Premier League 2023/24 (Part 1)

“shouldn’t”

I have to say MPs and so on really should be backing these measures, a knock on effect of this is clubs below try and keep up and you end up with communities who don’t have a football team such as Bury.

An independent body with teeth would be welcome but it has to have these same powers. Effectively Everton cheated themselves into staying up.

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This is how I interpret things. New rules are new rules and previous offences will be attached to the rules at the time.

The mistake is allowing City this much time due to the charges all lumped together. They would have been damn quick to come to the table if the charges were separated, e.g. 20pts for just failing to cooperate (This are a few of the charges, are they not?).

It feels like a divide and conquer strategy. Make an example of a few of the weak and then go after the bigger fry.
Or.
It’s a complete random mish mash attempt at implementation of the rules and they will end up reversing their decisions and MC will get away with it with a « stay clean from now on »…

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At least it seems like a recognition that rules have been broken, but there is no chance that after all the charges and punishments have been meted out everyone will be satisfied that the outcome is fair.
What does an appropriate sanction on MC look like? If Everton have been docked 10 points, do they lose 100? 1000?
It’s going to be a minefield.

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Everton, twice and Forest with charges levied.
They will both have investigations completed and sanctions imposed before a City charge is heard.
Everton will get another ten point deduction, Forest probably the same.
And yet City continue to play unshackled, despite the weight of charges on them.

Surely there is no further discussion required on this nonsense?

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It’s almost as if bringing 115 charges against a nation state with unlimited money, a track record of obstruction, obfuscation and denial, and a stated desire to destroy you, is more complex than bringing two against a mid table football club who are mostly admitting it.

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I wouldn’t be at all surprised if there has been intervention at government level to the now farcical Abu Dhabi non investigation.

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They’ve been able to do everton twice in quick succession,surely some of those charges which dated back in 2009/2010 could have been picked out and city been done for them by now.

The idea that city could eventually be punished at a rate of 115 times what was dished out to everton or maybe to forest is ridiculous. They are not gonna be deducted 100 points in 1 go or even 10 for every season of infringement,it’s going to be much smaller than that.With that in mind the FA should be looking at the worst 5 out of the 115 charges and doing them on those infringements now.
If not that way then do them now on the first year or 2 of cheating,and when that case is finished get them back in for the next couple of years of cheating and continue that until all charges are answered.

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I think the thing you are forgetting is that Notts and Everton have admitted the breaches and any argument now is about the severity of the punishment.

City are denying all charges, and have lawyered up to try and squash the charges. There charges also relate to actively obstructing the process, and trying to hide their transgressions. There are also ramifications wider than football, as City are also accused of illegal payments which has a HMRC angle to it.

I totally get the frustrations, but in reality the cases are not the same.

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That’s the only thing that worries me.

I’ve long expected that Man City will escape some of the charges, but be found guilty of others. It will all be agreed beforehand, along with the punishment, probably at a governmental level.

The outcome will be one fallow season, where the points deducted will be such that European football, definitely Champion League, will be off the table for a year, but not so many that relegation is a realistic possibility.

Perhaps even as much as a -40 point penalty, and then we will watch a new narrative form, as the magnificent Man City defeat the largest ever punishment by overcoming 40 points deducted, to finish mid table with 50+ pts (would have been champions with 90+).

Titles will be kept, and for many years of cheating, they will only get one year of punishment, and it won’t be enough to knock them down, or out.

Guardiola will keep all titles, and the show will roll on.

I hope I’m wrong.

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Yep.

He’s always claimed that he believes City are innocent and that he would walk away if found guilty - will be interesting to see what if does if (some) charges hold. Would love him to walk away, and could easily see their players jump ship, and suddenly it will be back to a starting point for city. Its clear that money isn’t the be all and end all, and that you need the right man in charge of the footy to be successful.

The reality of the situation is that City will carry on. We’ve seen it a few times with Juve - they don’t care. Once a cheat, always a cheat.

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Crystal palace are dire AF.

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CP may be dire AF, but I’m developing a growing dislike of the Arse here. Not only is the ref falling for their play acting, but the commentator is too. ‘A clear elbow to the chin’? Not. An arm touching the chest? Yes. Falling down in the opposing penalty area with no contact but still trying to make volleyball contact with the ball a yellow card? Apparently not.

And the goal. Both hands on defenders shoulders holding him down, but no foul given.

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Dean Henderson, another keeper stealing a living in the PL. Absolutely shite.

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No, that was deliberate obstruction of the goalie.

Arsenal sporting a throwback kit? Has an Henry-era look to it—just missing the O2 on the front.

Ben White standing still is not obstructing the keeper. Henderson is both weak as piss in not being able to move him out of his way, and also completely misjudges the flight of the ball anyway. He literally could have walked around him and caught that ball.

“He did impede his run”. Ignoring the grammatical faux pas, nobody was impeded, one player dived and should have been booked.
Oh, I hear the Arse have scored again. Time to watch something else.