Managing Director Football: Fabio Paratici

[danielneeds]

City, United and Chelsea are much richer than us.

Liverpool are much smarter than us.

I really cant understand Levy’s thinking in not getting someone to develop a coherant footballing strategy off the pitch.

 

[spursfan77]

City, United and Chelsea are much richer than us.

Liverpool are much smarter than us.

I really cant understand Levy’s thinking in not getting someone to develop a coherant footballing strategy off the pitch.

Especially as he's always been a fan of the model.

 

[WiganSpur]

Napoli apparently bidding 100mil for Osimhen & Gabriel from Lille.

Campos is a magician. Why again are we not after him? On a tight budget he makes a ton of sense.

Because Levy is chief scout, director of football and chairman. He will never give up control.

 

[thekneaf]

City, United and Chelsea are much richer than us.

Liverpool are much smarter than us.

I really cant understand Levy’s thinking in not getting someone to develop a coherant footballing strategy off the pitch.

Liverpool are also a lot richer than us, and smarter.

 

[coy-spurs1882]

Because Levy is chief scout, director of football and chairman. He will never give up control.

imagine levy scouting by using FM

 

[spursfan77]

imagine levy scouting by using FM

We had Mitchell doing that already!

 

[danielneeds]

Liverpool are also a lot richer than us, and smarter.

They are richer and their wage bill has always been higher, but most of their transfer spending has been offset by sales. FSG will always run a tight ship like Levy. They’ve just played the transfer market much, much smarter than we have the last few years.

 

[dirtyh]

They are richer and their wage bill has always been higher, but most of their transfer spending has been offset by sales. FSG will always run a tight ship like Levy. They’ve just played the transfer market much, much smarter than we have the last few years.

plus they don't give a toss about paying ridiculous agent fees, something we know levy has a real issue with. In my mind this has been the major factor in all the transfer 'misses' over the years and this is also why the richer clubs will always prosper, cos they don't give a shit about an agent charging £10m+. The scouse and the chavs have always been very high payers of agents (werner - 12m for example) and this makes a huge difference because as long as a player is getting well paid, it's well known they don't really care where it comes from.

 

[thekneaf]

They are richer and their wage bill has always been higher, but most of their transfer spending has been offset by sales. FSG will always run a tight ship like Levy. They’ve just played the transfer market much, much smarter than we have the last few years.

I think they've invested similarly to us, and undoubtedly hit pay dirt more often.

Quite how they got £140m for Coutinho is beyond me.

They also sold Sakho and Benteke to palace for £53m together.

This list is really illuminating

Jurgen Klopp's list of LFC transfers

Full list of all Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool FC transfer signings and players sold with total transfer fees paid and received.

www.anfield-online.co.uk

They appeared to have more saleable assets, or at least got value for them on the market.

Klopp has had a net spend of £70m against Pochettinho £20m. So yes this is probably only a Keïta in the difference.

It's wages, as you mentioned, and agent fees that really tilted it.

I agree we need a director if football, but there is an arguement that Poch himself became too powerful and wouldn't give up his players to finance replacements.

That list shows Klopp has barely spent anything since July 2018 when Alisson was brought it. He had three solid years of investment and then he seriously delivered on it. Did Poch?

 

[he is you know!]

I think they've invested similarly to us, and undoubtedly hit pay dirt more often.

Quite how they got £140m for Coutinho is beyond me.

They also sold Sakho and Benteke to palace for £53m together.

This list is really illuminating

Jurgen Klopp's list of LFC transfers

Full list of all Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool FC transfer signings and players sold with total transfer fees paid and received.

www.anfield-online.co.uk

They appeared to have more saleable assets, or at least got value for them on the market.

Klopp has had a net spend of £70m against Pochettinho £20m. So yes this is probably only a Keïta in the difference.

It's wages, as you mentioned, and agent fees that really tilted it.

I agree we need a director if football, but there is an arguement that Poch himself became too powerful and wouldn't give up his players to finance replacements.

That list shows Klopp has barely spent anything since July 2018 when Alisson was brought it. He had three solid years of investment and then he seriously delivered on it. Did Poch?

I would say the difference in net spend is a lot more, but because nobody can track exactly what is eventually paid on a transfer its difficult to be exact.

E.g on this list the purchases dont include add-ons, Mane I'm sure has risen to 34m, Keita is 63 because they agreed a 10m bonus and AOC (not that one!) could be 40m.

As for sales, this 140ishm figure for Countinho is always used, but that was euros and 40m of that was in add-ons. A lot of that hasn't been met because of performance in CL and appearances not achieved.

 

[spursfan77]

plus they don't give a toss about paying ridiculous agent fees, something we know levy has a real issue with. In my mind this has been the major factor in all the transfer 'misses' over the years and this is also why the richer clubs will always prosper, cos they don't give a shit about an agent charging £10m+. The scouse and the chavs have always been very high payers of agents (werner - 12m for example) and this makes a huge difference because as long as a player is getting well paid, it's well known they don't really care where it comes from.

we used to be second or third highest payers of agents fees a few years ago. Probably why we’ve changed tact now.

 

[Johnny J]

You can't work on a budget like ours and not be smart about transfers. Either you spend a lot of money to get the best players, or you have a top sporting director and accompanying support network to be smart in the market.

 

[WiganSpur]

For those doubting that Levy fancies himself as a scout, read this:

Has Pochettino’s dinner date with Levy eased the Tottenham tensions? | David Hytner

Manager’s admission before Arsenal trip that he and Levy have been at odds is exemplified by Jack Clarke’s transfer

www.theguardian.com

 

[SecretLemonadeDrinker]

For those doubting that Levy fancies himself as a scout, read this:

Has Pochettino’s dinner date with Levy eased the Tottenham tensions? | David Hytner

Manager’s admission before Arsenal trip that he and Levy have been at odds is exemplified by Jack Clarke’s transfer

www.theguardian.com

I hardly think that Levy himself scouted Clarke!

It is, however, the kind of signing that he loves - if it pays off like Alli, Dier etc.

 

[mpickard2087]

Because Levy is chief scout, director of football and chairman. He will never give up control.

I think that's very harsh, since Levy/ENIC took over circa 20 years ago most of the time we have been operating with those people in place.

The first two or three years saw Hoddle as coach, with Pleat in the background in some sort of DOF role. We all know this was a more of the same from the 90's - a few bright spots in between a lot of average or downright rubbish displays - with no direction or clear vision in place. Towards the end though, I think a lot of it driven by Pleat when he was holding the fort in 03-04, we were starting to sign younger players like Keane and notably Defoe, and were blooding a few more young players like Ricketts, Jackson, Kelly, Marney etc.

We then got the big revamp in 04. Pleat was pensioned off (officially at least, he apparently still has Levy's ear to this day), Arnesen came in as much more of a General Manager type, working with Santini/Jol. The focus now was definitely on younger, predominantly English talent with Robinson, Lennon, Carrick, Dawson etc. coming in during this period and the start of upward trajectory as a club.

Even after blips such as Santini, Arnesen ditching us, Jol and Commoli falling out, the model was persisted with. Buying younger players ahead of the curve who can grow with us, with the DOF(s) and their networks identifying the players.

Then it was ditched as Redknapp requested it as part of his terms for taking over.

Then it was reinstated at the request of AVB.

Then it was ditched again at the request of Pochettino, who wanted more control when he was at the height of his reign.

I am sure Levy does like to get involved in the process along the way and we know he seeks the opinion of various people he trusts to advise him, but all the way through we've a) largely had a DOF, multi layer structure in place and b) he's done as the key employees (usually the manager) have asked along the way in regards to any changes from this.

I have repeatedly said for years and years, flying high or bad results, I want to see a big and ambitious change in terms of the management and structure of the football operations and it does feel like we've drifted along and lost the vision and direction over the last few years, but we don't know as to currently what is going on. Maybe Levy and Mourinho haven't found the right guy yet in the few months they've been working together, maybe the 'obvious target' doesn't actually have any interest in joining us, consider that, we just don't know. If Mourinho wants one though, prior evidence is we will get one in place though sooner rather than later.

 

[danielneeds]

plus they don't give a toss about paying ridiculous agent fees, something we know levy has a real issue with. In my mind this has been the major factor in all the transfer 'misses' over the years and this is also why the richer clubs will always prosper, cos they don't give a shit about an agent charging £10m+. The scouse and the chavs have always been very high payers of agents (werner - 12m for example) and this makes a huge difference because as long as a player is getting well paid, it's well known they don't really care where it comes from.

I remember reading some quotes from the RB Salzburg chief exec talking about the Minamino transfer and saying how easy it was to deal with Edwards and Liverpool and that the deal was straightforward.

Regarding Levy’s transfer negotiations these days, I always think of that quote in The Force Awakens when the smuggler is saying to Han Solo, “Your game is old. There’s no-one left in the galaxy for you to swindle.” Think most clubs have cottoned on to Levy since he could sell loads of rubbish to Sunderland and Portsmouth for millions. Maybe the networks where deals get done are through a different generation of negotiator who are more canny.

 

[thekneaf]

I remember reading some quotes from the RB Salzburg chief exec talking about the Minamino transfer and saying how easy it was to deal with Edwards and Liverpool and that the deal was straightforward.

Regarding Levy’s transfer negotiations these days, I always think of that quote in The Force Awakens when the smuggler is saying to Han Solo, “Your game is old. There’s no-one left in the galaxy for you to swindle.” Think most clubs have cottoned on to Levy since he could sell loads of rubbish to Sunderland and Portsmouth for millions. Maybe the networks where deals get done are through a different generation of negotiator who are more canny.

Liverpool bought a champions league attacker for less than £10m. Of course that was easy if that's the low value RB Salzburg had on him. It's only complicated if the selling club overvalue a player

 

[Monkey boy]

Liverpool bought a champions league attacker for less than £10m. Of course that was easy if that's the low value RB Salzburg had on him. It's only complicated if the selling club overvalue a player

which in Levy’s eyes is every player he tries to sign

 

[danielneeds]

Liverpool bought a champions league attacker for less than £10m. Of course that was easy if that's the low value RB Salzburg had on him. It's only complicated if the selling club overvalue a player

I think he had a release fee or something. The point is, relationships are everything in football. It's a little black book game, and those with the best contacts usually prosper. Levy's famously hard to deal with and it probably does put some people off.

 

[DiVaio]

Minamino had a relatively small release clause. That's why this deal was so easy.