Bullshit. Every time a club like City and Chelsea changes the dynamic of this league, there's a knock down effect on clubs that they climb on the backs of.
Teams like Everton and Aston Villa and (whisper it) Tottenham put in a lot of good work building themselves into genuinely contenders for the top four but they were derailed by City winning the lottery and leapfrogging everyone. Why is that fair? I know we complain a lot but, in the long run, we can and should be able to cope with it. I genuinely feel for Everton or Villa who came pretty close to breaking the top four monopoly between 2005-2009 and, with the demise of Liverpool, would have broken through by now. Sure, they made a few bob selling Lescott and Barry but the Champions league is what clubs need to develop. Particularly Everton who are really struggling financially and still putting together a good team. If they ever manage to stay in the CL for a couple of seasons, they'll transform that club.
Had there been as many clubs cock blocking our way 15 years ago, things would have turned out differently for us. All our nicely laid out plans would have been confined to the shredder a long time ago. I'm all for having a free market when it comes to transfers but Manchester City - particularly under Hughes - fed off the clubs around them to push for a top four place just because they could afford higher wages. That's not competitive.
I totally get that it's good to see more contenders for the title but, really, does anyone have any interest in Manchester city? Watching them celebrate their league win was such an empty feeling. At least whenever United or Chelsea or Spurs win something I go through feeling envious and angry. City could have been anyone.
