It’s probably been covered elsewhere, but we’ve not suddenly become badly managed.
The eye has not been taken of the ball, but unfortunately we have been hamstrung.
It’s amazing we have done as well as we have with the charges and the fatigue it will have caused. This year we have not been able to raise it.
The management has also been managing with one hand behind our back. They have no real choice, but to prepare contingency in case we lose. We are a smart run business with investors and we have to satisfy potential threats and we clearly have one which is non quantifiable. We don’t know really the worst case scenario.
Regardless of the fact we clearly feel confident we have to do this, anything else would fall short of the Directors judicial responsibilities.
This has mainly meant leaving a large amount of wriggle room for PSR for future seasons and not doing silly deals with players based on outcomes.
It has impacted the overall quality in our squad.
But before season we have done better then we hoped.
Once the charges are done we either know what we are dealing with or it’s nothing. Both ways bar a silly punishment we will be in a better position for the Directors to lead us forward.
I don’t see a great team in the prem, so I think we have every chance of being back top in next season or 2 if we have a punishment that takes us out of CL.