Will we qualify for the CL?

[Percy McCarthy]

Balague (speaking at his book night I went to - can’t mind if it’s in the book itself) was at pains to point out that Emery has built the structure of a club that will continue to work as it is now, even with a new manager/head coach.

[Smithy]

Balague (speaking at his book night I went to - can’t mind if it’s in the book itself) was at pains to point out that Emery has built the structure of a club that will continue to work as it is now, even with a new manager/head coach.

I would love to know more about this, and how the structure actually "works" rather than how it looks on paper, as it seems to me that, in reality, Unai is at the centre of everything.  I have no doubt managers all over the world would crave the level of control Unai has, but I don't see it replicated too often elsewhere.

[Chris Smith]

My nephew mentioned recently how when he was getting excited during the Lerner years I told him to make the most of it because it never really lasts. He asked what I thought this time and I said that it feels different, that there’s a clear plan that all involved are working to and that I’m as confident as I can be that it is sustainable.

[Drummond]

I agree Chris, It feels it this time. It feels like we have the right structure, where the manager is the most important part. When you look at successful teams over the years, it's usually the manager as the most important piece of a good structure. Ferguson, Wenger, Guardiola, Paisley etc that were all allowed to be the most important part. Who knows what could have happened for us in the 80s if the Chairman hadn't tried to be more important than the manager.

[TheToffnar]

Balague (speaking at his book night I went to - can’t mind if it’s in the book itself) was at pains to point out that Emery has built the structure of a club that will continue to work as it is now, even with a new manager/head coach.

I would love to know more about this, and how the structure actually "works" rather than how it looks on paper, as it seems to me that, in reality, Unai is at the centre of everything.  I have no doubt managers all over the world would crave the level of control Unai has, but I don't see it replicated too often elsewhere.

I was talking about this with my uncle last home game. Is it simply because we're sort of uniquely positioned?

Prestigious English club with a fair bit of history, a committed fan base and the requisite funds to back an elite manager (almost) to the hilt, yet not SO big that the owners can't risk gambling everything on a single appointment, else the empire collapses if it fails?