Antonio Conte - officially NOT the coach of THFC

[thfcsteff]

He complained later than the spring, it was after Ndombele had been signed and whilst on the presesson tour iirc and he was quick to say he was 2 years from being at the level required - doesn't really scream of a ringing endorsement of an exprnsive player that you wanted imv.

I don't really want to go down this rabbit hole again but i think if you split our transfer business as pre Hitchen, Hitchen and then post Hitchen there's a pretty strong case to be made that things were at their worst, player recruitment wise during that specific spell. I also think there was an argument to be made he had some connections with France, we picked up several players from that league during his time, Moura Aurier and Lo Celso all from PSG (though obviously links to Poch there too tbf), Nkoudou & Njie, maybe others too? - links obviously build up at director level which facilitate such deals, like Paratichi will have his contacts in Italy and at other clubs/agents that he has a good relationship with.

I just don't see how you spend big in the market, supposedly on the managers choices and then get rid before he's had a chance to work with them - if they were his choices then it's just as big a mark on the club for calling it quits so soon after making the investment.

Generally agreed. Last paragraph I think we agree on especially.

 

[Grays_1890]

This in itself would be fine, but RWB was one of the biggest priorities in the summer (possibly even the biggest priority).
You address that position for Conte to use now and then perhaps buy a backup who is a young prospect to use for the future, as rotation and post-Conte. Buying Spence but then also not getting that RWB that the manager WOULD use now: what's the point?
Again, it's like the poch days when after buying NO PLAYERS for about 18 months the first one we buy is Jack Clarke and even Poch got angry about that...

But at RWB we have two other also who we paid good money for and unfortunately with money and space it's use it or lose it before they invest large on RWB which is frustrating but I get it considering we signed Emerson for 26m not long after buying Doherty....unlike City we can't keep doubling down on every position till it works, there has to be some clearing.

What can't be confused is that Spence was purchased as that ready made replacement or is a reason there hasn't been a larger investment in that area

 

[thfcsteff]

fudge .. Ally Gold made a comment in his last video re the Villa game feeling like one of those end of manager times

And he said he fully expected comments to be leaked from "sources" complaining about training/tactics, it's so predictable ..

I agree.

 

[DubSpur]

Haha being married to a footballer doesn't mean you have an interest in running a PL club.

I get some people might want this to be so but Joe Lewis isn't ousting Levy, absolutely more chance of getting sh1t out a rocking horse

I said Levy wouldn't be ousted. The fact she goes to games regularly shows she has an interest. Hopefully it's a positive that she's interested.

 

[Grays_1890]

I said Levy wouldn't be ousted. The fact she goes to games regularly shows she has an interest. Hopefully it's a positive that she's interested.

My point was interest in running the club

Also originally Viv and Charlie were Liverpool fans before Spur.

 

[Lilbaz]

I'd be inclined to give that view the benefit of the doubt - until i remember the long drawn-out pursuit of Djed Spence, a players that Conte says was a 'club buy', and hence Levy/ENIC would have decided to buy him.
Now does that not feel similar to when Poch etc were here before the brave new world of our new stadium? Or is it Conte being disengenious?

Like bale or walker?

 

[thfcsteff]

You would've thought that @thfcsteff of all people would give Levy credit for one last expensive throw of the dice to help fix broken Poch.

I did. Until he then sacked him a few months later.

 

[ricky2tricky4city]

Last 10 years our transfer overall(ins and outs) is under -300M euros. Which means we have Levi that has spent less than 30m euros/season for transfers. If you want to make it funnier, take out the -131m euros overall from this summer and it would be under -170m euros for 9 years. So 18.5m euros/year spent on transfers.

The replies to this will be obvious.

Everyone is talking about how we are operating now. We can operate at a level now BECAUSE of what went before.

Ironically, we didn't spend loads under Poch but had our best team for decades. So although spend correlation is strong it's not foolproof.

 

[ricky2tricky4city]

IF it were sentimentality, I'd almost give it a pass. Not sure Levy does sentimental?

They still enjoy a cuddle.

 

[Lilbaz]

Last 10 years our transfer overall(ins and outs) is under -300M euros. Which means we have Levi that has spent less than 30m euros/season for transfers. If you want to make it funnier, take out the -131m euros overall from this summer and it would be under -170m euros for 9 years. So 18.5m euros/year spent on transfers.

Yes levy decided that for the long term future of the club they would spend £1.4bn on the training ground and stadium.

Now there is a good argument to be made that that was wrong. Short term we could have got more success, which meant more revenue. But he didn't. Whatever you think though it wasn't a decision to damage the club though.

 

[glorygloryeze]

So you are saying Levy should have hired Conte, but should have spent more money? Somewhat confused here. What is your gripe?

I'll try again. Conte and Jose are top tier managers whose mode of operation is buying the best and (mostly) ready-made players who tend to be expensive. If/wehn hiring such managers you have to expect their spending and recruitment demands will be a lot differnet to those of more 'project' type coaches like Pochettino who are known to be happy to mould youth as well as mix them with some more experienced players,

If you hire Jose /Conte and still behave in the transfer market like you still have a Pochettino (e.g. see Spence chase and purchase when RWB was a priority position and Spence was evidently not someone Conte had as a target) then it is silly to hire a Jose or a Conte and says there is not a real level of understanding of how said mananagers have operated and suceeded before they joined Spurs.

Is that clearer?

 

[glorygloryeze]

Part of Paraticis job is to plan for the future and not just now so I'd expect him to being looking to buy players for the future (e.g Josh Keely and Spence) and not just players for now.

As i say, i have no problem with that, but the RWB for now has to be brought in also

 

[Grays_1890]

Yes levy decided that for the long term future of the club they would spend £1.4bn on the training ground and stadium.

Now there is a good argument to be made that that was wrong. Short term we could have got more success, which meant more revenue. But he didn't. Whatever you think though it wasn't a decision to damage the club though.

And despite mistakes and lack of trophies, Eric have become a victim of their own success.

No Enic and of course subsequent managers no CL, no new stadium, no vision....no moany #enicout

They raise the bar that fans now go to games and feel the need to p1ss on, ironic in a weird way TBH.

Despite my micro moans about Conte, the last 10 years sure beat the hell out of watching the dross in the "oh another 14th place" 90s (bar some highlights)

 

[DubSpur]

As i say, i have no problem with that, but the RWB for now has to be brought in also

We need 7 or 8 players for now, RWB wouldn't even be my biggest concern, but that doesn't mean we ignore opportunities for young players for the future.
It has to be a balance.

 

[glorygloryeze]

But at RWB we have two other also who we paid good money for and unfortunately with money and space it's use it or lose it before they invest large on RWB which is frustrating but I get it considering we signed Emerson for 26m not long after buying Doherty....unlike City we can't keep doubling down on every position till it works, there has to be some clearing.

What can't be confused is that Spence was purchased as that ready made replacement or is a reason there hasn't been a larger investment in that area

If we had sold one of Doherty or Emerson and then bought Spence fair enough.
Buying Spence and then loaning him out straight away knowing Conte wasn't interested right now, also fair enough.
Not selling either of our existing two and then buying Spence when you know Conte hasn't asked for him - why if things have changed (and making a buck a la Jack Clarke isn't the priority)?

 

[glorygloryeze]

Like bale or walker?

Or Jack Clarke?

 

[glorygloryeze]

We need 7 or 8 players for now, RWB wouldn't even be my biggest concern, but that doesn't mean we ignore opportunities for young players for the future.
It has to be a balance.

Fine. Then buy Spence and immediately send him out on loan so there is space to be available for another RWB for the now if we sell one of the existing senior two

 

[Gutter Boy]

Fine. Then buy Spence and immediately send him out on loan so there is space to be available for another RWB for the now if we sell one of the existing senior two

We weren't allowed to loan him out (as per EPL rules), unless it was abroad or back down to the championship, neither of which would have done him much good at this point in his career.

 

[SpurMeUp]

I'll try again. Conte and Jose are top tier managers whose mode of operation is buying the best and (mostly) ready-made players who tend to be expensive. If/wehn hiring such managers you have to expect their spending and recruitment demands will be a lot differnet to those of more 'project' type coaches like Pochettino who are known to be happy to mould youth as well as mix them with some more experienced players,

If you hire Jose /Conte and still behave in the transfer market like you still have a Pochettino (e.g. see Spence chase and purchase when RWB was a priority position and Spence was evidently not someone Conte had as a target) then it is silly to hire a Jose or a Conte and says there is not a real level of understanding of how said mananagers have operated and suceeded before they joined Spurs.

Is that clearer?

I have two questions for you.

1. What did we spend on transfers since Conte arrived? And is that figure sufficient to be able to hire Conte?
2. Does Levy sign the players or do we have a DoF in charge who is responsible for hiring footballers?

 

[ricky2tricky4city]

Fine. Then buy Spence and immediately send him out on loan so there is space to be available for another RWB for the now if we sell one of the existing senior two

We've realistically had two windows to sort out the right wing back situation. And I think most of us have agreed that it is an important position. Not just because none of them look up to the task but because it is a massive important position in Conte system.

I'm still a bit bemused Conte just doesn't try Spence, and I hope he doesn't just become a pawn in a game.

One point on Spence transfer, it was reported that if he signed he didn't want to immediately get sent out on loan. We may have said 'ok' just to get the deal done?