I see what you are getting at. I suppose my point is that (say) West Ham or Brighton might not be winning the PL any time soon, but they are well managed and have a coherent strategy. They are not a joke, making ridiculous signings and expecting to win the CL on the strength of them. Their grounds are not falling apart. Their fans have realistic expectations. Above all, they are making small, but sustained progress, not constantly finding a fresh crisis.
The Rags have huge resources (moneywise) but what progress have they made these last X years? At best, they are treading water, and other clubs with smaller resources and much smaller fan bases are doing better.