Domestically, from PL to NL, bar the odd anomaly, are there or thereabouts based on budget so I don't know why you don't subscribe to that idea. It's not an exact science, but your bigger budgets are generally better placed in the league.
DC said himself that the squad wasn't strong enough for promotion, hence taking the Checkatrade seriously to a) win something and b) raise funds for the following season (hence Akinde and Andrade signings, I suspect, which righted a couple of wrongs from the previous season).
Just because you might not be quite good enough, it doesn't mean you don't try. And when you get there, that you don't try and win them. That would be defeatist. DC isn't moulded that way.