9 months ago
38 In his fortnightly exclusive column for CaughtOffside, Jon Smith, one of football’s first-ever agents and a man who was an integral figure in the forming of the Premier League, discusses why Tottenham have had the best transfer window, why David Moyes is wrong, why the time is up for Erik ten Hag, Klopp’s perfect timing – and more!
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Another brilliant transfer window for Tottenham
Ange Postecoglou got what he wanted in this transfer window and I can’t argue that Tottenham have done very well in that respect.
A quality defender and a striker in Timo Werner who is already shutting a few mouths.
Ange has got the backbone of the team strengthened and didn’t overpay by the looks of things.
It’s the second or third time I’ve complemented Spurs this year, but they deserve it because they’ve done good business.
Moyes is wrong not buying a striker for West Ham
I’m surprised at David Moyes for going another window without signing a striker for West Ham, but then when I look at him, the whole Moyes structure, and lots of the technical stuff, it’s very relevant at the moment.
Moyes’ game plan revolves around the strikers performing in a certain way and I can understand that if he doesn’t get the right one – and there’s not a lot available other than the Ivan Toney’s of this world – then he must stick with what he’s got.
‘It’s not just the strikers, it’s the system’ is something that Moyes has said so often now it’s become a mantra.
I personally don’t agree with him, but who am I to question someone who’s got a lot more experience on the frontline than I have?
I tend to side with the supporters who would say he needs a striker, because I think he does and it’s a mistake not getting one – but that’s my view. His answer would be very much along the lines of ‘I’m a systemised coach.’
Unless there are the right people are available to play the system, he feels comfortable with it and, in fact, the system then becomes more important than the players.
Hearing that from an older coach is a really interesting take.
I think there is unquestionably value consternation too.
At the moment there’s FFP and everything else, and clubs aren’t spending because they don’t want to be potentially skating on thin ice.
Having said all of that, nothing goes up forever, but this market has done and just risen on a continual basis. The wave just keeps getting bigger and bigger and bigger.
I think this window has been a welcome reality check as a lot of the market has paused, awaiting the result of the Man City case accusations.
Time’s up for Erik ten Hag at Man United
Unless something dramatic happens and there’s a turnaround at Man United in the last four months of the season, which is possible, I think it’s likely that we’ll see Erik ten Hag’s tenure end this season.
If I was Sir Jim, I would probably want to put in my own management team, and obviously the core of the management is the coach.
I think INEOS’ strategy would be very much like that of PIF when they bought Newcastle. They didn’t say ‘okay, we’re here, Steve Bruce you’re out, and we’re bringing in Fred Smith now.’
They let him continue, quite rightly, it didn’t quite work out for him, so they then brought in their their man.
I think that’s a mirror image of what’s going to happen at Man United.
Jurgen Klopp is bowing out at Liverpool at the perfect time
I was a fan of Margaret Thatcher and I think she hung on too long. I was and I am a fan of Arsene Wenger and he hung on too long.
I think Jurgen Klopp’s timing is immaculate.
He’s rebuilt for a second or third time, a bit like Sir Alex Ferguson did, and he obviously felt that he didn’t want to have to go through a whole other three-year rebuild.
Jurgen may yet walk away with 2,3 or 4 trophies – what a way to go. I salute him for quitting at the top and I sincerely hope there’s no other reason.
I’m hearing rumours that he may not be well, and I just hope it’s untrue. I hope he’s leaving because he thinks it’s time and that he wants to spend some more time with the family.
If he wants to come back he’d be more than welcome anywhere and everywhere, so I think it’s a perfect exit.
Even a hardened Arsenal fan like me would be smiling if he won the league again. That’s how much he means to football in this country.
Whoever comes in to replace him is on a hiding to nothing unless Liverpool don’t win anything this season.
If Klopp wins nothing, he’ll still be lauded and people will say ‘it just didn’t quite happen this year.’
If he wins two or more competitions, then I wouldn’t want to be that person coming in. To follow that would be very, very difficult.
Everton facing threat of administration if they go down
I’m hearing from the financial markets that 777, until fairly recently, had allegedly been in the marketplace looking for additional funds, which wouldn’t fill me with a lot of confidence.
They’re, elegant, they’re good guys and I think they’ve got a good track record, so in some way, shape or form they’ll pass the proper person’s test.
I know a lot about Everton and the funds, and the finances are incredibly messy. A lot of the money has come out of Russia for example, so that’s probably going to have to be addressed in terms of what is actually physically owed and what isn’t, and what comes under embargoed funds.
They’ve also had a loan out there with a particular fund on which they’re paying a very high interest rate.
Not to mention a contingency of £300m in additional funds for the new stadium that I’ve heard about.

You and I both know that when you do anything with your house though, the last bit is always the most expensive, so I think you’re looking at £500m for the final piece of the stadium, which is a lot of money.
My big worry is that Everton get caned, they lose their appeals and, ultimately, they go down.
Then I’d be fearful, given and being aware of some of the financial issues, that quite possibly the only exit for them from those problems would be to go into administration.
That indeed would be a very sad day.
