Spurs are bigger then LFC – fools talk?

It is a familiar feature of the transfer window, Tottenham poaching Liverpool transfer targets. The latest in this familiar pattern may be Shalke midfielder Lewis Holtby with reports in Germany claiming Spurs representatives are in Qatar to meet with Holtby at Shalke’s warm weather training camp.

Holtby has refused to sign a new deal at Shalke and stated his desire to play in the Premier League and to play Champions League football. Just why then do players assume Tottenham are a surer bet in the longer term?

When comparing ourselves to Spurs LFC can boast a higher net worth (£619mil vs £564 mil) and higher annual revenue (£295mil vs £262mil). Spurs scrapped in a £400,000 net profit last season. This includes Champions League revenues and Spurs are committed to building a new stadium with the customary mind boggling expenses.

Liverpool on the other hand reported an annual loss of £49.4mil in 2011, however this includes the write off of approximately £30mil of costs in the now abandoned Stanley Park stadium plans and does not include the savings from this years transfer business or the £25 million from Warrior sports for this season.

It is therefore quite reasonable to assume Liverpool will continue to be a bigger business than Tottenham, backed up by the fame of being one of the greatest and most prestigious names in world football. If Spurs fans disagree they may question why LFC command so much more in advertising revenue, multi national corporations are clear on who sells their brand better! Tottenham would need decades at their current level to begin to match the prestige enjoyed by Liverpool Football Club.

With Chelsea, Arsenal, United, City, Everton, Spurs and Liverpool competing for the 4 Champions League slots it is far from certain that anybody but the Manchester clubs will qualify for the competition next season.

One thing seems clear; Spurs seem content to continue spending big on wages and transfer fees. However they may do well to look to Leeds United for a cautionary tale of chasing success with a cheque book.

In conclusion Siggurdson, Dempsey and perhaps now Holtby may have been convinced by agents and advisors that Tottenham are a sure bet. In the end we must shrug our shoulders and say “what will be, will be” but Spurs are certainly not the first club to claim “you’re not famous anymore” only to fall behind whilst LFC continue at the very top of English football.

If anyone looking at Liverpool’s finances, history, ownership, academy, global reach and playing talent who then concludes our current position is for the long term is, frankly, a fool. In the end do we really want fools for players anyway, as we’ve found they can be difficult to get rid of!