Premier League

[thevelourfog]

27 minutes ago, My Blood Is Blue said:

I think this is such a good point and I touched on it with a previous comment, but Man City do not have the prestige, history and 'brand' of the 3 clubs you've mentioned, or even that of Chelsea, Tottenham and arguably others as well.

I think you're severely underestimating City's global pull, and how it contributes to the PL's global pull. Because that is where the money comes from, where its power comes from. The fact the world is watching. Anything that means we've fewer super clubs bringing in the world's best talent is going to have an adverse impact on the business/finance end of things. Viewers paying subscription fees in China, Malaysia etc. don't care that Arsenal won some titles in the 80s.

[My Blood Is Blue]

35 minutes ago, thevelourfog said:

I think you're severely underestimating City's global pull, and how it contributes to the PL's global pull. Because that is where the money comes from, where its power comes from. The fact the world is watching. Anything that means we've fewer super clubs bringing in the world's best talent is going to have an adverse impact on the business/finance end of things. Viewers paying subscription fees in China, Malaysia etc. don't care that Arsenal won some titles in the 80s.

I think if you compared the global fan base if Man Utd, Liverpool or Arsenal to Man City’s, the difference would be pretty big.

Also, a lot of the fans you’re talking about over in those countries are watching it for the players as much as the clubs anyway and in all likelihood any players leaving Man City will remain in the PL.

Im not belittling the ‘pull’ of Man City, but I don’t think it compares to the other big teams in our league.

[east lower]

4 hours ago, thevelourfog said:

From the outside, and I completely take your point, it looks like we may recklessly break the rules, particularly if (when) we fail to qualify for the CL and can't sell off any of the bloated squad. We'll be punished, and quite rightly, but I do think we and the football world should be careful about conflating recklessness with systematic cheating and fraud. And it is clear, whatever moral stance any of us choose to take on it, that this is what City have done.

I don't see any meaningful punishment for City. They are owned by a state, a wealthy state our state absolutely needs to maintain diplomatic and economic terms with. The owners really can just do what they want. Again, many have conflated the issues around being owned by a controversial individual and being owned by a state. 

Whether City are innocent or guilty, I’ve no idea. Just because there’s a large number of charges doesn’t equate to guilty. Makes me wonder, but most have suspected for years that they have exploited the lack of scrutiny applied to their sponsorship deals etc. I remember mentioning on the old forum, how can an airline losing a billion pounds over two years afford the sponsorship deal with City. 
 

FWIW I have a feeling they are caught up in a political cat fight, with the Government (bless ‘em) wanting to get involved in football’s governance by appointing an independent regulator type. One of the main reasons for this was/is that the PL wasn’t able to govern itself properly - with RA being used as an example as to whether he was a fit and proper owner well before the current conflict and the resultant actions.

And, the PL now wanting to show that they can govern themselves without any independent body and are using City’s situation to show how they are doing so. However, the PL will not want them relegated. Fines and possibly points deduction is my view, IF they find and prove guilt. It’s going on for years probably anyway, unless a deal is done.

[thevelourfog]

54 minutes ago, east lower said:

Whether City are innocent or guilty, I’ve no idea. Just because there’s a large number of charges doesn’t equate to guilty. Makes me wonder, but most have suspected for years that they have exploited the lack of scrutiny applied to their sponsorship deals etc. I remember mentioning on the old forum, how can an airline losing a billion pounds over two years afford the sponsorship deal with City. 
 

FWIW I have a feeling they are caught up in a political cat fight, with the Government (bless ‘em) wanting to get involved in football’s governance by appointing an independent regulator type. One of the main reasons for this was/is that the PL wasn’t able to govern itself properly - with RA being used as an example as to whether he was a fit and proper owner well before the current conflict and the resultant actions.

And, the PL now wanting to show that they can govern themselves without any independent body and are using City’s situation to show how they are doing so. However, the PL will not want them relegated. Fines and possibly points deduction is my view, IF they find and prove guilt. It’s going on for years probably anyway, unless a deal is done.

Interesting perspective, because I can also see the government not especially wanting the PL to damage relations with a middle Eastern state and intervening if it seems things will go in that direction. The PL is in a real predicament here. 

2 hours ago, My Blood Is Blue said:

I think if you compared the global fan base if Man Utd, Liverpool or Arsenal to Man City’s, the difference would be pretty big.

Also, a lot of the fans you’re talking about over in those countries are watching it for the players as much as the clubs anyway and in all likelihood any players leaving Man City will remain in the PL.

Im not belittling the ‘pull’ of Man City, but I don’t think it compares to the other big teams in our league.

I agree on the first point. I just don't think that is especially relevant to the PL's pull, or its overwhelming economic power over all other domestic leagues. Hurting City would hurt the product. The PL's fanbase dwarves the fanbase of any actual club in it.

[boratsbrother]

21 hours ago, ROTG said:

Chitty are innocents until proven otherwise. 

And no doubt there will be huge sums of money being "offered around" to ensure that they are found innocent of over 100 charges. Yes, that's over 100 charges. 

Apart from everything else they are being charged with, here just one simple fact which has always been a red flag for their dodgy dealings. All of England's biggest clubs, the ones bigger than City,  have lost some of their top players at their peaks to the Spanish giants. All the clubs, except City. Did they all stay because playing for City is more prestigous than playing for the much bigger Utd? Of course not!  We're they being payed salaries massively above what the top clubs were paying?  No they weren't..on record that is. 

Id love to see Pep (and previous managers)  and all their former players from this era, stand up in a court and swear under oath about how much they were really paid by City.

[ROTG]

1 hour ago, boratsbrother said:

All of England's biggest clubs, the ones bigger than City,  have lost some of their top players at their peaks to the Spanish giants. All the clubs, except City

Apart from the dippers biting Barcelona’s hand off when they paid £140m for courtihino and Marina hoodwinking the Madrid clubs to pay £100m for Hazard and £50m for Morata. I really can’t think of any pillaging from the Spanish clubs in the last 10 years.

maybe you can enlighten me 

[boratsbrother]

43 minutes ago, ROTG said:

Apart from the dippers biting Barcelona’s hand off when they paid £140m for courtihino and Marina hoodwinking the Madrid clubs to pay £100m for Hazard and £50m for Morata. I really can’t think of any pillaging from the Spanish clubs in the last 10 years.

maybe you can enlighten me 

During this last 10 years is not a factor in this!  Suarez left Liverpool. Fabregas left Arsenal. Ronaldo left Utd. Our 3 biggest clubs were unable to hold onto top players but a significantly smaller and  less prestigous club has been able to keep all of theirs and the reason for that is blatantly obvious!

[ROTG]

1 hour ago, boratsbrother said:

During this last 10 years is not a factor in this!  Suarez left Liverpool. Fabregas left Arsenal. Ronaldo left Utd. Our 3 biggest clubs were unable to hold onto top players but a significantly smaller and  less prestigous club has been able to keep all of theirs and the reason for that is blatantly obvious!

The only thing obvious is the strawman you tried to build never got off the ground

[thevelourfog]

Read a few pieces on Guardiola's press conference today. Bloke's utterly deranged. 

[Mark Kelly]

5 minutes ago, thevelourfog said:

Read a few pieces on Guardiola's press conference today. Bloke's utterly deranged. 

Do I understand it correctly that they would have been found guilty before if the time hadn't run out on the statutes?

If so , I'm with you , he's kidding himself.

[boratsbrother]

5 minutes ago, Mark Kelly said:

Do I understand it correctly that they would have been found guilty before if the time hadn't run out on the statutes?

If so , I'm with you , he's kidding himself.

Yep, they got off on a technicality. 

They're as bent as a £9 note and deserve everything that's coming to them! Managed by someone who was banned as a player for taking PED as well.

 

[Ham]

Very disingenuous from Pep today. Use of the word "innocent" suggests he's deeply rooted in the cult of ADFC. Firstly they were found guilty of the charges that could be proven and by witholding documentation the main charges of false sponsorships couldn't be proven as the charges were time-barred.

I was also very disappointed with his attempts at deflection towards other teams over FFP like they are actually being punished over exceeding FFP parameters as opposed to fraudulent accounting.  

I hope they, and he, get hammered. 

[chara]

1 hour ago, Ham said:

Very disingenuous from Pep today. Use of the word "innocent" suggests he's deeply rooted in the cult of ADFC. Firstly they were found guilty of the charges that could be proven and by witholding documentation the main charges of false sponsorships couldn't be proven as the charges were time-barred.

I was also very disappointed with his attempts at deflection towards other teams over FFP like they are actually being punished over exceeding FFP parameters as opposed to fraudulent accounting.  

I hope they, and he, get hammered. 

Disingenuous ?,,you are being too kind and fair Ham... utter bs from Pep and actually lying...not proven and time barred is not innocent of charges.

I agree 100% ,

Consider though,,, Funding a club's non playing staff through a pandemic, opening up luxury facilities to health/relief workers, being sanctioned as much as anything else for the place of upbringing and despite attempting to help the political and human issues is considered far more despicable and illegal than mere fraudulent financial misdoings.

Stepping away leaving checks and balances in place with dignity ,,,,?

Thank goodness HMG certainly knows how to deal with such miscreants.

Note...I appreciate that RA's involvement with any aspects of the Putin lunacy is questionable but without solid proof, as far as we know, but the rush to destroy our football club and the glee shouted aloud by single brain cells hardly equates with the apparent (innocent etc) corruption in Manchester.

Hurried so forgive errors !

[ROTG]

Another wonderful goal and all round attacking and defending display by William today. 

Edited February 11, 2023 by ROTG

[Ham]

20 minutes ago, ROTG said:

Another wonderful goal and all round attacking and defending display by William today. 

He's been brilliant recently for them. 

[chara]

17 minutes ago, Ham said:

He's been brilliant recently for them. 

Hurts doesn't it?..and absolute class when he scored against us,and the appreciation shown to him by the Chelsea faithful.

[Mark Kelly]

Man City score after 4 minutes against Villa from a corner routine.

It's a shame that kind of thing is below us but not below a far better footballing team than us.

Well done GP

[JaneB]

What did Pep say about Saint Steven Gerrard that he felt the need to apologise?

(No time to look it up now)

[Mark Kelly]

9 minutes ago, JaneB said:

What did Pep say about Saint Steven Gerrard that he felt the need to apologise?

(No time to look it up now)

He said " Was it City's fault he slipped over handing the league to City" lol.

[JaneB]

1 hour ago, Mark Kelly said:

He said " Was it City's fault he slipped over handing the league to City" lol.

LOL indeed.  This has to be a joke right?  SSG DID slip and City DID win the league.

Apologise to SSG and even his family?  Ffs.  I’m sure they were all traumatised by his remarks 🙄

Would JT have got an apology?  Of course not, nor would he have expected or wanted one.

We have become a nation of wimps.

[Blue Moon]

From today's Private Eye ...

[Bob Singleton]

1 hour ago, Blue Moon said:

From today's Private Eye ...

Lucky you! No post today for some reason, so no Private Eye in my mail box 😥

[thevelourfog]

On 14/02/2023 at 15:36, JaneB said:

LOL indeed.  This has to be a joke right?  SSG DID slip and City DID win the league.

Apologise to SSG and even his family?  Ffs.  I’m sure they were all traumatised by his remarks 🙄

Would JT have got an apology?  Of course not, nor would he have expected or wanted one.

We have become a nation of wimps.

I thought he was really clearly taking the piss, personally. It was the wife and children bit that did it for me.

[JaneB]

19 minutes ago, thevelourfog said:

I thought he was really clearly taking the piss, personally. It was the wife and children bit that did it for me.

Well Pep has gone up in my estimation then.

[Blue Moon]

1 hour ago, Bob Singleton said:

Lucky you! No post today for some reason, so no Private Eye in my mail box 😥

Might be worth notifying PE if it is still missing after a few days - I've lost two copies in the past year, and PE just send a replacement at no cost.

Lovely people - I once wrote to them to ask if there was a list of the euphemisms used in the highly un-PC Barry McKenzie cartoon strip of yesteryear, and Willy Rushton's son (who works there) sent me Barry Humphrey's glossary with such gems as ... no, I'd best not, for fear of offending matron ...