Manchester City, Liverpool, Manchester United, Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur, and Chelsea have firmly occupied top six spots over the last few seasons.
Owing down to the reason of excessive competition, the Premier League top six never made an appearance until 2016. Since the inception of the Premier League in 1992, top six has altered every season except the last three years. Henceforth, this comes as a worry to the Premier League clubs, which has finished outside top six in the last three seasons.
That being the case, the question of money spent by the likes of Wolverhampton Wanderers, Leicester City, Everton, and West Ham United have often been put forward by the fans after witnessing their giant strides over the last few years. Yet, can the quartet fragment the famous top six in the upcoming Premier League campaign?
The Foxes have managed to splash £85 million this summer window, followed by Wolves, West Ham, and Everton with £70 million, £68 million, and £35 million respectively. It would only to churn out to be a hypothesis if the measurement is made with that component alone.
Taking a step forward is not only spending heavily in the transfer market, but possessing a well-run module – matching progression by recruiting good managers, improving the current lot, and making clever signings. Nuno Espirito, Brendan Rodgers, Marco Silva, and Manuel Pellegrini are extraordinary caretakers accompanied by bosting tactics and experience to back up their peculiarity in the league. For all their hunky-dory results with their former sides, this could be a ramification for the managers.
Revenue shortage for the stable Premier League clubs is not an issue anymore, with the TV earning spurting the turnover every year. But, the ability for the top six sides to enumerate spine-tingling cash approaches as a peril for the rest of the league.
The variance of £70 million in the turnover of TV rights last year manifests the disparity between the top six sides and the rest.
Over and above that are the subsidised earnings panning out through the tickets, merchandise and sponsorships. As the top six clubs have a large-scale fanbase in the world, other Premier League clubs have not reached the eradication point, but a perceiving miracle would be the only way to abscond from the crisis.
Another concern is the magnet pull of the top six sides in the Premier League. In the last four years, Leicester City, West Ham, Wolverhampton Wanderers, and Everton alone have sold ten players to the big six – appearing as discomfort to the quartet. Picking your best player will not only strengthen the big side, but also lessen the other four.
Top clubs buying from mediocre ones are very common across the world. Even though the symmetrical pattern is seen in the top European leagues, the folding money in the Premier League is unrivalled. The sway of Real Madrid and Barcelona are the utmost evidence, as the Spanish duo guarantee trophies every year.
There is no assurance of the holy grail in the English top division because of the raging competition within the top six. Over the last eight years, Manchester City have dominated the nation by clinching four league titles, but others are not out of reach in terms of breathing down the Citizens’ neck. Chelsea beat them twice and Liverpool ended runners-up on the marginal difference in a couple of occasions. That has not been the case as the average difference between the sixth spot and seventh spot is ten points.
Additionally, for every Nuno Santo, there is Pep Guardiola; for every Brendan Rodgers, there is Jurgen Klopp; for every Manuel Pellegrini, there is Mauricio Pochettino. There is no doubt about the quality of Rodgers, Nuno Santo, Pellegrini or Silva, but the trio fall in the top five managers in the world currently.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Frank Lampard are yet to stamp their authority in the league. But, Chelsea and Manchester United have enough quality to finish in the top six. Should the team fail to click as a whole, the individual quality will come into play – bailing their club out on some occasions.
For instance, Mohamed Salah sought help from his teammate Sadio Mane while going through a barren spell last season. The Senegalese International stepped up his plate and lifted the golden boot alongside the Egyptian. In contrast, Everton, who were sniffing the top six spot under Roberto Martinez sold Romelu Lukaku in 2017. The Blues failed to acquire the seventh spot in the succeeding seasons. Leicester City have failed to challenge for the top six after the sale of N’Golo Kante and Riyad Mahrez.
This is a huge determinant in shaping up their league position. The quartet has invested money, but the big six have added more to their roster this summer. The Premier League top six is doubtful to be reorganized in the 2019/20 season.
