Since the arrival of the Premier League the gap between the haves and the have-not’s has widened. The so-called Big Four have monopolised the European places, with only the odd bloody nose when Everton finished fourth a couple of seasons ago and Blackburn won the league in 1994-95,

Generally, none of the other clubs can get anywhere near the big money of the European Champions League, which is the gravy train for these clubs. Through the G14, they have managed to agree seedings so any new club trying to get into the elite money-spinning competition faces an uphill battle instead of just the luck of the draw.

So what are you left with? Clubs who have spent money are almost guaranteed a vast sum of money in return each season through the Champions League – then they can spend big again, and so the cycle continues.

‘Newcastle are the fifth biggest spenders over the last five years ... you would therefore expect them to be in fifth position in the league, yet they currently stand 13th.’


The Premier League has been a graveyard for some clubs attempting to break into that elite competition – Leeds being the biggest and worst example of what can go wrong.

Since the Premier League’s inception, the big spenders, through whatever means, have been the teams that have been in that top four but there does seem to be a change in the air.

The teams with all the money have won the majority of the major trophies over the last few years, with one or two exceptions, including Tottenham’s brilliant win in this year’s Carling Cup final. These same clubs have also monopolised the top four spots, but are they where they should be when you put into the mix what they have spent over the years?

Let me give you an example – Newcastle are the fifth biggest spenders over the last five years. They have spent £42.95m and you would therefore expect them to be in fifth position in the league, yet they currently stand 13th – a whole eight places below what their spending ability should by rights place them. In comparison, Arsenal are the 18th biggest spenders and they show a profit in transfers over the last five years of £1.6m. Now, you would think this would put them down in the lower reaches of the league but as we know they are lying in pole position, a whole 17 places better off than where they should be.

These are not the only examples of what is happening within the game. Here is a table of all the Premier League teams. I have tabled them based on how better or worse off they are compared to their outlay. Top of the pile are Arsenal, who are 17 places better off in the league than they should be. Newcastle are bottom because they are eight places worse off than they should be, according how much they have spent.

Position

Team

Current EPL Place

Spending Table  5 yrs

Above or Below

1
 Arsenal
 1st
 18th
 +17 places
2
 Blackburn
 9th
 20th
 +11 Places
3
 Everton
 4th
 11th
 +7 Places
4
 Wigan
 14th
 19th
 +5 Places
5
 West Ham
 10th
 15th
 +5 Places
6
 Man City
 8th
 12th
 +4 Places
7
 Man Utd
 2nd
 3rd
 +1 Place
8
 Villa
 6th
 6th
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9
 Portsmouth
 7th
 7th
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10
 Reading
 18th
 17th
 -1 Places
11
 Chelsea
 3rd
 1st
 -2 Places
12
 Fulham
 19th
 16th
 -3 Places
13
 Bolton
 16th
 13th
 -3 Places
14
 Liverpool
 5th
 2nd
 -3 Places
15
 Middlesbrough
 12th
 8th
 -4 Places
16
 Sunderland
 15th
 9th
 -6 Places
17
 Derby
 20th
 14th
 -6 Places
18
 Tottenham
 11th
 4th
 -7 Places
19
 Birmingham
 17th
 10th
 -7 Places
20
 Newcastle
 13th
 5th
 -8 Places

There some mitigating factors to take into account when looking at this table. Some teams have had success in winning trophies that would make this look slightly better for them, but the facts remain the same. A team like Liverpool, who are the second biggest spenders over the last five years, can only muster fifth place in the league – a whole three places below what you would expect. Everton, lying in 11th position in the spending table, are currently sitting fourth in the Premier League, seven places higher than their spending would have them. Why is that? The only answer, in my opinion, is down to good fiscal management, good team management and coaching of the players you have at the club whilst making sure the players you do bring into your club have a desire and hunger to play. There are no guarantees that spending big money will automatically make a player produce.

I have only gone back five years on what clubs have spent. When you consider what position some of the teams were in five years ago, and add to that the huge amounts of money they have spent since to show very little improvement or none at all, it goes to show that you don’t just need a good manager in charge of your club. You also need a chairman who, when the chips are down, does not over react and sack the manager at the first given opportunity.