I'm still coming to terms with the fact somebody has put in this thread we should sign Andy Carroll!!

Edited February 12, 201610 yr by Cfcstevens

Spend big? No i think our scouts need to just do their jobs and find us some good footballers. Vardy and Mahrez are great examples of how there are talented players out there without big price tags

And smaller teams play champions differently. Leicester rely on their blistering pace and direct play which will be useless once team start shutting shop. Ironically that is exactly what we struggle with.

 

They're the league leaders and we've already played two thirds of the season. Surely they would've already been found out, if it were just that simple to stop them. I'd buy this surprise theory if we were still in October or November, but not in February. Why would teams wait until next season until they start parking the bus, if they could do it now? Some of them are playing for their survival (in Premier League, not their whole existence), so you'd think that with such an easy solution available, they'd want to do all they can to get at least a point.

They're the league leaders and we've already played two thirds of the season. Surely they would've already been found out, if it were just that simple to stop them. I'd buy this surprise theory if we were still in October or November, but not in February. Why would teams wait until next season until they start parking the bus, if they could do it now? Some of them are playing for their survival (in Premier League, not their whole existence), so you'd think that with such an easy solution available, they'd want to do all they can to get at least a point.

There are things like momentum, team confidence, etc. And no one said it is easy as they are playing well. You think they will win the league again next year. I don't. I am not even sure they will this year. We will agree to disagree.

 

Before giving my take on spending big, congratulations on that synopsis, Zola, a really good snapshot of where we are, even if I’m not fully in accord with you on where we go from here. In fact, ‘here’ is a very strange place to be this season and, conspiratorial or not, I find myself in total amazement and agreement with JoseBlues when he says the following:- “And many may not agree with it but the FA and media is also loving this small boy becoming a hero story. If you take a look at their stats, they have had 9-10 penalties awarded to them this season with 0 against. Contrast that with ours and it is unimaginable that Costa has still not won a single penalty in 2 years here.”

 

Strange indeed, and I for one would not underestimate the impact of outside influence and officialdom on the Premiership in recent times, although whether this is likely to continue in the future, resulting in an almost complete levelling out of the domestic playing field, is doubtful in the extreme. Manchester, be it the blue or red version, wont take any of this levelling business lying down and both will fling as much money around in the transfer market as it takes to either establish themselves as a big European club or to reinstate a fading force that once was one. In complete contrast, those net spend figures provided by ShedEnder91 give an indication as to how our club might continue to react - frugally and with a high degree of cynicism regarding the effect the signing of a whole host of big name players would actually have in what might best be described as the new wacky world of Premiership football. 

 

Somewhat ironically, this cutting of your cloth course-setting is now being likened to that of Arsenal over the last decade, with a sudden epiphany on Wenger becoming all the rage. Personally, I struggle to think of him as a mega-achiever at the best of times, never mind during this period, and I know that there are many Gunners out there who feel the same way. Nevertheless, following suit in this fashion may well be forced upon us as we go the ground improvement and interim ground share route, though in truth not ’having a Wenger’ is nothing much to worry about, unless you have a hankering for some regular fourth place mega-achievement. Instead, I’d settle for a couple of seasons of Europa League evangelism myself, with regular Thursday evening attendance at the Mission of Hope, where our newly emerging Academy players might finally receive that show of faith in them required for full conversion into the first team.

 

Of course, if adopted, this policy must not lead to complacency and throughout the process we would have to keep one eye fixed on bucking the new Premiership trend towards equality for all because, as mentioned earlier, it is unlikely to last that long. Leicester are bound to get their CL comeuppance, as well as an obligatory wake up call on the difficulties of getting a penalty in Europe, in the most blatant of circumstance. And needless to say, Pepped up and pumped with cash, the other City will do much better, but even they can’t seriously contemplate domestic domination from the outset under new management. United will spend too, with Jose probably orchestrating events, but success wont happen overnight for them in this unpredictable environment either. Arsenal wont change, quite literally, unless Wenger has an epiphany of his own and buys the world class holding midfielder he’s needed since the last decent one flung pizza around in the Old Trafford tunnel. 

 

This leaves us with Spurs, the only club that could justifiably claim to have beaten us at our own youth development game. A potential major force to be reckoned with, Mauricio Pochettino having managed to perform the ultimate in three card tricks - develop youth, advance it quickly, promote to first team - thereby shredding the cloak of credibility that most critics of such a plan try to cover themselves with, namely that it is impossible to pursue this type of policy and at the same time have continued success on the pitch. The Bale money has been and gone for them without any real evidence of impact on the current squad, yet here they are on the brink of their best season for years. Having the belief and showing the intent to develop in this way Spurs have outstripped even Southampton in an area the south coast club prides itself in, albeit that the Saints were themselves asset stripped by Liverpool in the midst of the race for bragging right recognition.

 

And so, in the light of all these examples, both shining and dim, I come to Chelsea and the likelihood [or need] for spending big this summer. Post Roman expectancy levels have always been sky high, but, unless this watered down season turns into Champions League wine, things will change to the extent that constant clamour [to maintain status] is replaced by a cold realisation that evolution has to take place and this is as good a time as any to get on with the job in hand. If there is one certainty in the Premiership at present it is uncertainty of outcome, so why not go with the inconsistent flow? Spending big is all well and good, but remember the mega-achiever’s approach at the start of this campaign - just Petr, please - and there the Arse sits, on top of all the big spenders, but still looking up at two overachieving underdogs. 

 

All easier said than done, maybe, but as with Arsene, instant outrage could always be tempered by a single signing, a Paul Pogba or a discarded megastar forward from Real or Barca. Happy with that? Well, I suppose I’d put up with it… as long as it didn’t hold up the development of a home grown player for any undue length of time.                                

You think they will win the league again next year. I don't. I am not even sure they will this year. We will agree to disagree.

 

Will they win the league next season? Probably not. Not if they don't get a little more depth to their squad. Can they win it this season? Sure, why not? If they don't get any major injuries, they have a very well positioned to do so. All I'm saying is that what Leicester is doing at the moment is going beyond the regular "small club goes on a hot streak". They've been consistently good this season and have beaten the big boys as well. Sure, they've been lucky when it comes to injuries, but they've been getting points because they've been playing well.

If we were to completely overspend,and failed FFP, if we aint in champions league,what would the punishment be??

If we were to completely overspend,and failed FFP, if we aint in champions league,what would the punishment be??

 

Probably nothing. 

Not too fuzz whether we get to spend big or not next summer, could do well to integrate youth for a change.. It's not like our squad is that lowly to begin with like, lets say leicester for example..