I'm coming to the realisation the likes of Coutinho and Partey are our PlanA options in their positions/roles for this transfer window re improving our soft belly and increasing our creativity.
I think their joining will be conditional upon our winning The FA Cup Final to have us qualify for the UEL.
I also think both the silverware, UEL & signings of the likes of Partey & Coutinho will be significant in our capability to meet his financial & transfer signings conditions to see PEA stay or leave.
It is also obvious we will not break our financial structures to take advantage of the current scenario, and as a result we will not directly compete for top4 on or off the pitch due to the lack of resources, but we will never say so or admit this.
That said I think our strategy will be to look to remain 'in contention/best of the rest' in terms of the PL as we rebuild long term, but the primary goal will be to win the UEL in order to gain a backdoor entry into the UCL for the Group Stage revenues. Anytime we fall out of the UCL at the Group Stage the strategy will be to rinse & repeat re winning the UEL to regain UCL qualification.
Even if we do succeed I do not expect us to see significant increases in our transfer funds in the first season after regaining UCL, as we will not have received those revenues until the end of the season. However IMO our long term strategy will be to use UCL revenues to rebuild the squad, but that alone without additional revenues from significantly improved commercial deals and sponsorship (which may be difficult post COVID), will not be enough for us to regain top4 unless we become completely ruthless to take advantage of opportunities if/when the top clubs struggle in a squad transition period. Considering we are not prepared to do so in the current circumstances I do not foresee much change in the near future. I think we may well look to be smarter with our money, but I do not expect to see the club work harder to increase our revenues off the pitch.
Bottom line I see us as becoming akin to a Cup side so as to regain and retain UCL revenues in order to rebuild the team going forward, and to eventually be able to challenge to regain top4 if we are able to. I don't think we will regain top4 whilst we still look to develop youngsters via game time in the starting XI, as we will not be consistent enough over a full season.
If we fail to qualify for the UEL then I think we are probably looking at a worse case scenario in terms of budget and transfers for some time, and I expect the likes of other UEL contenders to out spend us along with the likes of Everton, LUFC and NUFC once they are eventually sold to whom ever, at which point we will become a genuine mid-table club as a result of both our own lack of ambition and clinging steadfast to our antiquated 'values and traditions' from a bye gone era (much the same as the decision to retain AW at least 5 years beyond his relevance in the post TV mega revenues).
I'm tempted to say we should go all in for the youth project mk3, and hope we can generate some real revenues to avoid becoming a selling club long term.
