Finding it unusually hard to crack the top 4 this year

It's added a new level of challenge for me, but I'm definitely struggling to find something that lets me push on to become a top 4 side, I've broken in once and finished just outside a few times now, but this season has shown the predominant reason. Played 12, won 7, lost 5 - 4 of my 5 losses were against the teams that finished 1st - 4th in the premiership last season (Arsenal, Man Utd, Man City and Tottenham) weaker teams are falling by the wayside but against the big teams my players step up their performance, play great but just don't get a result. How are other people finding it to get their side established within the top 4 though? Perhaps I'm being too conservative with my disposition to buy youngsters and try to develop them rather than some experienced heads.

I have found it easier to break into the top 4 with my Sunderland side but harder to make the final push on to winning the title. I have also found it much much harder to regain a title with Liverpool and a different Sunderland save once I won the league winning it the next season was impossible. After finishing 2nd 3 times in a row on my current save this year I thought would be the year I can push on I started strong winning 11 and drawing 2 then I lost 3-1 to Arsenal and the whole season has gone crap I have lost more league games this season than in the past 2 years combined.

I am trying to stay away from the big name players as I do not want to pay huge fees over 48 months and risk financial ruin but this makes it harder to compete at the very top level. My losses are mainly against Arsenal and teams in the bottom half of the league, strange.

I too have tried that, but I think its somewhat being my problem in that I don't have any players who have won anything of note to help strengthen the side. Last season I saw Diego Tardelli available cheaply and despite being 29 and not all that great a track record he came in and an experienced head seemed to do the trick, he seems to average a goal every 1.5/1.6 games and is far more deadly than some of my other players who have similar stats like Cristaldo but not as much top-end experience. When my team turns on the style we can destroy sides, beaten Man Utd 4-0, Bayern Munich 5-1 and various other of the big sides but its usually a one off that isn't sustained. I did get to finish 2nd one year, but it seemed like teams took a much harder approach against me after that, almost like it was achieved because no one took my side seriously. At Stoke I simply don't have the finances to wager on big money signings, I'm content with 4 or 5 more years like this as I'm on a whittling down of expenses to try and build up some cash reserves to really push on but it has usually been 3 years max to get into the top 4 and stay there whilst I got there in 2 it seems as though my side is regressing rather than progressing lol.

I know what you mean about going backwards. I got a a great 2nd place finish and only lost the league on goals difference that's when I thought I would win it the following year. Trouble is Man City spent loads of cash and Arsenal spent a lot as well. My board ended up adding to the stadium and building up the youth facilties all good for the long run but it left me with a £40 million budget and only £15 million in the bank. Once I had renewed Bents contract along with a few others I was left with having to buy Vela and Bryan Ruiz for £4 million each. I do not want to risk the financial future of the club but that might be the only way for success unless my youth players really start to step up over the next couple of seasons.

Got offered the Chelsea job and the Liverpool one both teams are better qualified for winning the league but there is no way I am leaving the team I support. I think overall as frustrating as it is at times I am loving the long term challenge of FM at one club.