Depends on who we sign. If we get all these players (Milner, Ibra, Silva, Toure + maybe 2/3 more in the 20m+ bracket), it'll be third, which implies, finish very comfortably in the top four, putting clear water between ourselves and the teams we battled with this year, nudging out arsenal and focusing on keeping pace with Utd/Chelsea for as long as possible.
The slowly slowly approach may be appealing, but truth is that this season we made great strides in terms of results despite the disruptions. that primarily comes down to having the likes of Tevez in our side. The owners will look to spend a lot of money on that bracket of player and expect to see the results, expect to see us ready for a title challenge the year after.
If we end up with lesser signings they might settle for fourth and some good cup runs. I expect we could do it safely, with a bit of fine tuning, and a more settled atmosphere.... now there's the rub... will we get that this year? After what happened this year, if we have a lull, the knives will be out again, people will choose their target and throw blame at them. It's quite a depressing thought, but that's what happens when the expectations are high, and players and management are seen as anything less than totally secure.
I'd give anything to avoid that scenario again....Personally the rapid growth model is not how i'd do it, but I'm just a fan, in it for the love, I'd prefer there to be very little expectation and for us all to be able to savour every step forward. If I attempt to rationalise that, I'd say that targets are a bit of a double edged sword, rapid short term growth does not equal long term foundations, and so it would be better to build more naturally.
I worry that the pressure placed on everyone can be unsettling for perfectly good players, and can trigger less welcome behaviours. We ended up as we started, looking a bit like a bunch of individuals, albeit, properly organised individuals. Partly I think that's due to some of the characters we have, but partly I think it's due to the fact almost everyone must feel they are disposable. How can they give their very heart and soul knowing that they may well be rejected at the end of the season...? How can they function as a team, put the group's interests ahead of their own, if that thought is in the back of their minds?
Can we turn that around? I don't think buying Ibra and Toure snr are particularly loyal or team focused individuals.... but maybe our only chance is to buy players who we are going to be comfortable with for years to come, and hoping they form a core like Chelsea did.
The atmosphere that has existed at times hasn't always been pretty but then again, is it ever all sunshine and hugs? I'm under no illusion, they are not going to accept sideways movement or consolidation. They want to see it move quickly, they love their targets. Bottom line is, by the time the Platini laws are fully enacted (say 5 years), we need big income, which ultimately means some form of success in the champions league and other competitions. So far, they will feel the rate of progress achieved is a result of them raising the bar and backing it up by putting the money in. I hope the rest happens, and all the 'soft' stuff falls into place. I'm just not entirely clear on how it will... perhaps success in itself will be the catalyst.
