Manchester City: Financial Unfair Play

I thought we were moving into an era of ‘financial fair play’?

How can any football club be allowed to go after more players when they have just reported annual losses of £51,000,000!?

On the morning that the Independent report that Manchester City are narrowly avoiding being banned from next year’s Champions League for their dodgy finances the BBC report that they are on the pull for two Porto players, one of whom is worth £35,000,000.  I’m sure most clubs are just as bad in their own proportionate way but it really is unfair for the few clubs who balance the books.

Pellegrini seems to be doing a great job where others have fallen short but surely any silverware won by Manchester City is bought with money and not achieved through ability and application.

While I’m at it can I just vent about everyone referring to Manchester City as just ‘City’?  If you didn’t notice Cardiff, Hull, Stoke, Swansea and Norwich also happen to be City clubs and also happen to play in the same league.

Championship Predictions

It’s here!  The football season has begun proper with Sheffield United holding Middlesbrough 0-0 at the Riverside.  I’m really looking forward to this year’s football, there is something magic about this sport.  I’ll have a little Premier League prediction later in the week but for now I’ll devote a post to the Championship.

Who do you think will be going up and down?  Here’s my predictions:

  1. Middlesbrough (Champions)
  2. West Bromwich Albion (Promoted)
  3. Sheffield United (Play Off)
  4. Cardiff City (Play Off Champions cus Sheff Utd never win big matches)
  5. Nottingham Forest (Play Off)
  6. Leicester City (Play Off)
  7. Queens Park Rangers
  8. Swansea City
  9. Watford
  10. Preston North End
  11. Peterborough United
  12. Reading
  13. Ipswich Town
  14. Bristol City
  15. Sheffield Wednesday
  16. Plymouth Argyle
  17. Newcastle United
  18. Blackpool
  19. Crystal Palace
  20. Coventry City
  21. Doncaster Rovers
  22. Derby County (Relegated)
  23. Barnsley (Relegated)
  24. Scunthorpe United (Relegated)

What do you reckon?  One thing is for sure – as always the Championship is going to be the most competetive league, a great advert for sport.