Paratici gives video update on Conte departure

Antonio Conte has departed, but Tottenham Hotspur Managing Director of Football Fabio Paratici (for now) remains. And despite his own legal difficulties and questions over his job suitability and actual viability, someone at Tottenham Hotspur thought it was a good idea to put him in front of a web cam to record a video to Spurs supporters over all the changes currently taking place at the club.

Normally I’d embed the video here for everyone to watch and then comment on, but Spurs in their infinite wisdom have restricted the Paratici video from embedding on websites and blogs.

So instead, I’ll just link to it on YouTube and let y’all watch it and come on back here.

...Okay, we good? You back now? Cool.

So I don’t have a ton of insight into this video, but I do want to point out a couple of things.

1. Fabio Paratici really needs a creative director. This should’ve been done as a slickly produced video shot on Spurs’ training campus somewhere. I know they can do this, they have before! There’s an entire video team dedicated to doing stuff like that! But instead Fabio obviously recorded this on his laptop from his house after a long day at work and possibly after a glass or two of il vino. The team did their best with a few supercuts of match and training footage, but honestly there’s only so much they can do. The lighting is particularly atrocious (get a ring light, Fabio!) as is the angle of the camera. How much are we paying this guy? He looks like he’s recording this from an Italian jail (foreshadowing!).
2. I give Paratici a little bit of a pass because he’s recording what is supposed to be a nuanced message to supporters in his second language. That’s tough, and I sympathize. But I don’t think he told us much in this video. He gave some pretty mealy-mouthed platitudes about Conte, which it should be noted he helped hire, some support for interim head coach Cristian Stellini and assistant Ryan Mason, a rundown of the season, and an appeal for fan support over the last 10 matches of the season.
3. I do (honestly) like that Paratici gave a shout-out to the U21 squad that made it to the FA Youth Cup Final recently. I also liked how he was careful to temper expectations about any Tottenham team making a cup final, emphasizing that it’s not about trophies, it’s about developing our youth into outstanding players and young men. Cool. We’re totally losing that game, aren’t we?
4. There isn’t anything said in this video that couldn’t have been expressed as well or better as a club statement on Spurs’ website. This video could’ve been an email.

What were your reactions to Paratici’s video address? Put ‘em in the comments.