On identifying players:
"It's definitely not all about data, we use data as an element in the recruitment process but we have not signed any player without watching the player multiple times live in the stadium. And we have not signed a player and will not sign a player unless I have spoken to the player or Ange has spoken to the player as well because, as much as the style of play is important, the personality fit is so, so important as well.
"Ange and I have had multiple discussions about which type of characters we want in the group - younger players, older players, certain positions on the pitch that require a certain personality trait - that is something we are discussing on a day-to-day basis and we have in-depth conversations with not only the players we sign but managers they have played under, teammates, everyone around them and family members as well. It is very much about the personality as well and yes data is an element in the recruitment process but it is far more going into it."
"I think when you're building a squad for sustainable success over the years, I think to have a different age profile within each position is actually quite important," he said. "So if we take our midfield at the moment, we will have three or four players around the peak age of 25 to 27 and we will have three of four players who are younger who can push the players as they are here to compete and already now can play in the Premier League and all the cup competitions but they're not at the same stage in their career.
"To have a good balanced squad I think that is actually quite important and I think some of the younger players we have signed this summer are some of the brightest talents in European football as well. In terms of our academy, that is so important for us, it's the heart of every football club and certainly our football club both now and has been in the past as well.
"I think the alignment between the academy and first team now under Ange is incredible. There are players from the academy who train with the first team each week and under the leadership of Andy Scoulding we have uplifted our loans programme as well because in England the second team cannot play in the division.
"The loans programme is quite important and we are making new investments in the academy as well, so I would say the future of the academy looks very bright and it is something we are working ever so hard on on a day-to-day basis."
On having enough Home Grown players:
"It is something that cannot be fixed in a fast way because in order to be club trained you need to be at the football club for three consecutive seasons between [the age of] 15 and 21, so it's not a problem that you can buy yourself out of," outlined Spurs' technical director.
"We are doing a lot of new initiatives. We have invested more over the summer in our pre-academy to get all the local boys to join our pre-academy. We have also made a partnership with a local school so we'll have our most talented 14 year olds going into a full-time programme, this means we can now recruit players from all over England at the age of 14.
"We are doing some very strategic initiatives but again it is not a quick fix but it is something I am completely confident about that years from now we will be able to have a full squad list again with talented players coming through our academy."
Lange on Spurs Transfers
posted 1 day, 11 hours ago
All sounds rosy !
posted 1 day, 10 hours ago
This is good to know and a very sensible strategy. The personality is as important as the talent. Didn't Ferguson used to do similar where he'd meet young players and their parents, I think so he knew they had a good support group behind them to keep them on the straight and narrow?
It tells you as well that maybe these really are Ange's players and not so much Levy's. Ange wants to know these new signings and learn about them which won't give Levy as much license to bring players in that Ange doesn't back. This may not have always been the strategy in the past but hopefully this is how we are doing things going forward and it makes sense. Should prevent us signing bad eggs like Ndombele.
posted 1 day, 8 hours ago
It sounds great, the issue is how long Levy will stick to the approach. I know I sound like a broken record, but it’s Levy’s Flip flopping on strategy that means we have lacked succession planning in the past. If he can leave this infrastructure alone for a decade then who knows what it may achieve, but he always seems to get twitchy.
Prior to this we trusted Paratici and he landed us the likes of Romero, Kulu, VDV, Udogie, Vicario, Dragusin, Sarr, Bentancur - most our first team. For me he is about the most successful person we have had in that role - but now we’ve changed strategy again.
I hope it works and Levy stays patient with it
posted 1 day, 8 hours ago
We could buy ourselves out of the issue.
Do not sell skipp, reggie for kwp, opted not to sell troy parrott, edwards was available.
There is no longer a quick fix unless we buy anyone in fact it is very, very worrying especially when you consider we cannot really get another season out of Austin/Whiteman.
Lankshear and Dorrington are the next ones which will be club home grown. (We got lucky with Lankshear as he was going out on loan which would have scuppered the club home grown)
At least there is a plan going ahead but thats three seasons away.
posted 1 day, 7 hours ago
comment by look like modric (U7431)
posted 15 minutes ago
We could buy ourselves out of the issue.
Do not sell skipp, reggie for kwp, opted not to sell troy parrott, edwards was available.
There is no longer a quick fix unless we buy anyone in fact it is very, very worrying especially when you consider we cannot really get another season out of Austin/Whiteman.
Lankshear and Dorrington are the next ones which will be club home grown. (We got lucky with Lankshear as he was going out on loan which would have scuppered the club home grown)
At least there is a plan going ahead but thats three seasons away.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
It’s a shiete rule in my opinion anyway, especially as we can exploit it by having 3 goalkeeper sub options.
It really feels redundant now
posted 1 day, 4 hours ago
comment by Striketeam7 - staying humble (U18109)
posted 2 hours, 48 minutes ago
comment by look like modric (U7431)
posted 15 minutes ago
We could buy ourselves out of the issue.
Do not sell skipp, reggie for kwp, opted not to sell troy parrott, edwards was available.
There is no longer a quick fix unless we buy anyone in fact it is very, very worrying especially when you consider we cannot really get another season out of Austin/Whiteman.
Lankshear and Dorrington are the next ones which will be club home grown. (We got lucky with Lankshear as he was going out on loan which would have scuppered the club home grown)
At least there is a plan going ahead but thats three seasons away.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
It’s a shiete rule in my opinion anyway, especially as we can exploit it by having 3 goalkeeper sub options.
It really feels redundant now
----------------------------------------------------------------------
I agree.
Its good to almost force a club into giving a path to the first team for academy kids but actually its very hit and miss. Clubs will have feast and famine with regards to their academy output, its hard to conrol
I believe City have only named 23 players in theirs and United have a couple of academy keepers amongst the four in the squad. Villa also have 23 i think and a ,massive B list of kids you've never heard of and who will never get anywhere near their UCL team this season.
It's hard to know what purpose it is really serving, particularly when there are other factors that more strongly influence the output from academies, like PSR
posted 1 day, 4 hours ago
comment by Striketeam7 - staying humble (U18109)
posted 3 hours, 37 minutes ago
It sounds great, the issue is how long Levy will stick to the approach. I know I sound like a broken record, but it’s Levy’s Flip flopping on strategy that means we have lacked succession planning in the past. If he can leave this infrastructure alone for a decade then who knows what it may achieve, but he always seems to get twitchy.
Prior to this we trusted Paratici and he landed us the likes of Romero, Kulu, VDV, Udogie, Vicario, Dragusin, Sarr, Bentancur - most our first team. For me he is about the most successful person we have had in that role - but now we’ve changed strategy again.
I hope it works and Levy stays patient with it
----------------------------------------------------------------------
I've always thought Levy to be smart but a slow learner.
I dont think he's gonna move away from this setup anytime soon, unless individuals within in fail to deliver and may be get replaced.
Its not like Paraticci was sacked, he had to step down and by all accounts still consults for us.
posted 1 day, 2 hours ago
comment by Devonshirespur (U6316)
posted 1 hour, 54 minutes ago
Its good to almost force a club into giving a path to the first team for academy kids but actually its very hit and miss. Clubs will have feast and famine with regards to their academy output, its hard to conrol
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Even harder for clubs with smaller catchment areas. Spurs can trawl all of England but Scotland, Luxembourg it gets ridiculous.
I've tried to find out the progress of the Hespérange (Luxembourg) case against UEFA at the CJEU that not allowing them to play in another national league and all the restrictions on home grown players and stuff was against EU competition law. Having trouble if anyone can offer a recent update?
It could blow the lid and set up regional leagues or resurrect the super league.