Spurs to sell to gain.

[Glenn R]

Spurs must sell six players before considering Schneiderlin from Southampton. According to what I've read Spurs chairman Daniel Levy has informed Pochettino that he must get rid of the unwanted talent currently on the books before he can make any more major additions to his squad. If we could get him it would be a good capture.

[spursjoolz]

Does that include Paulinho + 5 or a new 6 and if so who would they be?(in your opinion)

[Glenn R]

Vlad Chiriches, Federico Fazio,Younes Kaboul, Benjamin Stambouli, Etienne Capoue, Emmanuel Adebayor and Roberto Soldado and maybe a few others.

apart from the Southampton player we are also interested in two Everton players and  Fernando Llorente; that is if you believe the press.

[Don]

Howdy folks,

Sorry I haven’t been writing for a while, but I can assure you all that I’ve been reading the interesting topics and thoughts that have been put forward. I am very excited about the new up and coming season.

I think once Levy and Co have gone through the £100 million or so rejects, failures or whatever you call them, that were purchased a few years ago I doubt that there will be many players left out of that group. But our new manager wants to make his stamp on the team and challenge for a top four placing. I still see, or hope more purchases are in the pip line.

Don

[spursjoolz]

So far Stambouli, Capoue, Kaboul seem positive sales. I will be more difficult to sell Soldado and even Chiriches and I cannot see Adebyor going. Even all these will never add up to the £100M wasted last year! so do we need to sell Dembele & Fazio as well to reduce the wage bill at least?

[RiffHard]

So far Stambouli, Capoue, Kaboul seem positive sales. I will be more difficult to sell Soldado and even Chiriches and I cannot see Adebyor going. Even all these will never add up to the £100M wasted last year! so do we need to sell Dembele & Fazio as well to reduce the wage bill at least?

Stambouli hasn't been sold yet.

[Glenn R]

So far Stambouli, Capoue, Kaboul seem positive sales. I will be more difficult to sell Soldado and even Chiriches and I cannot see Adebyor going. Even all these will never add up to the £100M wasted last year! so do we need to sell Dembele & Fazio as well to reduce the wage bill at least?

Stambouli hasn't been sold yet.

According to the papers he should be sold in the next couple of days.

[RiffHard]

So far Stambouli, Capoue, Kaboul seem positive sales. I will be more difficult to sell Soldado and even Chiriches and I cannot see Adebyor going. Even all these will never add up to the £100M wasted last year! so do we need to sell Dembele & Fazio as well to reduce the wage bill at least?

Stambouli hasn't been sold yet.

According to the papers he should be sold in the next couple of days.

Yeah, it seems the deal is about to be announced. Anyway, we have so far pocketed £5m for Capoue, £3m for Kaboul and will get £6m for Stambouli. Chiriches would get us about £4m, but I also don't think we'd be able to sell Adebayor, and he'll probably leave on loan and then leave altogether when his cotract is up at the end of 2015/2016 season. Selling Dembélé and Fazio wouldn't be a good move, I think. We don't have much experience in the squad and considering the fact we'll be participating in four competitions we need some bolster. But that's another topic... Anyway, I don't think anybody in the club would believe in recouping the Bale money, that's not how it works, unfortunately.

[RSS61]

So far Stambouli, Capoue, Kaboul seem positive sales. I will be more difficult to sell Soldado and even Chiriches and I cannot see Adebyor going. Even all these will never add up to the £100M wasted last year! so do we need to sell Dembele & Fazio as well to reduce the wage bill at least?

Stambouli hasn't been sold yet.

According to the papers he should be sold in the next couple of days.

Yeah, it seems the deal is about to be announced. Anyway, we have so far pocketed £5m for Capoue, £3m for Kaboul and will get £6m for Stambouli. Chiriches would get us about £4m, but I also don't think we'd be able to sell Adebayor, and he'll probably leave on loan and then leave altogether when his cotract is up at the end of 2015/2016 season. Selling Dembélé and Fazio wouldn't be a good move, I think. We don't have much experience in the squad and considering the fact we'll be participating in four competitions we need some bolster. But that's another topic... Anyway, I don't think anybody in the club would believe in recouping the Bale money, that's not how it works, unfortunately.

So far I think we are doing the right thing. We have sold several players who are not top 4 calibre. I would say that the signings on the face of it are also sound. As you say, I think Ade will go either on loan, or for 3-4 mill. Soldado too. So long as we manage to get the DM, winger and striker or two that we need, then I would say we have made a pretty good recovery from the Bale debacle.

[RiffHard]

So far Stambouli, Capoue, Kaboul seem positive sales. I will be more difficult to sell Soldado and even Chiriches and I cannot see Adebyor going. Even all these will never add up to the £100M wasted last year! so do we need to sell Dembele & Fazio as well to reduce the wage bill at least?

Stambouli hasn't been sold yet.

According to the papers he should be sold in the next couple of days.

Yeah, it seems the deal is about to be announced. Anyway, we have so far pocketed £5m for Capoue, £3m for Kaboul and will get £6m for Stambouli. Chiriches would get us about £4m, but I also don't think we'd be able to sell Adebayor, and he'll probably leave on loan and then leave altogether when his cotract is up at the end of 2015/2016 season. Selling Dembélé and Fazio wouldn't be a good move, I think. We don't have much experience in the squad and considering the fact we'll be participating in four competitions we need some bolster. But that's another topic... Anyway, I don't think anybody in the club would believe in recouping the Bale money, that's not how it works, unfortunately.

So far I think we are doing the right thing. We have sold several players who are not top 4 calibre. I would say that the signings on the face of it are also sound. As you say, I think Ade will go either on loan, or for 3-4 mill. Soldado too. So long as we manage to get the DM, winger and striker or two that we need, then I would say we have made a pretty good recovery from the Bale debacle.

Oh, and we got about £9.5m for Paulinho too.

[Badger501]

I am staggered by the lack of ambition from our owner. Does he (and Levy) really think we can compete on the back of Harry Kane! We were a one man team last season and unless we spend some serious money we'll be mid table at the end of the season. And please don't anyone tell me how much we've spent over the last two seasons. We actually made a profit overall on players sold vs players bought which is typical of Lewis/Levy. They are running Spurs to make money which is not what a football club is about. It is now a rich mans hobby and with player costs being what they are these days you cannot expect to break even or make money as an owner, not if you actually want to win something. We might be lucky enough to hang on to Harry for one more season as he seems like a decent loyal bloke. But he will have ambition and the current Tottenham owners do not. Sorry to be pessimistic but after 40 years as a Spurs fan I can't see anything changing until we get rid of Lewis and Levy!!

[Glenn R]

I am staggered by the lack of ambition from our owner. Does he (and Levy) really think we can compete on the back of Harry Kane! We were a one man team last season and unless we spend some serious money we'll be mid table at the end of the season. And please don't anyone tell me how much we've spent over the last two seasons. We actually made a profit overall on players sold vs players bought which is typical of Lewis/Levy. They are running Spurs to make money which is not what a football club is about. It is now a rich mans hobby and with player costs being what they are these days you cannot expect to break even or make money as an owner, not if you actually want to win something. We might be lucky enough to hang on to Harry for one more season as he seems like a decent loyal bloke. But he will have ambition and the current Tottenham owners do not. Sorry to be pessimistic but after 40 years as a Spurs fan I can't see anything changing until we get rid of Lewis and Levy!!

Who said we are competing on the back of just Kane? According to the press - if you can believe them - we are in for a number of players. The transfer window isn't closed yet and that should be the time to criticise the club/ owners. Some of the dead wood has gone, others seem to be on the brink of going.

I've said before that Spurs are a top sixth club. To compete higher we need a bigger stadium (which will be built). The last six years we've finished 5th, 6th, 5th, 4th, 5th & 4th. That is about right for our club. Last year we were two matches away from 4th place. Levy and co are sticking with our manager and seem to be building on 5th placing. Let us not criticise just yet. Let us see what they buy in this transfer window and see where we end up by the end of the season.

Levy knows that to fill a 61,000 seater stadium he needs to get us into the top 4 (or at least challenge for a top 4 placing; which we've been doing). To say that we should be there does a disservice to the current top four clubs (who have bigger stadium capacities than we do & and a lot more money than we do).

The time to criticise is if we drop below 6th placing (at the present).

Another point; be careful what you wish for. Some of the potential buyers that have been mentioned I would not wish for Spurs.

I am happy with the up and coming season. The critics said we could only manage 7th and we finished 5th. Yes, we still got a lot more work to do, but we seem to be going in the right direction.

I disagree that the owners have no ambition; if they didn't they wouldn't be spending £400 million to build a new stadium. They've got ambition all right, they just need to make sure that they make the right purchases and that the manager gets what he wants (within reason).

[RiffHard]

To some extent I agree with Badger. We are putting all our eggs in one basket. In some areas we are only able to field one "top" player and should this "top" player get a serious injury, we would be in serious trouble. Yes, Kane had a tremendous season, but can we really expect him to be fit for the whole season and score 3/4 of our goals? No, that is naive. For all we know, Kane could break his leg in August (knocks on the wood) and we all know where that would leave us.

So-called big clubs have top players on the bench as well and that is something we do not have and that is something that keeps us from progressing.

On paper we are making profit and I understand this profit is needed for the stadium etc. Still, I feel the club is putting all eggs in one basket and unless we invest in top players as well, we could easily end up with a fancy stadium and not much else to show for.

[Glenn R]

To some extent I agree with Badger. We are putting all our eggs in one basket. In some areas we are only able to field one "top" player and should this "top" player get a serious injury, we would be in serious trouble. Yes, Kane had a tremendous season, but can we really expect him to be fit for the whole season and score 3/4 of our goals? No, that is naive. For all we know, Kane could break his leg in August (knocks on the wood) and we all know where that would leave us.

That is why we are after another striker. With two on the way out.

So-called big clubs have top players on the bench as well and that is something we do not have and that is something that keeps us from progressing.

The players we had on the bench were big names, sadly, though, they didn't show their potential.

On paper we are making profit and I understand this profit is needed for the stadium etc. Still, I feel the club is putting all eggs in one basket and unless we invest in top players as well, we could easily end up with a fancy stadium and not much else to show for.

I think Levy knows this; you can't have one without the other. If we don't compete then we won't fill the stadium.

Concerning your first two paragraphs; that is why I said we are - at the moment - a top 6th club and not a top 4 club. But that doesn't mean we can't reach 2nd, 3rd or 4th at the present. It will be interesting to see who they buy. I have confidence, until that confidence proves to be hollow. Let us keep our fingers crossed and that my confidence in Spurs/ manager proves correct.

[RSS61]

I am staggered by the lack of ambition from our owner. Does he (and Levy) really think we can compete on the back of Harry Kane! We were a one man team last season and unless we spend some serious money we'll be mid table at the end of the season. And please don't anyone tell me how much we've spent over the last two seasons. We actually made a profit overall on players sold vs players bought which is typical of Lewis/Levy. They are running Spurs to make money which is not what a football club is about. It is now a rich mans hobby and with player costs being what they are these days you cannot expect to break even or make money as an owner, not if you actually want to win something. We might be lucky enough to hang on to Harry for one more season as he seems like a decent loyal bloke. But he will have ambition and the current Tottenham owners do not. Sorry to be pessimistic but after 40 years as a Spurs fan I can't see anything changing until we get rid of Lewis and Levy!!

Who said we are competing on the back of just Kane? According to the press - if you can believe them - we are in for a number of players. The transfer window isn't closed yet and that should be the time to criticise the club/ owners. Some of the dead wood has gone, others seem to be on the brink of going.

I've said before that Spurs are a top sixth club. To compete higher we need a bigger stadium (which will be built). The last six years we've finished 5th, 6th, 5th, 4th, 5th & 4th. That is about right for our club. Last year we were two matches away from 4th place. Levy and co are sticking with our manager and seem to be building on 5th placing. Let us not criticise just yet. Let us see what they buy in this transfer window and see where we end up by the end of the season.

Levy knows that to fill a 61,000 seater stadium he needs to get us into the top 4 (or at least challenge for a top 4 placing; which we've been doing). To say that we should be there does a disservice to the current top four clubs (who have bigger stadium capacities than we do & and a lot more money than we do).

The time to criticise is if we drop below 6th placing (at the present).

Another point; be careful what you wish for. Some of the potential buyers that have been mentioned I would not wish for Spurs.

I am happy with the up and coming season. The critics said we could only manage 7th and we finished 5th. Yes, we still got a lot more work to do, but we seem to be going in the right direction.

I disagree that the owners have no ambition; if they didn't they wouldn't be spending £400 million to build a new stadium. They've got ambition all right, they just need to make sure that they make the right purchases and that the manager gets what he wants (within reason).

To go back to the start of our current problems. Harry was the manager, we were sitting in 3rd place with a 10 point lead over Ars*nal. The speculation over the England job rocked the boat good and proper. Harry wanted a top class striker and CB, which had Levy given him then we almost certainly would have finished top 3.
Whether that would have stopped Modric & Bale leaving, who knows. Instead Levy didn't trust Harry, we got Saha & Nelson, then he sacked Harry and made an even bigger mistake in hiring AVB. unfortunately he didn't stop there, by allowing the Bale money to be spunked on a batch of players who by and large have been a disaster.
Is it any wonder we are in the position that we are. Quite frankly its a result that we are a pretty solid 5th imo.
The only way forward from that situation is what Levy has done, get in a manager who's philosophy seems to be culturing young and mostly home grown players, and those who have already played in the prem. He has tried out every player on the books over the last year, and is now clinically removing those who he does not rate, and to be honest does anybody rate the players we have sold so far this window ? I for one am happy to give Poch another 2 or 3 years to slowly turn the corner from the mess that we got into. At least our finances are strong and we have some sort of base to build on. We may be playing catch up with the top four for a few years yet.