Levy - End Of Season Letter

[Spur of the moment]

One thing you can say with absolute certainty about Harry is he'd never have blown the entire £100m on a bunch of players who'd not once kicked a ball in the PL between the lot of 'em.

That lack of PL experience has to be a big reason why most of them have failed to deliver this season.

 

[BrainOfLevy]

One thing you can say with absolute certainty about Harry is he'd never have blown the entire £100m on a bunch of players who'd not once kicked a ball in the PL between the lot of 'em.

That lack of PL experience has to be a big reason why most of them have failed to deliver this season.

On this point, it doesn't mean they won't ultimately benefit the club though does it? It's like if we brought in say 8 new players over 2 seasons, 4 in each summer, 2 of which were foreign. We'd maybe hit the ground running with the guys who had PL experience while the foreigners struggle to find form. So it would kind of average out. Hopefully we've had all our crap 'needs to find his feet' performance out in one go from this season, and we're still in Europe at the end of it. Next season these players really could take the club on so I think Harry is reacting prematurely there.

 

[BrainOfLevy]

Tim Sherwood: Focus on Daniel Levy after latest Spurs sacking

White Hart Lane's revolving door spins once more and the latest manager to find himself on the outside looking in is Tim Sherwood, sacked after only five months in charge.

Sherwood's appointment on an 18-month deal as replacement for the dismissed Andre Villas-Boas never had a long-term look - indeed the 45-year-old was left likening himself to a "supply teacher" who was not given the respect he deserves.

He certainly made an impression in his short time at the helm, from his blistering public attack on his players after a 4-0 defeat at Chelsea to his animated touchline antics, concluding with an invite to a critical fan to take his seat in the technical area during his final win against Aston Villa on Sunday.

And after leaving Spurs in the Europa League with a 59% win ratio, Sherwood has made enough of an impression to guarantee he will not be out of managerial work for long.

Now the spotlight must turn to the man responsible for his sacking, a chairman seeking his ninth manager since he took over in 2001.

As managers come and go with alarming regularity at Spurs, Daniel Levy remains untouched and almost silent. He is usually only heard through the medium of all too regular statements thanking the latest victim for his services and announcing the search is on for someone who would give the club the results he believes they deserve.

Rather like on Tuesday. Again.

The flaw in this argument is that one man who gave Spurs such results, namely Harry Redknapp, was also sacked despite taking them into the Champions League once and finishing fourth in 2012, when they were only denied another crack at the tournament by Chelsea's win against Bayern Munich in The Allianz Arena.

There was a change in mood after Sherwood's departure, however, with a sense that Levy simply must get his next appointment right or the buck might finally stop with him.

With each change of manager, another layer of credibility is removed from Levy's reputation. And after another season of instability it has now worn very thin.

No-one doubts Levy wants the best for Spurs but eventually there must be a time of reckoning for the man responsible for a succession of failed appointments and an apparent level of impatience that creates such uncertainty.

Eventually, as the list of those who have been tried and moved on lengthens, the question will be asked more often - is Daniel Levy actually the problem at Tottenham Hotspur?

Levy cannot be criticised for the sale of Gareth Bale last summer. He had an £86m offer for a player who wanted to fulfil his dream to play for Real Madrid. All he could do was negotiate the best price - which he did.

Initially the influx of fresh talent looked a fair exchange, but such a transition is made even more difficult at a club where the manager does not get too long before the chairman's laptop is drawing up the farewell statement on another departure.

Southampton's Mauricio Pochettini is the current favourite to succeed Sherwood, followed by Ajax's Frank de Boer - but Levy needs to change himself as well as his manager.

This time he must get the right man, give him an atmosphere of stability to work within and not be too hasty should results not meet his standards.

To lose the odd manager is understandable, to lose so many smacks of very poor decision-making. And eventually the decision-maker will be the man made accountable to the supporters and those who hold power at Spurs.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/27390680

2nd highest rated comment: "Think all football fans are united in saying Mr Levy is a bit of a c**k" :ross:

On this point though, I was saying exactly this last week and was getting shouted down for it. Yes we've progressed into a consistent top 6 side under Levy, and that's great. But he keeps making the wrong hire (except Harry, who for the time was bang on). His Santini, Ramos and AVB experiments just did not work though. He can't get yet another one wrong. How many chances does he get? He's great on the business side, providing us with the money to establish ourselves, but I have the lingering sense that we could have done even better than we have done over the last few years with a bit more patience or better footballing decision making. Hopefully he is deferring to Baldini on footballing matters now and hopefully Baldini delivers.

The answer to the question 'what club persists with a manager longer than 2 years?' is, I don't know. But what club is trying to do what we are trying to do? Which is jump from a top 6 club to a top 4 club? How many clubs manage it without a lottery win? Is it seriously the case that the only way to get there is to sack a load of managers until we find this one magician that allows us to do it consistently with zero net spend?

 

[braineclipse]

One thing you can say with absolute certainty about Harry is he'd never have blown the entire £100m on a bunch of players who'd not once kicked a ball in the PL between the lot of 'em.

That lack of PL experience has to be a big reason why most of them have failed to deliver this season.

Agreed.

We have to find a better balance this summer I think.

On this point, it doesn't mean they won't ultimately benefit the club though does it? It's like if we brought in say 8 new players over 2 seasons, 4 in each summer, 2 of which were foreign. We'd maybe hit the ground running with the guys who had PL experience while the foreigners struggle to find form. So it would kind of average out. Hopefully we've had all our crap 'needs to find his feet' performance out in one go from this season, and we're still in Europe at the end of it. Next season these players really could take the club on so I think Harry is reacting prematurely there.

It doesn't mean that it won't ultimately benefit the club. However, short term it's meant that AVB has lost his job, we've gone through another (more or less) caretaker manager and we're looking to "start over" with another new manager.

Short term we've also failed to reach our goal to qualify for CL football this season. A goal that was always going to be tough to reach of course, but one that would have meant further long term benefits to the club had we reached it.

I think it's in the best interests of the club, the head coach and Baldini to avoid situations like this one in the future.

 

[braineclipse]

On this point though, I was saying exactly this last week and was getting shouted down for it. Yes we've progressed into a consistent top 6 side under Levy, and that's great. But he keeps making the wrong hire (except Harry, who for the time was bang on). His Santini, Ramos and AVB experiments just did not work though. He can't get yet another one wrong. How many chances does he get? He's great on the business side, providing us with the money to establish ourselves, but I have the lingering sense that we could have done even better than we have done over the last few years with a bit more patience or better footballing decision making. Hopefully he is deferring to Baldini on footballing matters now and hopefully Baldini delivers.

The answer to the question 'what club persists with a manager longer than 2 years?' is, I don't know. But what club is trying to do what we are trying to do? Which is jump from a top 6 club to a top 4 club? How many clubs manage it without a lottery win? Is it seriously the case that the only way to get there is to sack a load of managers until we find this one magician that allows us to do it consistently with zero net spend?

The arguments remain the same even if some journalist agrees with you.

-We have performed (slightly) above what could be expected with our turnover. Despite Levy making the wrong hire over and over again. Your lingering sense is just that, a lingering sense. Hardly a point of argument.

-Levy has been deferring to his footballing men. Arnesen, Comolli, Redknapp and now Baldini. They haven't been given free reign to do as they please (luckily), but they've been given a lot of responsibility and power.

-What we're trying to do is very difficult indeed. And as such it's no surprise to me that some of those we hire to get that job will fail.

-He's part owner of the club, and reportedly close with and rated by our majority owner Lewis. If what you're saying is true and "he can't get another one wrong" that will only be because that's how Lewis feels. Something both yourself and the journalist quoted can only speculate on, and something that doesn't seem likely to me at least. I've mentioned it before, but look to Saudi Sportswashing Machine, Man United or Cardiff to see just how disliked/hated a chairman can be and no "he can't get another one wrong" changes anything, they're still in power. Even though the opinion on Levy seems to have shifted a bit, it's nowhere near that kind of disapproval.

 

[BrainOfLevy]

The arguments remain the same even if some journalist agrees with you.

-We have performed (slightly) above what could be expected with our turnover. Despite Levy making the wrong hire over and over again. Your lingering sense is just that, a lingering sense. Hardly a point of argument.

-Levy has been deferring to his footballing men. Arnesen, Comolli, Redknapp and now Baldini. They haven't been given free reign to do as they please (luckily), but they've been given a lot of responsibility and power.

-What we're trying to do is very difficult indeed. And as such it's no surprise to me that some of those we hire to get that job will fail.

-He's part owner of the club, and reportedly close with and rated by our majority owner Lewis. If what you're saying is true and "he can't get another one wrong" that will only be because that's how Lewis feels. Something both yourself and the journalist quoted can only speculate on, and something that doesn't seem likely to me at least. I've mentioned it before, but look to Saudi Sportswashing Machine, Man United or Cardiff to see just how disliked/hated a chairman can be and no "he can't get another one wrong" changes anything, they're still in power. Even though the opinion on Levy seems to have shifted a bit, it's nowhere near that kind of disapproval.

I know it's just my opinion, but it's my opinion. I'm not saying I'm right, but all I'm reading here is that there's no point having that opinion because Lewis decides. I know that, and I know I just have a lingering sense, but that's my opinion.

To be honest, the testimonial has calmed me down a bit, I can reflect that this season was awful but look forward to the next. I think we'll be ok. Ultimately the season ended up exactly as it would have if we had made a great run at 4th and got pipped on the last day as usual. Next season the foreign signings will be more settled. I just find it funny that every time Levy goes for the big foreign manager experiment it goes tits up. We've been performing slightly above expectations if we look at turnover, but how much of that is down to Liverpool being really poor as opposed to our club being managed really well after good decisions? If we look at it that way, we are batting at par, in which case Levy really isn't deserving of the unflinching backing he's receiving from some, and my lingering sense that we could do better with someone really special is actually quite justified.

I don't get your point in the post above. It's like you're disagreeing with me even though I'm pretty content with those players and how that summer was handled, and in the next post you're disagreeing with me because I'm not quite content with Levy. Bale leaving threw us off. We had this money and we spent it on a lot of quality players that would need time to settle. We likely won't face similar type circumstances again, so it likely won't happen again. We've taken a bad year but will likely have a good year next time because the players settled - just like when Commoli's signings performed under Harry. We're at the stage now were we are in Europe with a squad that only needs tweaking slightly. We're going to be ok.

 

[braineclipse]

I know it's just my opinion, but it's my opinion. I'm not saying I'm right, but all I'm reading here is that there's no point having that opinion because Lewis decides. I know that, and I know I just have a lingering sense, but that's my opinion.

To be honest, the testimonial has calmed me down a bit, I can reflect that this season was awful but look forward to the next. I think we'll be ok. Ultimately the season ended up exactly as it would have if we had made a great run at 4th and got pipped on the last day as usual. Next season the foreign signings will be more settled. I just find it funny that every time Levy goes for the big foreign manager experiment it goes tits up. We've been performing slightly above expectations if we look at turnover, but how much of that is down to Liverpool being really poor as opposed to our club being managed really well after good decisions? If we look at it that way, we are batting at par, in which case Levy really isn't deserving of the unflinching backing he's receiving from some, and my lingering sense that we could do better with someone really special is actually quite justified.

I don't get your point in the post above. It's like you're disagreeing with me even though I'm pretty content with those players and how that summer was handled, and in the next post you're disagreeing with me because I'm not quite content with Levy. Bale leaving threw us off. We had this money and we spent it on a lot of quality players that would need time to settle. We likely won't face similar type circumstances again, so it likely won't happen again. We've taken a bad year but will likely have a good year next time because the players settled - just like when Commoli's signings performed under Harry. We're at the stage now were we are in Europe with a squad that only needs tweaking slightly. We're going to be ok.

I'm not saying there's no point having that opinion. To put it differently, what exactly do you (and the journalist) mean when you say "he can't get another one wrong"? What is it that will happen if he does? The opinion is fine, but since Lewis is the only person with power over Levy on these issues that statement only makes sense to me if we think that's what Lewis is thinking.

I'm glad you're looking forward to next season, I'm the same!

I agree that we could do something special with the right manager, as would it seem Levy thinks. That's why he keeps trying his "experiments" as you call them. The foreign/English debate is one I don't get to be honest. I see no evidence to think that English managers are superior to foreign managers in the Premier League.

The point you might not get is that I think Baldini (and AVB) actually had considerable power in the transfer committee. Look at our signings under Baldini compared to what we did under Redknapp. The common denominator is Levy, but it seems painstakingly obvious to me that he's trusting his "footballing men", thus the difference in player types signed under Redknapp and others for example. I'm saying that I think Baldini has to do better, he has to make smarter decisions, because it's him (and the head coach and scouts) that's supposed to make those football decisions. It's up to them to present the targets we go for as targets that realistically can improve us both short and long term. That's not Levy to me.

It seems obvious that Levy has an overarching transfer strategy, going more for younger players with potential to develop over older experienced players. But that's the transfer strategy, not all signings will have to fit into that, as we've seen in the past with several players. Within that, to me very reasonable strategy, our "footballing men" have to make good decisions.

 

[Raziel]

Levy is not "at risk" for **** all, we are not a PLC, the club business wise is good and even on the pitch we are at a point where a disappointing season is a Europa qualification and 3 points short of a new record total. We have a very good squad with only really one major weakness area.

I would also argue most Spurs fans (not the vocal minority) are well aware that the club has been on an upward trajectory for almost the full time Levy has been here, especially from BMJ onwards.

Typical bunch of media bull****, the last 7 appointments all made some sense at the time, all achieved something, all left/fired with understandable reasons, hardly Levy ****ing it up ..

People/media are just having a hard time understanding clubs no longer need/want managers for 5-10 years, 3-5 is quite fine.

 

[BrainOfLevy]

I'm not saying there's no point having that opinion. To put it differently, what exactly do you (and the journalist) mean when you say "he can't get another one wrong"? What is it that will happen if he does? The opinion is fine, but since Lewis is the only person with power over Levy on these issues that statement only makes sense to me if we think that's what Lewis is thinking.

I'm glad you're looking forward to next season, I'm the same!

I agree that we could do something special with the right manager, as would it seem Levy thinks. That's why he keeps trying his "experiments" as you call them. The foreign/English debate is one I don't get to be honest. I see no evidence to think that English managers are superior to foreign managers in the Premier League.

The point you might not get is that I think Baldini (and AVB) actually had considerable power in the transfer committee. Look at our signings under Baldini compared to what we did under Redknapp. The common denominator is Levy, but it seems painstakingly obvious to me that he's trusting his "footballing men", thus the difference in player types signed under Redknapp and others for example. I'm saying that I think Baldini has to do better, he has to make smarter decisions, because it's him (and the head coach and scouts) that's supposed to make those football decisions. It's up to them to present the targets we go for as targets that realistically can improve us both short and long term. That's not Levy to me.

It seems obvious that Levy has an overarching transfer strategy, going more for younger players with potential to develop over older experienced players. But that's the transfer strategy, not all signings will have to fit into that, as we've seen in the past with several players. Within that, to me very reasonable strategy, our "footballing men" have to make good decisions.

When I say he can't get another one wrong, I guess I'm just thinking that right now, the fans are predominantly on his side. They like where we are. They remember the mid-table days. But there's a reputation building that he's getting too trigger happy. Too many more years of hovering where we are before seeing progress again will get more people questioning. I'm not even saying the questioning is necessarily right, but to fail again would be pretty bad. I think we can either keep trying these experiments or we get someone that works (in the structure and philosophy that Levy wants) and back him. I don't see why one is likely to get us where we want to be quicker than the other.

I quite like our signings from last summer. I think Levy does defer to them in that sense, it's just I get the feeling he too quickly gets nervous when it isn't going well. But as for the signings, I think they were sound. We could have spent the same amount of 3 players with PL experience last summer and then would still have more gaps to plug this time around, just with less money to play with. As it is, we're at the stage where the gaps are small, and all of the squad has that PL experience. That's why I'm pretty excited.

So happy that season is over though. It's like the inverse of being in a relationship when you think it's good and can only see what was really bad once you escape it. A week or so ago whenever I thought about Spurs I could only think negatively. Now the season is over my head is a lot clearer again. We're on the right track, we're going to be ok.

 

[WhoopWhoop]

One thing you can say with absolute certainty about Harry is he'd never have blown the entire £100m on a bunch of players who'd not once kicked a ball in the PL between the lot of 'em.

That lack of PL experience has to be a big reason why most of them have failed to deliver this season.

Harry wouldn't of agreed to sell our best 3 players in the space of 12 months without making a big fuss either hence why I genuinely believe he was let go.

 

[Andyandy]

I'm not saying there's no point having that opinion. To put it differently, what exactly do you (and the journalist) mean when you say "he can't get another one wrong"? What is it that will happen if he does? The opinion is fine, but since Lewis is the only person with power over Levy on these issues that statement only makes sense to me if we think that's what Lewis is thinking.

I'm glad you're looking forward to next season, I'm the same!

I agree that we could do something special with the right manager, as would it seem Levy thinks. That's why he keeps trying his "experiments" as you call them. The foreign/English debate is one I don't get to be honest. I see no evidence to think that English managers are superior to foreign managers in the Premier League.

The point you might not get is that I think Baldini (and AVB) actually had considerable power in the transfer committee. Look at our signings under Baldini compared to what we did under Redknapp. The common denominator is Levy, but it seems painstakingly obvious to me that he's trusting his "footballing men", thus the difference in player types signed under Redknapp and others for example. I'm saying that I think Baldini has to do better, he has to make smarter decisions, because it's him (and the head coach and scouts) that's supposed to make those football decisions. It's up to them to present the targets we go for as targets that realistically can improve us both short and long term. That's not Levy to me.

It seems obvious that Levy has an overarching transfer strategy, going more for younger players with potential to develop over older experienced players. But that's the transfer strategy, not all signings will have to fit into that, as we've seen in the past with several players. Within that, to me very reasonable strategy, our "footballing men" have to make good decisions.

What is clear is that no specific person has clear responsibility for delivering anything.

Levy is in overall charge but takes no responsibility (i.e. admitting it or stepping down) when DoF/manager/coach appointments fail. He also has failed to convince any ambitious and high quality player (Bale, Modric, Berbatov, Keane, Carrick, Campbell etc.) to commit and stay at Tottenham. Despite the fact that in recent years we have seen that want away players under contract can be convinced to stay and still perform (Rooney, Suarez, Barry etc.). Losing a top player or a manager happens alternately every season, something he has never got control of. If I were Levy's boss, he would be on a last warning.

DoF is the most important person in the club but nobody respects this position, even though Levy appoints the DoF - he takes control of all decisions - surely when the media are asking who the next coach should be they should focus all this attention on Baldini? He is there because he knows the football side better than Levy and be making the final decision. If not, then what is his responsibility? After last summer's signings, I would expect Baldini to be on a last warning.

The coach should just focus on the team - true but this isn't how fans see it. I have no doubt that fan power pushed out both AVB and Sherwood. They certainly make easy spacegoats when those above them fail.

 

[Jurgen the German]

Levy is not "at risk" for **** all, we are not a PLC, the club business wise is good and even on the pitch we are at a point where a disappointing season is a Europa qualification and 3 points short of a new record total. We have a very good squad with only really one major weakness area.

I would also argue most Spurs fans (not the vocal minority) are well aware that the club has been on an upward trajectory for almost the full time Levy has been here, especially from BMJ onwards.

Typical bunch of media bull****, the last 7 appointments all made some sense at the time, all achieved something, all left/fired with understandable reasons, hardly Levy ****ing it up ..

People/media are just having a hard time understanding clubs no longer need/want managers for 5-10 years, 3-5 is quite fine.

It can't be argued that we have improved over the last 10 years, but it appears Levy does not know how to move us up to the next level. Now if this was the manager for example, most of us would agree he had run his course and had taken us as far as he can, Exhibit A - Martin Jol.

Levy is making us similar to Chelsea by sacking so many managers. The big difference is Chelsea have far, far deeper pockets so it's almost irrelevant who the manager is. Trying to be copy Chelsea on our budget is amateurish to say the least.

 

[Spur of the moment]

It can't be argued that we have improved over the last 10 years, but it appears Levy does not know how to move us up to the next level. Now if this was the manager for example, most of us would agree he had run his course and had taken us as far as he can, Exhibit A - Martin Jol.

Levy is making us similar to Chelsea by sacking so many managers. The big difference is Chelsea have far, far deeper pockets so it's almost irrelevant who the manager is. Trying to be copy Chelsea on our budget is amateurish to say the least.

Are you saying therefore that Levy should sell up?

Be careful what you wish for!

 

[braineclipse]

When I say he can't get another one wrong, I guess I'm just thinking that right now, the fans are predominantly on his side. They like where we are. They remember the mid-table days. But there's a reputation building that he's getting too trigger happy. Too many more years of hovering where we are before seeing progress again will get more people questioning. I'm not even saying the questioning is necessarily right, but to fail again would be pretty bad. I think we can either keep trying these experiments or we get someone that works (in the structure and philosophy that Levy wants) and back him. I don't see why one is likely to get us where we want to be quicker than the other.

I quite like our signings from last summer. I think Levy does defer to them in that sense, it's just I get the feeling he too quickly gets nervous when it isn't going well. But as for the signings, I think they were sound. We could have spent the same amount of 3 players with PL experience last summer and then would still have more gaps to plug this time around, just with less money to play with. As it is, we're at the stage where the gaps are small, and all of the squad has that PL experience. That's why I'm pretty excited.

So happy that season is over though. It's like the inverse of being in a relationship when you think it's good and can only see what was really bad once you escape it. A week or so ago whenever I thought about Spurs I could only think negatively. Now the season is over my head is a lot clearer again. We're on the right track, we're going to be ok.

I don't understand why you classify some potential new managers as "an experiment" whereas others are "someone that works". Surely there's a potential risk and benefit to all managers we can hire and thus either all should be seen as an experiment or none should.

Other than that there's nothing I really disagree with in your post.

What is clear is that no specific person has clear responsibility for delivering anything.

Levy is in overall charge but takes no responsibility (i.e. admitting it or stepping down) when DoF/manager/coach appointments fail. He also has failed to convince any ambitious and high quality player (Bale, Modric, Berbatov, Keane, Carrick, Campbell etc.) to commit and stay at Tottenham. Despite the fact that in recent years we have seen that want away players under contract can be convinced to stay and still perform (Rooney, Suarez, Barry etc.). Losing a top player or a manager happens alternately every season, something he has never got control of. If I were Levy's boss, he would be on a last warning.

DoF is the most important person in the club but nobody respects this position, even though Levy appoints the DoF - he takes control of all decisions - surely when the media are asking who the next coach should be they should focus all this attention on Baldini? He is there because he knows the football side better than Levy and be making the final decision. If not, then what is his responsibility? After last summer's signings, I would expect Baldini to be on a last warning.

The coach should just focus on the team - true but this isn't how fans see it. I have no doubt that fan power pushed out both AVB and Sherwood. They certainly make easy spacegoats when those above them fail.

Admitting mistakes publicly or stepping down is the way to take responsibility? I disagree.

Name the club that you think we're comparable to that managers to convince players of that quality to commit and stay? And please don't say Liverpool/Suarez unless you actually think and can defend that a £40m bid from a league rival that hadn't won a trophy in 7-8 years is comparable to a £85m bid from Real Madrid.

I see absolutely no sign that Levy takes control of all decisions. I mentioned transfers above, compare signings under Baldini and Redknapp. Do you see a difference? How could that be seen as Levy taking control of all decisions?

For managerial/DoF decisions, I can repeat myself. Arnesen got Jol in the end, Comolli got Ramos, Redknapp got his chief scout and backroom staff, AVB got Baldini. Seems clear to me that Levy in fact doesn't "take control of all decisions", far from it.

 

[Jurgen the German]

Are you saying therefore that Levy should sell up?

Be careful what you wish for!

I am just asking the question. The same applies to managers, why not to chairmen?

 

[BrainOfLevy]

It can't be argued that we have improved over the last 10 years, but it appears Levy does not know how to move us up to the next level. Now if this was the manager for example, most of us would agree he had run his course and had taken us as far as he can, Exhibit A - Martin Jol.

Levy is making us similar to Chelsea by sacking so many managers. The big difference is Chelsea have far, far deeper pockets so it's almost irrelevant who the manager is. Trying to be copy Chelsea on our budget is amateurish to say the least.

Yep yep yep.

Everyone likes to say 'Look where Levy has taken us, now the next step is to be consistently in the top 4...' and I keep asking but never get a response to this question...why does anyone think Levy is the guy to take us that step further? What is it about how he runs the club that is going to get us there?

 

[billyiddo]

Harry wouldn't of agreed to sell our best 3 players in the space of 12 months without making a big fuss either hence why I genuinely believe he was let go.

Didn't he try and go against Levy and say Modric should be sold when Chelsea were in for him that summer?

 

[BrainOfLevy]

I don't understand why you classify some potential new managers as "an experiment" whereas others are "someone that works". Surely there's a potential risk and benefit to all managers we can hire and thus either all should be seen as an experiment or none should.

Other than that there's nothing I really disagree with in your post.

There isn't a difference. I'm not classifying them separately, I'm saying that if we bring in some big game foreigner and he gets a shaky period of results, he's let go and another experiment fails. Or we actually back that guy (as long as he works in terms of the philosophy of what Levy and Baldini want in terms of philosophy, tactics, types of players needed, willingness to use the youth) and stick with him.

 

[Jordinho]

Yep yep yep.

Everyone likes to say 'Look where Levy has taken us, now the next step is to be consistently in the top 4...' and I keep asking but never get a response to this question...why does anyone think Levy is the guy to take us that step further? What is it about how he runs the club that is going to get us there?

What more could someone else do without having loads of money injected?

 

[billyiddo]

Yep yep yep.

Everyone likes to say 'Look where Levy has taken us, now the next step is to be consistently in the top 4...' and I keep asking but never get a response to this question...why does anyone think Levy is the guy to take us that step further? What is it about how he runs the club that is going to get us there?

Well for me i look at the fact we've recently been punching above our weight of 6th by getting 4th twice and 5th several times - At least two of those 5th place seasons we have been a point away from 4th and in 11/12 i believe we had a side/squad capable of a genuine title fight - so IMV Levy has already shown that he (along with
the managers/DoFs/head coaches he employs) can provide us with a squad capable of top 4 / CL qualification - what makes you think that we will not be able to repeat that?