Football 2025-26

[charlierc]

31 minutes ago, kaosmark2 said:

What?

 

You've got the 5th highest net spend on transfers on recent years and 6th or 7th highest wage budget in the league! That's in line with revenue position. 

 

It's easy to criticise where the recruitment has gone sure, but not the amount.

I interpreted it as seeing that Spurs' recruitment department and approach needs a severe overhaul given that, to put it kindly, they've not done a very good job. They have a big budget, sure, but it's clear something went very wrong in their recruitment department to build a team that has spent much of 2026 looking hopeless.

[kaosmark2]

8 minutes ago, Ben7amin_ said:

 

Last year we were so short of players - and we have carried this into season -  We quite simply do not have enough players -   we have the budget we could of spent more -  So i will absolutely criticise the amount.    To rephrase your comment we were the 5th highest net transfers but we were far more in need of players that the 4 teams that spent more than us.   

 

As for wages we have the 8th highest in the prem -    The boards ambition is to try and win the league and compete on Europe.....  this wont happen at that level, we spend only a little more than Nottingham Forrest 

 

Not that you challange it but our cheif medical officer made a list of recommendations to fix the injury issues.   We ignored him and he has now quit -  yet another season of injuries -   to make matters worse a few players who at spurs and never get fit - have left and now play week in week out. 

 

We the gig and American football alongside other commercial ventures -  we can financially compete with the biggest clubs in the prem -  Yet we seem to choose not to. 

The medical issues at the club are clearly severe, with the number of recurring long-term injuries, delayed returns, etc. I wasn't challenging that at all.

 

I'll be very shocked if you're 8th on wages, I've seen quite a lot saying we're 8th, but my general understanding is that there's 5 clubs splurging giga wages, Villa overextending to be about on par with your wage spend, then a gap down to us topping up the rest slightly ahead of West Ham, Forest, Everton. Lots of reports floating around that Gallagher is on ~200k/wk, while Bruno is our best paid at 150k/week.

[Ben7amin_]

5 minutes ago, kaosmark2 said:

The medical issues at the club are clearly severe, with the number of recurring long-term injuries, delayed returns, etc. I wasn't challenging that at all.

 

I'll be very shocked if you're 8th on wages, I've seen quite a lot saying we're 8th, but my general understanding is that there's 5 clubs splurging giga wages, Villa overextending to be about on par with your wage spend, then a gap down to us topping up the rest slightly ahead of West Ham, Forest, Everton. Lots of reports floating around that Gallagher is on ~200k/wk, while Bruno is our best paid at 150k/week.

 

So this has us at 7th - looking like that 200k per week for Gallagher must have taken us above Newcastle 

 

https://www.capology.com/uk/premier-league/payrolls/

 

Still though we are told the club is trying to win the prem....

Edited April 26 by Ben7amin_

[Ben7amin_]

20 minutes ago, charlierc said:

I interpreted it as seeing that Spurs' recruitment department and approach needs a severe overhaul given that, to put it kindly, they've not done a very good job. They have a big budget, sure, but it's clear something went very wrong in their recruitment department to build a team that has spent much of 2026 looking hopeless.

 

Absolutely 

 

Last Season we entered the Jan transfer window playng A CM and a RB at CB -   we had to play all 7 of Jans games like this when we bough Kevin Danso on deadline day.

 

They should have had the player lines up to join the 1st of Jan the transfer committee is so disengaged from the week to week task of picking players to make a football team its crazy. 

 

This year we knew we were short of attacking options -  then Kulu and Maddison out for season -  bought Xavi & Kudis -  as replacements but we needed them aswell - still needed another couple of players.   Made it worse when se sold Johnson and Kudis went out. 

[kaosmark2]

1 minute ago, Ben7amin_ said:

 

So this has us at 7th - looking like that 200k per week for Gallagher must have taken us above Newcastle 

 

https://www.capology.com/uk/premier-league/payrolls/

 

Still though we are told the club is trying to win the prem....

Adding in figures and more detail:

https://www.givemesport.com/premier-league-wage-bill/

https://fbref.com/en/comps/9/wages/Premier-League-Wages

 

Even without Gallagher that'd have you ahead. I suspect the differential is about managing loans, I know Capology are notorious for not factoring that in, which given Kolo Muani, Grealish, Sancho are the most expensive loanees in the Prem, would also make sense.

 

I think the Spurs board have a lot to be criticised for, including transfer targets, valuing non-playing staff, most expensive tickets, and hiring that scumbag as manager, but complaining about not investing in the playing squad reeks of entitlement. 

[Ben7amin_]

5 minutes ago, kaosmark2 said:

 

 

but complaining about not investing in the playing squad reeks of entitlement. 

 

Is it entitled -  we just want the dream those in charge sold us , which was very much competing Man City Liverpool etc... including on transfer funds 

 

As a fan im never going to go -  NO the board are over promising we should be happy being a level below those clubs  - but call it entitled if you want - 

 

 

 

[balti-pie]

Entitled! As a spurs fan at the start of every season I’d like to win more games than we lose, and score more goals than we let in. That’s all I want. If we do those two things then I’m content cos I’ve had a lot of seasons with neither. 
and I think paying the second highest ticket prices in the country might mean we sign something other than spindly 19yr old Scandinavians and teenage fullback prospects from South America, both of whom aren’t signed for out and out football reasons, but more on ‘we can flog this one for £75m in three years time’ ideas. Gallagher was literally only signed because he’s English and available, and reasonably cut price at £35m - he doesn’t fit into our midfield whatsoever and is exactly the style of midfielder we have about four of already. Runs a lot, energetic, fairly crap with the ball at his feet. And him being our highest paid player; good Christ alive, that is beyond idiotic and well into comedy trolling. 

[thetime]

Most fans are entitled, thats part of the deal. 

[thetime]

Has any club ever gone from national league/conference to the prem/1st division?

 

Wrexham getting promoted would be perhaps the story of the season. I know they have got new money and quite a big wage bill. 

[kaosmark2]

1 hour ago, balti-pie said:

Entitled! As a spurs fan at the start of every season I’d like to win more games than we lose, and score more goals than we let in. That’s all I want. If we do those two things then I’m content cos I’ve had a lot of seasons with neither. 
and I think paying the second highest ticket prices in the country might mean we sign something other than spindly 19yr old Scandinavians and teenage fullback prospects from South America, both of whom aren’t signed for out and out football reasons, but more on ‘we can flog this one for £75m in three years time’ ideas. Gallagher was literally only signed because he’s English and available, and reasonably cut price at £35m - he doesn’t fit into our midfield whatsoever and is exactly the style of midfielder we have about four of already. Runs a lot, energetic, fairly crap with the ball at his feet. And him being our highest paid player; good Christ alive, that is beyond idiotic and well into comedy trolling. 

I will say, I don't think your posts about what you expect from Spurs have been entitled. It's more the way that other complaint came across.

[kaosmark2]

1 hour ago, thetime said:

Most fans are entitled, thats part of the deal. 

Yeah I agree. It mostly just rubs me the wrong way when "lack of investment" is claimed from a team that's in the top end of wage/transfer spend. Not just Spurs, but Arsenal, Everton, Leicester, and other Newcastle fans have all bugged me at times. Getting it wrong is different from not doing it.

[Ben7amin_]

52 minutes ago, kaosmark2 said:

 Getting it wrong is different from not doing it.

 

Just consider it this way your a supporter of one of the Richest clubs in England your pre season business has not hit the spot.

 

January rolls around you have youth players on the bench and in several games can't name a full bench. You are in none danger from FFP and can spend  a lot without problems 

 

Aug window - getting it wrong

Jan window- not doing it (or enough of it at least) 

 

I ask you to forget ranking spurs spend against the other clubs and ask your self if you were a fan would you accept the club not spending

 

Because the point I'm making here is that it became a footballing necessity to go out and get more players -  had we done so 

 

There is a far greater chance we would not be in a relegation battle.

 

Now to be brutally honest I think it is atromocally unfair to call that "entited" 

 

Would you have taken that lack of January business on the chin of your club was in spurs position?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited April 26 by Ben7amin_

[Ben7amin_]

2 hours ago, balti-pie said:

Entitled! As a spurs fan at the start of every season I’d like to win more games than we lose, and score more goals than we let in. That’s all I want. If we do those two things then I’m content cos I’ve had a lot of seasons with neither. 
and I think paying the second highest ticket prices in the country might mean we sign something other than spindly 19yr old Scandinavians and teenage fullback prospects from South America, both of whom aren’t signed for out and out football reasons, but more on ‘we can flog this one for £75m in three years time’ ideas. Gallagher was literally only signed because he’s English and available, and reasonably cut price at £35m - he doesn’t fit into our midfield whatsoever and is exactly the style of midfielder we have about four of already. Runs a lot, energetic, fairly crap with the ball at his feet. And him being our highest paid player; good Christ alive, that is beyond idiotic and well into comedy trolling. 

 

We needed a Left back who could go straight into the team and the skimped on it. Needed a winger as well I think we are absolutely within are right to be disappointed we did not go out and make a proper signing. 

 

Because we had spent a chunk already should not come into it 

 

 

We have the money to it the board just penny pinching 

Edited April 26 by Ben7amin_

[kaosmark2]

1 hour ago, Ben7amin_ said:

Just consider it this way your a supporter of one of the Richest clubs in England your pre season business has not hit the spot.

 

January rolls around you have youth players on the bench and in several games can't name a full bench. You are in none danger from FFP and can spend  a lot without problems 

 

Aug window - getting it wrong

Jan window- not doing it (or enough of it at least) 

 

I ask you to forget ranking spurs spend against the other clubs and ask your self if you were a fan would you accept the club not spending

 

Because the point I'm making here is that it became a footballing necessity to go out and get more players -  had we done so 

 

There is a far greater chance we would not be in a relegation battle.

 

Now to be brutally honest I think it is atromocally unfair to call that "entited" 

 

Would you have taken that lack of January business on the chin of your club was in spurs position?

I mean.... this is what happened at Newcastle? We had 3 full backs and 3 CBs out injured, as well as injury problems elsewhere, were playing our 19-yo midfielder at RB, named 3 goalies and 4 youth players on the bench for 5(?) consecutive games in late Dec/early Jan, and refused to spend. Given we were still in 4 competitions, this then meant the players that were fit (other than an expensive striker for some reason) were massively overworked, lead to more injuries, and have been in relegation form since February when we were promised to challenge for Europe again, and to "be a top club by 2030".

 

CEOs lie, fans moan. It's the way of football.

[charlierc]

9 hours ago, thetime said:

Has any club ever gone from national league/conference to the prem/1st division?

 

Wrexham getting promoted would be perhaps the story of the season. I know they have got new money and quite a big wage bill. 

Luton did it but it took them 9 years. They're the only ones since the National League was established in the 80s. 

 

Even with the huge cash, Wrexham would get kudos if they can pull it off. Though first they've got to confirm the playoff spot, which is easier said than done given how close it looks going into this weekend's final day. 

[charlierc]

20 hours ago, Ben7amin_ said:

 

Is it entitled -  we just want the dream those in charge sold us , which was very much competing Man City Liverpool etc... including on transfer funds 

 

As a fan im never going to go -  NO the board are over promising we should be happy being a level below those clubs  - but call it entitled if you want - 

 

 

 

I don't think Spurs are alone in that tbf. This was the week Karen Brady left West Ham, where her big legacy was promising "a world class team for a world class stadium" only for West Ham to have neither. There's been loads of people over the years come into this sport and make ridiculous undeliverable promises, or assume that they don't need to do the work then act surprised when it goes awry. 

 

Spurs are an odd case given they do have the financial means but seem to have built a squad of second or third choices and have a medical department who increasingly have a poor record given by the quantity of injuries they're racking up. Somewhere in the make up of this mess is a squad that should be doing much better than 18th with a crazy number of key players out injured but here we are. It gives me Leicester 22/23 vibes or even us from our own two relegations. 

[charlierc]

6 hours ago, kaosmark2 said:

I mean.... this is what happened at Newcastle? We had 3 full backs and 3 CBs out injured, as well as injury problems elsewhere, were playing our 19-yo midfielder at RB, named 3 goalies and 4 youth players on the bench for 5(?) consecutive games in late Dec/early Jan, and refused to spend. Given we were still in 4 competitions, this then meant the players that were fit (other than an expensive striker for some reason) were massively overworked, lead to more injuries, and have been in relegation form since February when we were promised to challenge for Europe again, and to "be a top club by 2030".

 

CEOs lie, fans moan. It's the way of football.

I'd say we seem comparable to Liverpool - signed a lot of players with intent to deploy a system that was less focused around pressing, then tried to course correct back to that with players who don't suit it. Obviously the injury crisis that has seen us play a lot without multiple key players hasn't helped. 

 

Weirdly I think we've had the scope to rotate more than we did 2 seasons ago but that team had Isak and Wilson to score many goals and dig us out of trouble. Indeed we had a +23 goal difference in 23/24 and I thought we were unlucky not to finish 6th or higher. This one, can't say that given we are so bad at holding onto leads and in recent weeks just haven't done the business. 

[Ben7amin_]

20 minutes ago, charlierc said:

I'd say we seem comparable to Liverpool - signed a lot of players with intent to deploy a system that was less focused around pressing, then tried to course correct back to that with players who don't suit it. Obviously the injury crisis that has seen us play a lot without multiple key players hasn't helped. 

 

Weirdly I think we've had the scope to rotate more than we did 2 seasons ago but that team had Isak and Wilson to score many goals and dig us out of trouble. Indeed we had a +23 goal difference in 23/24 and I thought we were unlucky not to finish 6th or higher. This one, can't say that given we are so bad at holding onto leads and in recent weeks just haven't done the business. 

 

Yeah missed opportunity for Newcastle to push on a step this season, think the fact that Utd are finishing 3rd after an abysmal start - probably says it was open for Spurs, Newcastle Villa, should one of them get their act together -   I guess part of you must hope Spurs fo down as we probably have a. few players you would take,  Solanke, Porro maybe....  got nothing in goal for you though sorry.

 

On the Spurs side. Xavi looks like an ACL - and apparently Romero has gone to his national team to avoid the Spurs medical team 

 

 

 

 

[charlierc]

21 minutes ago, Ben7amin_ said:

 

Yeah missed opportunity for Newcastle to push on a step this season, think the fact that Utd are finishing 3rd after an abysmal start - probably says it was open for Spurs, Newcastle Villa, should one of them get their act together -   I guess part of you must hope Spurs fo down as we probably have a. few players you would take,  Solanke, Porro maybe....  got nothing in goal for you though sorry.

 

On the Spurs side. Xavi looks like an ACL - and apparently Romero has gone to his national team to avoid the Spurs medical team 

 

 

 

 

Hi everybody!

 

Yeah a Spurs fan I know is gutted about Xavi Simons. Throw in Solanke getting crocked too and the attacking area gets even more bare. 

 

I think tbf for all the arguments about Woltemade and Wissa, the bigger problem has been defensively. The fact we've dropped 25 points from winning positions clearly shows we have major issues in holding onto leads. Weirdly seemingly all our games this year in the Premier League have been decided by one goal margins, hinting they're generally very tight (except perhaps the 4-3 against Leeds) but the big factor is that neither Pope nor Ramsdale have been massively convincing and the defensive unit chop and change hasn't created a settled unit. At the very least it's an argument we miss Schar, who hasn't played since January. 

[kaosmark2]

1 hour ago, charlierc said:

Hi everybody!

 

Yeah a Spurs fan I know is gutted about Xavi Simons. Throw in Solanke getting crocked too and the attacking area gets even more bare. 

 

I think tbf for all the arguments about Woltemade and Wissa, the bigger problem has been defensively. The fact we've dropped 25 points from winning positions clearly shows we have major issues in holding onto leads. Weirdly seemingly all our games this year in the Premier League have been decided by one goal margins, hinting they're generally very tight (except perhaps the 4-3 against Leeds) but the big factor is that neither Pope nor Ramsdale have been massively convincing and the defensive unit chop and change hasn't created a settled unit. At the very least it's an argument we miss Schar, who hasn't played since January. 

While I've been cheering for Spurs to go down since the De Zerbi appointment, I'm gutted about Xavi Simons. He's a player I like watching and supposedly he's out for most of 2026, not just the season.

 

I think there's been problems defensively and offensively. We go 1-0 up in games, create another 10 half-chances, and don't score any of them, then concede twice 2nd half. Scoring the 2nd/3rd while dominant would also kill games off as well as being better defensively.

 

I do think this 2nd half of the season we've seen the problems with Thiaw that Milan fans mentioned. I suspect it's fatigue (mental more than physical), and I still rate him, but after the phenomenal first 15 games or so, more mistakes have crept in from him. The decline of Pope and disappointment of Ramsdale has been serious though.

 

I still think I'd rather Howe leave and take a punt on another manager this summer. There's plenty of managers I'd prefer Howe over (Mourinho especially), but the lack of rallying for the end of the season worries me, given most of the excuses given have eased. 

[pink_triangle]

12 hours ago, charlierc said:

Luton did it but it took them 9 years. They're the only ones since the National League was established in the 80s. 

 

Even with the huge cash, Wrexham would get kudos if they can pull it off. Though first they've got to confirm the playoff spot, which is easier said than done given how close it looks going into this weekend's final day. 

I am probably going to dispute the “huge cash” comment. Certainly was the case in national league and league 2. In league 1 Birmingham spent significantly more, in the championship wage bill is

probably one somewhere around the middle.

[charlierc]

4 minutes ago, pink_triangle said:

I am probably going to dispute the “huge cash” comment. Certainly was the case in national league and league 2. In league 1 Birmingham spent significantly more, in the championship wage bill is

probably one somewhere around the middle.

I was referring to transfer spend as an alleged £30m in transfer fees this year is decent change for the second tier, although yeah, I can imagine wage spending isn't quite at the level as any club with parachute payments.

[charlierc]

10 hours ago, kaosmark2 said:

While I've been cheering for Spurs to go down since the De Zerbi appointment, I'm gutted about Xavi Simons. He's a player I like watching and supposedly he's out for most of 2026, not just the season.

 

I think there's been problems defensively and offensively. We go 1-0 up in games, create another 10 half-chances, and don't score any of them, then concede twice 2nd half. Scoring the 2nd/3rd while dominant would also kill games off as well as being better defensively.

 

I do think this 2nd half of the season we've seen the problems with Thiaw that Milan fans mentioned. I suspect it's fatigue (mental more than physical), and I still rate him, but after the phenomenal first 15 games or so, more mistakes have crept in from him. The decline of Pope and disappointment of Ramsdale has been serious though.

 

I still think I'd rather Howe leave and take a punt on another manager this summer. There's plenty of managers I'd prefer Howe over (Mourinho especially), but the lack of rallying for the end of the season worries me, given most of the excuses given have eased. 

Quite a few players seem to just be breaking down now by the look of it. Mbappe's potentially out for a few weeks, Lamine Yamal is touch and go for the World Cup, Salah limped off at the weekend Ekiteke is definitely out for the rest of this year, Rodrygo, Gnabry and a young kid called Agyemang who'd impressed with Derby that the USA were likely to call up are al lout. Maybe a few players who want to go to FIFA's jamboree might wind up trying to take it easy where they can. Though good luck with that with the ridiculous amount of football everyone now has to play. 

 

It does feel like we have different problems in each game tbf. In some games, the problem is our inability to find a second goal, in others, it's that the defence collapses. Thiaw has certainly become more error prone of late though he's already had to play 50 games this season which is quite a lot to go through. Botman and Burn also don't really feel like the most reliable either. Plus I think a new keeper is a must.

 

I feel like the board are leaning towards keeping Howe though it feels like the fan momentum is turning on him. Guess we'll see what the vibe is like if we're sh*t again against Brighton.

[Punksnotdead]

Massive win for United tonight. Let's seal it with a win against Liverpool on Sunday!

[kaosmark2]

2 hours ago, charlierc said:

 Guess we'll see what the vibe is like if we're sh*t again against Brighton.

When aren't we sh*t against Brighton though?