On-going progress..

[Clampy]

At least we have a manager now who i think will spend any money he gets wisely or at least try and get value for money. I don't think you'll be seeing us spend £8-9m on the likes of Warnock and N'Zogbia while he's in charge, which i find encouraging.

[dave.woodhall]

It also took Spurs about 15 years of finishing mid-table before they got anywhere near the top four.

They've also almost culturally with their club always had a very particular way of playing. Very few managers have tried changing that. There was the french geezer a few years back but he was disaster.

And they always make out that they don't want to win anything anyway as it's too vulgar.

[Matt Collins]

I'm reserving further judgment until Xmas. Realistically, we may not get many points at all from the next few games, it's November and December that will go along way towards dictating how our season pans out

[eamonn]

Another major difference between us and Spurs is when they do sell one of their better players, they tend to replace with ones of a similar standard. Therefore the team rarely suffers like us

I'm still reeling over getting 38m for Young/Downing and expecting a 9m N'Zogbia to replace both of their assists and goals

Or getting 18m and Ireland for Milner but not actually replacing the engine of the side

It just can't be done. No matter how cheap Lerner wants it to be, you spend pennies you'll get exactly what we have. Bottom half fodder

He also used that cash to spend 20m on Bent in fairness.

A terribly high percentage of our signings on high wages over the past few years, post-O'Neill (who had his own mixed record), have not worked out for whatever reason (Ireland, Makoun, Zog, Hutton, Given, Bent ultimately though you could argue he had a big hand in keeping us up in 2011 and therefore repaid all monies concerning him) so, as Mr Woodhall says, at what stage do you say enough is enough?

Presumably, in his interview for the job, Lambert told Lerner that he could spot unproven but talented players for relatively little money that would help the club become more sustainable. To which Randy must have ruffled Paul's head and said something like "I'll still have a few bob - isn't that the expression you guys use over here?, to give to you for the more deluxe purchases should you require it. When can you start?"

I mean, presumably Lerner was serious enough about spending a fair bit on a salary for Clint Dempsey seeing as we had an offer accepted. He's not nearly as tight/bored/negligible as people think. A bit naive (TSM) and unlucky that the managers he's given money to have wasted a lot of it but it's a chairman's duty to back his manager which he has done to a more than reasonable level.

[Clampy]

Another major difference between us and Spurs is when they do sell one of their better players, they tend to replace with ones of a similar standard. Therefore the team rarely suffers like us

I'm still reeling over getting 38m for Young/Downing and expecting a 9m N'Zogbia to replace both of their assists and goals

Or getting 18m and Ireland for Milner but not actually replacing the engine of the side

It just can't be done. No matter how cheap Lerner wants it to be, you spend pennies you'll get exactly what we have. Bottom half fodder

A terribly high percentage of our signings on high wages over the past few years, post-O'Neill (who had his own mixed record), have not worked out for whatever reason (Ireland, Makoun, Zog, Hutton, Given, Bent ultimately though you could argue he had a big hand in keeping us up in 2011 and therefore repaid all monies concerning him) so, as Mr Woodhall says, at what stage do you say enough is enough?

I think the fact that he's still handing over £7m on transfer deadline day gets overlooked.

[eastie]

The money is made in the champions league and we are a million miles away from that level right now, does lerner invest say £30m to turn us into a Europa league team where there is little money to be won and perhaps finish 7th earning an extra £5m or so in prize money for an outlay of his £30m - or does he decide to just spend a few million and keep in the premiership - he has tried throwing money at getting into the top 4 and it failed , I can't blame him if he chooses not to risk big money again.

[walsall villain]

The money is made in the champions league and we are a million miles away from that level right now, does lerner invest say £30m to turn us into a Europa league team where there is little money to be won and perhaps finish 7th earning an extra £5m or so in prize money for an outlay of his £30m - or does he decide to just spend a few million and keep in the premiership - he has tried throwing money at getting into the top 4 and it failed , I can't blame him if he chooses not to risk big money again.
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The money is made in the champions league and we are a million miles away from that level right now, does lerner invest say £30m to turn us into a Europa league team where there is little moneys to be won and perhaps finish 7th earning an extra £5m or so in prize money for an outlay of his £30m - or does he decide to just spend a few million and keep in the premiership - he has tried throwing money at getting into the top 4 and it failed , I can't blame him if he chooses not to risk big money again.

Depressing reality is that their is only 5 or 6 teams that can possibly challenge for champions league spots as things stand. But arsenal have managed it without spending absolute fortunes much to the annoyance of some of their fans. It's the Wenger approach we could aspire too, massive investment isn't going to happen with the current owner. We are not alone, some good old football clubs out there treading water like us, Everton, Newcastle for example.

[eastie]

Arsenal have 60,000 gates plus they have had champions league cash for over a decade and their income is huge compared to ours.

[dave.woodhall]

Arsenal have the biggest matchday income in the world, plus as eastie said, once you're in the Champions League regularly it becomes self-perpetuating.

[walsall villain]

Arsenal have 60,000 gates plus they have had champions league cash for over a decade and their income is huge compared to ours.

True but they have bought youngsters in and tried to improve them, that's the comparison I was trying to make. Can't say Chelsea, Man City or Man U in recent years followed that route

[walsall villain]

Arsenal have the biggest matchday income in the world, plus as eastie said, once you're in the Champions League regularly it becomes self-perpetuating.

When I was young I used to see Arsenal and Villa as equals (late 50's early 60's). Depressing to think how left behind we became. Now where does the blame start!

[saunders_heroes]

Arsenal have the biggest matchday income in the world, plus as eastie said, once you're in the Champions League regularly it becomes self-perpetuating.

When I was young I used to see Arsenal and Villa as equals (late 50's early 60's). Depressing to think how left behind we became. Now where does the blame start!

It's been many many years since we've been equal to Arsenal, so even I can't blame Lerner for that.

[ez]

Even though spurs overtook us years ago they still can't win a trophy but there again, I suppose that's not the point these days.

[supertom]

Even though spurs overtook us years ago they still can't win a trophy but there again, I suppose that's not the point these days.

Spurs have often lacked a really top manager. While Arsenal went and found great success in hiring Wenger, they struggled with inconsistent managers. There was always that base of wanting to play proper football. There's an expectation Spurs have, which is to have a few flash midfielders and a goalscoring center forward or two.

When they got Redknapp he really kicked them on. There was a level of consistency. I also think they got AVB at the right time too. A lot is expected of AVB, to become the next Mourinho I guess. It didn't go right at Chelsea. He had the right idea, and that was to try and freshen things up and re-invent them as a younger side, but without the backing to usurp the Terry/Lampard power grip.
Had AVB been successful there's no way in hell he'd manage Spurs. He'd still be at Chelsea or could have been after the Real job this summer.

I see them adding trophies now. But yeah, they've a good transfer record generally, especially in the last 10 years. They kind of tried to make a push 10-15 years ago but couldn't escape mid-table thanks to expensive flops like Rebrov and Postiga. Since signing players of the ilk of Modric and Berbatov they've pushed on, generally. Whoever's been scouting these players has done very well, because they're bought for reasonable fees and sold for ridiculous fees.

But that's the thing, Spurs are far more marketable than us. You can probably buy a Spurs shirt in most sports shops around the country. You'd be lucky to find a Villa shirt outside the midlands. Again, people know who Tottenham are around the world. Not so much with us. So if you're working on the basis of club income, in relation to how much you can spend, they're gonna have more to spend on players.

[ozzjim]

Despite the clear problems we have we are now 6 points better off and about ten goals than in the same 6 games last season. Cant be all that bad.