United and City spent £146m and £171m respectively. For a team that spends considerably less than its rivals after finishing 10th with 50pts the previous season yes that's "relatively little".
I liked your first post but I'll quote this one and answer as I can.
Klopp is being judged off a much smaller base than Pep, in reality, his two of the 4 players you mentioned have been new signings and everyone thought Mane was a steal at 30odd million. He also had to play only 40 or so games this season to the rest of the top 6's 50 odd, Pep's 55 and Joses 65 and had a half season e. We'll see how he does if he doesn't spend and has to compete on the same schedule as everyone else next season. Of the players you said went up a level both Mane and Wijndalum are new signings (£60m worth) and of the £81m coming in I'd imagine he played very little part in actually selling those players other than saying "I don't want them". Not Klopp bashing btw I quite like him, but the goal posts are different for Liverpool because the money is smaller. Jurgen has a squad that cost 70m more than Spurs for what its worth, though 220m less than Peps and 300m less than Joses.
Pep has hugely improved Sterling, Kun and dare I say even David Silva this season but the reputation he arrived with is not really anything. People on here said City needed a huge overhaul and now they are blasting the manager for doing it and say he's panicking. Pep said he would "like" to use youth, but has said the gap at City is too big because the reserves or whatever the silly name on our squad is don't get to play real competitive football. This on the same forum where in the Pep thread one person said our squad was so bad we would finish closer to Everton than to United (yes, he was serious and no he didn't mean Everton were coming 6th and United 7th).
He also said he was lucky to get the youth he got at Barca and the one or two he brought through at Bayern. Its like how Ferguson was seen as the greatest promoter of youth, but the reality was he got the class of 92 and after that the production of gems slowed (although never really stopped). On the side of youth too City had about 20 of their most promising youths out of loan. The guy has been totally honest even after the 10 wins in a row Pep was like "Hard times are coming" "I'm not some genius I was lucky to have the players I had at Barca and Bayern" and even went as far as "I'll have more trophyless seasons in my career, whats happened so far in my career is not normal".
Not exact quotes but the exact ones are pretty much the same.
Of course he deserves criticism I've given him plenty myself (especially for 3 at the back) but to suggest Pep see's himself as some football god who was going to the win the prem with Cities u7's like some on here do is completely untrue. He is simply one of the best managers (there's a group of them) he wins when he has the best team and doesn't when he doesn't just like every other manager in football bar the odd exception, (Klopp at Dortmund, Leicester, Jose at Porto). Even when the best/most expensive team don't win, its always one of the 2nd or 3rd who will. To read stupid things like he failed at Bayern where he wrapped up 3 league titles with months to spare just because he lost to Madrid, Barca and Atletico (none of which came from you.) and had it easy at Barca is a joke. Whats even funnier is the people saying he's spending £300m this summer when in reality he's spent £43m, although he may go close to £200m if the stars align and we get every target we've aimed for.
Also wouldn't you say a fairer judgement of that Chelsea side would be to say they won the league quite comfortably over probably the best City side ever the year earlier, with 3 games to spare I believe. Last seasons mutiny is hardly a proper view of their actual footballing ability. They racked up 87 points under Jose that season when something happens twice in 3 years its fair to say the 10th place was the exception. Conte added £120m worth of talent to them for this campaign too.
City for what its worth haven't been in an actual title race since beating Liverpool to the title despite constantly being top 4 and I'll include myself in a group who overrated our squad and didn't see our fullbacks on here decline as much as the did. The reality is Chelsea are better (not something I thought last season) but two emphatic title wins in 3 years say its quote Rafa a fact and needed less than we did. I genuinely though City had a better squad coming into the season but watching games this season its clear we had let 3 key positions fade into nothing and were living off players who peaked 5 years ago plus KDB and Kun.
Great posts btw, and its nice to actually talk about these things with people who say more than Fraudiola and chequebook manager. etc..
No, he doesn't mean the proven International 'youngsters' that cost a combined £110+m.
'Elite Development Squad'. Deary me
That was sarcasm on my part but technically they are Manchester City youngsters regardless of what they cost, also £110m for the 3 of them actually looks cheap now. You just made my night.
