bosnian_red
Worst scout to ever exist
We can progress as a team and play good football with progression throughout the season without finishing top 4 (though naturally if we play well and progress we'll be in with a good shot). If we miss out, then so be it. It gives us a better chance at doing a proper rebuild and future success.
Mourinho finished 2nd but it was an awful season that felt like everything was heading the wrong way. That's his point. Nobody gives a feck about 2nd place finishes if they're like what that was. Sacrificing future progression, proper team building and good football for trying to grind out a top 4 spot is dumb, because you're at risk of that anyway and it leads to every season being a grind. The progression view is that 1 year might be tougher but the following years should be smoother.
It's never black and white of course, but we should absolutely go the progress route over trying to grind our way into 4th (mainly because we don't need to). If we play our game and progress as the season goes, good chance is that we'll get top 4 and be confident for future seasons anyway as you expect more progress.
Mourinho finished 2nd but it was an awful season that felt like everything was heading the wrong way. That's his point. Nobody gives a feck about 2nd place finishes if they're like what that was. Sacrificing future progression, proper team building and good football for trying to grind out a top 4 spot is dumb, because you're at risk of that anyway and it leads to every season being a grind. The progression view is that 1 year might be tougher but the following years should be smoother.
It's never black and white of course, but we should absolutely go the progress route over trying to grind our way into 4th (mainly because we don't need to). If we play our game and progress as the season goes, good chance is that we'll get top 4 and be confident for future seasons anyway as you expect more progress.