on them might be challenging.

You won't count Dempsey as a forward/striker, but Podolski and Walcott who both have played the vast majority of their football in wide positions are?

Fellaini was £14-15m iirc, and surely you can't count him as a forward without counting Dempsey as one?

Suarez was £23m or something like that. Liverpool have 3 players who can play up front now, but both Sturridge (for Chelsea) and Borini (for Liverpool) have played wide quite a bit. They can play multiple positions, not unlike Dempsey.

Mate, look at the goal returns from our strikers (bar defoe) and Dempsey/Sig. If you added all of their league goals up, would it even be double figures? If all of the players that could arguably play up front were all banging goals in, then I would be inclined to agree with you and leave as is. But that is not the case. We've seen how a lack of fire power can cost us in recent seasons.

 

[braineclipse]

Re: Ratings Vs Leeds

I'm thinking specifically with Moutinho if you want an example.

If true that Moutinho was the one AVB wanted then I find it interesting that so many people on here are throwing a fit about us being short up front, but AVB thinks that what we need is another central midfielder. I would have course take AVB's opinion over anyone's opinion on here (including my own).

Like I said, backing the manager doesn't mean buying every player he wants. Going by reports (again) Levy tried to get him, but couldn't get a deal within our price range. AVB seemed alright with that, I think he mentioned that he appreciated the effort. A lot of deals are attempted and fail for all clubs. To say that just because we tried and couldn't complete a deal (assuming that's what happened) he didn't back the manager seems way off target for me.

 

[braineclipse]

Re: Andre Villas-Boas - Head Coach

Mate, look at the goal returns from our strikers (bar defoe) and Dempsey/Sig. If you added all of their league goals up, would it even be double figures? If all of the players that could arguably play up front were all banging goals in, then I would be inclined to agree with you and leave as is. But that is not the case. We've seen how a lack of fire power can cost us in recent seasons.

Mate, look at the goal returns for Jelavic and Cisse this season.