From Cutting Stones to Building Cathedrals: A Comparative Analysis of Time, Continuity, and Strategic Planning in the Premier League’s Big Six

Abstract

This thesis explores how time, continuity, and strategic planning have influenced long-term performance among the Premier League’s Big Six clubs between 2015 and 2025. In a competitive environment dominated by financial power and media scrutiny, the study investigates why some clubs consistently outperform others despite operating with comparable resources. Drawing on a comparative case study approach and grounded in theoretical frameworks such as Simon Sinek’s Infinite Game, Contingency Theory, and Path Dependency, the analysis demonstrates that sustained success is rarely a product of reactive decision-making or short-term interventions. Instead, sustained performance is shown to emerge from coherent long-term strategic planning, structural alignment, and continuity and stability in leadership. The study reveals that clubs like Manchester City, Liverpool and partly Arsenal have successfully implemented models with structured, forward-looking decision-making processes aimed at aligning sporting and financial objectives over an extended period. Conversely, clubs such as Manchester United, Chelsea, and Tottenham illustrate how fragmented decision-making and strategic inconsistency undermine performance despite substantial financial investment. The thesis concludes that the ability to think long-term, build resilient structures, and institutionalize football-specific competence is the defining characteristic of sustained competitiveness in modern football.