In the past seasons 4 clubs have dominated the English Premiership, partly due to the huge amounts of cash that the Champions League provides. With the increased influx of domestic television revenue and rich investors many clubs are seeing a new dawn of financial muscle. The gulf in spending power will still be there but not to the same extent that it has been.
Before a mid table club could look forward to the end of the season where they banked on their manager to make one big signing to swing their clubs fortunes, now a mid table club can make many multiple million pound signings and it not cripple the club if they do not work out. Of course it is still a result business but now just surviving in the Premiership is now as lucrative as winning it was 10 years ago.
Mourinho has been quoted recently as saying he believes Spurs to have the potential to fight for the title. If a manager had uttered this line just 3 years ago everyone but the most deludedly optimistic Spurs fan would have laughed their arse off. Now for me this is quite a statement, if he is just trying to unhinge his rivals by making them look over their shoulders instead of up at Chelsea then we can give him his a scout badge for mind games (I'd suggest he was artifically inflating Spurs fans hopes but he would be wasting his breath).
Spurs have certainly been narrowing the gap for the past 3 years, with some highly astute signings and decisions. Most notably Michael Carrick and Dimitar Berbatov, and with difference in behaviour between the two emphasising the raising of expectancy and reputation just a year later.
When Carrick joined Spurs (£2.75m) they were a perenial midtable team, never having finished in the top6 or the bottom6 since the inception of the Premierleague. 2 seasons later and Spurs just missed out on a Champions league place after holding 4th from Christmas right till the last day. However the lure of Manchester United drew his eye and after a protracted transfer was sold for a fee of up to £18.6m (£14m upfront).
His loss from Spurs midfield was catastrophic being the lynchpin that held our midfield together. It took untill October for the club to get back to form, but still managed to finish 5th for a second season in row. Now the best of the rest after two 5th placed finishes Spurs are looking to progress to challenging the Champions League places. The only way that is going to happen is if Spurs keep Berbatov.
Berbatov the current gem in the crown but unlike Carrick looks like he will stay at Spurs and shun the overtures of bigger clubs, at least for the coming season. With Berbatov staying and the reinforcements payed for with the influx of TV revenue Spurs are in pole position to challenge the top4's dominance.
Is this finally the season when the top 4 is broken, another 5th placed finish for Spurs, a gap to open up between the top 5 or will the revenue influx boost the nearly boys and create a superleague filled with top teams and prove the Premiership is the best league in the world?
Before a mid table club could look forward to the end of the season where they banked on their manager to make one big signing to swing their clubs fortunes, now a mid table club can make many multiple million pound signings and it not cripple the club if they do not work out. Of course it is still a result business but now just surviving in the Premiership is now as lucrative as winning it was 10 years ago.
Mourinho has been quoted recently as saying he believes Spurs to have the potential to fight for the title. If a manager had uttered this line just 3 years ago everyone but the most deludedly optimistic Spurs fan would have laughed their arse off. Now for me this is quite a statement, if he is just trying to unhinge his rivals by making them look over their shoulders instead of up at Chelsea then we can give him his a scout badge for mind games (I'd suggest he was artifically inflating Spurs fans hopes but he would be wasting his breath).
Spurs have certainly been narrowing the gap for the past 3 years, with some highly astute signings and decisions. Most notably Michael Carrick and Dimitar Berbatov, and with difference in behaviour between the two emphasising the raising of expectancy and reputation just a year later.
When Carrick joined Spurs (£2.75m) they were a perenial midtable team, never having finished in the top6 or the bottom6 since the inception of the Premierleague. 2 seasons later and Spurs just missed out on a Champions league place after holding 4th from Christmas right till the last day. However the lure of Manchester United drew his eye and after a protracted transfer was sold for a fee of up to £18.6m (£14m upfront).
His loss from Spurs midfield was catastrophic being the lynchpin that held our midfield together. It took untill October for the club to get back to form, but still managed to finish 5th for a second season in row. Now the best of the rest after two 5th placed finishes Spurs are looking to progress to challenging the Champions League places. The only way that is going to happen is if Spurs keep Berbatov.
Berbatov the current gem in the crown but unlike Carrick looks like he will stay at Spurs and shun the overtures of bigger clubs, at least for the coming season. With Berbatov staying and the reinforcements payed for with the influx of TV revenue Spurs are in pole position to challenge the top4's dominance.
Is this finally the season when the top 4 is broken, another 5th placed finish for Spurs, a gap to open up between the top 5 or will the revenue influx boost the nearly boys and create a superleague filled with top teams and prove the Premiership is the best league in the world?
