Transfer investment for last 3 years is an almost perfect correlation to league table position.
Guardiola and Manchester City certainly don't deserve any major credit, everything else is hyperbole, intended to generate clicks for advertisers.
Of course in general terms, in any of the top leagues, Leicester being the exception, the teams who spend the most money win the most.
But United fans seem to want it both ways. If we are paying a 'city premium' (which we were, but much less so now), to attract players who would otherwise join a 'big club with history & global appeal like United', then United's money should go much further than City's and if we both spend similarly, United should end up with better players ?
Plus, we were constantly told when first spending the money, that it wasn't enough just to buy big names - you needed them to gel and be managed. We were told that would be much harder to the point of impossible, because we were employing mercenaries, only coming for the money, often with bad attitudes which is why the best clubs didn't want them. Remember when we tried (very poorly) to sign Kaka - we were told it was insulting to think someone like that would ever sign for us. Not just then, but ever. Now we are being told that we spend more than everyone else and if we keep throwing enough cash for long enough, that alone will result in winning the league
Of course neither position is entirely accurate
If United fans can't accept that in relative terms, to the vast majority of players (and of course their agents), the attraction of United over City is nowhere near what it was, to the point that it's barely a factor, I think they are simply not living in the real world. If a player moves solely for the money, I don't see many, if any, instances where City pay more than United. If a player wants to move for the chance to win trophies, then at the start of every single season since SAF left United, a neutral player with no allegiance would see at least as good a chance and in most instances a better chance, of winning trophies at City than at United, including players looking at moving this January or next summer. The United history will factor in very little for most players these days.
United's problem is that whatever plan they might have had to deal with SAF's departure, has had to be changed, as it hasn't worked. The club understands the benefit of stability better than anyone, but there is no point sticking with a manager for the sake of stability if they realise it's been the wrong choice. They realised that with Moyes & LVG. Time will tell whether Jose was a good choice. The short lived managerial choices have presumably impacted badly on the buying, although I don't think that's the only reason. Another reason for poor buying IMO has been the time it has taken to accept just how much of an overhaul the squad needed/just how average some of the players in the squad SAF left actually were. And perhaps an arrogance that players would choose United just because they are United. Regardless of the reasons, it can't be argued that buying policy has overall simply not worked out well.
I wouldn't change pretty much anyone from our first choice 11 but I don't think they are the best 11 players in the league. Undoubtedly Pep couldn't have got to where we are without the money, but equally undoubtedly the money alone hasn't got us playing the way we are. Systems, training, squad harmony, hunger, etc are down to the manager. I don't believe any other manager would have this particular group of players playing as well as they are - who would have thought we could do this with Otamendi & Delph as regular starters, or Sterling being one of the top scorers in the league ?
So, to suggest Guardiola & City deserve no credit and it's solely about the money is incredibly shortsighted. That suggests if United spend much more than City over the next couple of years, which I would guess may well be what happens, United will overtake City again. They might, but if so, it will be because of more than just money. It will be because the money is spent well and the players are managed well. Just imagine if we had bought Pogba & Lukaku for the same sums United spent and we then went on to win the league - we would be told it's because we spent £165M on two top players. But United have done that and are not looking likely to win the league. As I say, it's about more than just money, but yes it can't be done without money.
