General Premier League Thread 2022-23 - mod note in OP 12/03/23

People miss the point on City’s money, and how it’s been such an advantage.  Utd are literally the only team that could spend in the same way in a non-dodgy way, and because of their structural failures, they get pointed at as proof that money is not the reason for City’s success. 

Which is quite obviously nonsense.  One organisation failing does not prove that it was a level playing field.

Chelsea can spend, but it’s a similar story to City, obviously.

“But Arsenal have spent loads recently”

“But look at Liverpool’s spend on Nunez, Van Dijk, Luis Diaz etc”

“Spurs aren’t scared to spend”

“City have a great net spend over the last couple of years”

All points that are designed to divert you from what happened over the last decade and a half. 

City spent with impunity for years - not just on players.  They modernised absolutely everything and got ahead of the curve.  They paid their manager an inordinate amount of money to manage them.  They pay Txiki, the best in the world at what he does, an incredible sum of money.  They have the best training facilities, attract the best youth talents etc etc etc … all through funding that is eminently dodgy at best, and against the rules at worst.

While all this money was being spent with said impunity, Arsenal were standing still on the pitch (and worse) because they had to pay for their stadium.  Spurs had to pay for theirs, and their facilities, while not really spending enough to keep pace.  We all know about Liverpool’s net spend.  City were revamping facilities while also investing like maniacs in the playing squad and management.

The dodgy unlimited spending has put them in a position that is ahead of the curve.  That has taken good management of said dodgy finances, yes, but falling into a pit of money has enabled them to not care about budgets and viability like a normal business for a very long time, to the point now where they can largely be run like a normal football club, but the horse bolted a long time ago.  Everyone else is simply catching up.

So, yeah, it does matter.

All of the above is correct but they would have won 2 less Prems minimum if they had nay other manger other than Pep , Without him they simply would not have been as good for such a sustained period,

He is without question the best manger in the world to have if you have an unlimited budget, His style of football can only be achieved with really top top player but at the same time if your a big time Charlie or all about you he will ship you out the door no questions asked ,He wants the right players not just the Big name ones ( like what happens at PSG )

He is literally perfect for one of those bottomless pit clubs ,

You can have one or the other, but not both. Playing squad or Infrastructure, not playing squad and infrastructure.

Likewise, but on the other side, Liverpool have greatly increased their infrastructure but have let their playing squad grow old together & stagnate.

Pep is obsessed with his football philosophy. That philosophy being only join teams with a bigger transfer window than the rest of the league combined 😝

Yes without question he is there for the money,

I think my point is just because you have billions of pounds to spend on players its not going to mean you win the league year in year out City got lucky that they landed Pep, Even another top top manger owuld not be as good as him in that job ,

Hence why i don't see Newcastle as being an automatic success story, in terms for top 4 they will but nothing is certain in terms of winning leagues .

i see that put around a lot, but I do wonder if United were the second highest in the other 8 seasons, for example. I don't know myself, but I would assume our overall spend in the 90s was probably the highest.

Those figures seem off. Although if they're from club accounts then they are probably for financial years rather than strictly season by season.

It certainly wasn't insurmountable level of money that anyone was spending back then.

Chelsea was the first real turning point.

He played in 15 league games, and even some of those were as subs. Pep fancied Walker and Cancelo ahead of him. But given Cancelo away to Bayern, you could put him in left back. Not sure either Saliba and Gabriel are better than Laporte and Dias. Akanji looks very decent too.

The business end of the Champions League is when Peps tinkering is at its absolute worst.

It will be 6 left backs and Ederson as a false 9.

This tbh.

Arsenal are well on course for 90 points and an achievement that very few teams have reached previously yet will be called bottlers by some.

(Assuming no absolute collapse from here on obv)

Agree 100%. They are good but if Partey misses a game they are not the same team. They should have enough about them to secure 2nd.

Woods Forest loan has become permanent after he made 3 appearances for them.

What a strange low bar to set the obligation clause at.