The Cryptkeeper
The Aussie Yid
You can't blame our slow, turgid play on the guy who invented slow, turgid football?
Interesting take mate.
You can't blame our slow, turgid play on the guy who invented slow, turgid football?
Interesting take mate.
Dorset
The Voice Of Reason
Founding Member
Yeah you can. We know the players have the talent and skills needed to play fast, exciting football and to pass the ball accurately and with the vision needed - what they don't have is the motivation. Mourinho is poison. He infects a team like a nasty Covid virus, he did it at Chelsea, he did it at United now he's doing it to us. He is not the only one who needs to be blamed, Levy can also take a big chunk of it. By not supporting Poch and not allowing him to actually manage the team and congratulating himself on saving a quid and being the only club in Premier league history to make zero purchase a couple of years back, he did something I thought impossible, he demotivated the Poch - and the players of course.
Footballers are simple geezers, they like the money of course, but more importantly they need the motivation and support a good manager gives them.
Enic out, Levy Out, Mourinho out.
Don Diaz
Zero tolerance of Numpty's
Founding Member
Who is in charge of transfers?
Don Diaz
Zero tolerance of Numpty's
Founding Member
I'm sorry, but I think we both know that's naive. You have watched most of this season and the end of last unfold in the same way that I have. This malaise didn't start in Sheffield last week or at home to Norwich in the Cup or Brighton away or any other game you care to cherry pick, it started after Poch asked Levy (with whom I understand he had an excellent relationship) for money to strengthen and freshen the side based presumably on the fact that he had delivered the objective or 'project' of regular Champions league football in spades, including getting to the final. This in turn, as previously mentioned generated literally hundreds of millions in revenue both through prize money, TV exposure and indirectly through infinite mediums of ticket sales, advertising and sponsorship deals, f&b, merchandise etc. etc. This undeniably contributed massively to the reduction in costs of the Stadium build. I think Levy even gave himself a bonus for a job well done.
So when Poch went to Levy for funds to continue the next stage of the project, to buy quality players and win things, what he got was transfer windows where the club did not spend a single penny - unprecedented in the history of the Premier league. Poch and Mourinho have both stated they are not in charge of transfer dealings, that doesn't leave many others who might be does it? We both know who is in charge and as far as I can remember in our recent transfer dealings Levy has a history and a dubious reputation in this regard. I recall the Moutinho (now at Wolves) saga, the comments from the president of Lyon over the Lloris transfer and from elsewhere about Levy's methods. The net result of this and lack of ambition and investment in the team has seen players of the quality of NJie, N'Koudou, Sissoko, Janssen, Aurier and others arrive. Probably the most recent example being the purchase of Gedson Fernandes rather than the real deal Bruno Fernandes who went to Manchester United. You can probably counter this with several spurious arguments about who really knows etc etc. but what it does highlight is who is running the football transfer side of the business and while blame can squarely be laid at Levy's door.
When Mourinho arrived....obviously spouting the party line about what a great squad, great relationship with Levy, doesnt need to spend any money etc. some people agreed something had gone wrong with Poch behind the scenes (see above) and perhaps it was time for a change. Certainly the end of last season and this has been a hard watch. After the initial honeymoon period Mourinho started blaming the many and significant injuries to the squad, fair enough, but what we were already watching was joyless stale football and it's simply got worse. Thing is we don't have injuries and he has a full squad to choose from, thing is we have had 4 or 5 games now so players are match fit, thing is the football is getting worse, whoever thought that was possible??? We didn't have a single shot on target against Bournemouth - I'll let you check their recent run of results for yourself. So who do we blame for that? I'd say Mourinho and the players, but he picks the team and they play to his instruction so errr......Mourinho largely at fault. Do you remember the first game back against Man Utd, or the two crucial games against Chelsea when we had a chance to really get back into contention for Champions League football places next season? Well we were leading United 1-0 and then tried miserably to defend that lead, failing to do so and getting away with a 1-1 and in both of the Chelsea games we were second best in every area, most embarrassingly in effort, there's no excuse for that, in any game. I'm not going to go all tactical and theoretical etc. everyone has their own opinion, but if you compare over the same period the way the club has been run and managed in comparison with our competition, most notably Liverpool, you can clearly see what a lack of investment in the team has done.
Now I'd agree that Levy has his name on a world class Stadium and that has clearly been the biggest focus for the club in the past few years. The stadium and everything that has gone with it is fantastic, no dispute, but literally everything else has suffered as a result, So ask yourself this - would you have preferred to see spurs win the league, FA Cup, possibly even Champions League, at White Hart Lane or perform shambolically in a wonderful stadium, struggling against teams at the bottom of the league. There's no dispute regarding Levy's focus and the stadium here either. He'd lined up boxing, music concerts, rugby league, rugby union and of course the lucrative NFL contract. That's all highly commendable from a financial point of view (of course) but the former 'golden goose' - the football team and manager got forgotten along the way somewhere.
The net result is what we are watching now, and you can come up with al manner arguments and excuses I expect, but the narrative above is what I think a third party objective observer would see. Mourinho was a panic buy by Levy and so far it's not working. It might at some future point and hopefully all will be well, hopefully not with Mourinho football - I really mean that, because I've had the highs and lows for over 40 years, but it was never joyless, stale, shapeless and uncaring and it is now. That isn't the players fault that is Levy's recent stewardship and Mourinho's current football, who ever thought that Serge Aurier would be our single most important attacking threat? You? Only Mourinho then.........
Dorset
The Voice Of Reason
Founding Member
Very well written sir, I would argue though that it was extremely joyless under AVB, but I agree 100% with everything else.
skiathospurs
Well-Known Member
Founding Member
We have seen this before,when another egotistical owner who knew nothing about football employed george graham.A choice so rank its shows how little lord hawhaw knew about football and his club.And now actually the football is worse than george graham,and the same mistaken owner thinking they know shit and not understanding the division the appointment would bring,even if things went ok..
As for who is to blame?the players?does that mean their ability has deserted them suddenly?are they not following instruction?anyone see morinho doing anything on the sidelines,push up here,hold there,is he frantically trying to get a point across mid-match,or say they arent doing what he wants in pressers?that they need to do this.Has he moved some out of the side because of attitude or performance or is it a settled 11 or 14 players every week.
Its all a bit whataboutery like blaming the staff for fw woolworths going bust,a manager/coach is paid to train and set the team up,so either this bloke isnt doing that or this is what he is asking of the team,if his name was Pulis he would be out now after 6 months,blokes surname or previous doesnt make him special.He is paid to manage the team and get them to a certain target,he isnt and you can say he needs another transfer window,but you wouldnt give Pulis that now would you.
As for the Levy,i dont believe he laid one brick or grouted one tile,drew the plans,drove a bobcat or swept the floor.Builders,architects,skilled tradesmen did that.Giving him this kiss arse credit for delivering the stadium is a daft as crediting Dr Bob for delivering angeline jolie`s tomb raider awesome body.The genius of it,borrowing £1bn,saying build this and then taking a massive bonus when someone else builds it for you.If any of you couldnt borrow a million quid tell a builder to build you an awesome home,you`d have to be a moron to not get an awesome home for that cost.Not a penny was Levy`s money,in fact hundreds of millions of pennies were taken for not spending a penny.
Then lets talk about who appoints all the people who for 20 years (bar the worse one ramos) cant deliver the 8th richest club even a league cup.Just because he owns us for now,doesnt mean he hasnt massively fucked up for most of 2 decades.
But hey lets pin it on kane,son,toby.cos they arent very good.
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skiathospurs
Well-Known Member
Founding Member
14secs,the look on their faces says it all."oh shit buswanker time"
Dorset
The Voice Of Reason
Founding Member
All For Nothing.
skiathospurs
Well-Known Member
Founding Member
Motspur Hotspur
Player in Training.
Fuck me the gloves have come off! Can you imagine the atmosphere in the stadium if fans were aloud in. Levy would have had a problem with only 36,000 unhappy punters. He's got bloody lucky again.
NiceOneCyril
Player in Training.
As you say, Daniel, indeed - Only time will tell, And time has told. And now time is up, so please sell up.
Yid
Well-Known Member
Founding Member
I sat there last night hoping it would all burn....
I'm beyond un-bothered (I know that's not a word, but you know what I mean).... I won't watch anymore football this season.... maybe year.
I'll keep checking in here tho because some of you cunts are funny.
J.spurs
Well-Known Member
Founding Member
Not to mention as bad as we are right now, we were no better--maybe even worse--in late Feb-early March. I'm not convinced Mourinho would've made it to the end of the season without the shutdown. Yeah there were injury problems, but not anymore, and look at the performances.