This is what eight years of "austerity" does to you. Makes you a stingy miser even after you are no longer financially constrained. You think with time your team will come good. Time doesn't exist in business. Once a gem is unearthed, people will want it for themselves. You think giving your stars a better deal will make them stay, and they probably will, but they become disillusioned in the non-competitive atmosphere of your place that they don't bother trying. They just run around the pitch while fleecing you. (or get injured, even better excuse for not trying). Then they'll run down their contracts and join teams who want it more than you do.