Spot on re the reality check. Of course we're miles off it M7 this is a 2 year job - at least.
Tactics are only as good as the players you have to implement them and it will take at least that if not longer to make a team capable of challenging the likes of top 6 EPL opposition.
As TET pointed out the gulf is huge and false but it can be bridged to a point but never completely, but those sort of clubs will chuck money at every problem, and gamble, yet foolishly at times because they can will always be a weakness. we will have to box clever. that will take patience from us and a board who back without overstetching. That can be done, first we deal with the local challenge and then we aim for more further down the line.
We all complained we'd all but disintegrated, perhaps we have to realise a rebuild won't happen in a summer.