It's why Staveley got the bullet. Too much too soon in qualifying for CL in the first full season must've led to them getting all giddy, and carrying on spending like that 1960's pools winner. I can't really knock any of the buys in the first 18 months or so, though getting rid of Anderson to comply with PSR was a huge mistake.

I think we've stalled through a combination of being unable to raise anything significant from sales (which would hugely benefit PSR) because a) we're crap at selling and b) we don't have the bodies available to sell because of the demand of CL.

The cluster fcuk behind the scenes has not helped, as we moved toward the shark as a CEO and DoF business model. We also appear to have lost the magic black book of quality transfer targets playing in Europe, available for decent wedge, and have instead reverted to the Chuckle Brothers watching MOTD re-runs, picking out oven-ready, glaringly obvious PL players, who shouldn't even be approached as targets, for very obvious reasons.

I still think we've done remarkabkly well though, as there's only so far you can get with PSR pocket money after starting with a relegation squad. However, we're now also in the labyrinth of UEFA FFP, which has a whole other different set of rules, which led to Chelsea and Villa being fined and hamstringing us left, right and centre. Villa now can't spend more on players this window than they sell, whilst Chelsea were able to play in the CWC enabling them to pay off the fine and trouser £70mill extra.

It's almost as if it's designed to be impossible to bridge the gap, and with no team outside the snide six having managed to qualify for CL in consecutive seasons, it's probably not far wrong. Villa had the luxury of the £100m sale of Grealish to kick start them, and have also made £125m from Duran and Diaby to Saudi, yet are still struggling to comply. I'm amazed we haven't just said fcuk it and thought let's be hung for a sheep as a lamb and just go for it. I'm sure we could tie them up in court for 15 years, though B&Q have got plastic sheeting on sale, which would certainly be quicker.