By Richard Lee - 06/08/2009

Money, Money, Money

I can genuinely see this influx of 'artificial' money into the Premier League changing the face of the competition in years to come.

Whether the balance of power can shift quite as quickly as this season I'm not so sure - it's a tough ask to get so many new people to gel together with so little time.

The obvious name that springs to mind is Manchester City. From a mid-table team at best every year, they've got to be respected as at least challengers to the traditional 'Big Four'. I think their fans will be disappointed if they don't break into the four - and that just shows you how expectations can rocket within the space of literally a few weeks and months.

When you look around the top-flight now, the number of foreign backers just keeps growing and growing. Obviously there's the Middle East men at Man City, the Glazers at Man United, the Americans at Liverpool and Aston Villa, the list goes on. But it's clear already that not all of them are able to sustain the level of investment needed to ensure you're right up there with a title chance every season.

Perhaps Arsenal are the odd ones out in all this. In my mind, I don't associate them with splashing out mega-money, and when Arsene Wenger does spend fairly big he seems to be recouping it with the other hand.

The way football is, people want instant results. That pressure could be felt first at Man City, where Mark Hughes will know the pressure to deliver is now definitely on. Personally, I don't think they'll break into the top four this time but if they get it right and get it right quickly they could do it. Fifth of sixth would be my idea of where they might end up.

There's quite a few clubs whose buying policy looks quite shrewd on the face of it. I'm thinking of Villa and Everton in particular here. So does it all come down to money?

To a certain extent yes, because you need a size of squad to compete - and if you can have two quality players in every position then you're onto something.

What's clear is that it's becoming increasingly difficult to be both profitable and successful. All the top clubs have proved that. Perhaps the benefactors - like Elton John at Watford, for example - who are actually fans of a club are the best people to be owners.

That's a bit pie in the sky, to be honest, because football isn't for turning now. Either you've got money or you haven't. The common factor across all teams is you've got to have a manager and a board who know how to deal best with either scenario.