Will we ever make the big four

[PaulWinch again]

I think it's highly unlikely, because the way we'd have to do it would be gradual development and it's virtually impossible to get to that level in that way nowadays. Even if we had one brilliant season where we made the top 4 it's hard to see how it would be sustained. It would be like when Liverpool got back in the top 4, then Man Utd spent an absolute fortune to jump ahead of them in the queue again. In Liverpool's case as well, they had recently been regular top 4 finishers.

[Steve R]

It's not impossible. You could have asked the same question of ManU, Chelsea,Arsenal and ManCity a hundred years ago and it would have seemed a very fanciful suggestion.

How long it takes and what needs to change is another matter, The current pecking order, which probably has as much to do with TV rights as anything, is geared towards the status quo being preserved. It will probably take quite a few things to change, but BT kicking Sky to one side is probably one of them.

[Smirker]

I fucking hate modern football.

[themossman]

The question is can anyone other than the current cabal make the top 4 again without the intervention of  mega rich owner. I'd argue not because of the way he economics are rigged these days.

[Pete3206]

No

[Meanwood Villa]

It's not impossible. You could have asked the same question of ManU, Chelsea,Arsenal and ManCity a hundred years ago and it would have seemed a very fanciful suggestion.

How long it takes and what needs to change is another matter, The current pecking order, which probably has as much to do with TV rights as anything, is geared towards the status quo being preserved. It will probably take quite a few things to change, but BT kicking Sky to one side is probably one of them.

What difference would BT make? Their current megabucks deal for the Champions League is perpetuating the status quo.

[silhillvilla]

Swansea are a real test case this season, I think they play as good a football as the top 4 without the cavernous bottomless bank vaults and favouritism of referees and PL officials . If they cant brake the top 4 this year then nobody will .

[Drummond]

It's not that long ago that people asked if anyone other than Liverpool would win, then it was ManU, then Chelsea joined the club, now it's ManC, Arse have been there or thereabouts for ages.

Anything is possible, over the last 40 years, ten different clubs have won the league.  Villa, Forest, Everton, Liverpool, Blackburn, Leeds, Arsenal, Man U, Man C, and Chelsea.

It feels like nobody will win it other than last year's top 4 but anything could happen. 

[passitsideways]

Without financial doping, it'd have to be a perfect storm of good fortune (in-game and health-wise), a top-quality manager with both tactical flexibility and man management, and a bunch of previously-unheralded players (academy players, previously average players, and new signings) coming into their own or having career seasons all at the same time. The team would get picked apart very quickly afterwards of course but I think it's theoretically possible for a team to make that jump from 10th to 4th...albeit highly, highly unlikely

[oldhill_avfc]

The number of different teams winning the league has certainly reduced over the decades, plus there haven't been any new/unexpected winners since Blackburn and Leeds in the early 90s.

2011+:  3
2000s:  3
1990s: 4
1980s: 4
1970s: 5
1960s : 7
1950s: 6

I also wonder if getting into the top 4 is actually harder than moving from a regular top (sky) 4 position to winning the league.

[chrisw1]

nope.  Football is broken.

[luke95]

Not without someone's wealth to the tune of about half a billion plus.

[Lobsterboy]

Yes. If we get relegated I have every confidence we will be in the top four in the following season!

[Percy McCarthy]

Yes.

In the near future the twenty PL clubs will be the twenty richest clubs in the world, giving them the ability to buy virtually any player in the world, the best coaches, administrators, facilities - everything. The domestic TV rights are split more fairly than most leagues, the overseas rights are split equally between all twenty clubs. The price the U.S. pays has just doubled, China gets it for free - for now.

If PL TV income continues on its current trajectory it will make all other income streams irrelevant. Then it will be all about management, scouting, coaching etc.

[Smirker]

It's not that long ago that people asked if anyone other than Liverpool would win, then it was ManU, then Chelsea joined the club, now it's ManC, Arse have been there or thereabouts for ages.

Anything is possible, over the last 40 years, ten different clubs have won the league.  Villa, Forest, Everton, Liverpool, Blackburn, Leeds, Arsenal, Man U, Man C, and Chelsea.

It feels like nobody will win it other than last year's top 4 but anything could happen.

Yes but over the last 40 years the economics of the game has changed massively. A combination of the Prem boom and whoring the brand out worldwide plus the way the CL has been structured means you've got millions and millions of people supporting the same few clubs and these clubs have been able to get bigger and bigger without actually winning anything (Arsenal).

I really wanted Southampton to make the top four to show it could be done without spending ridiculous amounts of money. It can't be done though, and all that happened is their best players got picked off by richer, more powerful clubs. I remember someone on here said everyone from 7th down just exists as a feeder club to the Sky 6 and it's bang on.

It is next to impossible to break into this cartel of superclubs unless you have a spare billion quid in your back pocket. It's a closed shop.