Quote Originally Posted by Letters (TPFKA WWTL@WHL) View Post
I don't think other clubs have pushed on though. They've tried to but for all Liverpool and Spurs spending they've not managed to leapfrog us despite doom mongering on here that they would. The only club who have is City but we can't seriously compete with a side with unlimited funds. Chelsea leaptfrogged us by spending silly money, City will do the same. If anyone thinks a different manager could have stopped that happening then they're deluded. Only Utd have resisted and they've not exactly been thrifty and have Ferguson as manager who is better than pretty much anyone else by a distance IMO (much as I hate the man it's impossible to deny how good he is).
The race for 4th will be interesting next year with Liverpool and Spurs sure to push hard. I see the top 3 from this year being the same as next, after that it's harder to call although I do fancy us to finish 4th again simply because for all his faults Wenger has never failed to deliver that at least.
But it's not decline that clubs can throw silly money around to leapfrog us. Or, at least, it's not decline we can do much about.
A good point, well made re the competition. But I fear you overdo the 'silly money' point. As many have said, its not our inability to spend silly money that made us implode this season. And I think that its our failure to prevail against non top 6 clubs rather than the likes of Citeh and chavs that has people worried about a malaise that goes more than chequebook-deep.