Net spends are not something to brag about.
Net spends don't guarantee anything.
It's about building and bartering with the quality you have as much as adding in a few extra readies when required.
Man Utd spending 310 million ( if that's correct) to finish 6th, way back from any trophies, is ludicrous in the extreme and they only survive because of who they are, which is why the Glazers can have the club owing a mint.
Man City are a blank cheque club and rode along on fair play avoidance with sponsored ridiculousness.
Everton are little better than we are.
Fulham crashed and burned.
Huddersfield crashed and Burned.
Bournemouth were overtaken by us.
Spurs finished 4th and are in the champions league final on the 3rd lowest net spend, because they sold their top players to balance it out, whilst bringing through freebies in some cases.
So how are we doing on our low net spend? I'd say we are making progress, because the players we have ( in many) are worth a lot more than we paid.
That's progress and we're still progressing in the premier league.
If I had to give my honest opinion on this, I'd say it makes me proud to know that my club, Newcastle United, are a club that's not a breeding ground for mercenaries and a club that refuses to play the game of keeping up with the Jones' tail coat until such a time where it can be done in a sustained manner, which, in this mental elitist climate of football, is pretty slim on that sustained basis.
The thing is, some teams are afforded a sniff to keep the mindset of us football fans pacified and in belief that all clubs can play along if they spend big.
I don't mind us spending a little bit on players but I do not want to see us spewing regular 20 millions and more on players that also come with sickening wages, only to end up with a squad full of prima donnas as the north east bubble bursts for them and they want away or they refuse to play and wait out their expensive contracts.
That's when the reality will kick in.
That's all I see with big net spending.
Is it ideal? Not in this climate, no. But I still have a football club and a decent team that has a lot more to give and which can definitely be upgraded for sensible money, coupled with the sale of want away/unwanted players.
Ohh and Rafa has had a lot of money to play with, regardless of net spend.
The club still handed him the readies from player sales. It counts. It really does count.