- Jul 29, 2004
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Thing is you are quoting leagues that only really have one financial power house to contend with. In the Prem there are 4 and up until recently 5 teams far superior financially contend with. It is almost impossible as is, without trying to go toe to toe with them in an attractive footballing sense. It's the same in Spain where Athletico are keeping up with the but having to play a different way to do so.That’s true that wage spend is more important. Though I would say net spend absolutely has a place. By wages Liverpool have also overachieved. So have we mind, massively so actually. Under Poch as well.
Monaco are another club who won a league playing attacking football without massive finances, in fact their win came as they were selling off assets left right and centre.
The point is I don’t think Danny’s statement is less relevant today than it was then. In fact back then defensive clubs were much more common at the top.
Football tactical trends promote attacking play of big clubs asthe division in wealth means that more teams are pushed to defend in those games as survival is also predicated on how many games you don’t lose not win. Attacking sides in recent decades are not attacking because of style or principle but because it works better when you are facing so many teams happy to sit deep.
Mourinho makes almost a personal point of going against that trend and is one of the best managers in the world at that. We are lucky to have that, but there are concerns, though at the moment very small and he has always drawn a little too many games. Mind I’m more than happy with him.
I just do think one could win a league playing offensive football and be of our stature. I also believe that it is a close to impossible task regardless of the style we play.If we do it winning offensive or defensive football it would be an incredible achievement and rank there behind the Porto champions league and probably on Par with the inter success.