One thing that has personally surprised me is how highly rated de Zerbi is, within the game.
It's not just Tonali and Fernandes (and let's be realistic - they're joining because we're paying them the wages players of their level expect). Even little snippets here and there, like City apparently feeling that Maresca was one of only three managers capable of carrying on Pep's legacy. With one of the others being de Zerbi.
Given how...average his career has been (Sassuolo, Shakhtar, Brighton, Marseille, few if any trophies to show for it), it speaks to the impact his tactics have had on the modern game.
Well, let's give him at least a bit of credit on this happy day. We wouldn't be in this position, positive or negative, without him. Negative in the sense of us being 17th with a thoroughly crap squad on peanuts, wages-wise. That's on him in large part.
But also positive, in the sense of being a revenue-generating giant with the lowest wage ratio in the league and PSR/SQR headroom out the ass, that can drop this sort of cash without a care in the world.
As a club, we were set up to succeed without Levy, by Levy. In positive moments like this, it helps me to remember that to balance out all the frustration and anger with his skinflint ways.
....
