I find myself constantly torn over Claude. His aims for the club and the development of younger players are difficult to argue against. We are in a position in the league table that shows we are the best of the rest behind the top 6 and is something we would have been happy to aspire to only 5 years ago. And the fact of the matter is that we have to accept it will not be easy (or even possible?) for us to break into that group on a regular basis at the moment. Like he says, winning the title once and from out of the blue doesn't mean that is the norm we should expect. That is all patently true and makes perfect sense, but on the other hand we then have the annoying and frustrating decisions regarding team selection particularly in the cup competitions. The only conclusion I can reasonably come to is that he believes (or is being told by the board) that league position is paramount, as that is what will lead us into becoming recognised as being a top team and give us a better chance of attracting better quality players - ie it is better to finish seventh in the league than win the league cup/FA cup and finish twelfth in the league.
At this moment I am a Claude fan. Ask me tomorrow and the answer might be different. I'm just another short-termist, fickle supporter who wants instant and constant success.
