He's Back!

[Dave Ewing's Back 'eader]

The way people go on about the money the club has spent you would be forgiven for thinking that it was the proceeds of some gigantic money-laundering operation, the proceeds of the great train robbery stashed away for four decades, and the selling off of King John's treasure.

Had we spent the money and won nowt, we would become a short term laughing stock. The fact that we have got one of the best current managers in the world, a superb chairman, players who have emotionally bought into the club, and us, the fans, AND we have won summat, and hopefully, Sunday, will win summat else, has made us the constant target for the Rag media and any other fan, supporter, anal-yst who is seething with jealousy that their own team has not managed to maintain the status quo of the OldTopFour or has been blighted in some other way which they seem to think can be laid at MCFC's door.

 

[Dribble]

Without the gate crashing by City the PL would have remained the same, the Big 4 continuing to scoff greedily from the trough of the CL whilst all other clubs just got by on PL payments, the odd cup run and, if they were really lucky, a decent Europa run. The Europa run is actually a doble edged sword as competing in Europe for small squads tends to mean their PL performance suffers the next season.

The Big 4 would have continued their plundering of "lesser" clubs stars, having the double benefit of ruining the chances of said clubs of competing for top spots in the PL and also enhancing their own European adventures. Not saying all of the signings work out but it's obvious what they do. Only Arsenal pretty much don't buy from PL teams, see below (only went back to 2003/4 season):

The rags - Rooney, Young, Carrick, Jones, Valencia, Berbatov, VdS, Saha, Smalling, Foster, Tevez?

Chelsea - Glen Johnson, Geremi, Duff, Bridge, J Cole, Parker, SWP, A Cole, Anelka, Sturridge, Torres, Benayoun

Arsenal - Only really Arteta, they just plunder the U18's of France and UK.

Liverpool - Bad example, can't stop laughing as I type this - Henderson, Adam, Carroll, Downing, Shelvey, J Cole, Konchesky, Brad Jones, G Johnson, Keane, Pennant, Bellamy (twice), Crouch, Carson, Kewell and Finnan - OMFG, what a pile of shite and that doesn't include the ones from abroad :)

The above illustrates what the Top 4 were doing, and could afford to do, basically assemble all the best players from the PL in 4 teams (apart from Liverpool........).

This would have pretty much continued forever barring an implosion by one of them (Liverpool) as they were trousering £30m - £50m per season more than the other 18 clubs in the division. The train wreck of Liverpool may have opened the door for Spurs (with no Sheikh for City) but that isn't a guarantee.

Any player that may have wanted to stay was swayed by the bundle of cash on offer, the club wanting to cash in on their asset (often) and the lure of trophies/europe.

Sort of similar to City, except we've done in 2-3 seasons what these other clubs have been doing since the PL started.

The way people go on about the money the club has spent you would be forgiven for thinking that it was the proceeds of some gigantic money-laundering operation, the proceeds of the great train robbery stashed away for four decades, and the selling off of King John's treasure.

Had we spent the money and won nowt, we would become a short term laughing stock. The fact that we have got one of the best current managers in the world, a superb chairman, players who have emotionally bought into the club, and us, the fans, AND we have won summat, and hopefully, Sunday, will win summat else, has made us the constant target for the Rag media and any other fan, supporter, anal-yst who is seething with jealousy that their own team has not managed to maintain the status quo of the OldTopFour or has been blighted in some other way which they seem to think can be laid at MCFC's door.

Brilliants posts!!!