We are probably one of the very few clubs in world football who can compete organically in the Premier League and Champions League, so I do believe we will always have the potential to do well. Whether we have the structure, the vision and the footballing people behind the scenes...jury is definitely out on that one.
Unfortunately, the sad fact about modern football is that the billionaire bankrolled clubs are shoe-in's to compete at the top, because they can afford to make so many mistakes with recruitment and managers and just move on from them quickly. It's not hard to build a dominant side like City's when you can get it wrong over and over again with players and just keep going until you eventually stumble on the right ones.
I genuinely see a scenario in 5YRs time and thereafter whereby City, Chelsea and Newcastle qualify for the CL every year and United, Liverpool and the rest duke it out for 4th or a good cup run. Perhaps we will see a scenario where the PL are given an extra place or two in the Champions League, to appease those who may be tempted by the ESL again?
Sounds doom and gloom but if we start making better decisions, we are rich enough/famous enough/powerful enough to just about compete, if everything clicks, like it has under Klopp and Edwards at Liverpool