One thing that does annoy me is the thought that we are the only club that loses its players to 'bigger clubs', that lies to its supporters and charges silly ticket prices when in reality, as Brummie's post shows, we're not.
For every Newcastle, there is an Everton or a Villa. We're all stuck at that midtable crossroad IMO.
Indeed.
Gareth Barry, then James Milner. Probably Ashley Young this summer. You can make a case for those players that we either got the best of their years (Barry), that we got stupid money (Milner, Barry to for a player with a year left), or that to be honest, they weren't that big a loss (Barry and Young too, to be honest), however the point is that the club, at the time, wanted to keep them, but couldn''t.
As soon as Milner knew Man City were interested, they were always going to get him, because they were going to pay him stupid money. I felt for you lot when you lost AC but there is not a club in the country, bar Man City and Chelsea, who would have turned down that money.
What is depressing is the thought that, really, that's as good as it gets. We finished sixth three years on the bounce, but still couldnt push on, and still couldn't hold on to Milner. It really does make you wonder what the point is.
Incidentally, obviously for every Milner we lose to Man City, or Carroll you lose to Liverpool, there are players clubs like us, you and Everton poach from clubs further down the pecking order as well. The difference is that the point at which the cherry picking really happens now is choking the entire remainder of the premier league.
What gets my goat more than anything is the suggestion in the media that, actually, the fans don't have a right to complain or to feel short changed by it all. When we bought Darren Bent, we got slaughtered in the press. What for? Because we're not supposed to spend up to 24 million on a striker. When Liverpool spent 35m on Carroll - let's face it, a very good player, but over a short period of time in the top flight - barely a murmur of "maybe that's too much money", barely a hint of surprise.
Why was that? Because, beyond the usual suspects the media favour, the rest of us aren't supposed to do much other than take what we're given, and be grateful for it. We're supposed to be grateful for having had Martin O'Neill as our manager, and the reason he f***ed off MUST be something we did because, well .... well, we should have just been grateful to have him.
As for short termism, I don't think it is really possible to do anything long term these days - as I said, you get a good selection of players together, they get bought by the usual suspects, you're back at square one. Interesting that someone posted that Lambias quote from a while back, about wanting to be an Aston Villa, ie well run, competitive etc etc but without daft investment. The very idea that we - after 200 million plus investment by Lerner - might be seen as the "sensible" financial option to follow is utterly insane.
I still think it's possible: I have to, otherwise I'd cry. We've put together our best squad in years, perfectly placed to break into the CL regularly and then Man City win the lottery. Everything now rests on how the new financial regulations pan out. If they fail to do what they promise to, then we're screwed.
We've seen the centrepieces of two teams whisked away from us. Carrick and Berbatov (and Keane), for silly money and silly wages. If Chelsea and City keep on keeping on then the only way we could hope to compete is with a major stadium expansion, and can we afford that?
We've managed that push on past 6th through hard work, luck, good management and a wodge of cash. Without changes in Chelsea and City though, we're just going to be a flash in the pan.
