EPL: What Top Teams Need to Do to Win over the Next 10 Years

Big teams cannot afford to just think about finding success for one season. Instead, they must think not just about the next season, but several more seasons after that as well.

So how do the top Premier League teams find this sort of sustained success? Here a few of my thoughts on how the current top six can find their way to the top and maintain their position there.

Under Sir Alex Ferguson, Manchester United have found a recipe for success that has shown no signs of stopping.

Ferguson has been able to hold on to important players, such as Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholes, and replace important ones he has lost, sometimes without even buying a replacement; Nani is proving to be a good enough player to fill the void left by Cristiano Ronaldo, for example.

Sometime in the next 10 years, Sir Alex will leave Manchester United. In 2021, he will be 79, probably too old to handle the hectic schedule of a Premier League manager. This means that a suitable replacement must be found, a difficult task seeing as Sir Alex Ferguson is arguably the greatest manager of all time.

Ferguson has become synonymous with United, and his departure is likely to cause a blip in performance. United need to ensure a quick, painless transition to a top manager, such as Jose Mourinho, to make the change as smooth as possible. It is essential, therefore, that Ferguson gives United time to find a new manager before he departs; the decision must not be rushed.

Furthermore, Ferguson cannot be kept on in any active footballing role within the club. To keep Ferguson around would merely undermine the new manager and create instability.

A suitable replacement for Edwin van der Sar needs to be found before the start of next season. United will not want to suffer the same problems that Arsenal have had since the loss of Jens Lehmann three years ago; a reliable goalkeeper would have ended Arsenal's trophy drought by now. 

Manchester United must deal with their debt situation before it starts to really hurt them. They are currently paying £45 million a year in interest on their debt, a figure that sooner or later will begin to hurt them in the transfer market and with contracts, especially with the new financial fair play rules coming in to force. Manchester United have made plenty of big money signings but are good at picking up young players relatively cheaply, an area they must continue to excel in if they are to succeed over the next 10 years.

Arsenal have not won a trophy in almost six years, a long wait for a side traditionally used to constant success. Arsène Wenger's model of bringing in young players and developing them does not seem to be bringing Arsenal the results they need to win trophies.

It must not be forgotten, however, that despite being knocked out of three competitions in the last two weeks, Arsenal are just three points behind Manchester United in the league and are still in with a chance of winning the title, a triumph that would validate Wenger's current policy of youth over experience. 

Like Ferguson, Wenger is likely to leave in the next 10 years, sooner if Arsenal continue to fail to win trophies. A suitable successor must, therefore, be found in order to ensure that Arsenal remain at the top table of world football.

Wenger has been at Arsenal for almost 15 years, and finding a replacement will be difficult. A manager must be found who is prepared to build on Wenger's strategy, or failing that, one who is prepared to ease the club into a new model rather than try to make radical changes.  

Arsenal should not abandon their policy of focusing on yonger players. Instead, they must find a balance between bringing up young players and bringing in older, more experienced players; there are currently three players in the squad aged 30 or older, none of whom are first choice players, a situation that does not help the younger players develop and fails to provide the club with big match experience and, as is now the case, experience of winning the big games.

A real leader must be found, someone who can make the rest of the side believe they can succeed and pick the team up when things are not going so well.

Five years ago, who would have thought that Manchester City would be in with a brilliant chance of finishing in the top four this season? That City have risen so fast is a testament to the power of money in the world of football. Since being taken over in 2008, they have completely overhauled their squad, spending countless millions on new players.

Manchester City need to find a sustainable model for success if they are to win the Premier League during the next 10 years. Being a rich man's plaything is great while he's interested, but one day he may not be, and the replacement owner will not necessarily be so forthcoming when it comes to providing cash.

City need to ensure that they have one of the best, if not the best, youth systems in the world. They have to be attracting youth players from the UK and the rest of the world in order to guarantee sustained success; bringing in an entirely new squad of world-class players may not be possible. Think Joe Hart, not Robinho.

City have to ensure that they are not held to ransom by other clubs. The club has already emphasised that they are not prepared to overpay, but £22 million for Joleon Lescott speaks volumes. Overpaying for players will not help in the long run, especially as other clubs look to extract more than they would otherwise expect for players and players demand ever higher wages. 

Man City need to become an international brand on the same sort of scale as clubs like Liverpool and Manchester United. Having a reputation around the world as a top club helps when it comes to signing players, especially youths. Furthermore, having fans around the world would benefit the club financially and help provide the mentality that the club is genuinely a force to be reckoned with.

Chelsea have become one of the top sides in the world under the ownership of Roman Abramovich. His money has allowed a plethora of big-money signings to be made and has helped Chelsea to three Premier League titles, three FA Cups and a Champions League final.

Long-term replacements must be found for players such as Frank Lampard and Didier Drogba, although Fernando Torres may yet prove to be a replacement for Drogba.

The club must begin to move away from the big spending policy that recently saw them spend £75 million on two players during the January transfer window, as someone as willing to spend as Abramovich may not always be around, and the new financial rules will limit the amount that the club can spend. 

Chelsea have shown that success can be found despite regular changes at the managerial desk; six managers in eight years is a lot for a team challenging for the league title every year. However, whether this tactic will continue to work is questionable; Lampard recently came out in support of a longer-term, less reactionary plan. Even if success can be maintained with frequent managerial changes, the changes are unlikely to have aided the success.

Chelsea may not have had a great season this time around, and failing to win the league under Abramovich tends to lead to the exit, but firing Carlo Ancelotti would be a mistake. He secured Chelsea a League and FA Cup double last season and is popular with the fans, and the players are as much to blame as he is for results this season. Give Ancelotti time, and backing from the board, and he will be able to overcome the difficulties of this season and take Chelsea to renewed success.

Tottenham Hotspur are another club that has come to prominence in recent times, helping to end the "big four" era. Spurs have qualified for the Champions League quarterfinal, beating AC Milan in the process, and recently signed a kit sponsorship deal worth £10 million a year, the same amount as Chelsea.

Under Harry Redknapp, the club has turned itself into an outfit capable of big spending, but also able to pick up players such as Rafael van der Vaart and William Gallas on the cheap.

Redknapp, and whoever succeeds him, needs to bring in more top quality players. They have a good side, capable of beating the best, but more players who actually rank among the best in the world need to be brought in in order for Spurs to challenge for the Premier League title.

Spurs need to improve the depth of their squad, which, with the exception of the midfield, is poor. They have to ensure that they have a squad that can handle up to 50 games a year if they are going to be able to compete on more than one front, as they are at the moment.

A new stadium, or redevelopment, would not go amiss for Spurs. Their stadium currently seats 36,000, a relatively low capacity for a top club. Expanding the stadium would increase revenue and show the club's intent to compete at the very top of European football. They recently missed out on the 2012 Olympic stadium but have other options they could take up.

Liverpool have slipped off the pace in the last couple of seasons, and they look set to miss out on a top four finish again this year.

However, since Kenny Dalglish's appointment earlier this season, Liverpool have had something of a revival, beating the likes of Manchester United and Chelsea, a sign that they can still compete with the big sides. They are, in fact, second in the form table since Dalglish took over. 

In the long run, Liverpool need a replacement for Steven Gerrard, although he has a few seasons left yet. Replacing Gerrard will be tough. He is Liverpool through and through and has spearheaded their success for the last decade; he has been captain since 2003, and it his ability to never give up that has enabled Liverpool to win games they otherwise would not have done. The same is applicable to Jamie Carragher, who will also need replacing.

New owners NESV have said they will be responsible in the transfer market. However, buying Andy Carroll, a relatively unproven player, for £35 million seems risky to say the least. Even if Carroll is hugely successful, Liverpool should avoid buying promising but unproven players for so much in the future. NESV will not want to keep providing funds for players if previous signings have not shown their worth, and Liverpool do not need to have owners unwilling to bring in new players.

Liverpool must finish in the top four next season. If they fail to do so, they are likely to lose players and will find it harder to bring in top quality replacements as the prospect of top-level European football fades. They should not attempt to bring in masses of new players, but focus on making it back into the top four before challenging for the league title. Given what Kenny Dalglish has managed since taking over, securing him on a long-term deal should be the first step towards success over the next few years.