Quote Originally Posted by Letters View Post
I don’t think that’s as true as it used to be.
For financial reasons Top 4 has been a minimum requirement but the level of investment over the last few years suggests they have tried to push on and win something. Had it not been for us being up against a team who have been cheating for years we’d have won the title last year and maybe the year before. It’s frustrating when City finally do drop off that it’s not us who benefits. Maybe without the injuries we’d have run Liverpool close, and without the refs putting their thumb on the scales which has clearly cost us points. But we left ourselves vulnerable with a lack of squad depth and failing to sign a striker last summer when it was clearly a problem area was just negligent
I wonder about that. WOULD we have won the title last year if gypsies weren't allowed in the league? Maybe. Or maybe we'd have invested less because there'd be fewer direct rivals for the top 4 trophy. We saw in the summer we're prepared to ignore doing what it takes to win. Then we saw it even more starkly in January. I don't think there's any way to get around January. We KNEW we were desperately short, due to those injuries you mention AND because our shitty summer resulted in Sterling being evacuated onto our bench. Still did nothing. Still placed other priorities above winning. Player age, sell-on fee. It's become a very far-fetched argument that concluded this club is out to win trophies rather than maximise return on investment financially. Soon enough we'll be in the next summer window, then we will see. They'll need to spend 150-200 million (minus any sales) in that window to win, or when they spend considerably less, release 5 new kits and have us playing some whack tournament in some desert or the far side of the world, we'll know.

How do you think the summer will turn out? Isak, Sesko, somebody to replace Saliba, somebody to fill the gap left by Partey and Jorghino? The quality we need to win the title, as opposed to securing another top 4 trophy? I have a feeling we'll still be asking the question next deadline day and the headlines will read, "Sterling's Mum Signed in Loan Deal."