Football Daily - Can De Zerbi turn Tottenham around?

Episode Date: August 18, 2026

After a long couple of seasons for Tottenham Hotspur, will Roberto De Zerbi's summer business be enough to turn the club around? Former Spurs winger Andros Townsend, former Spurs fullback Chris Hughton and fan Flav Bateman join Aaron Paul to discuss their chances ahead of the 2026/27 Premier League season. They discuss the profile of the manager himself - does he have the character to change the club's fortunes? BBC Sport's tactics correspondent Umir Irfan discusses his style. They review the summer business and how new signings Sandro Tonali and Matheus Fernandes will fit in, while football finance expert Kieran Maguire explains the state of the club's spending this summer. And finally, after being so injury hit last season, will the lack of European football benefit the club this season as Roberto De Zerbi seeks to turn things around?Time Codes:00:55 - Initial Thoughts 07:25 - Identity Roberto De Zerbi has given Spurs 17:20 - De Zerbi's tactical approach 23:20 - Summer window 31:25 - Football Finance Expert Kieran Maguire on Tottenham's finances 39:40 - Injuries and forward options

This is the Football Daily podcast with Aaron Paul. It was a long old season for the Spurs yet again, but they did stay up and will be hoping for a lot more stability under the tutelage of Roberto Deserby. Over the next hour, so we will preview Spurs season. What will success look like for the Lily Whites is Deserby the right man to take the club forward and will their big summer signings pay off.

Alongside me, the former Spurs fallback with 297. appearances for the club, Chris Hewton, the former Tottenham winger, Andrew Sondsen and the Spurs fan and podcaster for the fighting cock. Flav Bateman, hello everyone. Chris, I'll come to you first. Not the best memories of last season. Just in terms of going into this one, is there cautious optimism? Is there still that underlying doubt?

I think there has to be some because I think if you look at a, the two league positions and I know there was a Europa Cup success the season before last which was fabulous but I think if you look at the two league positions I have no doubt at all that last season's

season would have been a lot better had it not been for the amount of injuries that were accumulated at the club and of course that the manager had to work around so I think that's still an issue but the jump from to 17th places to

some expectations of Champions League is a huge jump. But I think everybody's expecting to be a far better season. And I think there should be a little bit of caution but I think with the amount of players that have been signed already and

hopefully two or three others to come in, then I think I can understand the optimism. Flav, really good to speak to you from a supporters perspective. I mean, last season was was nothing short of it. It could have been a disaster.

It really could have heading down into the championship. You missed it. And of course, it was your nearest and dearest West Ham United, who now are playing NFL football. And you got the escape. What about this season? What's the temperature like in sort of like the Spurs fans' cabinet right now? How are we feeling going into a new campaign?

Yeah, I think given the amount of money being spent and the quality of the players that have been brought in, Fernandez and Tenali, you know, they could have been playing anywhere. in the Premier League and for them to end up coming to Spurs shows you there's been a shift in how we are operating in the transfer market that hasn't been the case for probably 10, 15 years. I think the amount of money that we're willing to pay players wages now opens the door to a lot more agents than it would have done previously.

And so with the, you know, Fernandez Tenali, but also the signing of Van Hecker has been been massive. But it's been a lot made of how much we've spent. And actually, if you look at, you know, the net spend of what we've managed to accumulate by selling players with something like the fifth in terms of most spent this summer. So there's a perception that Spurs going crazy in the transfer market. It isn't true. I think what we're trying to do is readdress the balance between us and our perceived rivals, the other big five, the big six. And we just had to get it done.

At the end of the season, you'll remember that the Zerbi said that there is like 10 or 11, maybe 12 players that he did. trusts. I don't know if that's exact words. This is not verbatim, but he sort of highlighted the fact that the squad was relatively thin when it appeared bloated. And I didn't think that that was that we would be able to do enough business to turn that around. And we have. We brought in five players that would definitely be in contention with starting against Brentford this weekend. So yeah, I think the optimism is there. I think we've suffered a lot as a fan base over the last two years, especially last season, because there were many times I thought we were legitimately getting relegated. And yeah, so I was just so relieved after that win against Evan that we could

just start to rebuild because we wouldn't have the summer we've had now if we'd have been relegated. Andros, it looks like it's going to be a new backline for Tottenham and the new central midfield. How far along the rebuild journey do you think they are right now? I think they are a lot further than we believe. think the manager's got in the key positions. Derby likes to keep possession. He likes to play out through the back. He likes to build through his two number sixes.

And you can see that in the signs he's made, Tanali, Fernandez, Van Hecker at the back. These are key positions for him in the way he wants to play. And the fact that he's got the deals done before the start of the season. And as a Spurs fan, that is not normally the case. So I'm really optimistic that Spurs can not only have a good season, but start well. and that's so important under a relatively new manager

when you've just survived relegation season before. The start is so important. And the fact that he's got his business done very early is positive signs for Spurs. Flav, is it quite enjoyable as a Spurs fan to see them actually getting deals done, paying the fees, getting the players in for preseason so they have the opportunity to bed in,

rather than the deep, deep negotiations we used to see from Daniel Levy when he led Enoch and the club. It's unbelievable. I can't tell you how satisfying this summer's been. It doesn't mean anything, right? Because a great window doesn't guarantee anything in the next season. But yeah, you can't talk about Tottenham without talking about Daniel Levy still.

You know, it's been over a year since he left the football club. But I think more, as much as it has been impressive bringing players in, like Tenali and Fernandis for big, big money. We broke our transfer record twice in a couple of weeks. The willingness to get deals done in selling players is what's really made a difference. I thought it started with Brennan Johnson in January. We started him for 35 million before the window even opened. And that showed you the appetite to get deals done early, which is one. I think Daniel Levy, you've got to give him massive credit.

He has transformed the football club in a time where lots of money was coming into English football, but he's made really sensible decisions that have enabled us to be in a situation to be able to spend and capitalize on the headroom with SCR and the PSR before it. The irony here, though, is that if he was still here, we wouldn't have done what we've done this summer. And that's why it's sort of a strange situation we find ourselves in. When Arsenal signed Declam Rice and Gokores, I remember thinking at the time we were podcasting about it is that Spurs would never be in that conversation.

We would never be in a world where Declan Rice would even consider coming to Tottenham because we weren't operating like a football club that was ambitious. You know, it was a club that managed its finances really well and was self-sufficient, but it wasn't an ambitious football club. So it feels like an ambitious football club now. And a lot of this comes down to the situation within last season when the Zerbi agreed to become sort of almost reluctantly become the Tottenham-Oxfer manager and having to hand over some of the decision-making to him.

And his only motive is going to be to create the best football club that Spurs possibly can be on the pitch. compete. So it's a weird and very welcome feeling. A lot of supporters and sort of just looking around the fan base, reading, you know, you know, what the thought to have long-term supporters and hearing from them, they feel that a lot of the identity, the traditions of the football club were lost when they left the lane. They felt that it'd become a corporate machine that was geared for making money. There was the talk about this, you know, the skywalk and the track underneath to go and sort of, you know, go and race your go. You go.

parts round and all the revenue that it's going to bring. But Roberto Deserby did something very important this summer. It feels like a huge step in, a positive step in, in shifting the culture of the football club, Chris. And it was a group of older players, a group of former Spurs legends, coming to the club, the training ground for a special lunch to recognise the history and bring together the past and present. How did it make you feel being there? And what was it like? Well, firstly, it was an incredibly good atmosphere.

I think there were 20 of us, 20 ex-plowers, which ranged from Phil Bill, who played very much in the sort of 60s and sort of early 70s, all the way through to somebody like Germain Defoe that most would remember. But it was a bringing together of the two ends of the club, obviously the ex-players and, of course, the players are now playing. So it was no big speeches. It was the opportunity to watch training, to meet the manager, to have lunch and meet the players. And remember, for probably the large majority of the ex-players, these players today wouldn't have been born when we were playing.

So it was a really good opportunity to mix the old with the new, since that little bit of history. history and I must admit it was a really good afternoon and the players the modern day players and the present day players were were very I think motivated by it and I hope it's one that's that continues over a period of time and and I think it's only good that can come from it it's crazy to even be able to ask you a question Chris because I in my formative years as a spurs fan I watched you play in the 80s and my dad often spoke fondly about how great a player you was for us. As a manager in your own right,

you know, Brighton and Newcastle, what did you make of Deserby as a person and, and, you know, perhaps he's, his abilities as a manager as someone who can appreciate

how much pressure there is that he is under. What do you make of him? Well, I think first and foremost, to take the job at the time that he did, which was, you know, huge pressure itself because certainly you wouldn't want to be the manager,

even if only for a few games that takes a club like Tottenham down into the championship. So first and foremost to take it shows a lot of confidence from his point of view that he could do the job. And I think it was very much about his confidence of keeping the team up

but what he saw this coming season. And I'm quite sure in what you've just spoke about that the funds that have been spent and the way that the players have come in this pre-season, I think he was aware of that. First job was to keep the club in the division

and him knowing that if he could do, he could really have that opportunity to build. But what I know about him is, he's a very demanding coach. Players speak very, very well about him. And of course, we can only get that from the Brighton players because, of course, he went from there to Marseille. But they speak very well about him,

but he's very demanding, not only on his point. players, but very demanding on his coaching staff, real detail in his training. I think you can see the enthusiasm that he has and the rapport that he has with the players. And it gives them that real feel-good factor. And the fact that players are coming through the door now, I think that that will incredibly lift those spirits in them changing rooms. And I think he's the type of coach that you want to play for. In today's day and age, you need a manager who's going to be demand.

but also going to be ruthless. Okay, Romero, Jed Spence, big players for Spurs and for Spurs's future. But if you don't want to be here, I don't want you here. You can go. I only want players who are going to be here and to take Spurs forward. So even though Spurs probably need a Jed Spence next season and his versatility, I like the fact that that the Zerby's not keeping players who want to leave. And he just wants players, he wants to focus on the players who want to play for Spurs

Football Club, who want to take Spurs forward. And I think that's probably, it doesn't happen enough these days. Managers don't have the power. It's more the people upstairs who are telling players they can't leave. Then the manager's got a deal of a play. He doesn't want to be there and the dynamics of that. So I like the fact that this manager has so much power at the football club at the minute. Yeah, also just on top of that, if I, you know,

I mentioned earlier about, you know, the problems, the injury problems that the club had last season that I think very much contributed to the problems of, of the season. You know, I think what he's brought in, particularly if I look in midfield, you know, Tanali, Fernandez, both, Fernandez, of course, younger, Tanali, still relatively young,

Van Hecker, a good age. You know, I'm hoping and thinking that he's brought in what I would regard as not only very good players, but durable players and players that you think that can play a lot of games because certainly after last season,

And still with some, you know, on that treatment table at the moment. And that's one issue that that Derby has to deal with is integrating the ones that are injured when they're coming back. And of course, the players he's bringing in now. Chris, sorry, I think as well, the Premier League proven players. So many times with Spurs and under Daniel Levy, we see young players, unknown players come in with huge potential. But the fact that they've got the Premier League proven players, There's no adapting phase. They can go straight into it.

They know the quality. They know the intensity. It's been such a, such a good window for Spurs on so many levels. The interesting thing is, I mean, I look at three, three, it's called it two and a half players. Certainly Ben Tancourt and Kulosefsky. They have not played enough football for Tottenham. And how long do you wait? But it feels as though deserby has gone, right, well, I'm here.

I've got a remit. I've got to deliver. If you're not going to be, going to be part of it, you're not going to be. ready. I can't keep waiting for you and hoping that you come good. I'm going to go and sign two worthwhile replacement and he's done that in the shape of Fernandez and Tenali.

Just one more on that lunch, Chris. Was it strictly a football lunch? Did the suits turn up? We know Vinay Van Cretesham has come over from Arsenal and to a lot of criticism. He's taken a lot of flack in the past year and the

Spurs board have really been under it because of the decisions they've made. Did they stay away from it? Was it strictly a football football? No, it was strictly football, very, it was a very hot day actually, so very casual, no speeches. And what it also did, it also gave a lot of the ex-players that hadn't been down to the training ground, and it's an incredible training ground, incredible modern training ground, and most of the ex-players wouldn't have been there. But it was a really casual, atmosphere where a lot of mix in between, say, the ex-players and the modern-day players and the

coaching staff, this Irby and his coaching staff. We were there for a period of time, no speeches, and everybody went their own way at the end of the, but I said it was a really nice atmosphere and everybody that I've spoken to since. Firstly, thought it was, it was well-received, came across very well and again something that you hope happens again at some stage in the future. Andros, you spent 16 years of Tottenham. You came through the academy

while the club was evolving. And I mean, you think that sort of first sort of, you know, bit of evolution around 2003, 2004, Camoli, et cetera, et cetera, coming in. Did you ever know, and was there ever

sort of like an event like this put on where old and new meet, where the club, you know, sort of recognises its culture and tries to bring its players into its culture and to sort of understand what it's about. Not to that extent what Chris is talking about. They kept a few legends close. I think David Pleets always floating about at the training ground,

a couple of others, but never to that extent. Good to see that the club recognised the former players, the legends like Chris. Yes, great for the family units, keep everyone together. Yeah, it's great. I'm a little bit disappointed. I didn't get an invite, but been to the training ground many times. But yeah, no, it's good to see the club. I think you're a bit too young, Andrew.

And a bit few games as well. You played the 97, Christy, or 300 plus. So, yeah, maybe I don't qualify. Let's focus on Deserby and sort of what we can expect from his side on the pitch. He came in towards the end of last season for seven games, winning three, drawing two, to ensure Spurs survival in the Premier League. The message, though, then, was very much one of survival. now with time on his side, a preseason new faces,

how will Roberto Deserby Spurs be playing? BBC Sports Tactics correspondent, Amir Farn, joins us now. Amir, good to have you on with us. What have you noticed from Deserby tactically in preseason? And have there been any radical changes from the spurs that finished the last one? Yeah, I mean, when you look at Deserby, I think his first thing at Brighton was something that was very transformative to the league and many of the coaches adopted kind of his baiting style of buildup

and then punching the passes through the middle of the pitch really quickly. I think what we've seen in preseason is an adaptation and a building upon what he did at the end of last season, which was a more simplistic view, but he didn't come in at the end of last season and simply try and shut up, shop and get easy points. He still played in his sort of style of play, which was to build out from the back.

Kinski was the keeper there, was trusted off of a period, off of the back of a period of bad form, but he's still there and that short buildup is still very key to decide what I've noticed more so that's built upon that is knowing that teams are pressing man for man in a really aggressive manner, more so across the league and in preseason. There's not just the focus of building through the middle, which was a hallmark of his brightensides, but also now how do you build out under pressure using those same ideas in wide areas. The moves tend to finish with the wingers 1v1.

So, I mean, we might go on to speak about some of the players they're linked with and some of the players that can finish off those moves. But it's those same deserving principles now, not only centrally, but through the wide areas to then still arrive in the middle and final third really quickly and really aggressively. I mean, is this sort of game plan, is this strategy all about control,

rather than making, not rash decisions, but playing a bit more direct, playing a bit more long. Yeah, I mean, with Deserbe, he's, I think a lot of the top coaches kind of have one set style of play in mind, and Deserby has general sort of principles that you can look at and say, right, that's a deservi team. But there's a really nice quote I've got here, and he said a few years ago,

when you are building the play, if the rival does not pressure us intensely or wait for us, then we slowly move the ball up the pitch. but when they do pressure us with intensity, then we can make some passes and dribble and play more vertically. So he's a coach who adapts how his team build up and how they play depending on how the opponent defends, which is slightly more reactive,

it's slightly more adaptable. And if teams are going to press against him, he enjoys that, he likes that, he relishes that challenge to play through them centrally or wide like we've just mentioned. But if they don't, and this will be a bigger challenge for him this season, teams will increasingly sit back and almost ask them to break them down

knowing that those are the things that that deserve it likes to do, play through pressure. So how does he then look to break down stubborn defences that sit lower who allow them to progress up the pitch like we've just spoken about? Umair, from what I've seen so far, back in the last season and preseason, I think he's identified the key positions to play in his style of play. Van Hecker who gets a lot of the ball in the buildup phase

and he's so good at playing those forward passes. Then you've got a Tanali as a number six. You've got a Fernandez as a number six. These players get on the ball so much under Zerbi. Do you think he identified those three positions and identified that he needed those key players in, get them in early so they can start having more control of football matches like they did towards the back end of the last season?

Yeah, I think when you look at the rest of the, the transfer business around the league, the price that they paid at the start moving early probably look fairly good in retrospect. But yeah, with all of those players that you mentioned, you've rightly identified that they're all very progressive players, that the central defenders are really good at bringing the ball up the pitch through really punchy passes through the lines.

As soon as their space, they will take that and play to their attacking midfielders and their wingers quickly. Tanali is a slightly different one, as is Fernandez, where they can do the punchy passing first time and really get your team up the pitch, not letting teams set into a really stubborn block, but instead exposing that space. But there are also players who can progress the ball through carrying and dribbling it really sort of powerfully as an individual player. And I think when we're looking at the players that are getting big moves throughout the league

and who are being sort of praised as the most important players for their team, they are players who can accelerate through the middle of the pitch really quickly when that space opens up the likes of Declan Rice, the likes of Nico O'Reilly for Manchester City, for example. So they've almost gone and Premier Leagueified their side. They've gone for Premier League proven players, but they've done so in a way that suits to serve as but also matches what the trends of the league have been over the last 12 months. Amir, really appreciate it. Thank you for joining us and giving us that insight.

I'm here in Farn BBC's tactics correspondent. Five Live Sports So here's the first ball of this series. All the cricket you laugh. Shave Ralph lives on BBC sounds. Smash straight back down the ground. This girl. Here ball by ball coverage of the biggest competitions

on the domestic and international circuits. It's a board cricket and it's the huge run. Two, wash. Tettle down, tough it's so. Cricket on Five Live Sport. Living every ball of this. Listen on BBC Sounds. You're listening to the Football Daily podcast with Aaron Paul.

Spurs have spent plenty this summer. We'll discuss the club's finances with football finance expert, Kerry McGuire soon, but just on the players they've signed. Sandra Tenali coming in for a club record fee of upwards of 92 million pounds. Matthias Fernandez, 85 million pounds. Jean-Paul Van Hecker, 51 million pounds. Marcos Senesi and Andy Robertson on free transfers. feel like absolute bargains,

plenty of Premier League proven talent there. Just on Sonesi and Robertson, you've got someone who's been part of an excellent Bournemouth backline and a really positive Bournemouth atmosphere of the past couple of years. But what about Chris? The winning nature and the fact

that Andy Robertson has come in having won pretty much everything out there. What would that do for the dressing room? Well, first and foremost, it's a no-brainer. And this is a quality fallback that has won things that is not, you know, 34,

35 years of age. This is somebody, particularly in that fallback area, that still capable, having saw the team play at the weekend, still making them sort of marauding runs, set up one of the goals. So I think as regards his

level of quality, he still has that. So perfect timing, particularly because Udoggi, who I think is a good player, good structure, about him, good left foot, but of course, has missed too many games over this last couple of seasons. So I think what you've got is you've got somebody

that you know you can rely on. But I think also he was brought in for what he's going to give the changing room. And so I've heard so far, he's already having an impact, particularly with the younger players. And as I say, somebody with huge experience. Flav, just on those purchases, what is the feeling from the fan base on the money? they've spent and the experience they've brought in?

Yeah, I think there's no issue with the money spent because we should have been doing this for a long, long time, not least the transfer wages, which, sorry, the transfer fees, which we have been kind of competing with other football clubs, but it's the wages that entice a player like Robertson to come in in the tail end of his career to come and offer a kind of leadership and quality that he could offer many clubs and the fact that he's come to spurs

and, you know, he's a part of our playing staff, but, you know, massive influence in the dressing room is massive. Yeah, so Sinesse on a free as well, which has been, you know, he was excellent. He was sort of, he had a bad injury, I think a leg break or something similar in the Bournemouth side when they'd brought in Dean Howson as well. So it sort of took his position over. But when those players left, Bournemouth, he came back into the forum,

was played brilliant. last season. So yeah, I was really, really happy with him as well. But moreover, the shift in the experience in the first 11 has been, is massive.

And Gallagher was a part of the start of that in January, bringing in Robertson in. Madison will be playing in the dressing room as well. So I think the kind of the experience in the Spurs dressing room is, has been ameliorated massively since, you know, a year ago where we were a lot of young players trying to find a way in the game.

It's felt, Flav, just in terms of the recruitment, it's felt very lumpy, very scattergun in places sometimes. At one point last summer, you sat there and you're wondering what are spurs doing because it felt like they were in for everyone but also in for no one. And you look at the manner in which they sign players, it was peculiar, it was strange. There hasn't been, again, I use that word strategy,

It hasn't been a defined strategy. But right now, it feels there does. And we've seen it as well with regards to the departures from the football club. A real sort of shedding of some of the old guard. And Christian Romero leads the queue at the exit. Yeah. I guess a year ago, he signed a new contract, which was insane. I thought he was out the door.

And then for him to become, not only as he signed a new contract, but become the club captain, I just thought that maybe we are moving in the right direction, and maybe Thomas Frank will be excellent, and everything's just going to work out. A year later, it's the polar opposite. And, Andrews, I wanted to ask you a question about Romero, given the fact that you spent so much time in many dressing rooms,

but from a fan base, it looked really bad. When at the end of the season, he decided to go back to Argentina and watch his boyhood club win the league while Spurs are potentially getting relegated while being club captain. It seemed bad from our perspective, but as a player, do you think that there was truth in that reality?

How would you have responded if your club captain had decided to not be there in such a clutch moment? I think, Flavis, it's difficult because we don't know the ins and outs of it. But I go back to one of the last times I was in a relegation battle, Everton, and we had a captain like Seamus Coleman

who was injured towards the end, of the season, but the role he played off the pitch in galvanising the players, in calling team meetings, in telling players when they've done well, who giving the players a kick up the backside when they didn't do so well, he was so instrumental to Everton survive in that season, even though he couldn't play a part towards the end of the season. So to have your club captain, again, we don't know the ins and outs of it, but to have your club captain out of the country in those crucial moments to me, it doesn't sit well with me. And I know it didn't sit well with you guys. as the fans, but your captain needs to be held to a higher standard than that.

What about the rumours that he was potentially heading to Arsenal? There was interest from Arsenal. I mean, the line I got from someone who's close to Spurs is that he was not for sale at any price to them, but it could have been a Sol Campbell 2.0 situation, Flav. No, no, I mean, there will never be that situation ever again. I don't even, I'm not even going to say his name. It's, it's, Romero, if there is a world where Romero joined Arsenal,

it would have been a completely different circumstance. However, given the way that the ownership at Tottenhammar kind of, you know, it's football first now. They understand that the relationship with the supporters is really important. And if there is any world where they sanctioned a transfer for our club captain again to join them, I think it would have been a right off. In terms of the outgoing, We're going to talk spending in a moment or so with Kira McGuire,

football finance expert. But on Voskovich, who's got the better end of the deal here? Spurs with Van Hecker or Brighton with one of Europe's best centre-half prospects? And I ask that because Tony Bloom is someone who loves a gamble. We know that he's a very smart cookie. He would have done his homework on him. He would have done his homework on it. But it's from both clubs' point of view,

It's the needs of now. And I've got no doubt that the only reason why he's been allowed to go is because the head coach, Des Irby, wanted a player for now. And there was an opportunity to bring Van Hecker in. He can only play two centre-halfs at one given time. And I think Tony Blumen, Brighton saw an opportunity. they will develop him at this I'm quite sure

and I'm quite sure also that there's perhaps something in the package there that doesn't damage Tottenham too much but I expect Brighton to develop him they don't tend to make too many wrong decisions they have a

head coach that's done an incredible job the last couple of seasons he's been there but I think it's very much Tottenham Hotspur for now and Van Hacker was the choice choice. Football finance, I expect Karen McGuire joins us. Karen, good evening.

Evening guys. $228 million spent by spurs so far this window. Yes, they've recouped some money as well. They're second in the league, though, in terms of spending behind Chelsea. The question so many will have is that after consecutive 17th place finishes, how are the club affording to spend as much as they are? And I have a feeling the answer may lie heavily in that thing called the Tottenham-Ottembert stadium. That's right. I think what Spurs have done is that they future-proofed the ability of the

club to be competitive, regardless of whether they're successful on the pitch or not. So if you take a look at their commercial income, that's quadrupled since the move from the old White Hart Lane. If you take a look at their matchday income, that's tripled. And those are the figures we've got for 24, 25 when the club was only playing in the Europa League. And you'll be able to go and charge much higher prices. So it doesn't matter to Taylor Swift. It doesn't matter to Anthony Joshua. It doesn't matter to Chris Eubank Jr. where Spurs are in the table. They are wanting to play at the stadium because it brings, yeah, it's a fantastic venue. It's built for commercial activities. And I think it was quite visionary of Daniel Levy to go down that route. Now, I appreciate there are

footballing issues, which was outside of my remit. which he could be criticised about, but in the case of being 21st century, I don't think there's a better example of a club that has really thought things through. And that means that problems on the pitch and poor finishes in the table, and it costs you £3 million a place. So, let's say that Spurs would have normally expected to finish fifth or six. It's cost them £30 million down in terms of prize money from the Premier League. But on the plus side, they've got another sort of,

of 300 million pounds coming in from ticket sales and commercial. I mean, I don't think you could ever deny. Daniel Levy was always a thinker. He was very, very prudent in what he's done. Does this sort of stadium revenue, and you look at the figures, commercial revenue gone from 73 million pounds to 277 million pounds, match day revenue from 45 to 126 million, does this really sort of, you know,

put in the groundwork and the foundations for what will Spurs fan, Spurs fans will hope will be inevitable success in the future? Well, it gives them the ability to be successful. Now, making the right decisions in terms of recruitment, that comes down to the recruitment team, that comes down to the relationship between the director of football, the sports science people, and Roberto Deserbie.

And that might work, it might not work. But you can't do that unless you have a budget to do so. And I'm looking at the numbers here, And, you know, seven years or eight years out of the last nine, Spurs have spent more than a hundred million pounds in a single season on player recruitment. So it's not necessarily the amount of money that's been spent. It's how well it's been spent. And has there been a structure?

Has there been a strategy for player recruitment? And again, yeah, that's outside of my remit. But the money has been spent. At the same time, they've got no problems whatsoever in terms of compliance with the cost control rules because they're only spending 45% of their revenue on wages. So that gives them the capacity to recruit players on better deals this season and still maintain their position within the rules, even though they're not competing in Europe.

Flav, Daniel Leu's had a lot of criticism for the commercialisation of that stadium and off the field issues. But do some of windows like this where, like Kear and said, spurs are able to still compete with the top sides in this country, even though they just avoided relegation. Do someone's like this really start to turn the fans' opinion a little bit on the Daniel Levy area and the foundations he was able to set up for the future? Yeah, yeah, almost certainly.

I think he did an interview with Gary Neville for the Stick to Football podcast. And Daniel Levy said that they'll perhaps remember me fondly when I'm gone. And there will, there's no doubt as Kieran has... you know, clearly explained that we are set up to be able to financially compete even if we finish 17. So I think from some sections of the fan base, they were frustrated with what Daniel Levy had done previously and that we weren't ambitious and made us more into a entertainment company than a football first focusing football club. And so it was always that frustration. And I said earlier on, the irony of us being able to spend what we did.

based on Daniel Levy's work would be that if he was still in charge, he wouldn't have spent the money. And I think that the Enoch and the Lewis family probably made the right decision, time will tell, but made the right decision to remove him and so they could be more proactive in bringing players in that can return success because the reality is that Tottenham-Motspur fans have been made to pay the most expensive season tickets in Britain and probably in Europe, maybe the world and the return was to 17th place finishes.

So the frustration was justified. However, you have to respect the work that don't believe you put in. Sure. I want to ask you about PSR, sort of being out the door and this sort of new framework coming in as well.

But just on a wider question about the Premier League, are other clubs looking at Spurs what they've done with the stadium and what they've achieved and thinking if we are to dine at the top table, we're going to have to do something with the money we're making

on the other five to six days a week that the stadium is empty. I mean, you look at Astonville, redeveloping the North Stand, there's been talks of a new stadium for Newcastle United as well. Is this the method now that clubs are looking into?

Absolutely. I think Spurs have set a gold standard in how it should be done. Anybody that goes to that, that goes to the stadium as an away fan, as a home fan in hospitality, comes away with, you know, the first time you go there, your jaw genuinely drops to the floor. It is a magnificent piece of architecture. It's a significant

spending. There's not been corners cut anywhere, as you've seen historically with some of the grounds. And the downside of that, of course, is that the fans are expected to pay top tier prices for a top tier stadium, and therefore they expect a top tier return from what they see on the pitch. But I can assure you that every time I talk to clubs or people connected to clubs or fan groups, It's how can we increase revenues because there's been a complete mindset now under the new squad cost ratio rules which came into play on the 1st of July. All fans now, everybody connected with the club knows, for every extra million pounds that you bring in, you can spend 850,000 on player costs. Now, whether that's wages, whether that's transfer fees, whether that's agent's fees, but it all goes into that same pot. So turning clubs and football's a dumb business in, in men.

many ways. What are the businesses do you know that are open 20 to 25 days a year? Well, Spurs have shown that through conferencing, through having other sporting facilities, other activities, that you can make it a multifunction, multi-sport entertainment complex, of which the football club is the focal point and the football club is the beneficiary of all of this additional revenues, then it has to be spent well. And then that comes down to the football side of the club to do that. Tell us about this new sort of, you know, this financial framework that we're going to see come in this year. Right. Well, you've got, the way that it works, every hundred pounds you bring in, you can spend 85% of that if you're a non-European competing club and if you're playing in

UEFA, you're down to 70%. So more money in means more money spent on players. Kieran, thank you so much as ever. Kieran, McIrower, football finance expert with us on Five Live Sport this evening. Now, before, before, we finish. Let's look at Spurs's forward options. It's been a great window, but attacking reinforcements are perhaps a one area where we haven't seen as much action through

the door. Just looking at the forwards in the squad, Racharlison, Selanky, Scarlett, Cudus, Mikey Moore, Odebert, Tell. We know Zavi Simmons is out with an ACL injury. James Madison has experienced injury problems. Are we seeing Roberto Deserbie, Chris, putting down a marker and saying

Dominic Slanky is going to be his his main man this coming season because they're not in the market for an out-and-out forward, or are they? Well, I don't know. I think we all know the problem with Dominic Selanky is not the ability that he's got.

It's playing games on a regular basis and he missed so much of last season. For me personally, if he was somebody that you could rely on being physically fit, he's somebody that would score goals. You know, from, the games that I've seen so far this preseason

there's been certainly a lot of efforts that have gone in from the flanks Roberts I think in the last game the weekend game I think all three goals were designed from from wide areas and crosses from wide areas Richarlison getting on the end of one of them and I think if that's a way of playing we tonight spoke about a way of playing breaking through midfield fast through midfield but the efforts for wide areas and we need to be more prolific in them areas.

And I think it's just a question of having somebody that's durable enough and if that happens to be the case with Selanky then I think he's a really good option, really good option. Flav, looking at the options you've got in there, there's plenty. There's a lot of talk about Mikey Moore

with Kudis still being injured. Can he come in and sort of, you know, stake a claim for a first team place? What about Will Lancashire, though? Because, I mean, covering the NFL, he is probably the most talked about player in the championship right now. Forget anyone else. It's the fact that Middlesbrough have been able to bag him

and that he looks quality. Why did it not work for him at Spurs? He didn't work for him because he was young and probably wasn't at the level to play for the first team. You spent big money on Sri Lanka and Ritcharlison still there. There's just no route through. It was like when we had Harry Kane, there was no chance to buy a backup

striker that knew that he wasn't going to pay. Perhaps Lorette was the best example of that. And Lanxhire had to, he had to move in order to get football. He had a great season with Oxford last year. Their fans loved him. And Middlesbrough spent big money on bringing in a player to play in the championship. It was 10 million. But if they get promoted, it's going to be upwards of,

upwards towards 20 million. So, I mean, I just, I love that. I love the fact that he's going to, he's gone to the championship. and he's scoring goals and he's being effective. It was just, I don't think it was ever going to work. I mean, he's 21 years old. Fernandez is also 21 years old. You're either good enough at that level or you've got to be lucky.

And I just think it was the right time for him to move. I don't have any issue with that at all really. But I also think that there doesn't need to be such a reliant on the number nine. If you've got Javi Simmons fit, a Madison fit, a Cudas fit, Oda Burt, who broke into the side last season and I thought started really well in that wide area. And I think if you've got them options around your nine, then I think there's not the pressure and the obvious need

to have that number nine that's as prolific as what you'd want it to be. Chris, you just touched on it there, but my question is going to be, you said you can't rely on a Dominic, a Lanky for his fitness. What about a Richarlison? Because for me, I played with him and I watched him last season for Spurs. He does absolutely everything right.

He's all energy. He chases, loose balls. He's always running in behind. He starts to press very well. But for a top side, if you as the manager, is his lack of goals? A worry? Would you be worried about that,

relying on Richarleson for his lack of goals? Yeah, I think it would be a worry, depending if you said to me, well, my two number nine are going to be a fit Solanke and a fit Richarlerson with the options around that I said a kudos in the wide area at Madison then I think there's some really good

offensive options then but I think as you just alluded to if you are relying just on Richarlerson for goals you know that he's not going to get you them that volume of goals he's talismanic he's a bit of a nomad isn't he Richarlison he likes to be

the man and to drive them forward. But what about the players they've been rumoured to be bringing in Andros? Cody Gakpo and this Savino talk, it just does not go away. I think they're both probably short-term options, because especially on the right-hand side, you look at Savino, he'll bring a lot to Spurs, don't get me wrong, but you've still got kudos to come back. Kulosevsky, is he going to come back anytime soon?

Is he going to get up to speed? And then on the left-hand side, you've got Javi-Simmer, at some point this season, hopefully he'll come back. Madison's going to look to come back. He might play in a 10 or he might play off the left. You've got tell. So I don't think, I think Cody Gapot, probably the only one who can bring something different to those guys.

Whereas Savino, yes, he'll get joy in the early parts of the season. But once everyone's fit, is he still number one choice? I don't know. I don't know. Flav, just finally on transfers, where are your priorities going into the last, what, 10, 12 days of the window? I mean, Savinio has been sort of linked for so long. interesting to hear Andrews

the thoughts on that because Gak Poe is probably less popular in coming in as Savinio is. It's the number nine for me. I think Solanke's not fit. If he isn't fit, if he can play,

if you get 40 games out of him, obviously there's no problem. We've got a number nine who's easily good enough to lead the line in the Premier League. If he isn't fit and it's for Charleston and then no one,

then the number nine situation looks problematic. The issue, though, is you look across the market. And we've discussed this earlier on the podcast. It's like, well, what number nine is out there? Earlier on in the season, it was, in the summer that

we were linked with crew peas, broken his foot, so it's not going to be that. So I think it's going to be a challenge. And I don't know, we had a conversation about who would you keep from this perspective, from this moment, if you had to sell one, for Charleston or Selanky, who would it be?

And we kind of plumped for, not in terms of quality, but in terms of reliability Richarlerson. We want to Lanky to be back but you just can't trust him to be. Just to bring it round, let's have some final season

predictions. First question is what would constitute success for Spurs this season? Andros come to you first. I think the business they've done in the summer and the manager

and the fact they've got no European football, I don't see why we can't be aiming for a Champions League place and going far in the Cup competitions. I don't think the last two seasons should put us off. I think Champions League

should be the aim still. I would see chasing Europe. I'm not sure I see Champions League after the last couple of seasons and of course with the injuries some of the injuries are still there but the club have spent big money

and they've got a coach that's incredibly ambitious. If Michael Carrick can take a Man United side that was floundering and not improving an improvement in the way that he did then Zerby given the money we spent can definitely finish third or fourth this season.

Right. I wanted a prediction. You said third or fourth. Andros? I'm going to say fifth, but the Champions League plays. Well, I would say probably fifth or six, I would say. The touching on Champions League, but maybe you're over. Just finally very quickly, Flav, your chance to ask Chris one about the 84 UA for Cup win. Go, go, go, go.

I didn't think I'll get a chance to do this. Let's put you on a spot. No, no, it's not. It's me and my dad, when I was a kid, and he would put on the VHS of that night. And I just wanted to ask you about the moment. moment because it went to, it was against Andelect, you over the cup final, and Danny Thomas missed the penalty. And my dad described this, and you played in this game, my dad described

it as the greatest atmosphere he's ever experienced of Y-A-Lay when the Spurs fan base got behind Danny Thomas as he missed the penalty. And you heard one Danny Thomas echo around White-Lay, and I just wondered if you had any memories of that. No, it was, it was an incredible moment. And one, of course, we felt for Danny because, you know, I only was a very very, good player, but he was a very popular player. But of course, that moment only lasted for a moment, and of course Tony Parks then got us out of trouble as such. But for me, an incredible night, because now, of course, that final is a one-legged final. And to play that final, a two-legged final and the second leg at White Hart Lane, when the club, of course, had been devoid of the European

trophy for a few years was something and probably if I look at my moments at the club particularly at the old stadium that would be for me the one that I would remember the most there you go Chris andros Flav thank you so much for joining us so much sport today and all the goals as they go in up and down the league this is five life sports it's all right to the lights and fit and a floor to bowl him Stopper. Everyone standing around the 18th green. Overhead, get on. The show us to the centre.

Don't do it! Oh, the right head and the former champion in Dallas. It's extraordinary stuff. They've come on a show for us tonight. He gets on his knees and kisses the turf. Five Live Sports. The home of the world's greatest sporting events. Listen on BBC Sounds.