Is any team going to threaten the top six long term?

[dontcallme]

For a long time we had the ‘Sky Four.’

While we might not like the term there is no denying that they got the four CL places for a long time.

Our long term thinking eventually helped us nick 4th spot and start becoming a true contender for those spots. Then City’s new owner money put them firmly in place for the spots.

But is the model of any of those outside the top six going to get them these spots?

At the moment Everton seem best placed. They are sensibly run but I don’t see them getting up to the next level.

Wolves have money and a super agent on their side. If they do I can’t see it happening in the next two seasons.

Are the top six just too strong now? We could all wobble at times but that’s about it imo.

 

[Japhet]

If the top teams are going to be threatened I can only see it being as a result of internal meltdown. It's the hardest thing to manage some of those big egos and we've seen enough instances of it to know that it can happen again. Mourinho, Van Gaal and Moyes have all come a cropper and Wenger got shoved out by the fans IMO.

 

['O Zio]

Can't see any way they can long-term. You'll obviously get the odd season where one of the "big 6" has a meltdown and finished 7th or 8th so that bumps somebody else up into the top 6 but normal order will be restored the following season when they inevitably get a new manager and throw money at him.

 

[Dougal]

Depends where the rich go shopping. I come from a time where mentioning Chelsea and City among the big clubs would get you laughed out of it. If someone with limitless money buys Huddersfield tomorrow intent on winning the league in the next 10 years then who are we to say they won’t?

 

[dontcallme]

Depends where the rich go shopping. I come from a time where mentioning Chelsea and City among the big clubs would get you laughed out of it. If someone with limitless money buys Huddersfield tomorrow intent on winning the league in the next 10 years then who are we to say they won’t?

Sure but my question is about clubs with their current models.

 

[Dougal]

Sure but my question is about clubs with their current models.

Then maybe. We broke it because eventually we found the right formula. It’s a near impossible thing to do. But not impossible.

 

[Archibald&Crooks]

Short term no, long term of course, the same way as the established 'top four' eventually got blown, the current situation will also change. Its exactly the same, back then people couldn't see the big four being overthrown, now people can't see the current way of things changing. But it will. It always does eventually.

 

[punkisback]

City came from being a Yoyo club, but it helps they had a large stadium. It's definitely doable.

 

[yankspurs]

Best placed, IMO, are Everton(for obvious reasons) and Bournemouth. Bournemouth are marketable. Their brand of football is entertaining and they dont back down. They’ve become the darling of the PL since coming up. If they spend there money well, keep Howe a bit longer and continue to compete against the top 6 now, i think they’ll climb there way eventually.

 

[John48]

A club like TH can never take anything for granted & there are quite a few clubs like ours with the right owners, manager & squad that can emulate what we've achieved in the past few years. Everton are certainly one, I would say the likes of AV & Leeds who might be in the Champ now, but with the right set of circumstances could be pushing the top 6. They have in the past & they could again.

 

['O Zio]

Best placed, IMO, are Everton(for obvious reasons) and Bournemouth. Bournemouth are marketable. Their brand of football is entertaining and they dont back down. They’ve become the darling of the PL since coming up. If they spend there money well, keep Howe a bit longer and continue to compete against the top 6 now, i think they’ll climb there way eventually.

Can't see Bournmouth doing it long term to be honest. People like them because they're a quaint little club with a nice inoffensive young chap as the manager, the kind of bloke your nan would happily have round for tea on a sunday. I don't see them as being in any way marketable on a global scale like you're suggesting, oher than the rags to riches type story that's already been done to death or the small club done good thing.

They've got no infrastructure, a tiny stadium, tiny fanbase and aren't either in or near a big city. If they can keep Howe and invest wisely then they could well have a good couple of years where they compete for Top 6 down the line, but I don't see any world where they become a real long term powerhouse of English football. Not without someone just throwing City-level money at them but even then they'd still just be a small regional club, sort of like an English equivalent of Hoffenheim.

 

[Tucker]

There’s plenty of slumbering giants loitering in the championship and below, that are ripe for investment. Forest for example, they have a fairly big stadium, and a sprinkling of history. If someone spunked a few billion at them like City, they’d be up challenging. Ditto for Villa, Leeds, and the two Sheffield clubs.

In the premier league you already have Wolves and Everton with big financial backers, I could see either of them pushing into the top 6 in the next few years. If Newcastle got a decent owner, they’d also be a good bet.

 

[Tucker]

Also, I’d argue that we managed to break into the cartel because a few of the other clubs up there had a wobble, Liverpool performed poorly for a few years, as did Arsenal. Chelsea and United have been pretty inconsistent too which has allowed us to establish ourselves. It’s hugeky competitive at the top now, so it would only take a lapse to let another club into the mix.

 

[Marty]

Can't see Bournmouth doing it long term to be honest. People like them because they're a quaint little club with a nice inoffensive young chap as the manager, the kind of bloke your nan would happily have round for tea on a sunday. I don't see them as being in any way marketable on a global scale like you're suggesting, oher than the rags to riches type story that's already been done to death or the small club done good thing.

They've got no infrastructure, a tiny stadium, tiny fanbase and aren't either in or near a big city. If they can keep Howe and invest wisely then they could well have a good couple of years where they compete for Top 6 down the line, but I don't see any world where they become a real long term powerhouse of English football. Not without someone just throwing City-level money at them but even then they'd still just be a small regional club, sort of like an English equivalent of Hoffenheim.

Agree. I think that within three years of Howe's departure, whenever that may be, they'll be relegated. They're a small club caught in a perfect storm and while they've been a great watch and played some really good football for several years now I can't see it lasting.

 

[dontcallme]

Agree. I think that within three years of Howe's departure, whenever that may be, they'll be relegated. They're a small club caught in a perfect storm and while they've been a great watch and played some really good football for several years now I can't see it lasting.

Bit like Charlton under Curbishley or Bolton under Allardyce.

Putting aside new owners and only looking at current setups I think Wolves are most likely.

They have money and a dodgy agent arranging deals but imo it won’t be enough and the gap between top six and the rest is currently too big.

 

[chinaman]

Bit like Charlton under Curbishley or Bolton under Allardyce.

Putting aside new owners and only looking at current setups I think Wolves are most likely.

They have money and a dodgy agent arranging deals but imo it won’t be enough and the gap between top six and the rest is currently too big.

Was there a report of the Bone-Saw Man hoping to buy Wolves?

 

[dontcallme]

Was there a report of the Bone-Saw Man hoping to buy Wolves?

Sounds like a good film plot but no idea what you are talking about.

 

[chavkev]

We are in a many ways a blueprint for this. I feel Leicester are starting to get it right with the signing of Maddison. It will be young players such as this that will push a club forward. You think back to the Jol years, Dawson, Huddlestone, Jenas, Robinson, Defoe, Lennon. They were all young(ish) players with plenty of upside. The biggest problem for these teams is ensuring that they don't lose too many players too quickly to rivals. We tended to sell at most one a season and often even less than that.

I have no doubt that it is possible. Good management, scouting and bravery of selection will do it. Remember too that there are 7 European places too, so in a way there is a space available.

 

[LexingtonSpurs]

Depends where the rich go shopping. I come from a time where mentioning Chelsea and City among the big clubs would get you laughed out of it. If someone with limitless money buys Huddersfield tomorrow intent on winning the league in the next 10 years then who are we to say they won’t?

Wolves come to mind in that regard.

 

[LexingtonSpurs]

The other path to the top-6 is for one of the current teams to drop out. Chelsea and City bought their way in, and it would not be unreasonable to think they could fall back once their owners sell. Certainly, they are well positioned - revenue wise - to continue, but City, in particular, could lose significant sponsorship revenue under new ownership.