It is going to be ridiculously difficult to get top four as everyone will be strengthening. It's the thing that makes this season so frustrating, you only had to be half decent to be in the top four. Arsenal are third placed but have suffered ten defeats. Wierd that.
I think the owners have set their benchmark and fourth is what they want in order for us to push on sufficiently in the future, attract better players and break our very own Bambino curse. For this to happen, they need to be giving the new manager money to spend. It's a weird one with FSG because nobody really knows how much money they have or how willing they are with it. I mean last summer I never thought we'd be splashing out 20m and 16m on Downings and Hendersons? It's like at that time money wasn't an issue and if we wanted a player, we'd pay.
I just hope our scouting network is a lot smarter this summer but we do give the manager what he needs. As much as we and oppo fans like to say, the team isn't a completely crap one. It's decent. It's a squad full of squad players. Our first 11 is not good enough. It needs at least 3 players to suffieciently be attaining around 75 points a season. Which is usually a safe tally to be third. If you do that and then have our bench with the Downings and the Bellamy's. It'll be a strong team. Capable enough. Not jaw droppingly quality entrenched like City's or Chelsea's soon-to-be but it won't be as thread bare as ours or Arsenal's current one.
That being said, we've been saying this every year. Whether the powers that be act on it is a whole different question.
If the rumours are true and the management team will comprise of Rodgers/Martinez, LVG and Segura. It looks like we will be buying a few technically gifted and talented players rather than the buy british and premier league proven strategy we tried last summer.
I think the future is bright tbh. I feel good about it. I just hope Anfield gets behind the team and we don't lose any big players like Reina, Skrtel or Suarez. Though I am confident we can keep them. Reina has had a bad season. Suarez would cost too much. However, I can really see Skrtel being at City next season. I just don't know why I can just feel it.