Vinai Venkatesham - CEO

[parklane1]

I don't think transfer spend will or should increase. We spend more than enough on transfers, we just spend it badly (and some of that 'badly' could be more because of the way we flip flop between different managers).

It may also take a while for the club to put the right scouting and data structures in place and then a little while longer for us to see the fruits of that. Rome wasn't built in a day. Yes I hope to see little things improving and those improvements to then have a kind of snowball effect but I don't think we should expect miracles early.

Na il on the head. Any club that changes managers/styles as often as we do over the last few years is always making it hard for themselves.

 

[Finney Is Back]

No but equally there should be signs of easy and quick wins, for example, we shouldn't see another situation where we are kazumped on a player because of wages because they have said they identified that weakness and will fix it.

Well that depends on the wages that another club offers. I'm sure we'll lift our wage ceiling (it seems we already have) but there will still be other clubs out there with a bigger budget than us which means we can still get gazumped. I do hope to see us being able to compete better for the really good players but we might have to wait until we're back in the Champions League before we can attract some of those sorts of players as it's quite a hard sell to a top player to come to Spurs right now.

What I do hope to see though is less of us faffing about and constantly trying to change the parameters of the deal. Also less of players the manager wants suddenly being worth a lot more money to us on the last day of the transfer window than they were on day one of the window.

 

[Raziel]

In regards to Frank's football, he has managed attractive attacking football with Brentford previously, specifically in their promotion season. Quite possibly and probably the committee of Levy and Vinai thought that he would be able to implement that style at Spurs. Even looking at his Brentford side, in the PL they played far better football than what we saw at Spurs so I don't if apportioning the football style entirely at Frank is accurate. Just as much of it was the players he had available as we saw the season before and since his sacking. The football has improved but its not exactly entertaining or quality as yet but I think that will come with time and additions.

We look like we can pass the ball and retain possession, something we never did under Frank, notice how the forward passing stat has disappeared from the media coverage of Spurs? Bentancur & Paulhinha (who were supposedly our problem) are individually making more forward passes in a single game than Frank's team managed in 10 games.

Whoever is to blame, the guy is one of the worst decisions made at Spurs, compounded by not doing a Nuno with him (should have been gone in October)

 

[Finney Is Back]

We look like we can pass the ball and retain possession, something we never did under Frank, notice how the forward passing stat has disappeared from the media coverage of Spurs? Bentancur & Paulhinha (who were supposedly our problem) are individually making more forward passes in a single game than Frank's team managed in 10 games.

Whoever is to blame, the guy is one of the worst decisions made at Spurs, compounded by not doing a Nuno with him (should have been gone in October)

Yes, it was plain to see that the players weren't allowed to make forward passes through the centre under Frank. I think the only exception was Romero.

 

[Surfless]

Well that depends on the wages that another club offers. I'm sure we'll lift our wage ceiling (it seems we already have) but there will still be other clubs out there with a bigger budget than us which means we can still get gazumped. I do hope to see us being able to compete better for the really good players but we might have to wait until we're back in the Champions League before we can attract some of those sorts of players as it's quite a hard sell to a top player to come to Spurs right now.

I think the lure of the league, the stadium, the training ground, the history and the manager might be enough to offset any European football worries. To be part of our rebuild and reinvention is a hell of a project to sell to players, and honestly is how we have got some of the top talent we have in the last 25 years.

 

[Bishop]

Doesn't stand to scrutiny mate

- One, Frank isn't a Levy type hire, Levy liked "names" Jose/Conte/Harry/Santini/Hoddle, even the non-established hires, AVB/Poch were well regarded up and coming (more importantly seen as having something new to their game)
- Two, and this one is what locks it for me, if Frank was even a 50% Levy hire, he would have been fired in October, the fact that we hung on to him so desperately sells out that someone (Lange and probably Vinai) were the real backers of Frank's hire

This is nonsense Frank had exactly the same profile as Poch and Nuno as all three were considered to be up and coming coachs who had done well at lower profile clubs whilst maximising the resources available to them.

 

[Yiddo]

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I trust Levy 10000% more than i trust this guy.

 

[Raziel]

This is nonsense Frank had exactly the same profile as Poch and Nuno as all three were considered to be up and coming coachs who had done well at lower profile clubs whilst maximising the resources available to them.

Nuno and Frank were safe pragmatic hires, no one saw anything they were doing as tactically interesting (look at what people say about RDZ as example), Poch (second coming of Bielsa) and AVB (second coming of Jose) are very different profiles from first two mate

 

[Bedfordspurs]

We look like we can pass the ball and retain possession, something we never did under Frank, notice how the forward passing stat has disappeared from the media coverage of Spurs? Bentancur & Paulhinha (who were supposedly our problem) are individually making more forward passes in a single game than Frank's team managed in 10 games.

Whoever is to blame, the guy is one of the worst decisions made at Spurs, compounded by not doing a Nuno with him (should have been gone in October)

The worst person I’ve ever seen managing the team, and we have and some shockers
Tactically inept (to non existent)
Motivationally up there with David Brent

 

[billyiddo]

I don't think transfer spend will or should increase. We spend more than enough on transfers, we just spend it badly (and some of that 'badly' could be more because of the way we flip flop between different managers).

It may also take a while for the club to put the right scouting and data structures in place and then a little while longer for us to see the fruits of that. Rome wasn't built in a day. Yes I hope to see little things improving and those improvements to then have a kind of snowball effect but I don't think we should expect miracles early.

Why do you think Vinai was more involved other than that being how you want it to be? Levy was the chairman who has always appointed the coaches, why would this change? Even looking at his own words he takes ownership of the appointment.





Levy talking about the hiring and firing of coaches.



So again my only real question is why are the Levy diehards trying to separate the man from the decision that he himself claims to have been involved in and which it was actually his job and responsibility to initiate?

In regards to Frank's football, he has managed attractive attacking football with Brentford previously, specifically in their promotion season. Quite possibly and probably the committee of Levy and Vinai thought that he would be able to implement that style at Spurs. Even looking at his Brentford side, in the PL they played far better football than what we saw at Spurs so I don't if apportioning the football style entirely at Frank is accurate. Just as much of it was the players he had available as we saw the season before and since his sacking. The football has improved but its not exactly entertaining or quality as yet but I think that will come with time and additions.

I've explained why I think this (know it's not a post directed to me but no doubt I'm in your thinking re Levy diehards)

Lewis's stepped in > appointed Charrington > internal review > RC and other team-Levy staff leaves > Vinai comes in > Vinai front & center of all the presentation of Thomas Frank talking up the process of his appointment > Levy is shuffled off once season is underway > Vinai sticks with manager despite long run of poor form

I think it's a fairly uncomplicated take on that run of events that the Lewis's wanted Levy gone and the summer was essentially a handover process from the old guy to the new guy (Levy to Vinai) and that if that was the plan that they would want their guy making the big calls vs the man they are moving on.

I mean alternative to me takes more suspension of belief/raises more concerns...

Internal review is conducted but they don't pin point Levy as a problem so allow him to carry on making the biggest decisions then after one summer window they pull a 180 and realise he's the problem? I mean how thorough was the review in that case and why should we believe that any plans made since are any more well thought through? If Vinai wasn't the main man in waiting upon appointment what makes him the man to do the job now?

The first scenario is surely the preferable reality, no? They conducted their review and moved quickly to make the changes at the top level that they wanted to

 

[Bishop]

Not what I said mate, I'm happy to concede many things, 17th this season isn't one I put on Levy.

If Vinai/Lange/Lewis family had pulled their finger out and fired Frank in December, bought 3 players in January for first team, brought in RDZ and we still only got12th-14th, I'd totally say that's on Levy.

Their lack of action/urgency and failure to re-enforce is 100% on them, and the main reason we were 17th (Tell me you don't believe if RDZ had 7 more games we wouldn't have been safe earlier?)

It's all done now, up to them to learn, get their brick together and start the club moving in the right direction.

Something I do find interesting about this discussion is how you are more focused on an attempt to fix something that was already broken and in that respect I think you are right about Levy, he held coaches to a very high and imo unrealistic and unattainable standard a standard that he himself would have failed.

Whereas I look more into the actual causes of the issue. Firing Frank isn't a real solution if we don't understand why he was hired in the first place and why upon hiring him we failed to provide the support needed (as has been the case with pretty much every manager in under ENIC) to build the foundations of success. The same thing happened with Ange, as much as he was an ideologue, if you provided him with the quality of player his system required he would have ultimately done better and might still be in the job now.

Firefighting after the effect is an inefficient way to run any organisation, you get the structure right in the first place (Levy never did) and then everything else falls neatly into place.

 

[Bishop]

I've explained why I think this (know it's not a post directed to me but no doubt I'm in your thinking re Levy diehards)

Lewis's stepped in > appointed Charrington > internal review > RC and other team-Levy staff leaves > Vinai comes in > Vinai front & center of all the presentation of Thomas Frank talking up the process of his appointment > Levy is shuffled off once season is underway > Vinai sticks with manager despite long run of poor form

I think it's a fairly uncomplicated take on that run of events that the Lewis's wanted Levy gone and the summer was essentially a handover process from the old guy to the new guy (Levy to Vinai) and that if that was the plan that they would want their guy making the big calls vs the man they are moving on.

I mean alternative to me takes more suspension of belief/raises more concerns...

Internal review is conducted but they don't pin point Levy as a problem so allow him to carry on making the biggest decisions then after one summer window they pull a 180 and realise he's the problem? I mean how thorough was the review in that case and why should we believe that any plans made since are any more well thought through? If Vinai wasn't the main man in waiting upon appointment what makes him the man to do the job now?

The first scenario is surely the preferable reality, no? They conducted their review and moved quickly to make the changes at the top level that they wanted to

I absolutely believe ENIC capable of the second scenario.

 

[Raziel]

Something I do find interesting about this discussion is how you are more focused on an attempt to fix something that was already broken and in that respect I think you are right about Levy, he held coaches to a very high and imo unrealistic and unattainable standard a standard that he himself would have failed.

Whereas I look more into the actual causes of the issue. Firing Frank isn't a real solution if we don't understand why he was hired in the first place and why upon hiring him we failed to provide the support needed (as has been the case with pretty much every manager in under ENIC) to build the foundations of success. The same thing happened with Ange, as much as he was an ideologue, if you provided him with the quality of player his system required he would have ultimately done better and might still be in the job now.

Firefighting after the effect is an inefficient way to run any organisation, you get the structure right in the first place (Levy never did) and then everything else falls neatly into place.

We have to move forward (not that we as fans ever really have a choice).

My point of looking back is, past behaviour is some indication of future outcome, which is why most people think moving on from Levy is a good idea, because he hit a ceiling (not rehashing) regardless of if you think the tenure was more bad or good.

You can't review this season and not ask why we didn't take action sooner, because things will go wrong in the future (regardless of how right you get the structure), in my opinion the leadership vacuum was obvious.

Hopefully they have had that conversation, they certainly are trying the PR campaign, in the end, results will tell.

 

[K.D.D.D.D.Soc]

Director of football is a position I've never been able to really understand. Are they the person who decides which style of game we play then select a manager who can meet that brief and identify and supplies them with the players and technical support to produce that.
If that is the case then Lange has failed, we don't have any style or identity on the field, which is due to selection of managers with different tactic, poor recruitment of senior players and medical staff.
My assumption are probably wrong and it's some collective group which sets the goals and they've got it wrong.
I just don't feel anyone in senior management are Spurs people, they may be football people but don't represent the heart and soul of the club.
There's not a simple answer to our problems and a radical change is needed in transfer strategy. We don't need potential or squad players we need players who can hit the ground running in the first team.
That not going to be easy, the only thing we can offer to top players is money, they will not be queuing up to join a club that finish 17th 2 years in a row. Every selling club will know we are desperate. I never bought into Levy is too tight story and I think we'll see in the summer how tough it will be to get the right players, at best I'd hope for 2.

 

[DeanoAustin]

Why do you think Vinai was more involved other than that being how you want it to be? Levy was the chairman who has always appointed the coaches, why would this change? Even looking at his own words he takes ownership of the appointment.





Levy talking about the hiring and firing of coaches.



So again my only real question is why are the Levy diehards trying to separate the man from the decision that he himself claims to have been involved in and which it was actually his job and responsibility to initiate?

In regards to Frank's football, he has managed attractive attacking football with Brentford previously, specifically in their promotion season. Quite possibly and probably the committee of Levy and Vinai thought that he would be able to implement that style at Spurs. Even looking at his Brentford side, in the PL they played far better football than what we saw at Spurs so I don't if apportioning the football style entirely at Frank is accurate. Just as much of it was the players he had available as we saw the season before and since his sacking. The football has improved but its not exactly entertaining or quality as yet but I think that will come with time and additions.

Vinai, by his own words, was involved in the decision making process. It wasn’t solely a Daniel Levy appointment. Did Levy have a hand in it? Without doubt but so too did Vinai and Lange by their own admission. So he should be accountable for that decision especially when he’s now citing criteria for being manager of Tottenham that couldn’t have been high up on the list when the decision was made on Frank.

On the football, Frank’s Brentford side in the Premier League were not a good watch. Lots of fans on here pointed that out when he was talked about. The posts are there if you go and look for them. If it’s so important to Vinai now and anyone who watched football could see Frank’s Brentford were not a good watch in the Premier League, how did he get appointed?

Those are fair questions for the CEO of the club.

Him laying the blame for our problems at Levy’s door is not taking responsibility for his actions. Him now saying style of football is important for a manager of Tottenham says to me that he’ll say whatever suits in a given moment. It undermines his credibility for me and he hadn’t got a lot of it before that interview.