Football

thinking we're in a slightly better position, nothing I've seen or read so far about the new stadium leads me to believe we'll be going through quite such a long period of austerity as Arsenal did.

I'm hoping the young players stay with us, we can still give them a relatively big boost in salary if they keep improving, we've tied up most of them through 2019-20, I'd be more concerned with Verts or Lloris heading for the exit if we don't keep pushing on. Also a case of Levy holding his nerve, if we regress and the league form dips next season...

With Levy in charge you're in a perma-state of austerity. Regardless whether you're going to build that stadium or not.

Have Arsenal bottled it yet?

Not long now...

#mikecmode

Levy's been thinking about the stadium for a long time, and has kept an eye on the wage bill, with that in mind. The stadium when it's built will allow us, to pay higher wages, get better players in, but until it's built we can't have underperforming deadwood on big money training with the reserves (looking at you Adebayor).
I think also it's one of the reasons he got the Sheriff in, with his reputation for bringing on youth players, means he can work within a restricted transfer budget, if necessary.

My dream would be that we don't lose anyone between now and the opening of the new stadium, which means we can make some top class additions to help us challenge consistently for the title (or always be in the conversation) after that

The trouble is, Levy will sell if the right offer comes in. And carry on playing like you are and the offers will come.

Everyone will sell if the right offer comes in.. Levy's no exception to that.

The big recruitment question is whether your scouting department has found you a ready made younger replacement who can do the job and costs less than the one you just sold (either transfer in, or youth product), and whether your manager can keep the integrity of the squad together when that happens.

We won't challenge for a title, or be constant contenders if the drip drip of top talent happens year on year, there's got to come a point when

That's a straight red card offence.

Agreed. Glen Campbell would've been significantly more appropriate.

Townes van zandt or gtfo.

A new stadium for Spurs won't have a huge positive financial impact in my opinion.

Going on 2014 figures, Arsenal matchday revenue was worth £100m compared to broadcasting revenue of £123m. In the same year, Spurs matchday revenue £43m and broadcasting revenue of £95m.

If Spurs more than double their matchday revenue to £100m that is only an increase of 2 Soldados a year before tax.

I think the Soldado days are over.

~£50m increase in revenue is equivalent to winning the Champions league. Not to be sniffed at.

It's not just the matchday revenue, which is a big thing, as long as there's fans willing to watch the match in person, its a constant. But it's also the fact that the stadium is multi use, the 10yr deal with the NFL, another place to stage big concerts in london, all adds in to revenue that comes from a new stadium. Also corporate boxes, we don't have that many right now, naming rights to the stadium, it all adds up..
New stadiums (as long as you have enough fans, and the football is good enough to fill it) is the financial bedrock of any team, plus the big carrot of television money..

Hank Wangford?

The NFL thing is good, you'll probably get a fair whack for rent on that one and maybe even a cut on the ticket sales.

Serious question. How many concerts do you think that Haringey council will allow for on an annual basis? If any, I think that it'll be capped to 4 days per year or something stupid (see Arsenal).

Stadium naming rights will be worthwhile but you'd guess that they've already budgeted for that as well.

Levy wants to make money, not spend it. It's never been any different so why would it now? He's a risk averse businessman and knows how to run a relatively tight ship. He got bitten once (Bale transfer funds) and can't see him doing a Liverpool and do something as stupid twice.

Spurs, like almost any club in the world, are a selling club. If the offer is too good to refuse (Bale) than he'll sell, regardless of the long term strategy of the club.

Also corporate boxes, we don't have that many right now

Was in a WHL corp box for a game earlier this season. The food served was a big rack of pork ribs. Seemed incongruous.

Judging by Haringey's policy on festivals at Finsbury Park they'll allow a significant number of concerts if it also benefits them financially.

Benitez sacked, surprised he made the new year.

Can we get rid of our useless Spanish cunt and replace with another?

Can we get rid of our useless Spanish cunt and replace with another?

Careful what you wish for.

Baiting aside you could do a lot worse than him. He'd be able to sort out that sieve of a defence of yours.

Fuck me, David Blunkett would be able to sort out our defence

I guess my views are tempered by the fact that Arsenal embarked on the new stadium process when match day revenue was a bigger proportion of a club's revenue than it is now. TV money was smaller then and by the time we had paid off the stadium (or most of it), match day revenues accounted for a much smaller proportion of our revenue profits. The anticipated benefit of the Emirates was much greater than the reality after a few years.

Fuck me, David Blunkett would be able to sort out our defence

He couldn't see the forest for the trees.

He's also a Wednesday fan which is enough to ban anyone from football for life.

Everton will NEVER sack Martinez.

All other managers know how much of a twat Kenwright is.