The last two posters are correct the club is in the business of profits not winning trophies
The optimum profitability is probably being 5th or 6th and spending little keeping the wage bill down and milking the large fan base for as many years as they can.
It's been clear for some time that's their plan
To qualify for champions league would incur disprortionate expenditure relative to the revenue / risk algorithm
Agree with that Stan, however with the deals being done we may get to a point where the commercial income allows Rogers a lot more money for players -granted you have to accept that FSG are here to reinvest and win trophies.
The self sustaining club bit is without question the model but there is an obvious conflict with the worldwide fan base who want it now not in 2 or 3 years.
If there is any conflict with the worldwide fan base it's because they want success and trophies. Nothing to do with being self sustaining.
Trust me mate, being self sustaining will never win an argument in a pub when you are trying to defend your club against a team that has just won a trophy, title or champions league.
In this city, if we wanted to support a team that's self sustaining but win feck all then we'd jog across Stanley Park and start supporting the blue shyte!
At the end of it all, I just can not see us winning anything under FSG unless they invest. They could operate this way for the next 2 decades and we'll never have success (not unless the academy can produce an SG every season) and I think that when they eventually do go, all they will have cost us is a lot of wasted time.
At least when Hicks and co went, we had trophies, Istanbul and a 2nd place in the title race to look back on.
