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ENIC

Vertonghen was lined up for the summer lets not forget- i don't think it's unlikely that after two first choice targets of Cahil/Samba he was happy for a stop gap.

You do realize we were 3rd and looking the best team in the country at this point? im not sure why everyone now thinks we needed major investment halfway through the season to see us over the line.

I remember Saudi Sportswashing Machine investing midway through the season the year they ****ed a similar lead to us up - worth bearing in mind next time someone talks about it guaranteeing us 3rd...

Perhaps Cahill was lined up to play alongside Vertonghen. We will never know of course.

Please don't think I am trying to absolve Redknapp. It's largely his fault we didn't finish 3rd, I have always been consistent on that. But it's not solely his fault. If the poor transfer window was an isolated incident, then I would be more willing to give more leeway to Levy, but the same thing happened the January before and also a year later. I'm not talking about spending £50m, I don't even think it's a necessity to spend in January just for the sake of it, but when you are crying out for players in certain positions then it almost becomes essential.
 
I know you're consistent on that Jurgen, fair play, that comment was more in referernce to the recent discussions on the board where Levy is made out as cheif culprit for the 11/12 collapse (something i strongly disagree with)

I agree we've been in situations where reinforcments were required and we haven't got them - most notably AVBs first Jan when we only had Defoe/Adebayor as forwards - and it's a problem, hopegully the revamp of the transfer team over the last year or so will limit the chances if this being a reacurring theme in the future. Im not sure if you specifically meant Jan of 11/12 but if so i think this is the sticking point : i don't think we was crying out for strengthening in any positions really, not when you consider the players at the club who weren't being utilised.
 
11 points clear at that stage of the season, it was signed, sealed and delivered, only 1 organisation in the history of sport could have ****ed it up

guaranteed ;)

Serious relegation fears...

proxy.jpg
 
IMO the transfer window of Jan '12 was pretty far down on the list of reasons for us throwing 3rd away.

Regardless of the uncertainty attached to any signing (let alone a January signing), no player would have guarded against the systemic problem that had been setting us up for a downfall all season.

Many advocate playing the same in 'week-in, week-out'. As chief of football's soundbite phalanx, Redknapp took this to the extreme.

It worked a charm for the first half/two-thirds of the season - but playing the same first team in every league and domestic cup match meant that fatigue built up in our best players across the board. Our entire team collapsed. Physically and mentally, we were spent by Spring.

One or two signings would not have prevented the other nine or ten first-teamers from hitting the wall; Redknapp managed his squad's physical and mental endurance terribly.
 
IMO the transfer window of Jan '12 was pretty far down on the list of reasons for us throwing 3rd away.

Regardless of the uncertainty attached to any signing (let alone a January signing), no player would have guarded against the systemic problem that had been setting us up for a downfall all season.

Many advocate playing the same in 'week-in, week-out'. As chief of football's soundbite phalanx, Redknapp took this to the extreme.

It worked a charm for the first half/two-thirds of the season - but playing the same first team in every league and domestic cup match meant that fatigue built up in our best players across the board. Our entire team collapsed. Physically and mentally, we were spent by Spring.

One or two signings would not have prevented the other nine or ten first-teamers from hitting the wall; Redknapp managed his squad's physical and mental endurance terribly.

I remember the stats showing they hadnt played that much more minutes than anyone else.
I remember the players coming out to journos and complaining that Redknapp was pretty much not turning up anymore. They needed more from him.
 
I know you're consistent on that Jurgen, fair play, that comment was more in referernce to the recent discussions on the board where Levy is made out as cheif culprit for the 11/12 collapse (something i strongly disagree with)

I agree we've been in situations where reinforcments were required and we haven't got them - most notably AVBs first Jan when we only had Defoe/Adebayor as forwards - and it's a problem, hopegully the revamp of the transfer team over the last year or so will limit the chances if this being a reacurring theme in the future. Im not sure if you specifically meant Jan of 11/12 but if so i think this is the sticking point : i don't think we was crying out for strengthening in any positions really, not when you consider the players at the club who weren't being utilised.

I have given Levy plenty of stick for various decisions, but arguing that he is the main culprit for the collapse in 2011/12 is just wrong.

No, I think it hampered AVB in his first season more than it did Redknapp. Having only one striker on the books whilst Ade was away was almost farcical, I still feel a bit sorry for AVB in that respect.
 
Levy was not responsible for the collapse in 2011/2012.

Redknapp wanted January reinforcements, he wants reinforcements in every window. Redknapp gets bored/changes his mind a lot.

If you consider the squad we had in 11/12, those bitching and moaning about Levy not signing Cahill should consider the following:

CBs:

King
Dawson
Gallas
Kaboul

Two club legends and two players signed by Redknapp. Not exactly short of quality, or incapable of delivering better form than was shown in the run-in.

Forwards:

Adebayor and Defoe were on the books, two top-quality forwards, in a 1 up-front system.

The club was doing well, we had strength in depth. The need to pay over the odds to sign players in January was not there.
 
Levy was not responsible for the collapse in 2011/2012.

Redknapp wanted January reinforcements, he wants reinforcements in every window. Redknapp gets bored/changes his mind a lot.

If you consider the squad we had in 11/12, those bitching and moaning about Levy not signing Cahill should consider the following:

CBs:

King
Dawson
Gallas
Kaboul

Two club legends and two players signed by Redknapp. Not exactly short of quality, or incapable of delivering better form than was shown in the run-in.

Forwards:

Adebayor and Defoe were on the books, two top-quality forwards, in a 1 up-front system.

The club was doing well, we had strength in depth. The need to pay over the odds to sign players in January was not there.

Talking sense and reality about the 2011/2012 season?

9b8b8c36881ec3ebd618f02c7f96cb36e1c935fd5d00897ca09b2312ab04b50a.jpg
 
but he's not talking sense at all though?

I remember that January window and literally everyone on here agreed that a striker and/or a CB was needed desperately.
 
No, it was as mixed a topic as anything was and no it wasn't desperately needed, for the many reasons put forward so far in this thread. There was plenty on here at the time who said as much, and even some, including myself, who were happy enough with Saha and Nelsen.
 
No, it was as mixed a topic as anything was and no it wasn't desperately needed, for the many reasons put forward so far in this thread. There was plenty on here at the time who said as much, and even some, including myself, who were happy enough with Saha and Nelsen.

i think, again, the major point is that with Harry pretty much deciding at the time that he was going to be the England manager that summer, the question became who could be bought that would suit an incoming manager and still be of the quality necessary to be a major upgrade rather than just adding a body? As we've seen, 26 million quid in one manager's eye is a lot different than in another's, plus who could we have got? At CB I remember Samba being a major target, and I even remember thinking myself we should take a punt, but how glad I am we didn't because let's face it, he turned out to be a waster! Harry had the players to get the job done. We all know it. Even he does.

p.s. I suspect we agree on this mate, just using your comment as a place for my opinion to be shared!
 
Funny thing is Nelsen actually came here and played well in the games selected - Saha went from a 'masterstroke' after the Saudi Sportswashing Machine game to proof of Levy stitching HR up several games later.

Steff i agree, said it at the time, said it everytime the topic crops up - you don't give a manager money to spend if he's walking out the door in 5 months not to mention we didn't actually need first team signings what with us being pretty awesome up tonthat point.

We didn't NEED Cahil by the way, we was in for him that window to try and steal a march on our rivals signing him on a free in the summer - as in maybe he'd prefer to sign for us now than he would wait and sign for Chelsea in the summer - but alas, no unsurprisingly he chose them over us
 
Funny thing is Nelsen actually came here and played well in the games selected - Saha went from a 'masterstroke' after the Saudi Sportswashing Machine game to proof of Levy stitching HR up several games later.

Steff i agree, said it at the time, said it everytime the topic crops up - you don't give a manager money to spend if he's walking out the door in 5 months not to mention we didn't actually need first team signings what with us being pretty awesome up tonthat point.

We didn't NEED Cahil by the way, we was in for him that window to try and steal a march on our rivals signing him on a free in the summer - as in maybe he'd prefer to sign for us now than he would wait and sign for Chelsea in the summer - but alas, no unsurprisingly he chose them over us

Agreed mate. As ever, on the money.
 
The point was that Cahill chose Chelsea over us, symptomatic of the rise of Chelsea and us entering into their shadow during the time of ENIC and Levy.
 
Funny thing is Nelsen actually came here and played well in the games selected - Saha went from a 'masterstroke' after the Saudi Sportswashing Machine game to proof of Levy stitching HR up several games later.

Steff i agree, said it at the time, said it everytime the topic crops up - you don't give a manager money to spend if he's walking out the door in 5 months not to mention we didn't actually need first team signings what with us being pretty awesome up tonthat point.

We didn't NEED Cahil by the way, we was in for him that window to try and steal a march on our rivals signing him on a free in the summer - as in maybe he'd prefer to sign for us now than he would wait and sign for Chelsea in the summer - but alas, no unsurprisingly he chose them over us

Didn't capello resign after the window shut.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/16941457

Levy or lewis didn't fancy Redknapp from the start if they did they would have offered him the job around the period when they sacked Hoddle,but only went after him to get them out the **** they created with the Jol fiasco first of all then Ramos......he got us out the mire and in the top four with a top ten budget......the first chance they had they sacked him.So he wanted a new contract after England messed him around so what,not as if did anything remarkable in the previous three years !!!!!!!!

Says it all they went back to a DoF structure with AVB and here were again in the mire. If they sack Poch now we will be a joke club.
 
IMO the transfer window of Jan '12 was pretty far down on the list of reasons for us throwing 3rd away.

Regardless of the uncertainty attached to any signing (let alone a January signing), no player would have guarded against the systemic problem that had been setting us up for a downfall all season.

Many advocate playing the same in 'week-in, week-out'. As chief of football's soundbite phalanx, Redknapp took this to the extreme.

It worked a charm for the first half/two-thirds of the season - but playing the same first team in every league and domestic cup match meant that fatigue built up in our best players across the board. Our entire team collapsed. Physically and mentally, we were spent by Spring.

One or two signings would not have prevented the other nine or ten first-teamers from hitting the wall; Redknapp managed his squad's physical and mental endurance terribly.

I think the above is a complete myth made up by those who want to try to find some sort of fault with Redknapp's management....

I will give you some facts:

In season 2011-2012 when we finished 4th under Redknapp we used a total of 40 players.
23 of those players played more than 10 times.
16 players played more than 20 times.
12 players played more than 30 times.
5 of those players played 40 or more times (Walker - 47 appearances, Bale - 42 appearances, Kaboul - 41 appearances, Modric - 41 appearances, Ekotto - 40 appearances).

Let's contrast the above to a couple of other teams....

Firstly Ferguson at Man Utd:
Man Utd used 35 players that season.
24 of those players played more than 10 times.
17 of those players played more than 20 times.
14 of those players played more than 30 times.
6 of those players played 40 or more times (Evra - 47 appearances, Rooney - 43 appearances, Carrick - 41 appearances, Jones - 41 appearances, Evans - 40 appearances, Nani - 40 appearances)..

Now Mancini at Emirates Marketing Project....
Emirates Marketing Project used only 29 players that season.
20 of those players played more than 10 times
19 of those players played more than 20 times
16 of those players played more than 30 times
7 of those players played 40 or more times (Hart - 51 appearances, Silva - 49 appearances, Aguero - 48 appearances, Barry - 44 appearances, Nasri - 45 appearances, Kompany - 42 appearances, Yaya Toure - 42 appearances,

So we had more players overall getting games than both City and Utd.
We had less players making more than 20 appearances than both of those clubs
Less players making more than 20 appearances than both of those clubs
Less players making more than 30 appearances than both of those clubs
and less players making more than 40 appearances than both of those clubs.

Emirates Marketing Project won the league that year and Man Utd finished runners up.

Myth.... busted!
 
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