We SHOULD be turning a profit using successful business strategies, afforded to us by the successes on the pitch. THAT is what attracts investors.
Nobody is looking at Blackburn or Wigan, because the stature is long gone. Unless you stumble upon somebody who wants to make a story of us, the only thing they'll be looking at is the bottom line.
I'm of the mentality that we had an unbelievable opportunity to cement ourselves as a top half Premier League side, but we abandoned the strategy that served us (and Brighton, Bournemouth, Brentford etc) so well, selling assets whilst their value is high and scouting smartly. We instead offered these players contracts equivalent to those with 10x our turnover, choosing ambition. We flew too close to the sun. The FA cup win was a product of that ambition, but every fan knows it wasn't sustainable.
I'm not even knocking the club for that. Would fans be truly happy with top half Prem finishes each year, as a ceiling? Would you happily be an Everton or a Newcastle? Their fans strive for more.
Breaking the ceiling and pushing into the top 6 regularly is a gamble that any club, aside from those already classed as top 6, will eventually lose.
So tell me. Where would your smart money go as an investor, putting your allegiance aside, City or Spurs?