Maybe we have more quality tyan we have seen, but this is the third year in a row that we are 6-8th, so I think we need to acknowledge that we have some distance to go. We have at least six teams who are better than us. That's clear. If we accept that, our chances to improve will be greater.
Last summer we made a big thing of Comolli and our new approach and it's not worked. That's why Comolli got sacked. And I believe our poor return in the transfer market, paired with the loss of quality players in recent years, has put us in a very difficult position. to be honest, if we look 3-4 years ahead, I think we are in greater danger of cementing ourselves as a mid-table side than being title challengers. We don't have too many players who can bring in lots of money if we sell them. We are nowhere near a CL spot. The supposed 20-30M in transfer budget is what we can expect and we need to catch up. Means our margins for error in the transfer market are quite slim if we want to fight with the teams above us. Now look at our older players: Carra, Aurelio, Gerrard, Kuyt, Bellamy, Maxi. We will have to replace them all soon. That won't be easy. won't bring in much if we sell and expensive to replace.
We need to be very, very good over the next few windows. Very clever. Sami, Reina, Arbeloa, Gary Mac, Babbel,... those are the types of signings we need to match in terms of value for money. Every big money signing has to be a Mascherano, Torres, Suarez type of deal. Guaranteed first pick and a consistent, top level player. The effects of last summer's mistake can come back to haunt us for quite some time.
Oh I completely agree that we must be smart about our business. It seems slightly absurd to even have to make this point, no?
I think I'm being fairly uncontroversial by claiming that 8 players pick themselves in the starting line up. If we add to that all the signings made last summer who will hopefully perform better next season then we have a strong core. Bar Downing and Adam perhaps, all the signings, I feel, will bear fruit in the long run and even Downing can still hopefully prove me wrong. Adam of course was a relatively cheap acquisition and has been good value for money even if not quite capable of filling the hole in the middle of the action. We've seen recently what a confident Andy Carroll is capable of and I'm quite happy to see the lad can use his feet too. Suarez is yet to have a crack at a full season. Lucas has yet to blossom fully. I assure you, my friend, it is not as bad as that dastardly league table would have us believe.
Perhaps with the fact that we have European games added to our schedule next season, my estimate of 1-2 players above may have been conservative. Perhaps the management feel they need 3 or 4 new players. I'm also hoping, like you, we get ourselves another Gary Mac or a Sami but I'd also love me some Litmanen right now to partner with Suarez. And that's what I'm hoping will happen when Kuyt is replaced in the summer. We may also need somebody to play the link between Gerrard and Lucas, the role that Adam shouldn't be entrusted with on a first team basis, Henderson can't do so yet, and we won't get another chance to try Aquilani. I hope of the three, we get a player like the last. Or maybe we won't get anyone and we'll give it to Shelvey to make his own. I wouldn't bet against that kid. We may bring in some competition for Carroll and, in the long run, I'm unsure about Carroll's place in the pass and move system that Kenny is preaching, but I wouldn't begrudge him another season as the number 9 as he seems to finally become sure of himself. But all in all, I really cannot see us needing too many players.
I also agree with you that we can't afford another summer of buying players for the long term at paradoxical short term premiums. if somebody is going to come in now, they will be somebody ready to compete for a place and I think we'll see that this summer.