When expectations in football cannot be met
It seems that every season, the general expectation of sides in the Premier League slowly increases. Roberto Martinez has supposedly vowed to bring Champions League football to Goodison Park, while West Ham’s owners are building towards the club becoming a top 6 outfit. Several other clubs that are relatively new to the glam of the top flight, such as Norwich, Southampton and Swansea, are also laying down brickwork in sustaining their status. Now that everybody is aiming high, surely many will end up disappointed… if not liquidated.
A record of 63 managers lost their job last season across ‘the 92’ with surprisingly owners in the top flight seemingly the most patient. Although, it needs to be stated, an average tenure of 2.81 years is hardly something to boast about. Who are the only English team to have sustained money pumping into the club, the same manager and a core group of experienced players? Manchester United. It’s no surprise that they have dominated English football for over 20 years. Chelsea constantly play the managerial merry-go-round, Arsenal refuse to spend cash to improve and City haven’t got a clue at times.
In order for a team to build itself successfully and achieve, sustainability is required and not only that, the required materials need to be there. Basically in order to be high up in the table and winning trophies – large investment is required on a yearly basis. What a fairytale story it was for Portsmouth winning the FA Cup in 2008, but now preparing for life in League 2 alongside Newport County and Accrington Stanley, things simply can’t get worse for Pompey. Gretna and Wimbledon are two sides that weren’t so lucky with administration as both sides were swiftly liquidated and phoenix clubs had to be set-up by supporters. So far we’ve seen fairly well known ‘brands’ punished by expulsion (another being Rangers) though we are yet to see one of the real top European clubs to fall. In our lifetime it’s likely we will witness one of the world’s richest football teams face liquidation.
However; not everyone is set to lose out in the long run. Cardiff City, Wigan Athletic, West Brom, Tottenham Hotspur and Swansea City are all teams that are well run which will help them excel rather than decline. Some of you may be thinking, why not Arsenal, a cash flow of £38.5million is fantastic? Well they are so far behind Man Utd, Man City and Chelsea, personally I doubt we’ll be seeing much paraded around the Emirates for quite some time – at least.
With this expectation increase the 2013/2014 campaign is sure to prove another fantastic season full of drama in the entire football league. One where a top 4 finish, mid-table mediocrity or last day survival won’t be enough for a number of managers. Bring on August!
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