05 Apr 2026 07:39:01
{Ed's Note - Shappy has posted a new article entitled, What a Manchester City Punishment Could Change
1.) 05 Apr 2026
05 Apr 2026 19:46:25
A few things that I might be wide of the mark with, but.... I understand the following.
1. City have exhausted all avenues of appeal, hence the delay, and the talk of the decision being final.
2. Newcastle, Villa, and I suspect Chelsea, to a lesser degree, have issues with Financial Fair Play currently.
I think the first two will fall off a cliff as the squads get decimated by the bigger boys.
3. Spurs are not coming back.
2.) 05 Apr 2026
05 Apr 2026 22:02:40
I think Spurs will be in the mix for top6/7 next season if they stay up. Lots of work to be done. They have a good coach and will do fine, I think.
3.) 06 Apr 2026
06 Apr 2026 08:51:38
As I understand it, for teams in Europe next season, squad cost (the total of wages and amortization) cannot exceed 70% of revenues. Villa's revenues last season were £378m, Newcastle's £335m, Chelsea's £490m. We have an enormous revenue advantage going into the transfer window, particularly if we do make it into the Champions League.
If one of the punishments meted out to City is a transfer ban, then we would be in an even better position to secure the midfield improvements we're going to need. Our revenues should exceed £700m, leaving us with a permissible transfer budget in excess of £300m, limited more by our ongoing debt and cash/credit facilities.
4.) 06 Apr 2026
06 Apr 2026 11:40:58
New name, I doubt they will give City a transfer ban, as the majority of the charges are related to effectively fudging their accounts to make it look like they are more profitable than they are.
They will get a points deduction, maybe even a big enough one to relegate them.
They will also be forced to adjust their accounts to more accurately reflect their true income, which means their cost/expenditure percentages change, and means they won't meet certain criteria to pass the FFP/affordability rules.
That in itself will likely force them to have to sell players and bring in cheaper replacements on lower wages (definitely if they are relegated).
To then give them a transfer ban on top of effectively forcing them to sell many of their players would be to hamstring them, and I don't imagine any governing body would uphold such a ruling.
Our best chance to beat them to key signings such as Elliot Anderson is if they get relegated or at least are forced out of European football.
That would make them less attractive as an option, especially if it causes Pep to jump ship.
A Man City side without Pep and European football, along with them likely losing several key players, marks them down as a side in serious decline. Their old advantage of offering to pay higher wages (either officially or off the books) would also no longer be available to them.
5.) 06 Apr 2026
06 Apr 2026 12:51:41
Hopefully this uncertainty is the only thing we have in our favour against City in the Anderson race.
6.) 06 Apr 2026
06 Apr 2026 21:28:16
Just gonna put this Utd out there.
How about we make ourselves an attractive club to come to, and not worry about City, or indeed rely on them to be suitably punished to make them unattractive to prospective players.
We can only compete with whoever is out there, and if it ain't City, then someone else will step up.
Get back to where we should be, and then we will be able to pick and choose.
7.) 07 Apr 2026
07 Apr 2026 11:24:11
That would be nice, Keefy. It has been too long between drinks for this club.
8.) 07 Apr 2026
07 Apr 2026 12:26:11
No argument from me, Jimbob. But the sentiment remains.