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Spurs have to pay players more rather than sacking managers

The Financial Times has the last word on the challenges facing Spurs:

'Spurs rank ninth in Deloitte’s list of the world’s richest clubs, with revenues of €673mn, short of Manchester United but ahead of Chelsea. The club’s net transfer spend over five years is about €666mn, according to Transfermarkt, below Manchester United, Arsenal and Chelsea but higher than Liverpool.

The futuristic Tottenham Hotspur Stadium — which could be mistaken for a space ship that has inexplicably landed in N17 — is the second largest club ground in England. But the cavernous bowl served only to amplify the boos that rang out on Tuesday, as defeat to Newcastle United brought Frank’s tenure to an end. Croatian Igor Tudor has reportedly agreed to take over as interim boss until the end of the season.

There is one key metric where Tottenham lag behind: wages. Staff costs of £222mn in the 2023-24 season, the latest figures available, were by far the lowest of England’s “Big Six” clubs, and lower than Aston Villa, according to Football Benchmark

While Postecoglou may fall into the category of a disgruntled former employee, the Australian did not pull his punches when quizzed this week on whether Tottenham had a limit on salaries.

“When you look at the expenditure, particularly in their wage structure, they’re not a big club,” he told YouTube channel The Overlap, comments that will have Spurs fans in the stadium microbrewery spitting out their beers. “When we were trying to sign players, we weren’t in the market,” he added.

Postecoglou revealed that after finishing fifth in 2024, he wanted to kick on by signing the likes of Pedro Neto, now with Chelsea, Bryan Mbeumo, who has switched to Manchester United, as well as Marc Guéhi and Antoine Semenyo, who both moved recently to Manchester City. Instead, he said, he got Dominic Solanke “and three teenagers”.

No one single factor determines the success or failure of a football team. But the available research has consistently shown that a club’s wage bill is the biggest indicator of where a team is likely to finish in the league table. Miracles (Leicester City) do happen, but not consistently. And some clubs (Manchester United) are capable of wasting large sums on disappointing talent. But paying players more is the the biggest indicator of where a team is likely to finish in the league table. Miracles (Leicester City) do happen, but not consistently. And some clubs (Manchester United) are capable of wasting large sums on disappointing talent. But paying players more is the most reliable way to improve a team’s chances.

Tottenham are a top-class revenue generator, with a strong brand, a storied history, England’s best stadium and a large international fan base. But evidence suggests that, until they dare to spend top dollar on wages, their managerial merry-go-round will keep spinning.

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