The owners - where do you sit?

[Surfless]

I've been joining a few FB based pages recently to look to drum up support for GG and have noted some really tired cynical codswallop still coming from some people. I'm intrigued as to whether I'm just a happy clapper as I've been called or if I am in a majority.

So, simple poll, do you think we're in the right hands with Levy et al?

 

[Chrissivad]

Yes, but I'm glad he has finally brought people in around him letting him step back from the footballing matters.

 

[Lemonade Money]

Sir Levy of Tottenham probably won't be truly appreciated until after he's gone unfortunately.

 

[afsoc4life]

Yes. Most definitely yes!

 

[Kandi1977]

I admire the way this club is run! We know what we have, but we have no idea what the alternatives might be like!

 

[GGyid]

Absolutely. He's delivered a superb and sustainable business model, built the best football stadium in the world and positioned the club to compete financially at the top level with financially dopped clubs. He has appointed a solid team to run the footballing side and a manager who is being enviously looked at even after six months in post.

I challenge anyone to name a club owner who has achieved anywhere near this over his full period in control.

(not his fault the ridiculous rules for the Sissoko handball)

 

[El Guepardo]

I voted no. I am somewhere in the middle in truth.

To have not won a trophy since 2008 is inexcusable. Our transfer record historically is far from impressive especially our failure to spend when necessary and when doing so likely would have made a significant difference.

I have belief that the stadium was built in part to help increase our portfolio value. But of course it’s great that we have a stadium to that level. But was it truthful to say it wouldn’t affect spending and yet we were the first club to fail to sign anyone during the key transfer window of summer 2018.

We could be in worse hands but that in itself doesn’t mean that ENIC are the best or right owners for us.

I’m hopeful that the overhaul last summer including Levy seemingly distancing himself more from the football side will bear fruit but that’s something we have to wait and see the results for. I’m excited by our potential right now and that’s why I’m in the middle of yes and no as to whether we have the right owners as I want to see how this moves forward from here.

This is the most concise version of my answer. I’ve written other versions which I subsequently deleted going more into depth on my thought process but hopefully what I’ve said here will give reason for my views.

 

[Gutter Boy]

What's the alternative?

An evil authoritarian regime sportswashing

Or an evil fracking and petrochemical company greenwashing

Or an American venture capitalist firm asset stripping

Old school philanthropic local businessmen just aren't at the table these days, and a German-style fan ownership model would need big regulatory changes first.

 

[ricky2tricky4city]

I admire the way this club is run! We know what we have, but we have no idea what the alternatives might be like!

Well we have some idea what the alternatives might look like...they are all around us in our league.

 

[tommysvr]

To have not won a trophy since 2008 is inexcusable.

Why "inexcusable"?

Teams who've won a trophy since we last did:

- Emirates Marketing Project
- Man Utd
- Chelsea
- Liverpool
- Arsenal
- West Ham
- Swansea (16th in the Championship)
- Portsmouth (1st in League One)
- Birmingham (20th in the Championship)
- Wigan (17th in the Championship)
- Leicester (1st in the Championship)

Basically, it's very hard to win a trophy and outside of the big/cashed-up clubs it's far from a barometer of success. Most of those clubs fluked it.

We've also lost 4 finals and 6 semi-finals in that time. I don't think you can blame Levy for that.

It's also not inexcusable for Villa (recently relegated), Saudi Sportswashing Machine (recently relegated), Everton (close to relegation and now -10 points) and other teams that were around (or above) our level when Levy took over to have not won anything, so why Spurs?

Of course...of fudging course I'd love to win something and Levy has made some big mistakes (particularly since Poch) but I’d rather perennially finish ~5th and be competitive in the Premier League than win a League Cup and then fade into oblivion.

And it is very much a case of better the devil you know when it comes to football owners.

 

[ricky2tricky4city]

I've been joining a few FB based pages recently to look to drum up support for GG and have noted some really tired cynical codswallop still coming from some people. I'm intrigued as to whether I'm just a happy clapper as I've been called or if I am in a majority.

So, simple poll, do you think we're in the right hands with Levy et al?

Entrenched views come from echo chambers, clickbait narratives and the demise of (or space for) critical thinking

 

[DeanoAustin]

Hard for me to vote on this. Think ENIC have done a magnificent job when you look at where the club is now compared to 2001. Not sure any other sizable club has improved as much, organically, on and off the pitch (lack of trophies being the major blot obviously. I'm more talking league finishes). I also think there are only a handful of people who can bring us to the next level and most new owners would take us backwards.

But I don't believe ENIC will have us regularly challenging for the big prizes (PL/CL) because they are too fiscally cautious (particularly in relation to wages) and don't compete for the top players that are needed.

That said, if the rules do change and clubs have to be run sustainably and flimflam "sponsorship" deals become a thing of the past then I think we really can compete.

 

[jrh]

Hard for me to vote on this. Think ENIC have done a magnificent job when you look at where the club is now compared to 2001. Not sure any other sizable club has improved as much, organically, on and off the pitch (lack of trophies being the major blot obviously. I'm more talking league finishes). I also think there are only a handful of people who can bring us to the next level and most new owners would take us backwards.

But I don't believe ENIC will have us regularly challenging for the big prizes (PL/CL) because they are too fiscally cautious (particularly in relation to wages) and don't compete for the top players that are needed.

That said, if the rules do change and clubs have to be run sustainably and flimflam "sponsorship" deals become a thing of the past then I think we really can compete.

Champions League final, various domestic cup semi finals and finals. Second and third in the league. All very recent.

Is that not competing for big prizes?

 

[Mr Gogolak]

Fans are fickle by nature. If you'd asked the same question when we didn't sign a player for a full year, the result would have been very different. Alternatively, when we came that close to winning the league, who would have said no? A week after sacking Pochettino, the split would have been different too.

Truth is, you have to take the long-term view and accept that you don't know everything that's going on. Nobody would argue that we're in a better place now than we were when he took over. All things considered, he's done a good job but he's also made some huge mistakes. Football (and probably the Western world but that's another debate) is going through a transition phase at the moment.

I agree that, on a personal level, I'd rather have Levy than any of the alternatives @Gutter Boy mentions. But he will always be as good as his last transfer window.

 

[Kandi1977]

Fans are fickle by nature. If you'd asked the same question when we didn't sign a player for a full year, the result would have been very different. Alternatively, when we came that close to winning the league, who would have said no? A week after sacking Pochettino, the split would have been different too.

Truth is, you have to take the long-term view and accept that you don't know everything that's going on. Nobody would argue that we're in a better place now than we were when he took over. All things considered, he's done a good job but he's also made some huge mistakes. Football (and probably the Western world but that's another debate) is going through a transition phase at the moment.

I agree that, on a personal level, I'd rather have Levy than any of the alternatives @Gutter Boy mentions. But he will always be as good as his last transfer window.

We did have to tighten the belt for a period, to not lose our pants, but I think we are beginning to reap the rewards for that now. We have good people running the football side, and we've been pretty pro-active in the transfer market, getting in the right players, and getting them fairly early.
The future is bright, the future is Lilywhite!

 

[DeanoAustin]

Champions League final, various domestic cup semi finals and finals. Second and third in the league. All very recent.

Is that not competing for big prizes?

It's not really where we're aspiring to be. The CL was great but had an element of fluke about it. We've been in 2 league cup finals since 2010 both of which we lost limply. I wouldn't call reaching a couple of semi finals in the last 15 years as competing for the FA Cup. We've qualified for the CL once since Poch went.

Look at what Woolwich, Chelsea, City, Liverpool and United have done in the last 15 years and a couple of those clubs would consider themselves as underachieving in that period. We're miles off them in terms of really competing.

As long as we're known as "the club who reached the CL final in 2019 with the great stadium" we're not competing how we want to be competing.

 

[Gazza Dazzla]

It's not really where we're aspiring to be. The CL was great but had an element of fluke about it. We've been in 2 league cup finals since 2010 both of which we lost limply. I wouldn't call reaching a couple of semi finals in the last 15 years as competing for the FA Cup. We've qualified for the CL once since Poch went.

Look at what Woolwich, Chelsea, City, Liverpool and United have done in the last 15 years and a couple of those clubs would consider themselves as underachieving in that period. We're miles off them in terms of really competing.

As long as we're known as "the club who reached the CL final in 2019 with the great stadium" we're not competing how we want to be competing.

Look where Woolwich, Chelsea, City, Liverpool and United were compared to us before Levy took over..

 

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

The way I look at it is the club in a better place than when he took control? To my mind it is, could it have done better? Probably.
Do I want him and ENIC out and replaced by someone who will guarantee us as a regular trophy winning club? Yes but I do the lottery every week in the hope I win the jackpot.
I'm happy watching us play what I consider good football, my life doesn't depend on our results and like most I'm stuck with Spurs whatever happens, so I'm a happy clapper I suppose.

 

[Lilbaz]

I'd like a new owner. Someone that would come in and invest a bit of money and go for it. Lewis has barely shown any interest in us. Levy has done a great job. Got lost for the last few years but is back on track now.

I'm not too fussed either way. Would depend on who the new owners are really. A hedge fund looking to flip us i wouldn't like. Or the saudis.

 

[billyiddo]

We will see how this new era plays out - we look to be making the right moves off the pitch, finally, wrt structure and that has been matched recently with our transfers & managerial appointment. I think we're set up to regularly compete on the pitch for the biggest prizes, which without sugar daddy backing, if realised, will be a phenomenal achievement.