It's obvious (yes obvious ) what has happened here. (the report above is trying to create the bombshell, the story doesn't provide one)
Poch clearly at the back end of last season was a bit frustrated. Frustrated we'd come up short again and frustrated that any blame for that was aimed at him.
He clearly thought (because we could all see it on the pitch) that we were good, often very good BUT not quite good enough and with the personnel we had he'd maxed out with us, hit a ceiling.
Cue the 'crazy' 'brave' comments. Cue meeting with Levy.
Lets not get silly, Levy and Poch get on. They get on because Poch and Levy are open and honest with each other, no game playing goes on.
Poch wants to do some serious surgery on the squad (of course he does, its at his limit with it). He wants rid of Toby, Rose, Dembele, Llorente, GNK, Jansen and maybe Sissoko and Victor. Thta's major, and Levy from a football perspective could quite easily think...Tobys decent, so is Danny and did you see some of Dembele performances last season BUT Levy knows Poch is the coach, and given his record has free reign to proceed.
From Levy's side he is thinking of money, the stadium, balancing a monumental infrastructure project with an emerging team.
I 400% think the deal was.....that Poch could have 400% of any sales we made and Levy would commit eg £20m towards keeping our best players via improved contracts. Out going sales could easily total £150-£200m, quite a war chest.
Now, selling (and buying) players is not like dumping your shares ie a press of a button. It's more like buying and selling houses ie plenty of pr.icks involved. Over valuing, low balling and a bunch of clamish agents.
On paper the plan looks good, and both men were signed up to it.
Now the only time this falls down is if the honesty and trust the two men have for each other has been breached. If Poch can see everything that has gone on and is good with it, then there is nothing to see here. He may agree with Levy when players we want are overvalued, he may want Dembele to go to Inter, Dembele says no, what can he do. The unwanted are all sitting in the shop window but no-one comes in and the phone don't ring. Deals are harder to do because of this crazy market.
If it was like shares, we'd of sold out like fantasy football and known the price of all our targets and life would be easy. It's anything but that. But some fans think otherwise. I have said before it was not a choice to sign no-one, and i believe if the plan had been executed we would be in better shape now. Not that we haven't got a great set of players, just that Poch obviously meant something at the end of last season and another groundhog day season really could harm the belief, drive and momentum and not just the players but the manager himself, even if it's neither his or Levy's fault.
Hopefully January will be a window more suited and with more oppurtunities for us.COYS
