Because it's true. League positions mean a lot to clubs even if they don't result in promotion or relegation, because they're a barometer of how well the team is performing in the medium term and progressing in the longer run. But whether you finish in the top half of a division you don't get out of, or the bottom half of a division you don't get out of, makes very little difference as far as an individual player's progression is concerned. Why? Because in each of those scenarios he'll still be playing the same standard of opposition next season. The exception to that rule is in the top flight, because if your team qualifies for Europe then you will be (or at least should be) playing against higher standard opposition.
