So in a way this is like saying a lot of random civilians are alive today because cops don't randomly shoot into crowds. We've dodged "potholes" that we as a club have identified as what we need. That's not an indictment on personnel recruitment it's an indictment on player evaluation...and also not a valid argument against "splashing the cash".
And just because they've not had success elsewhere doesn't mean that is how it would have played out with us. No one knows how Berahino would have panned out in the early days of Poch. And anyone that thinks they do know is either delusional for believing it or a moron for stating it. Too many variables to assume.
Now I don't have a problem with the basic setup of our financial matters (ie being financially sound/sustainable). I've always felt that Levy is never going to pay for the final bit to get us competing. My problem has always been that we don't fill the gaps in the squad, improve on players clearly not good enough, and we don't do it in a timely fashion. There's no sporting basis to these decisions and it's all money-driven and short-sighted opportunism. Each TW you can compile a better window than ours with players that have actually moved that window...for less money. It's not just a money thing. But it is a "sporting success is secondary to my balance sheet and I will give you evidence of that every chance I get" thing.