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Champions League qualification

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posted on 14/5/24

comment by HB Fash (U21935)
posted 1 minute ago
comment by Striketeam7 - There used to be a football club over there (U18109)
posted 55 minutes ago
comment by HB Fash (U21935)
posted 2 minutes ago
I feel like I see a post from a Spurs fan every few seasons saying better to be in the Europa League because we can win it.

Then never win it.

Spurs must have been favourites for it umpteen times over the last few decades and never get close to lifting it so instead of snobbery about the competition you play in Europe. Win one of them, any of them, the pokey Conference if it needs be ffs.
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The Conference really isn’t worth winning, it’s on a par with the league one playoff trophy.

You are right about the Europa and us being faves on occasions and not following through. The reason is simple, the managers at Spurs are remunerated heavily for CL qualification and although the Europa does offer a place, top 4 has previously been seen as more achievable.

Therefore, what usually happens is we do not take the comp seriously and instead see it as a hindrance to the league campaign. This means we end up getting beaten by the first half decent side we play in the KO’s because we rotate heavily and do not prepare for the opposition.

You look at the sides that knock us out - Gent, Dinamo Zagreb, Shakhtar - who we nearly beat with a team of kids. Then consider the sides we beat in the CL in the same time frame - Real Madrid, Milan, Inter, Dortmund, Ajax. It shows where the clubs priorities are - it’s all about the filthy lucre and faaack actually winning anything.
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The conference would still be your biggest trophy in decades.

It's about winning, winning anything at this stage.
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No chance, the league cup has the likes of City, Liverpool, Arsenal, United, Chelsea in it - West Ham’s conference opponents of note were AZ Alkmaar and Fiorentina. You can’t tell me the Conference is better than the League cup, it really isn’t.

Additionally, we’ve been in a CL final, playing and beating some of the biggest names in Euro footy - losing a CL final I would put above winning the Conference, it just has no prestige whatsoever. The first 3 winners are going to be Roma (never won a euro trophy previously) West Ham (hadn’t won a trophy of any description for nearly half a decade) and either Fiorentina (mid table Italian side that haven’t won faaack all in decades) or Olympiacos (no Greek side has ever won a European trophy)

The whole idea around the conference is to give the small clubs of Europe a chance of winning something. Now Roma aren’t small, but Fiorentina, West Ham and Olympiacos are. Spurs are not the elite, but we’re a cut above that lot, we’ve won 3 euro trophies, we’ve been in a CL final, we’ve qualified for the CL on a consistent basis. We are very much Europa league level and that is a cut above the conference.

If we won the Conference league and no other London club won a trophy 10 years prior or 10 years after - they still wouldn’t care, hell the Arsenal fans would put the Emirates cup above it and I would struggle to argue with that

posted on 14/5/24

comment by Gillespie Road. (U18361)
posted 9 minutes ago
48 comments in, and still no mention of the possible financial cost of missing out on yet another year of Champions League football.

Let's see.....a record stadium mortgage..... Net payables of about £270m in the transfer market.....A ballooning wage bill..

Spare a thought for Daniel Levy.
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That’s a non event for the club to be honest, we still have the best wages to turnover ration in the league and the most FFP headroom in the league. We can outspend anyone this summer if we had the inclination to do so.

Levy will take comfort in the fact he doesn’t have to pay out CL bonuses for another year.

posted on 14/5/24

comment by Striketeam7 - There used to be a football club over there (U18109)
posted 4 minutes ago
comment by Gillespie Road. (U18361)
posted 9 minutes ago
48 comments in, and still no mention of the possible financial cost of missing out on yet another year of Champions League football.

Let's see.....a record stadium mortgage..... Net payables of about £270m in the transfer market.....A ballooning wage bill..

Spare a thought for Daniel Levy.
----------------------------------------------------------------------

That’s a non event for the club to be honest, we still have the best wages to turnover ration in the league and the most FFP headroom in the league. We can outspend anyone this summer if we had the inclination to do so.

Levy will take comfort in the fact he doesn’t have to pay out CL bonuses for another year.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Your impressive 2022/23 financial year was propped up by a solid run in the Champions League.

Living off your cash reserves may look like a good idea at first.

It took Arsenal 6 years to get back to the Champions League. And they had to burn through their £250m pot of cash and take up a £120m soft loan just to stay competitive with City and Liverpool.

posted on 14/5/24

Yeah we are not Woolwich. We have a 20 year mortgage and affordable repayments at good interest rate.

Ange will be given another £130m ish plus proceeds from player sales this summer. We will still make an operating profit and some funds left over from Kane sale.

Levy is looking for additional investment and still has the stadium naming rights deal to conclude.

posted on 14/5/24

I will be happy with a win or loss, just not a draw!

posted on 14/5/24

comment by Gillespie Road. (U18361)
posted 4 minutes ago
comment by Striketeam7 - There used to be a football club over there (U18109)
posted 4 minutes ago
comment by Gillespie Road. (U18361)
posted 9 minutes ago
48 comments in, and still no mention of the possible financial cost of missing out on yet another year of Champions League football.

Let's see.....a record stadium mortgage..... Net payables of about £270m in the transfer market.....A ballooning wage bill..

Spare a thought for Daniel Levy.
----------------------------------------------------------------------

That’s a non event for the club to be honest, we still have the best wages to turnover ration in the league and the most FFP headroom in the league. We can outspend anyone this summer if we had the inclination to do so.

Levy will take comfort in the fact he doesn’t have to pay out CL bonuses for another year.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Your impressive 2022/23 financial year was propped up by a solid run in the Champions League.

Living off your cash reserves may look like a good idea at first.

It took Arsenal 6 years to get back to the Champions League. And they had to burn through their £250m pot of cash and take up a £120m soft loan just to stay competitive with City and Liverpool.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Yes but Arsenals wages were and still are far higher.

Our wage to turnover ratio is lower than Burnley’s - just think about that, we commit less of our revenue to wages than Burnley do.

We also generate vast amounts of income outside of football - the stadium is the biggest revenue earner in Europe, Concerts, NFL, Rugby, Boxing, F1 karting now. We haven’t even had to sell the naming rights - another financial option if needed.

The reality is Spurs are in no way reliant on the CL for revenue. Levy’s biggest strength and weakness is his grasp on our finances.

The whole mortgage debt thing is misunderstood by most, bloke A owes £100k on his mortgage and earns £20k a year, bloke B owes £1m on his mortgage but earns £400k a year post tax - you would rather be bloke B - which is who Spurs are in this analogy. The revenue from non football events covers the cost of the mortgage and then some.

Don’t take my word for it though, go look up Swiss ramble or the other umpteenth articles that will back this up

posted on 14/5/24

Worth repeating again, due to FFP, Spurs if they chose to could outspend anyone else in the league this summer - we have that much FFP wriggle room.

Chelsea are almost certainly going to have to sell just to be allowed to play in Europe as they exceed the threshold.

Newcastle may have to sell a star player to balance the books.

Villa, despite qualifying for the CL are not going to be able to bring a high profile player in without selling first.

The revenue the likes of Spurs and United generate means we will still be financially competitive season after season. Levy found the workaround, even Real Madrid are looking to copy it with their new stadium. It’s why Chelsea are so desperate to build a new stadium. United want to upgrade, Liverpool will.

West Ham are hamstrung by not owning their ground.

posted on 14/5/24

comment by Striketeam7 - There used to be a football club over there (U18109)
posted 10 minutes ago
Worth repeating again, due to FFP, Spurs if they chose to could outspend anyone else in the league this summer - we have that much FFP wriggle room.

Chelsea are almost certainly going to have to sell just to be allowed to play in Europe as they exceed the threshold.

Newcastle may have to sell a star player to balance the books.

Villa, despite qualifying for the CL are not going to be able to bring a high profile player in without selling first.

The revenue the likes of Spurs and United generate means we will still be financially competitive season after season. Levy found the workaround, even Real Madrid are looking to copy it with their new stadium. It’s why Chelsea are so desperate to build a new stadium. United want to upgrade, Liverpool will.

West Ham are hamstrung by not owning their ground.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
I've read that Chelsea have discovered yet another loophole as they're planning on selling the land the Cobham training ground sits on to another company within their portfolio, just as they did with the hotel. This means that they won't have any financial requirements to meet by June 30th and no need for further sales. It's an absolute joke they're getting away with this.

posted on 14/5/24

It's like you've gone back 6 years and read all the optimistic comments we used to make back then.

As I said, it all sounds like a good idea at first.

posted on 14/5/24

comment by Gillespie Road. (U18361)
posted 10 minutes ago
It's like you've gone back 6 years and read all the optimistic comments we used to make back then.

As I said, it all sounds like a good idea at first.
----------------------------------------------------------------------

It’s not an idea is it? No one is saying let’s avoid qualifying for the CL because the new F1 karting will make up the shortfall.

What we’re saying is that the revenue generated by the Emirates is minuscule in comparison to our ground, may as well be different leagues.

Our wage/turnover is the best in the league

Therefore, 10 years out of the CL is not going to weaken us significantly in terms of finances against the top sides because we are far more competitive in other financial areas than those sides - particularly Arsenal.

These are just facts. What would be a huge issue for us is if FFP rules are scrapped. That would faaack us as suddenly Chelsea, Newcastle, Villa would all be outspending us with no handbrake alongside the usual suspects.

That would also really hurt Arsenal as well though

posted on 14/5/24

comment by fridgeboy (U1053)
posted 17 minutes ago
comment by Striketeam7 - There used to be a football club over there (U18109)
posted 10 minutes ago
Worth repeating again, due to FFP, Spurs if they chose to could outspend anyone else in the league this summer - we have that much FFP wriggle room.

Chelsea are almost certainly going to have to sell just to be allowed to play in Europe as they exceed the threshold.

Newcastle may have to sell a star player to balance the books.

Villa, despite qualifying for the CL are not going to be able to bring a high profile player in without selling first.

The revenue the likes of Spurs and United generate means we will still be financially competitive season after season. Levy found the workaround, even Real Madrid are looking to copy it with their new stadium. It’s why Chelsea are so desperate to build a new stadium. United want to upgrade, Liverpool will.

West Ham are hamstrung by not owning their ground.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
I've read that Chelsea have discovered yet another loophole as they're planning on selling the land the Cobham training ground sits on to another company within their portfolio, just as they did with the hotel. This means that they won't have any financial requirements to meet by June 30th and no need for further sales. It's an absolute joke they're getting away with this.
----------------------------------------------------------------------

That’s fine, imagine they finish 7th - very likely, and have to resort to these desperate measure just to play in the Conference league.

The longer FFP continues the bigger their issues become without CL football - they will run out of things to sell.

By far the most interesting side in the league off the pitch - they are a car crash waiting to happen. I hope Michael Lewis is already working on the book

comment by Mack (U6574)

posted on 14/5/24

comment by Striketeam7 - There used to be a football club over there (U18109)
posted 14 minutes ago
comment by fridgeboy (U1053)
posted 17 minutes ago
comment by Striketeam7 - There used to be a football club over there (U18109)
posted 10 minutes ago
Worth repeating again, due to FFP, Spurs if they chose to could outspend anyone else in the league this summer - we have that much FFP wriggle room.

Chelsea are almost certainly going to have to sell just to be allowed to play in Europe as they exceed the threshold.

Newcastle may have to sell a star player to balance the books.

Villa, despite qualifying for the CL are not going to be able to bring a high profile player in without selling first.

The revenue the likes of Spurs and United generate means we will still be financially competitive season after season. Levy found the workaround, even Real Madrid are looking to copy it with their new stadium. It’s why Chelsea are so desperate to build a new stadium. United want to upgrade, Liverpool will.

West Ham are hamstrung by not owning their ground.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
I've read that Chelsea have discovered yet another loophole as they're planning on selling the land the Cobham training ground sits on to another company within their portfolio, just as they did with the hotel. This means that they won't have any financial requirements to meet by June 30th and no need for further sales. It's an absolute joke they're getting away with this.
----------------------------------------------------------------------

That’s fine, imagine they finish 7th - very likely, and have to resort to these desperate measure just to play in the Conference league.

The longer FFP continues the bigger their issues become without CL football - they will run out of things to sell.

By far the most interesting side in the league off the pitch - they are a car crash waiting to happen. I hope Michael Lewis is already working on the book
----------------------------------------------------------------------

Money always finds a way around rules. Always.

posted on 14/5/24

Hearing there’s loads of tickets available for tonight!

comment by Hengy (U9129)

posted on 14/5/24

Hope we lose

posted on 14/5/24

Interesting Poll on SC asking do you want us to beat City tonight?

YesVotes: 154 54.0%

NoVotes: 138 48.4%

Total voters 285

Very surprising. If ever there was a Brexit game, this is it 😂.


posted on 14/5/24

comment by Hengy (U9129)
posted 21 minutes ago
Hope we lose
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Agreed - the match thread will be fun. I’ve jacked my ticket in for this one, would be a truly depressing game to go to

posted on 14/5/24

comment by Striketeam7 - There used to be a football club over there (U18109)
posted 3 minutes ago
comment by Hengy (U9129)
posted 21 minutes ago
Hope we lose
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Agreed - the match thread will be fun. I’ve jacked my ticket in for this one, would be a truly depressing game to go to
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Match thread should be at the top shortly!

posted on 14/5/24

comment by Automatic For The People (U21889)
posted 1 hour, 23 minutes ago
Hearing there’s loads of tickets available for tonight!
----------------------------------------------------------------------

Just checked the website, tickets available from what I can see in every block. Loads and loads of empty seats tonight

Should help City

posted on 14/5/24

comment by Striketeam7 - There used to be a football club over there (U18109)
posted 44 seconds ago
comment by Automatic For The People (U21889)
posted 1 hour, 23 minutes ago
Hearing there’s loads of tickets available for tonight!
----------------------------------------------------------------------

Just checked the website, tickets available from what I can see in every block. Loads and loads of empty seats tonight

Should help City
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Mental.

comment by T-BAD (U11806)

posted on 14/5/24

comment by Striketeam7 - There used to be a football club over there (U18109)
posted 3 hours, 43 minutes ago
comment by Gillespie Road. (U18361)
posted 10 minutes ago
It's like you've gone back 6 years and read all the optimistic comments we used to make back then.

As I said, it all sounds like a good idea at first.
----------------------------------------------------------------------

It’s not an idea is it? No one is saying let’s avoid qualifying for the CL because the new F1 karting will make up the shortfall.

What we’re saying is that the revenue generated by the Emirates is minuscule in comparison to our ground, may as well be different leagues.

Our wage/turnover is the best in the league

Therefore, 10 years out of the CL is not going to weaken us significantly in terms of finances against the top sides because we are far more competitive in other financial areas than those sides - particularly Arsenal.

These are just facts. What would be a huge issue for us is if FFP rules are scrapped. That would faaack us as suddenly Chelsea, Newcastle, Villa would all be outspending us with no handbrake alongside the usual suspects.

That would also really hurt Arsenal as well though
----------------------------------------------------------------------
I think the point was that we were in exactly the same situation when the Emirates was new, but then the TV money came in and completely negated that advantage which we'd worked towards for so long. You never know what's around the corner and the best tactic should always be geared towards getting you sat at the top table for when things like that happen.

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