You've summed up well how many of us feel.
Any attempt to progress has been stomped on by made-up league rules or directly by the cartel themselves.
Our (long term) hope now lies with PIF & their plans for increasing revenues (i.e. stadium, sponsorships etc) that will take us up a level.
The current gap between us and the cartel is more like a chasm and until we address the revenue busting opportunities it will always be forever thus.
This summer has been an eye opener.