So, the last Champions League space has been decided after a 1-0 win by Manchester City over Spurs last night. The issue now is how this affects the balance of power in the Premier League in the future.
In the past, when Everton and more recently Spurs reached the Champions League space there was no resulting seismic shift in the status of Premier League clubs – but last night’s result could be different.
A win for Manchester City gives them the basis to develop their team further, with the pull of the Champions League and the extra finances, few players will be able to resist the lure of the City of Manchester stadium if approached. If this proves to be the case, then they could be able to establish themselves as a long term occupant of a Champions League space for a while to come.
But, there is also an alternative side to this – for the last 10 years or so people have complained that the Premier League is too predictable and only a small number of teams can win it – this is reasonably accurate, but the potential of another consistent challenger for the Champions League spaces means to few spaces for the number of teams competing so there is potential for a scaling down of finances for a number of teams as the lucrative Champions League is no longer an end of season guarantee.
The other thing about Manchester City is their current potential doesn’t always match their future success. Yes they have the financial backing – but many supporters will tell you that all the money in the world won’t always buy you the best team – it just helps a lot. It is here Mancini (or whoever it maybe) has to earn their money – by assembling a team not just a bunch of individuals – take note from the Real Madrid ‘galacticos’ a few years ago – arguably the best players in the world – but very limited additions to their trophy cabinet.
Mancini also seems to work on a theory that teams can’t play twice in a week – so there is still the danger to City that their Champions League adventure might damage their league form and open the door for others – especially if there is the continued squad rotation of this season – I’m not sure there are many Man City supporters around who could tell you what their best XI is (maybe not even Mancini).
So where does this leave the rest – keeping their fingers crossed that City fail (or Arsenal, Chelsea or Man Utd for that matter)? Certainly Spurs appear to have the resources to finance a further challenge – but without the lure of the Champions League will they still have the same pull for players. There are even questions over whether Spurs know their best XI as they chop and change players so often and have an abundance of midfield players but no consistent goal scorer – a lot of the emphasis was on Van De Vaart – who’s form dipped after his initial burst onto the scene (there are a supporters of other clubs who could probably have predicted this as they experienced similar!).
Liverpool have undergone a revival under Kenny Dalglish recently – but how much money do they have to build further (is it a coincidence that Liverpool’s revival has come with Gerrard injured and an inability to rely on their midfield general?).
From my perspective, I am still unsure as to whether Man City in the Champions League is good or bad as there are still a number of questions to be answered. However, the one thing I am reasonably confident about is that this weekends FA Cup final will not be the turning point it could be for others. A win would mean a lot to City fans given their years without a trophy, but they have already done enough to enhance their global status without needing a cup win to boost their profile.
