Let me try to answer this in components
- Having a PR team is part of running a large company, it is NOT equal to creating a "false ambition" program.
- Yes, the club wants a bigger profile but again I can't see the point/value of a multi-year pretense (and let's be clear there is a big difference between not taking a risk, or potentially not taking a final step that might be more aggressive vs. what you are saying is building a dishonest campaign over a long period)
Let's get to the on the field stuff
- We went from Poch to Jose, and this is the perfect example of picking points. Jose failed (let's get that out of the way), but in every measure possible he was a step up, and ambitious play.
- You could argue ETH now is a more qualified manager than Poch was when we hired him. But again - > Chelsea appointed Lampard, United - OGS, Scum - Arteta, Madrid - Zidane, Barca's original Pep appointment, are all of these clubs lacking ambition?
Re the players, two things
- All clubs win some, lose some
- We agreed with Dybala, turned out he had fudged up naming rights that would almost double his price, Hazard didn't come to us because we got 4th and not CL (IIRC), but Modric, Berbatov, VDV, etc. came over other clubs ..
It costs time and money to negotiate with players/managers, I really find weird that you genuinely think we spent two+ weeks talking to Conte with no real intention.
To be clear, I'm not talking about 'having a PR team'. I'm talking about having someone in a position of Executive Director, likely reporting to Levy, with this background in PR and Communications. You have said repeatedly that ENIC and Levy don't care what fans think and I'm challenging that. I'm not saying it's a constant false ambition program, I think we absolutely met Conte etc, but I don't know how you square the idea that the club doesn't care what the public thinks while employing a senior PR person on the executive team.
I've checked the other club's executive's listed - Emirates Marketing Project, or rather the City Football Group, have a Chief Communications Officer listed who has been there since before the current owners, and who was promoted from Press Officer.
I put it to you that ENIC actually care quite a bit about their reputation, and I would not be surprised if they were conscious of the fact that they need to do strategic, proactive work to keep the fanbase on side when it is clear they will not be investing money from outside. I think to be seen as one of the biggest clubs is a win for them because the supporter base feels like they is progress, that we are always on the cusp of something. And that consent allows them to maintain their investment with little pressure, relatively speaking.
As for the other points, I don't think Jose is ambitious when the idea is to have him squeeze more out of the core of the squad we already had. We didn't back him like Jose usually is. As for Chelsea - they appointed Lampard after a transfer ban to work with young players, I don't think that's a great example of anything. Arteta and Arsenal are hardly pulling up trees or pictures of ambition, and Zidane is one of the best players of all time and served as Assistant and Head of the B team. There was no one more suited to understanding the pressures of succeeding at that club. We'll see about OGS, I think United are ambitious with their spending and are probably enjoying the relative calm and placidity he brings, but we'll see how long he lasts. And still, it's hardly been a roaring success, has it?
I don't see how sacking Poch to end up with ETH can be construed as a worthwhile use of 2 years. We may as well have backed the guy we already had. I'm not saying ETH would be bad, I just don't think he's the step change that Conte would have been. I think getting Conte and doing what needed to be done to get that deal over the line is real 'we want to win things' ambition. But I think what we often see is stories that seem uncharacteristically un-Spurs get floated and encouraged by the club, and I'm sceptical as to the reasons for it. The Dybala image rights thing just sounds like another ridiculous excuse to me. As if we couldn't possibly have known the magnitude before entering into the deal. It feels like the Moutinho ownership rights. I don't blame the club for Hazard, I think Chelsea got the CL and got him. But Modric and Berbatov don't feel like 'wholly fudge Spurs are really making a push for it' type signings. They feel like N'Dombele / GLC / Eriksen type signings. Obviously talented, jury is still out whether they can do it at the very top level, and Spurs being the great proving ground to help them elevate their game. But the real step ups, the Dybalas, the Conte's, I remember all of these stories having a very similar bent, which is respected journalists connected to Tottenham pumping them hard. Stories of talks progressing well, Levy really wants to get it done etc etc. When it really comes to someone who is the best in the world in their position, it feels like we use those stories to engage the fanbase but we don't ever follow through.