Think people need to chill a bit regarding Scruffy Steve - memories are short - he scored two of the mot significant goals in the club's history.
Whilst I don't agree with his evaluation of us, I can see why he might feel the way that he seems to. We ARE attempting to buy success and short-cut what might be seen as a normal team building process - now Stevie was never the sort of player that would have featured in such a rapid transition programme - he was more the type that a thoughtful manager (like MON) you would bring in to fill a niche or provide a link in a maturing team.
So it probably rubs him up the wrong way to see these lucrative deals being splashed out almost at will.
Where he is shortsighted is in believing that this is somehow immoral - his beloved Pompey did it (without the funds - i.e by incapacitating debt), Chelsea and Man City have both done it - it is a question of whether it is sustainable - and our backing appears to be. Is it unfair? - not really - Man United have spent a fortune on players over the years, 'poaching' the best of young British talent for transfer fees that very few other clubs could, at that time, match - Rio Ferdinand, Michael Carrick, Wayne Rooney and Phil Jones being the highest profile wise .. and Berbatov, Evra, Saha, De Gea etc did not come cheap - but that is seen as visionary management rather than buying success.
Unfortunately Steve has dug himself in a hole - one which I believe he wil have to eat a slice of humble pie in come the end of the season - but you know what? - if that's the case I suspect he is the type of guy who will come out and admit that he was mistaken.