What's new

Jack Grealish

LexingtonSpurs

Well-Known Member
Aug 27, 2013
13,456
39,042
It is amazing how many people want us to stop doing the things that have helped our progress.
Spot on - Grealish is really the type of player we should be looking at - HG, high potential, wants to be here, and he just became affordable.

Grealish at £40M - no thanks. Grealish at £25M - lets take a look.

What is weird to me - but maybe shouldn't be - is the reasons why people are opposed to Grealish*: Hair, Socks, National Team. I can't wait to see the scouting report to find out how Spurs rated him on these things...



*I have already confessed that I was not a fan of Grealish, based on his maturity. But, I have come around based on nearly every report that says he now has got his head screwed on right. This seems to be the kind of transfer that works - player is young, with attributes we want, and is tested in England.
 

Spurslove

Well-Known Member
Jul 6, 2012
6,627
9,281
Some comments baffle me (no, it doesn't take much...)

Why would anyone be underwhelmed by Grealish coming in because he's from the division below and unproven at this level, and yet they'd prefer Maddison from Norwich?

Having said that, I'd prefer to see him play without his hat on.

.
 

werty

Well-Known Member
Aug 8, 2005
25,074
26,310
Spot on - Grealish is really the type of player we should be looking at - HG, high potential, wants to be here, and he just became affordable.

Grealish at £40M - no thanks. Grealish at £25M - lets take a look.

What is weird to me - but maybe shouldn't be - is the reasons why people are opposed to Grealish*: Hair, Socks, National Team. I can't wait to see the scouting report to find out how Spurs rated him on these things...



*I have already confessed that I was not a fan of Grealish, based on his maturity. But, I have come around based on nearly every report that says he now has got his head screwed on right. This seems to be the kind of transfer that works - player is young, with attributes we want, and is tested in England.
People who don't want him for those reasons are a very small percentage. Nearly straw-man levels. That whole thing has been blown out of proportion.
 

werty

Well-Known Member
Aug 8, 2005
25,074
26,310
Some comments baffle me (no, it doesn't take much...)

Why would anyone be underwhelmed by Grealish coming in because he's from the division below and unproven at this level, and yet they'd prefer Maddison from Norwich?

Having said that, I'd prefer to see him play without his hat on.

.
Maddison had better significantly better stats than Grealish last year and is a year younger.
 

Keith Morris

Well-Known Member
Jun 20, 2012
649
1,888
I prefer Grealish over Maddison, Maddison is decent, tidy with the ball in free play, similar to Aaron Ramsey I would say, he has superb deadball ability, but in open play Grealish will give us something we lack, a dribbler, ball carrier and player that can ghost past people, I choose Grealish out of the two he seems a better prospect
 

tiger666

Large Member
Jan 4, 2005
27,978
82,214
There’s been a lot of negativity towards those that don’t rate/underwhelmed by him on this thread.

Yeah and? You can give your "Not rating him" views. That doesn't mean people aren't allowed to question or give counter-arguments.
 

dontcallme

SC Supporter
Mar 18, 2005
33,988
81,937
There’s been a lot of negativity towards those that don’t rate/underwhelmed by him on this thread.

I am quite interested in how people come to their conclusions.

I am on the fence, will support the signing if it happens but won’t be too bothered if it doesn’t happen.

Find it weird how certain some are as it doesn’t seem that clear what his level is.

He appears to have done well without being spectacular.
 

tiger666

Large Member
Jan 4, 2005
27,978
82,214
His stats per 90 minutes is what I meant. And the fact he (Grealish) only played half a season should work against him

I still don't really get it. Grealish is available on the cheap, will provide good backup, people say he isn't good enough, but want us to spend even more on Maddison, who would be equally unproven.
 

Mr Pink

SC Supporter
Aug 25, 2010
54,776
99,340
I'm sure he does. Heck in fact I'm sure all managers would want the same. Fact is though we have a limited budget and it's not as simple as just "get them now". I have posted some of the issues in other posts but I will try and explain a bit one more time.

When I refer to "the players" that can mean the players themselves, the agents, their family members, and more often than not a combination of all three.

A club like ours will compile a shortlist of players that fit the need for the club. The players are no different. They will have their own list of clubs they would like to go to.....
boyhood clubs
playing time
great manager and/or players
CL football
location
financials
etc etc.

We make our interest known to the selling club and agent, and the absolute first thing they do is look to see if they can do better elsewhere(that's their job). This might take time, for numerous reasons....

A preferred club is interested but needs to sell first,
the club has an alternative they would prefer but strings the player along just in case
Difference of opinion on the transfer fee/wages between the buying club and selling club/agent
Or like now an upcoming world cup which could change the desire in their players.

We are not top of the food chain(but we are not far off) so when we are looking at squad players it's usually a pretty easy decision from the players/agents POV, but the selling club is still going to look at maximising the transfer fee by selling elsewhere first. If the player is set on joining us and the selling club can get more elsewhere this will drag it out. Then the agent might think the other team will pay more = more delays. Then there is the players family that needs persuading etc etc.

The fact is in the early part of the window we are trying to do stuff but there are hurdles everywhere. In the last 2-3 weeks of the window the players/agents/clubs pretty much know where they stand. Other clubs are needing income to do their deals, players/agents are getting edgy and prepared to take less, and most importantly the Elite clubs aren't likely to force the prices up with their interest.

It's simple really, if we want players that none of the other teams would want it's easy. If we want our top choices then all the above has to align first and that takes time to happen.

Of course it is possible to get these deals done early ala Liverpool , but the fact is they are overpaying(quite significantly), both is Agents fee's and signing on fee's to do so. I'm sure there will be numerous posters now saying "well we should do the same". Firstly Levy does not operate like that, and secondly we have a budget, a transfer kitty a war chest call it what you will, but with everything else going on regarding stadium and pay rises it does have it's limit.

If we go down the route of greasing the wheels a deal which should cost £40 mil now costs £46. That's not just £6mil off the transfer fee of the next player. Well it's only £6mill, nothing in the grand scheme of things right? Wrong because when we come to sign player 2 his agent won't do business until he gets his Brucie bonus either. If Poch wants/needs 3 players in by the time we get to player three we can't get close to affording him and we are left short.

Now all that said I'm sure the nay sayers will come diving in with "If we hadn't wasted money on blah blah blah we wouldn't be in this position" Well maybe that's true, but our approach has been to buy lots of middle of the road(financially speaking) players with potential knowing some will work and some won't. You can't list all the flops without all the successful players either. Added to that how many of the so called flops have we actually lost money on, because they may not have performed on the pitch, but if they haven't cost us financially then they aren't really a massive problem.


Poch is very aware of how things work. If he wants his top targets sometimes it comes at a cost as far as timeline is concerned.

Yes good points, and ones I'm mostly aware of. I do understand the logic you're outlining, I just think is it not possible to deviate a touch from our MO (which has served us well to date) to get a fundamental target in earlier than leaving it to the last knockings of the window? With the risk of not securing preferred target...

Levy is clearly a very intelligent and shrewd business man, I just feel is paying a premium early in the window to secure an absolutely top priority (which CM is imo) not preferable to playing the poker game as the window wears on.

I know I'm not privy to the intricacies behind the scenes but it's not like we havn't got the appeal now to be a bit more aggressive with a fundamental area that needs addressed.

Then again, maybe CM isn't viewed a priority.

Enjoyed your response though Trix, insightful as always.
 

Hengy1

Well-Known Member
Aug 7, 2014
2,744
7,424
I am quite interested in how people come to their conclusions.

I am on the fence, will support the signing if it happens but won’t be too bothered if it doesn’t happen.

Find it weird how certain some are as it doesn’t seem that clear what his level is.

He appears to have done well without being spectacular.
This is my stance. He’s a decent young player but for me he’s a underwhelming meh signing.

If we sign him I’ll obviously hope he does well ??
 

werty

Well-Known Member
Aug 8, 2005
25,074
26,310
I still don't really get it. Grealish is available on the cheap, will provide good backup, people say he isn't good enough, but want us to spend even more on Maddison, who would be equally unproven.
We don't know how much "cheap" is. And people, not including me because I haven't seen him enough, think Maddison is better. Which he statistically is.
 

Hengy1

Well-Known Member
Aug 7, 2014
2,744
7,424
I still don't really get it. Grealish is available on the cheap, will provide good backup, people say he isn't good enough, but want us to spend even more on Maddison, who would be equally unproven.
Is he available on the cheap? £40m is the quoted price on the media side.

AV owner just got a £50m loan to tie the club over while he sorts out his problems.

Imo anything over £20m for him shouldn’t be classed as cheap.
 
Top