Big Spending Backfires
- Ultimate 11
- 6 days ago
- 2 min read
Liverpool's summer outlay of £450m had every red on Merseyside thinking they'd walk the league this season. But something much the opposite has happened, after losing to PSV, Liverpool are on their worst run for 71 years. That's 1954.
Where this could be a momentary blip, it goes to show sometimes spending big to get to the next level doesn't necessarily work. Below we've got 5 examples of teams that did the same with similar limited results!
Chelsea 2022/2023
Liverpool's outlay only just eclipsed Chelsea's disastrous 430m outlay with additions in January eclipsing £600m! Frank Lampard had steadied the ship under the two transfer window embargo and brought through fabulous young talent like Mason Mount and Reece James. Tuchel then came in and built on Lampard's foundation by defying the odds to win the Champions League.
After that it was free-fall for the following season won the champions league. 17 players and 4 managers in the space of 12 months, nothing like stability.
Premier League 12th
FA Cup Third round
EFL Cup Third round
UEFA Champions League Quarter-finals
Real Madrid 2009/2010
The return of the Galactico's wasn't all sunshine and rainbows, despite building a core foundation for what would go on to be a dominant team in Europe in the noughties the €250m initial outlay for such a team surely meant Madrid would be competing across all competitions immediately. Where league form was good, they just so happened to be up against a Barcelona team entering arguably their greatest era which you could say makes this a bit of a bust.
Especially when you consider two shock defeats in Europe and the Domestic cup losing to both Lyon and Alorcon. Eventually costing Manuel Pelligrini his job when yet another 'Galactico' Jose Mourinho was on the market.
La Liga 2nd
Copa del Rey Round of 32
UEFA Champions League Round of 16
QPR 2012/2013
Spending £30m to establish themselves in the Premier League, QPR spent big (for context only 3 teams spent more, Chelsea, Liverpool and Man Utd.
Mark Hughes brought in a number of established talents, Julio Cesar, Jose Bosingwa, and Park Ji Sung but the team wasn't clicking and by November Hughes was gone. In comes Harry Redknapp who then spent £20mm combined on Chris Samba and Loic Remy.
It wasn't to be for QPR who were relegated that season despite coming back up the season after the broader damage was done. A FFP breach, a £42m fine from the football league. A cautonary tale of spending beyond your means.
Premier League 20th (Relegated)
FA Cup Fourth round
League Cup Third round
Inter Milan 2016/2017
After Jose Mourinho left Inter Milan in 2010 they were on a steady decline, no silverware for years and wildly inconsistent league form had Inter Milan in the midst of a full rebuild. Throw in the Suning Group acquisition with a 'win now' philosophy and the cheque book was wide open.
That cheque book however (all €100m of it) went on some signings that didn't quite live up to the billing
João Mário (€40m from Sporting CP)
Gabriel Barbosa “Gabigol” (€30m from Santos)
Antonio Candreva (€25m from Lazio)
Three managers later and an underwhelming season.
Serie A 7th
Coppa Italia Quarter-finals
UEFA Europa League Group stage
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