Is it fair to say that in the current climate/system, clubs like United have 4 possibilities?
1. Sell to a wealthy owner.
2. Gamble by spending big money we don't have.
3. Spend virtually nothing.
4. Spend limited amounts of affordable money (mainly the owners' money), and aim to build a squad strong enough to mount a promotion challenge.
Option 1, if possible, still carries large risks. Option 2 offers a chance of instant success, but the likelihood of serious decline. Option 3 virtually guarantees decline. Option 4 is what we have, and looked at over the last 18 months, is going well. For it to work, the owners have to keep their nerve, and Wilder and a range of key personnel have to continue to overachieve. I can envisage a situation where we have a good defence and midfield (we are there now?), but in this option, getting strikers who are outstanding is a real challenge. We couldn't afford Hugill or Madine on yesterday's prices, and neither of them would improve on what we have.