No.
I have been in and around a PL winning teams finance department. I had to go into meetings with a famously cantankerous but brilliant manager AND the FD for all sorts. For example, discussing whether book values of players should be impaired, based on form, fitness, saleability. The manager said no to every single player being written down - he hated being there. The FD was more circumspect based on injuries in particular. It was a strong FD. The manager would obviously always want XYZ in terms of spending. A good owner looks to the FD. A strong FD HAS to have input. Owners can get star struck and sign any cheque a convincing manager or DOF wants.
I hold Ingles more responsible for our mess than almost anyone. He caused none of it. But in that role you are responsible for ALL of it. Every penny. You aren’t in that position to do the bank rec and chase outstanding payments or make sure the cleaners are paid!!!!! Clubs outside the ultra elite aren’t even large businesses, outside of gate receipts they have a small number of large transactions. You aren’t getting a seven figure salary to sit in the finance department and verify the fixed assets. I’ve seen 2 CFOs go in my current business for minor issues nothing like the scale of our recent financial meltdown. The business has hundreds of sites worldwide, and the vast majority have far greater revenue than a mid-table PL club. Man City’s recent revenue bombshell is less than a tenth of just the UK business.
Financial or regulatory issue? First in the dock is the CFO/FD. Including major asset purchases, of which players would be one.
I reviewed the contract of a player which was said clubs record ever sale to audit the receivable. I did not do this with anyone from the “football side”. It was with the FD and Financial Controller (and interestingly was printed on really thick posh strong smelling paper).
Bed