Morning all.
I picked this up on Twitter.
🤯 With 14 goals, #Ligue1UberEats top scorer @Balogun has bagged over half of @StadeDeReims' total this season!
We're all livin' in 𝐹𝑜𝓁𝒶𝓇𝒾𝓃'𝓈 𝓌𝑜𝓇𝓁𝒹 🌍#Ligue1UberEats | @OptaJoe https://t.co/Fyikwsh9fI pic.twitter.com/uwfBHsIThH
— Ligue 1 English (@Ligue1_ENG) February 2, 2023
14 goals, Ligue 1 leading goal scorer, including an equaliser against money bags PSG and he’s already Arsenal’s. Physique wise, he’s similar to Ivan Toney. Whoever decided Reims would be the right club for him to go on loan to, got it spot on in my opinion. His movement in and around the box is much improved. Mikel Arteta must be thrilled with how the young man from New York is getting on. Mbappe who? 😆
Also out on loan in France is Nuno Tavares and Nicolas Pepe and their clubs went head to head at the weekend. Pepe missed the match through injury but Nice coped without him and beat Marseille 3-1.
Auston Trusty scored for the winner for Birmingham deep in to added time, Arthur Okonkwo saved a couple of penalties for his club in a cup match which helped his team win, 19 year old goalkeeper Ovie Ejeheri helped his team progress in a cup competition in Finland and Flo Balogun scored a hat-trick against Lorient. Most of the other players out on loan who’ve played over th last few days, including Charlie Patino, experienced defeat. Selfishly, results don’t matter but playing time and gaining experience does and at least the majority of our players on loan are getting both.
With the Premier League on the march against Man City and their finances, I’m sure every football club will double check, triple check even, that their own is doing things the right way. The money Arsenal have spent over the last few transfer windows has me scratching my head because we don’t generate an awful lot of money on player sales and we’ve not been qualifying for the Champions League either. I’m not entirely sure how FFP works but I am sure that if there was the slightest of hint that Arsenal were failing to comply, the powers that be would be on us quicker than a squirrel can escape my advances with a jug of water in hand.
I’m sure most of us expect Man City to wriggle their way out of any severe punishment if found guilty of the charges brought against them, but unlike last time, when they were handed a ban from European football for a couple of years, the court of arbitration saved them because the offences were historical. Unlike with UEFA though, the Premier League aren’t restricted as far as historical rule breaking goes so City won’t be able to use such an excuse as a defence. The club’s lawyers will have to find a different loop hole if one is required. When one thinks of how long this investigation into Man City has gone on for, surely the Premier League will have covered every potential loop hole before bringing the charges against them.
What punishments can the independent commission impose on a club?
- Suspend a club from playing league matches
- Points deductions
- Recommend to the board that league matches be replayed
- Recommend to the board that the league expels the respondent club
- Order compensation
- Cancel or refuse registration of players
- Conditional punishment
- Order the club to pay costs
- Make such other order as it thinks fit
In other words, they can dish out whatever punishment they like as they think it’s within reason. In City’s case, if they’re found guilty, I hope the proverbial book is thrown their way. Not because I don’t like the club but because they’d have been found guilty of cheating. Cheating their way to success. I’d love for their owners to be thrown out of the club too because behind everything any club does, there’s an owner and ultimately, he/they are the ones to be held accountable. A fine is nothing to these multimillionaires, nothing. Punishment has to hit where it really hurts.
English football needs financially cleaning up in my opinion and if City are proved to have broken the rules, this is the perfect opportunity to send a message to every English club, regardless of what division they’re in. Mind you, it seems the further down the divisions one looks, the sterner the penalty seems to be for breaking the rules.
If Reading, Derby County, Sheffield Wednesday and Birmingham City can be docked points for breaching FFP rules, then so can Man City or any other Premier League club found guilty of the same.
Catch up in the comments.
Morning Rico
Man City breaking the rules? No sh!t Sherlock.
Expect this to drag on and on. If the Prem are certain of the charges they will have to relegate City. I’m not holding my breath.
If they’re looking at City they will need to look at Chelsea…Newcastle…etc
Morning Pete, all.
I agree, surely City are just the tip of the iceberg. Anything other than a fine would sent out the right message imo. Points deducted, PL titles taken away – they deserve all what comes their way if found guilty. Just glad it wasn’t City who won the league in 2016/17….
😂
Morning Rico and all.
Well said Rico, Man C should be relegated, if they getaway with a fine then the league have opened the door for other rich clubs too ignore FFP rules.
Morning Rico. Let’s not forget that the PL are essentially a business too and rely on revenue to continue. If MC stroll through this with expensive lawyers drawing things out interminably then the PL’s own sponsors will surely take a look at their involvement. Why would the TV companies chose to continue their prolific investment if the image of some kind of level playing field is in such serious doubt and cheating was the way to go? Why would anyone take out a Sky, BT or any other football subscription if they knew that MC and perhaps others (we all know who) were essentially cheating their way to success?
I think every single one of us have known for some time that MC’s success was somehow ‘wrong’ and we’ve all had to suck it up just like we did when Chelsea came under new ownership. I think that the PL’s own future depends on them taking a stand now before their own sponsors start to withdraw or reduce their financial commitment. This would have serious ramifications for all of our clubs and of course it’s exactly what the other European Leagues want. Man City aren’t the only ones with a lot to lose here.
Morning Geoff, Adam.
I’m against relegation. Points though to ensure CL money does go their way for a few years.
On the flip side Adam, would Football not be more attractive, exciting even if clubs played each season out on a level playing field? Most other clubs have to comply, so why should City, or anyone else get away with bending the rules.
Rico. Yes, ultimately that’s the point isn’t it? But the the whole thing is driven by money and the PL’s product is wanted all round the world right now. Look at what happened to Italian football once the public knew the fix was in. My point is that, if the PL wants to carry on essentially printing money then they have to take a strong stance on this now.
Adam, it certainly should be and it’s about time the Premier League did something to stop the financial destruction of the game. On one hand football is asking why lower League clubs are struggling, yet the rich clubs just get richer. A bit like life in general really.
Good morning Rico and all.
If it is proven that City have driven a cart and horses through the Premiership’s FFP rules then severe punishment is certainly called for but what is that punishment to be? Points deduction to ensure City are relegated? that would mean they would miss out on a minimum of two seasons of Champions League football and the associated income. Would the Premiership be as attractive for the football fans with, for example as seems likely, Burnley in their place?
Morning Cicero, I think so. Burnley by all accounts, are playing better than a few PL clubs.
There is another issue that should be looked into as well.
How much are the players, their manager and all the coaches involved and if they are involved what action is taken against them.
Geoff, it shouldn’t be just the club that is punished, the owners should be banned and fined or imprisoned for falsifying accounts and effectively money laundering.
It’s starting to look like someone has opened up a can of worms.
I’m guessing the tax man will be watching
Not to mention an army of Lawyers.
Does the ladies league have a FFP rule and if so, are these breaches by Man C, – only apply to the men’s team or are the ladies’ team also involved.
Bringing the ladies into the argument could be difficult for us . , As FFP is meant to be based on earnings against spend , would the world record bid for Russo have come under scrutiny. ?
Have the ladies earned enough to justify the outlay. ?
The whole thing is a nonsense because money has always been the deciding factor in the grand scheme of things . Take Cashley for instance when the Russian money started to take hold and were we totally innocent in approaching players before their clubs in some of our purchases ?
Is that why so many of our attempts to get players are so protracted as the selling clubs dig their heels in because of the way we go about it.
Do you think that Jesus and Zinchenko were not aware of Arteta’s interest before we spoke to City or White before Brighton .
Gone are the days of mum getting a washing machine or Dad a car with whispers at international get togethers, it’s all done by all powerful agents talking amongst them selves .
FFP will never be enforceable every loophole that gets closed is greeted by a string of accountants and lawyers with their squires readying the coach and horses to ride straight back through them.
Just be careful what you wish for.
Potter the reason why I raised the question, is because we keep hearing about the men’s team breaking the FFP rule but are the ladies teams flying under the radar.
Conti Cup semi-final tonight, Arsenal Women vs Manchester City. Live on BBC red button.
Well, that was close. 1 – 0, Blackstenius with the only goal three minutes into extra time.
We will meet the winner of the second semi final between West Ham and Chelsea which will be played on Thursday.
Congratulations our ladies team,
And Utd dropped 2 points at home against Leeds….
New post up now