The Big Super League!

The gap is not as big as people think. The "big 12" made their decision because they need money. Having players like Bale and Hazard at Real on £350k per week is a massive drain on resources, Man Poo are paying £650k per week on one position - goalkeeper, Barca have Courtinho on £350k per week and he is not delivering.

The amount players are being paid is putting a huge financial burden on clubs if they then do not deliver - Van de Beek on a reported £250k per week? etc.

Long contracts do not help them get these wages of the books.

If Kane were sold this summer to Man Poo, Barca or Real then he would fetch £120 million+ and want a 5 year contract worth a minimum of £350k per week to put him on a par with other players at those clubs. That is a £220million commitments + a signing on fee of probably £10 million too.

The days of the "Galatico" signing may be over for a few seasons.

Real are in debt for over £1billion, Barca for £600million+, Man Poo £500million+ with the other 9 also £400million+ in debt.

Only Citeh with an owner with deep pockets and not interested in taking money out of the club seem secure.

oo please god no

Big Sam???

We must give enormous credit here to Radz / Orta & co in identifying and actually landing Marcelo's services, im personally of the belief MB will be the best signing LUFC made in the past 20 years, The promotion from the championship, the excellent 1st season in the PL the U23's winning and making it to the top at that level, the off field / community work behind the limelight being done by people very much associated with ER, the whole ethos of the Club has been shifted back to "grafting" one and one that seems to instilling nobody is bigger than LUFC.

Very much on Billy's view "side before self everytime"

Pre season I didn’t expect a point from these sides. The financial gap is a chasm which may never be bridged but Spurs show how a rudderless team of big time players are vulnerable.

In Bielsa we have a manager who has closed the gap. Imagine if Alladyce was our manager. Shudder.

I would say that we played a second string Man City, a Spurs in managerial crisis and teams entering big European matches. There is a big gap between us fully fit and these sides fully fit.

I'm much more impressed this season with how we've matched up against our peers - beaten the likes of Everton, Leicester and Villa away. We've also been very reliable against the lower sides, which bodes well for collecting regular points.

Fair enough lads but with my realistic hat on the "gap" is still there and is more of a kasum more than a gap if we are true to ourselves.

Those 5 teams that are mentioned will have no issue whatsoever in forking out £100m+ for one player if they think he will improve them, unfortunately we are NOT in that league, no where near it. The scum have to play 3 games in 5 days (their own fault) but just wait and see what team they will be sending out on the pitch and bearing in mind they have a Europa League Cup final to play in too at the end of the month so will try and protect/shield some of their "star" players from too much game time.

Yes our home record has been brilliant and im certainly not going to take anything away from those performances but i also remember the scoreline that wont be highlighted in Old Toilet.

Next season will also prove to be a difficult season for us and again our number one priority should be premiership survival, none of us should be that naive to think that we will travel up the table, other teams/coaches will have learned alot playing against us (twice) this season they will know what is actually coming and again will adapt their own system to counter-act ours. Bamford has been brilliant and i for one didnt think he would hit double figures so ive no problem in holding hand up and eat a large slice of humble pie, but defenders next year will now know what paddy is about and will change the way they see him.

We were absolutely outstanding against spurs at the weekend and were well deserving of our 3 points but tbf Spurs were down right awful in an FA Cup Final a few weeks ago, and can have those types of lackluster games, but we can only beat what turns up and by God did we show them. What gives me hope and belief that things are going well at ER is when Bamford after the game said the team wants to do well in every game, wants to improve, wants to finish the season as high up the table as they can. Thats just brilliant in my eyes, thats every fan dream, players that want to push on, try harder, standing still admiring what they have achieved is not an option and to bounce back from the defeat to Brighton in such a manner was remarkable.

The spine of the team is gelling together nicely (think we still need 3 players) but if we all take a step back and look at things "overall" within the PL Clubs there is a "gap" between ManU, ManCity, Chelsea (in particular) and the rest

At the beginning of the season the gap between them and ourselves seemed massive. Not so much know.