Louis van Gaal floated the idea last summer of Manchester United hiring a director of football to work alongside him after becoming concerned that he did not have the time to do the necessary due diligence on potential new signings. Dutch sources believe Van Gaal had identified PSV Eindhoven director of football Marcel Brands as a man who could help him, but the response from on high was that United were, at that time, satisfied with their traditional set-up.So, without the freedom to hunt out the N'Golo Kantes of this world, Van Gaal called Bastian Schweinsteiger, a player he managed at Bayern Munich, to ask if he fancied a move to Old Trafford.The tale is a running theme between last season's top four of an arrogance and laziness that has caused United, Chelsea, Manchester City and Arsenal to lose ground to Leicester City, Tottenham Hotspur and West Ham United.Asked about United's inability to find transfer market gems in the same way Leicester, Tottenham and West Ham have all done chief executive Ed Woodward last month said:"There is more pressure on the bigger clubs to sign players who hit the ground running. It's a different market."Van Gaal is still believed to be keen on working with a director of football, if he manages to keep his United job.That his potential successor, Jose Mourinho, has been linked with a move to take Atletico Madrid sporting director Andrea Berta with him to Old Trafford, suggests the United model needs to change.But Mourinho already knows, from painful experience, that a director of football, or a technical director, in the case of Michael Emenalo, does not guarantee correct decisions in the transfer market.Chelsea became far too comfortable after winning the Premier League title last season and Mourinho must take his fair share of the blame for allowing the squad to take an extra week off during the summer - and talking the club into signing Radamel Falcao after becoming frustrated by a lack of transfer activity.But Mourinho would also argue that those above him became too complacent about the club's business. Mourinho wanted to sign two star players to keep the rest of his squad on their toes and liven up the dressing-room.Mourinho's second coming had already ended by the time this season's January transfer window opened, but Chelsea did not leave their comfort zone, doing just three deals.Manchester City have won the Capital One Cup and are in the last eight of the Champions League for the first time, but the decision to simply wait a year for Pep Guardiola may yet cost them a top-four finish. The Spaniard could start his stint at City in the Europa League.City officials discussed a managerial change at the end of last season but decided to wait 12 months for Guardiola, with no thought given to the fact that City could drop out of the Premier League's top four. City wrongly thought they could easily coast this season.While City were waiting for Guardiola and Arsenal were sticking with Arsene Wenger, West Ham made the brave decision not to renew Sam Allardyce's contract and appointed Slaven Bilic as the club's latest manager. The move has paid huge dividends, as has the club's faith in director of recruitment Tony Henry, hired against the wishes of Allardyce before the 61-year-old's departure.Henry helped West Ham snap up the likes of Payet, Manuel Lanzini and Michail Antonio in a summer in which Wenger did not feel the need to sign one outfield player, despite his bulging budget.West Ham co-owner David Sullivan works closely with Henry and Bilic on signings, while Wenger is still left to his own devices and too often ignores the advice of his chief scout, Steve Rowley.The success of Tottenham's youth policy, particularly their young English talent, has highlighted the lack of development of youngsters at Arsenal.Of the traditional top four, Arsenal are best placed to keep their Champions League qualifying place but continue to be hamstrung by injuriesChelsea will count the cost of complacency and will be joined by at least one of their traditional rivals, with Leicester and Tottenham virtually guaranteed top-four places. West Ham hope a third big club will be made to pay for taking its foot off the gas.Those of the so-called elite that miss out will only have themselves to blame...