goon wrote:
That was a different time though, in the last few years years, i.e. since the new commercial deals and TV boost, the narrative has been very different. Even this year Wenger has said the failing has been not challenging rather than not finishing in the top four.
If after 3 years all the new manager is managing is scraping top four, he shouldn’t and I’d like to think he wouldn’t get a new deal. The target should be to challenge for the league and performance should be judged based upon how close we are to achieving that, obviously with a certain amount of leeway afforded given the competitive environment. Top 4 will be a natural consequence.
If AW said this then he's changed his tune from what he said at the start of the season about the task to regain top4.
I'm not convinced anything has changed in terms of our financial strategy - AW said that it wouldn't even after he signed Ozil,
let alone that since then he has continued to generate pre-tax profits and also failed to sign an outfield player when he signed Cech. Yes our gross spending has increased, but we are still operating well within the estimated 70m nett spend our transfer budget is supposedly thought to be around since both the improved commercial and TV deals.
If we go the conservative route and look to maintain AW's strategies re squad building and transfers then I'd not be surprised if we see only marginal improvements to become involved in a 3 way battle for 4th place over the next few years.
However if we are bold both on and off the pitch IMO we are also very capable of mounting a bona fide challenge to become the best of the rest behind M City within the same timeframe, such is our potential for improvement.
That said I do not think that we will have a genuine 25 man squad capable of competing on more than 1 comp at a time until after we regain top4 and/or we see the graduates from the u23 & Youth teams come through.
