Just read an interesting but equally puzzling stat regarding the Champions League.
This is the sixth consecutive time that we have been in the group stages having made our debut in the competition in the 2001 campaign.
If there was ever a statistic that marked our fall from grace then that is it. The Champions League started in the 1992-93 season, and whilst I do not subscribe to the media led train of thought that football was invented in 1992 by Rupert Murdoch and his cronies, the fact that this cometition soared in standing and more importantly money levels around this time make the fact that we waited almost a decade to get involved in hte business end is as startiling as the time since our last league triumph (albeit in the lesser known and hardly remebered LEague Division One format).
So whats hte point of the thread I hear you say.
Well, whilst I am 100% sure that the all out assault on the title is the main focus of our footballing prowess, I dont subscribe to the theory that this should be at the detrement of the Champions LEague competition.
Its important that we maintain our recently enhanced reputation in European competition for a number of reasons, revenue, reputation and respect, that new three r's.
Revenue is important to ensure that we can keep up with the Jones' (or rather the Abramorvich's) in the transfer market, and keep us competitive at the tope end of the market, torres and Babel being prime examples o the virtues of such a policy.
Reputation is important, not just for bragging rightsm but in terms of the brand. Not my cup of tea, but as we are now more than eve a business proposition, its important for our american owners that the product is saleable.
Respect - is a lame attempt at finding a third r, but in all honesty it is about making sure that the right kind of player wants to come to this club. Having the respect of European football is important so we can attract the right personell, and improve our squad and potential.
So whilst I agree its the league we want, and the most important by my reckoning, the assault on Europe should not necessarily take second place. With the size of the squad, and the stregth in depth there is no reason it cant be (at least) a two pronged assault.