I find this somewhat amusing...from rawk...not me...
In some ways I think the footballing side of the sportswashing project has run its course. That's not to say it will collapse, but it may well recede in its effectiveness somewhat. That might sound daft, and it may yet prove to be wrong, but my thinking is this..
After some trial and error with the project, they eventually put together the ultimate mercenary-based cheat machine. They brought in the ultimate chequebook manager and gave him unlimited nation state funds to assemble a team of mercenaries that wouldn't be seen dead in Manchester blue otherwise.
The narrative was this brave new project turning rags into riches. The bullied, downtrodden David finally slaying Goliath then kicking sand in the face of his corpse. Little old Citehh in the Cinderella role. For reasons as bizarre as turkeys voting for Christmas, much of football stood aside and applauded this cuckoo in the nest that was pushing their own clubs further and further down the pecking order.
They have had everything their way for so long now. Favoured by utterly bizarre refereeing decisions. They've had incredible good luck, Been fawned over by pundits paid to fawn over them and continually push the narrative by their employers. Unlimited funds to address any transfer fails or longer term injuries. Their obvious cheating of numerous rules going unpunished or even addressed at all for an incredibly long time. Basically, it's all fallen into place for them. The absurdly expensive jigsaw finally came together.
The thing with real life, though, is it's not a computer game. It doesn't always turn out no matter how hard you try to manipulate and programme it. The participants are human. All empires fall eventually. No exceptions. Things can only go that well for a limited amount of time before something, somehow shifts.
They were assembled to acquire the League Title and the Champions League. They've finally managed to do that. They are not little Citehh climbing the hill against the odds anymore. There's no romance to it now, if there ever really was any in the first place. They are now the Abu Dhabi sportswashing project robot, expected to simply carry on crushing all comers. But I think it takes a different mindset to push on from their grand theft of last seasons treble*.
Of course, they have been gifted the resources to carry on doing it, but that doesn't take the human aspect into consideration. Basically, the project has achieved its aim. The mercenaries have done their job. Deep down, is their appetite still there? Because even if it's not on just a subconscious level, that will make a difference.
Take into account the football worlds complete indifference to the so-called achievements too. I mean who, apart from puppet pundits, gives them any real acknowledgement and respect? On a personal note, if Man United had done the treble last season I'd have been ill for weeks and still feeling ill if it was mentioned today. Sickened by the whole thing and turning the TV over if anything to do with it came on. But with this shower it was genuinely sheer indifference coupled with sadness over what the game had become. It's strange too, because when I see something referencing their treble* it comes as a momentary surprise because I've actually pretty much forgotten they acquired it.
These are now back at Everest by base camp after their descent from the summit. They were lavishly assembled to reach that summit by hook or by crook. Maybe looking back up at it now, with multi millions in their banks and those stolen medals in the safes back at their mansions, is the appetite for that horribly cold climb back up really still there, deep down inside? Because if not, that will make a difference. And if that difference is really there, it becomes a weakness opponents can pick at and play on.
Of course, they may well pull it around once more. They can refresh at will if they desire. But regardless, these can now be got at now. They need a different mindset to maintain things than they needed to first acquire them. Appetite is always lower after a feast too. That's just the nature of things.
