Manchester City

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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.

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Carlos Tevez

Carlos Tevez having his community service order rescinded actually makes me want to cry.  There was something ‘just’ about a rich and powerful man with an ego having to get on with some hard work for the community to make up for the fact that he felt he was higher than the law and for putting other people’s lives in danger.

So to have the order changed to a £3000 fine is staggering.  It’s the equivalent of a young person on benefits swapping community service for a fine of £1.12.  The moral of Carlos Tevez’s time in England is that whatever the rules are you can screw them.  What message does this send to the millions of young football fans?

I often get annoyed by celebrities but usually there’s not much point moaning.  But this Tevez decision goes a lot deeper than an overpaid sportsman getting his own way – this really betrays the truth that we’re in a society where money and power trump justice and respect.

Could anybody with a law or justice background explain the sense in the outcome?  I see this decision provides no deterrent to others, does nothing to rehabilitate Tevez, does nothing to protect society from Tevez, does not act as retribution to Tevez and brings no sense of restoration.  What other purpose of punishment is there?

The judge ruled that Tevez could swap punishment because his move to Italy was ‘out of his control’ because Manchester City sold him.  Surely any employer should expect that if they are giving a contract to someone who still has a sentence to serve then that sentence will need to be respected.  If Juventus have bought him and he has to go back to England to serve community service for a few weeks then it should be more fool them.  Alas, no.  What money wants, money gets.

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Premier League Predictions

It’s the turn of the Premier League today.  Just a few more days till kick off after a great weekend of Football League action.

Anything could happen but here are my predictions:

  1. Chelsea (Champions)
  2. Manchester United
  3. Liverpool
  4. Everton
  5. Manchester City
  6. Arsenal
  7. Tottenham Hotspur
  8. Aston Villa
  9. Fulhum
  10. West Ham United
  11. Sunderland
  12. Blackburn Rovers
  13. Wigan Athletic
  14. Wolverhampton Wanderers
  15. Stoke City
  16. Birmingham City
  17. Bolton Wanderers
  18. Hull City (Relegated)
  19. Burnley (Relegated)
  20. Portsmouth (Relegated)

What do you reckon?  I do love a good bit of debate and disagreement.  On the other hand, I love flattery and encouragement so feel free to say that I have got it spot on and am a genius pundit.