Article by Mark FrenchMy headline refers to point 1: responding to certain contributions made recently here on e-Spurs (and most of you who visit here will know what I mean) and point 2: moving on from this.
Point 1: First of all I am no big fan of Daniel Levy but this is down to his revolving door policy on Managers rather than the way he runs the Club. I am less critical of his moving them on than his bringing them in the first place!
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We are a team of aspiration, a club who punch way above its weight but with a section of supporters who feel we are more than this. Don’t get me wrong, I am as passionate about Spurs as the next supporter, I’ve made my share of moans and groans about us and criticised many a player, a performance, a manager and a team. I have wailed on about so many ‘seasons of transition’. BUT I am first and last a Spurs supporter and will always get behind them NO MATTER WHAT. I cannot do with the ‘fans’ who are anything less and you know who you are.
I started as a fan in ’63. I moved north when I was 13 in 1971 and could easily have changed my team to Liverpool or United. All my new mates supported one or the other. Frequently I had people wanting beat the crap out of me for supporting Spurs. Nuff said.
Those who are reading this and want an explanation of ‘punching above our weight’ this is what I am getting at. Here’s some simple maths.
WHL seats 36,310
Old Trafford seats 76,212. That’s + 39,902 (more than our entire capacity)
Etihad seats 47,726. That’s + 11,416 (and that’s without the Sheikhs money)
Emirates seats 60,355. That’s +24,045
Stamford Bridge seats 42,055. That’s +5,745 (and that’s without the oligarch’s money)
Anfield seats 45,362. That’s +9,052.
St James’s Park seats 52,387. That’s +16,077
FFS even The Stadium of Light seats 42,055! That’s +5,745 and
………Villa Park seats 42,788! And that’s +6,478.
Can you see where this is going? On top of this 5 out of the above 9 teams have had regular Champions League qualification and the money that comes with it.
I am not trying to make excuses for the team and management, just trying to point out the reality of where we currently are. Until we get a new stadium delivered we will always rely on good purchases and better sales. Daniel Levy and his team have masterminded this process for several years now and he hasn’t pocketed the cash, he’s spent it. I’d also point out that he does this business quietly and efficiently and is not a ‘Foghorn Leghorn’ as he’s recently been described (sorry Mr Gallina).
We have bought our recent additions in order to create a ’squad’- a group of players who can interchange and where, when the inevitable injuries occur, we can replace more or less ‘like for like’. Hence we have a midfield choice of: Sandro, Paulinho, Capoue, Bentalab, Sigurdsson, Eriksen, Holtby, Dembele….
I could go on but I’m sure you get my point. Only by buying and selling do we challenge for the top 3/4/5 of the Premier League. We buy what we can afford and those who aspire to the Champions League; we do not buy players out of our price bracket or wage structure or those who expect us to automatically qualify for the CL.
We have got to where we are because of ENIC and not despite them. We may wish for something better but, if you want to talk about perennial underachievers, we could be Newcastle, Sunderland or Villa.
For Spurs it is simple maths and simple economics. Get over it, it’s where we are at present. Get behind the team and the Manager be a proper fan not someone who wished they’d chosen another side to support.
You lot are embarrassing to us and an embarrassment to yourselves as ‘fans’. Go away. Go change your allegiance and support Arsenal.
I’m on my high horse now, so I’ll post point 2 of my article later. Thank you and good night
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Bang on. As much as we love WHL, we are handicapped by how small it is relatively. But we are definitely on the way up and we will have our moment and I cannot see any business owner (one who has to balance the books, not some sugar-daddy) who has better managed a team over the last 10 years.
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