We should have got to the CL 1/16 or 1/8 with our team last season, this year even if we end up playing 3-5-2 with all the usual suspects we'll probably improve on that. So unless Pereyra & co are somehow directly responsible for us improving in Europe then it doesn't effect the ratings to me
Last year it was crucial we sorted our attack out, and we got not 1 but 2 starters for roughly 10M.
Matri - Vucinic - Quags - Giovinco was nowhere near the best strikeforce in our crap league
So yeah last seasons was better HOWEVER, we had bigger gaps therefore it was easier to improve our team
E.G It's ridiculously difficult to improve Madrids team on Paper, to the point buying a world class prospect and a German international may have actually done more harm than good.