Not reaching top 4 could be better for long term. Next season should really be rebuilding. Clear out of a lot of under performing players should start. The wage structure should be balanced and should not buy high profile players. High profile players cause disturbance to the wage structure. Players who lacked commitment should be shipped out. Next season should only concentrate on premiership and top 4. Forget about Europe for at least 2 or 3 season until a more stable team is established.

That is why the defeat to Everton could be blessing in disguise. Hopefully it will cause the owners to realise that most of the players they have today are just not good enough.

Sponsorship will come only if the club has lots of fans even if some of the fans are lalang. If we keep seeing results like this, fans will be turned off and support will drop. The appeal of the club is still Fergie era and a lot of fans still stick with the club due to that era. However, this will be lost in another few years and the club will become like Liverpool in the past. Liverpool is the classic example of what the club should not become but Liverpool seems to learnt their lesson and they will taste success. We might laugh at lalang fans but the reality is a club success is measured by the number of people supporting them regardless of whether they are hardcore or non-hardcore.

Sponsorship will drop if the team are not winning anything. Even if they can obtain sponsors, the bargaining power will be lower because the prestige of a football team is the honour they win. Sponsors will pay big money to advertise on United but will they pay the same amount for West Ham? If United don’t win anything in the long run, their appeal will drop and their ability to attract big money sponsors will drop too. Hopefully the Glazers realise this!