Antonio’s form will be so important
The players are back…Man City have hit a few political problems which may or may not have very serious consequences, yet despite them being found guilty of serious rule breaking, I don’t hear much outrage.
The London-based media – always close and watching the Irons – have been jumping on our back for days but apparently City’s aren’t really worth too much condemnation.
The club was found guilty by Uefa’s club financial control body (CFCB) of having falsely inflated their sponsorship revenues, when they made submissions for the FFP compliance process.
Hardly insignificant yet apparently a family war at West Ham is worthy of more column inches than such scenarios at the Etihad.
It’s a pretty unbalanced situation and we will wait and see whether those top writers, generally so keen to give the Hammers a bashing on the back of a section of Hammers change wanting change, reckon City are worth as much trouble.
I can only assume that people bashing is a much sexier pastime than understanding breaches of FIFA rules.
In the meantime we have the little job of taking something from a club which is clearly facing some big internal difficulties as they await the final outcome of their misdemeanour.
How Moyes decides to play this game will be interesting and there seems little point in going to defend. With Antonio fit and Jarrod Bowen hopefully set to strut his chance I refuse to rule out anything.
I’m not expecting the off field problems at City to be reflected on it but any edge we may get is better than none at all.
COYI
They should demote City to championship meaning there is only two places left and we might survive 🙂
🤣🤞🤣 if only …, but we will survive our own merit JAMES . We can do it , keep the faith .
I think the Media are angered and interested in City’s rule breaking .The Observer sport had pages about it yesterday and was highly critical of City’s owners and how falsified sponsorship deals have been used to hide breaking of ftp rules.
Missed it George. Many thanks for that. So they should be
Can anyone throw any light on city playing football at a stadium where the commonwealth games were held. No problems with the running track?
It was smaller / tighter and fully enclosed . Totally suitable for football , rugby , hurling , Australian rules football , baseball , ect ect the list is long .
But don’t worry soooo much ; our London Stadium will be great at the end of the day .
Great for Concerts though .
When the Birmingham Athletics Stadium is finished who knows what will happen !!
Hugh you are right (and sorry to say this to a journo) to talk about the hypocrisy of the media. perhaps they are waiting to see the fall out and what the Premier League decide. I can also see the point made by some psoters (and made previously by yourself) that our board invite a lot of the negative publicity. Let us hope that the players can just concentrate on the job at hand and get us the points needed to survive. I watched Arsenal vs Newcastle last night and I really wonder how we lost to Newcastle at the LS and how we don’t have more points than them.
No wonder Man City have kept quiet re media etc they have had a lot to hide for years!
Don’t expect a protest!
Not when you’re second in the table Hugh – it would be foolhardy and somewhat churlish as I am sure even you would agree.
If you believe wrongdoing is ok on account of league position your call Tarquin
Hugh – I just wouldn’t expect the fans there to protest – they have it good, we don’t. They have a nice ground, a great manager, excellent players, a fantastic league position and give a good account of themselves in the Champions league, whereas our lot is something of a challenge.
Sorry misunderstood. Yes there’s of course much in that. The protest remark was merely a bit of poor sarcasm
If Man City maintain a dignified silence they will avoid the worst press criticism. Our owners on the other hand are at times boastful and egotistical, at other times threatening and blaming. It’s obvious what the result will be.
Yes of course that’s the only time weve had bad press of course. Dignified …breaking g rules. Yes of course
We need to try and take advantage of today’s result between Villa & Spurs .
Forget about Man City and the rule breaking and concentrate more on our own Team .
What a load of nonsense , why should the problem at City be effecting us or our League position ? . The players go out there to do thier stuff . City’s players have done it a hundred times better than ours ,, end of . If they get fined or sanctioned more it’s nothing to do with us and any wish that they get bashed by the Rules is to my mind a bit churlish .
We have our own problems to worry about .
Will it effect Wednesday’s game ? , yes probably make the City players more determined or a bit nervous . We need to worry more about how we will perform on the day .
And , please , no Tevez stories .
No ur the one spouting nonsense cos that wasnt the point at all
Sorry Hugh but I think you took that all too personally . I wasn’t having a crack at you old chap . It was just the underlying theme that we could escape relegation by default .
Whatever happens with City & Eufa happens . What I wanted to say is that we can’t or shouldn’t be hoping for a miracle escape due to the plight of others .
Seems we both misunderstood .
🙏 peace .
Journalists are pack animals. They smell blood and they pile on. ManC is a big target and only when one successfully sinks their teeth into it will the followers join.
Ultimately they are cheaters. The away fans should remind them on Wednesday, regardless of the outcome.
Can’t wait to hear the new songs aimed at Citeh.
“I’m not expecting the off field problems at City to be reflected on it but any edge we may get is better than none at all.”
This suggests that off the pitch ‘issues’ might/could affect play on field. Perhaps MCFC will make a similar play regarding WHUFC ‘board out’ campaign??
The difference being City have broken the rules of the game, while a section of our fans are generating all the publicity, beyond the legal letter
City owners aren’t idiotic enough to go to war with the press and start banning people who criticise them
That’s why we are in the papers , yet a another in a long line of moronic short sighted decisions by our board
So you believe it’s ok to break fundamental rules of the game and go unaccounted. Fine!
Well said Hugh!
Another so called fan who wears blinkers and follows the trend of attacking the board for anything and everything. But it’s ok to break the rules of the game. I hope they throw the full force of the governing body at City, and use the Rugby ruling body as an example.
Where do I say anything g remotely like that Hugh?
I explained why we are all over the papers and they are not
Moronic decision to go to war with the press, that is the reason
U don’t say it anywhere – you are too keen to make the same old points which you may have seen I actually agree with. Mornic, stupid, foolhardy – choose your own word. But the point is there is no comment whatsoever on City which leaves you comments unbalanced. THis has been discussed many times and we are all agreed it was the wrong thing to do so there’s not much point in repeating it Groundhog Day – repeat repeat repeat
And I am telling you why thatvis high
City have not gone out of their way to upset the press
Therefore they are not spread all over the papers everyday
We have gone out of our way to upset the press therefore we get the all too predictable result of that
Not saying it’s right , but you asked why and i’ve Told you
Sorry Craig. And now I’m finished with this. The WHUFC probs with the media go way back and I have no doubt you will try to tell me why but with due respect ans very politely I have no need to be told about the media after a lifetime as part of it. I’ve written that legal action was a bad idea as u will know if you follow my blogs. Sunday Supplement came BEFORE THE fall out and Sky don’t offer apologies without a reason. There has been much bad publicity before this. None of that should absolve City from criticism for cheating and depriving fans of Champions League football for 2 years which was the REAL point of what I wrote, not another Groundhog day on our owners.
So no criticism due from the media for clubs breaking rules of the game in your opinion? Or is more a case of a one track board out mind?