Questions for Mr. Lerner Sir

[Chris Smith]

I've posted elsewhere that MON was very much old school in that it was up to the Chairmen to sort how we afforded it he just wanted the players. That's also how most fans think, so it is little wonder He was supported by most.

It's a piece of piss with 20/20 hindsight to say it was wrong but if we were only a couple of wins away from a top 4 spot. Barry, Milner and Young might still be here and things would have looked very different.

It was a gamble but it very nearly worked and isn't that what sport is supposed to be about?

[pauliewalnuts]

A gamble with too high a price, as it turns out.

With hindsight, would it have made much difference if we'd finished fourth instead of sixth one season?

MON's brand of football would not have last long in the Champions League - about as long as it took us to meet a side who knew how to pass it around, which would probably have been the qualifying round.

[Chris Smith]

A gamble with too high a price, as it turns out.

With hindsight, would it have made much difference if we'd finished fourth instead of sixth one season?

MON's brand of football would not have last long in the Champions League - about as long as it took us to meet a side who knew how to pass it around, which would probably have been the qualifying round.

As I said it would have kept players here. It would have also enabled us to attract a higher level of signing and It would have given us more money. We had a decent record against our own top sides who invariably did well in the Champions League so I don't accept it as a given that we'd have been easy prey.

It might have all have gone tits up but again, that's sport.

Now I find myself arguing in favour of fiscal responsibility. I know that is probably the right thing but fuck me it's boring.

[London Villan]

If we had had qualified we would no doubt have kept 3 of the midfielders that are now playing for the two favourites for the title.

[pauliewalnuts]

If we had had qualified we would no doubt have kept 3 of the midfielders that are now playing for the two favourites for the title.

No chance.

[London Villan]

Do you not think had we beat Man City and Spurs to the 4th spot Milner would have not joined them in that close season? I'm not so sure.

Just sad to see those three now all competing a million miles away from where we are.

[Chris Smith]

Players rarely leave a club that is in the CL for one that isn't if they have any say in the matter.

[Risso]

Players rarely leave a club that is in the CL for one that isn't if they have any say in the matter.

Man City offering to double their wages might well have changed their minds, as it did when they bought the likes of Adebayor from Arsenal.

[pauliewalnuts]

Do you not think had we beat Man City and Spurs to the 4th spot Milner would have not joined them in that close season? I'm not so sure.

Just sad to see those three now all competing a million miles away from where we are.

He'd have gone. If he hadn't gone that year, he'd have gone the one after.

As Risso said, Man City offer stupid money and get the players they want. They've done that with plenty of players from CL clubs.

We were also never going to keep Young from joining Man United, regardless of whether we were in the CL.

[London Villan]

I guess. I'm just wearing my claret and blue tinted specs. MON would have probably rested them all anyway!

[Chris Smith]

Players rarely leave a club that is in the CL for one that isn't if they have any say in the matter.

Man City offering to double their wages might well have changed their minds, as it did when they bought the likes of Adebayor from Arsenal.

That's one player, it doesn't really warrant a likes of.

It's a pointless argument as we can't know either way but at the very least it would have increased the odds on them staying.

[cheltenhamlion]

Toure, Toure, Robinho, Tevez....

[Ger Regan]

That's one player, it doesn't really warrant a likes of.

Yaya Toure, Robinho, Kolo Toure, David Silva, Tevez, Balotelli.

[Chris Smith]

Do you not think had we beat Man City and Spurs to the 4th spot Milner would have not joined them in that close season? I'm not so sure.

Just sad to see those three now all competing a million miles away from where we are.

He'd have gone. If he hadn't gone that year, he'd have gone the one after.

As Risso said, Man City offer stupid money and get the players they want. They've done that with plenty of players from CL clubs.

We were also never going to keep Young from joining Man United, regardless of whether we were in the CL.

You just cannot say that.

Who knows what might have happened after qualifying the first time? Bigger and better signings would have given us the opportunity to keep advancing. It would have been a totally different landscape.

[Ger Regan]

You just cannot say that.

Who knows what might have happened after qualifying the first time? Bigger and better signings would have given us the opportunity to keep advancing. It would have been a totally different landscape.

The problem being that as others have said, getting to the qualifying round is one thing, as Everton found out, getting into the group stages is another. I'm not certain that we would have been equipped technically to actually get there. Christ knows we had enough trouble getting into the Europa League.