Not sure of the best thread but it makes you realise what an amazing job Sean Dyche does every season.
We were the dogs back wheels for one season and then, though Wilder would disagree, spent a not unsubstantial amount the following summer.
In the meantime, Burnley casually rocked up One spot behind us on 10th and then had a net spend of a little over a million and have still stayed up with relative ease.
It's not as if they have great depth. They just go with 2 for each position. None of this 6 strikers malarkey we have.
They have an excellent (which we have) keeper in Pope, who is incredibly consistent (which ours wasn't to begin with). The ex-Leeds youngster is his back up Peacok-Farrell. There's another guy called Norris but he never gets a look in.
Ex-Blades Lowton and Bardsley are the right back options. Taylor the ex-Leeds lad and Porters ex-Stoke fill left back. They have a solid centre back pairing of Tarkowski and Meet and easily absorbed Michael Keane's departure. Kevin Long has been there more than a decade as back up along with a young lad, Jimmy Dinner who has been there 4 years. So, plenty of continuity.
The midfield is workmanlike with Jack Cork and Ashley Westwood have been there 4 years, Josh Brownhill, who we looked at from Bristol came in the other year and they took in Stephens from Brighton as their only cash signing to replace Hendrick who went on a Bosman to Newcastle. Out wide they've the highly rated McNeil, being with them since a lad back in 2014, Jóhann Berg Guðmundsson and Robbie Brady for 5 and 4 years and that's it for midfield.
Overall they've only got 22 players including the 3rd keeper.
Up top Chris Wood has been excellent and has been there 4 years, Barnes is a real handful bad been with them for about 7 years. Jay Rodriguez started there and could we'll end there and they still have Vydra on their books since 2018.
It's very much 1 or 2 in or out and who comes in usually replaces one going out.
Makes you wonder whether Chris tried to change too much. For all the dosh he spent on forwards, McGoldrick and Sharp would still be legitimate players.
Typical as they just got splattered by Leeds as I started writing this but doesn't take away from what a great job Dyche has done with them year after year.