So how confident are we?

Ha ha when will you learn.

 

We signed 5 players in ten days in a January window when we were in a relegation fight. Our form was relegation standard in the second half of last season.

If the choice is between not spending, banking the 60m from TV money and going down to the championship or spending 30m, staying in the league and banking 2x 60m from TV money I think we all know Mike would go for the latter of those options.

Hardly any teams have done any business, Southampton are in utter disarray, West Brom have got a poor manager unproven at this level but who's also a proven failure at a lower level. Sunderland are weaker than last season, they've lost Borini and Colback and are signing anyone that's played more than 30 games at Premier League level. QPR, Burnley, Leicester, Villa are all weaker than us.

We need to sign players, it looks like it's taking bit more time than we'd hoped for but it's from a "panic stations" situation IMO.

 

This is the only thing that affords me a modicum of hope.

 

I agree with the last bit. Those losing the plot because we've done nothing so far seems a bit strange. The big deals which trigger the dominos have only just started. We are one of many to have done little to sort our issues. Always worse in WC year.

For me though, if you take that one panic window out of it, our record under Ashley is doing very little and never enough to give a manager/squad a chance, nevermind exciting a fanbase.

 

Come on our board if you're feeling depressed.

 

We've been there before with Cabaye, Ba, Carroll etc mate, I feel your pain. It's just a fact that any team outside of the top four that manages to put a good side together (as we did three years ago and you did last year) only has a maximum of 18 months to get in to the top four.

Any longer and the vultures circle, pluck your best players and you have to build again. It's pretty much a "rinse a repeat" process. Each time a good player goes it becomes that bit harder to repeat though.

 

And sadly part of the process is every few years having a washed-up squad that leaves the fans feeling drained, tired of the board's same old spin!

 

I'm happier now.

 

Yep