Whether you believe them or not, many managers will insist they do not look at the league table until the season is at least ten games old.
Ten games is enough time to assess which teams are likely to be challenging for the title, which may compete for Europe and which can expect a nervous fight against relegation.
If managers follow this rule, then sporting directors should probably do so too. With clubs and fans already looking towards the January transfer window, only now can they start to understand whether their work in the summer bore fruit.