DJ Jeff
Not so Jazzy
No, solely because the manager market is so bad that I see absolutely no one out there who can take us any farther than 3rd or 4th in the next 3-5 years. I'm sure they'll do better than the Glazers though.
It kinda was. Your OP was framed as ‘Merson said this, do you agree?’The right answer to what? None of them, nor yourself, even attempted to answer the question
What Merson said wasn't the question
Will the club target that period in 3-4 years though and change the recruitment standards? Or will they throw cash at short term options hoping for a quick fix? The club is in a broken boom bust cycle.With Klopp leaving and Guardiola likely to leave in a couple of years, I think it gives us a great chance to get ourselves back in the mix.
I wouldn’t put any stock in what Merson or any other person on Sky Sports says - they’re paid to make hyperbole statements, being realistic and making proper analysis would be boring viewing.Merson said we're a gillion miles off City. He's not exactly wrong City are so well run I don't see us catching them even if Pep leaves they'll hire someone amazing and just keep going. I'd bet my house that we don't win the league in the next 5 years.
Well I hope me and Merse are wrong. Maybe we'll get as good as Arsenal currently are but even that's not enough to stop the City Machine. Everyone assuming Pep will leave too which might not even happenI wouldn’t put any stock in what Merson or any other person on Sky Sports says - they’re paid to make hyperbole statements, being realistic and making proper analysis would be boring viewing.
Look at Arsenal, until last season I actually thought we would win the title before Arsenal would, but it just shows how quickly football changes. A few good signings and the right manager appointment can make a huge difference. City won’t be great forever, we’re proof that having lots of money is not a panacea in football. Barca were well run for 15 years and now they’re a mess.
City first won the Premier League in 2012 and Chelsea first won the PL in 2005.Leicester finished 17th then won the league. Chelsea finished 10th then won the league. Man City were taken over in 2008 and won their first title in 2011. Chelsea were taken over in 2003 and won the title the first year in 2004.
Anything is possible in football.
I am confident for the opposite reason to this - I don't think the manager is that important as the game evolves. You can probably win things with an average manager and excellent recruitment versus the opposite in today's game.No, solely because the manager market is so bad that I see absolutely no one out there who can take us any farther than 3rd or 4th in the next 3-5 years. I'm sure they'll do better than the Glazers though.
I guess it's about expectations. If the Merson metric of league win in 5 years is the bar, then no, how can we be confident in that? We are at the very start of the project and there is a lot of work to be done. At the same time some very tough competitors exist and there's no guarantee they will weaken. City should be banned but probably won't be, and Pool if they don't screw up the appointment seem to have a good base coming through that Klopp is leaving them with. Arsenal look set for a good few years too and there's always the Saudi money and what it might do to Newcastle.
So, confident of league success in 5 years? Nope. What I am relatively confident of though is that we will be back on the road to recovery, we will be making decisions based on sporting criteria more than commercial and with a set of management in place that have experience of success in those positions (rather than accountants, marketing people and sycophants). Things will be getting better, but in the arbitrary 5 year limit I think it might be too soon. Possible, anything is, but not massively likely.
In 10 years though...
It can't get any worse.
No one can ever see these turn arounds coming. In August 2022, how many thought Arsenal who had finished 8th 2 seasons running will be title contenders for the next two seasons?
The moment Pep goes, the title is open for everyone to win it again. And I dont see why we wouldn't be in that mix.
City first won the Premier League in 2012 and Chelsea first won the PL in 2005.
I agree wholeheartedly, as poor as this squad is when putting ETH's vision into reality there is talent in it, a manager playing to the strengths of the squad and trying to mitigate the weaknesses would be getting a much better tune out of this squad, we have a better squad than the majority of teams in the PL but we play like one of the worst, relying on being rescued by individual brilliance .Many of you are far overestimating how long it takes to completely turn a club around. It sure as feck isn't a 10 year project.
It took city 2 years to consistently challenge with pep. However i think they already had a structure in place didn’t they. If we get the right team in this summer and the right manager if we are indeed looking to change, then I’d say 2/3 years should be when we’re back at our best.I'm neutral, because it's too early to tell. This summer will be indicative. Talking the talk and walking the walk are two very different things. I don't think we are challenging anytime soon either way.