a) A trend that a far as I know is based on fees speculated on by the press. Ignorant of exact details and the probably rather complex clauses included in most big deals for players. Also ignoring completely agent fees and money spent on sign-on fees for existing players. Sure.
b) We've just about broken even this season haven't we? I think we were smart last summer and we've given the squad the chance to show what they can do under Pochettino.
c) Sure. There's a chance that will happen, if so I will say fair enough. But, I wouldn't equate that with telling the head coach to fudge off.
a) Agent fees and money spent on signing-on fees have to be paid by other clubs too, you know. Yet we're still the second lowest spenders with a net profit of 12-15 million. As for the 'can't trust the press!' angle, heard it before, remain unconvinced.
b) Again, AVB wasn't exactly magnanimous about the decision-making priorities at the club when it came to transfers. While we may well have 'given the squad a chance to show what they can do', I don't think the side-effect of that policy (yay, no money need be spent this year) is as distant a concern in Levy's mind as you evidently do.
c) I don't have the stomach to search around for Wenger's quotations on the period between 2006-2011, but I can't imagine he was thrilled to see his top stars sold and replaced with the likes of Frimpong and Bendtner: I'd consider it amazing if he wasn't told to fudge off (in more polite terms, of course) by the board at some point during that period when he asked for a big transfer in a la Sanchez or Ozil. And that's Wenger, a legend at his club: I doubt Levy will be too awestruck by Poch given the number of managers he's tossed out like discard rags once they'd achieved the primary objective of taking flak that should have gone to him instead.
I appreciate your honesty about holding your hands up if it comes to pass: if Levy puts up the cash this summer (net spend, if you don't mind) I'll happily hold my hands up as well.
I don't agree with that.
Arsenal and Man U are very much on the wane
City have run out of momentum and Chelsea are staying about consistent.
Only Liverpool are moving forward with any momentum, and they are just us two years further on.
Despite Southampton's valiant effort, the big gaps are between the top 2 and the rest, and between 3rd-6th and the rest.
What? Run that by me again, mate: United are on the wane, as are Arsenal? The same United who blew 150 million and will do the same this summer? The same Arsenal who won a cup last season and spent big this summer, and look likely to hit that top four spot yet again?
And Liverpool aren't two years further on than us, they're ahead of us because they spent a lot of money on the players their manager wanted. As for City and Chelsea...we're never catching up to them, regardless of what momentum either of them might have lost.
The top five or so teams are pulling away from the rest of us, mate: I don't see what's so contentious about that statement. We are now in the same class as Everton and Southampton - a weeish team who can really light it up when they make a 'valiant effort'. That's reality, and it will continue to be reality until that eternally delayed stadium is finally up,earning and fully paid for. Assuming of course, that the top five don't all increase their own matchday revenues in that time as well (which, with City, Chelsea and Liverpool all on the hunt for new grounds/expanded stadiums, seems depressingly likely).
