JimmyJeffers
Player Valuation: £70m
Lots of ifs and buts and we are reliant on teams and the league thinking ‘but what about the likes of everton’ This is all driven by self interests and what’s best for specific clubs.
City cheated. Very badly, If they win it will be a disaster for us.
Norwegian Cow
Player Valuation: £35m
I see where you’re coming from, and I agree that there's a lot of uncertainty and self-interest driving these actions. However, I think the current system also reflects self-interest—mainly of the established top clubs who benefit from maintaining the status quo.
Yes, City’s actions have been controversial and they’ve certainly pushed the boundaries. But the broader issue is that the existing rules and financial structures already heavily favor a few clubs, making it extremely difficult for others, like Everton, to break through regardless of City’s case.
If City wins, it could indeed create short-term chaos and might be seen as a disaster for many. However, it could also force a serious re-examination of the rules that govern football finance. The hope is that this disruption might lead to a fairer system where financial fair play is genuinely fair, and not just a tool to entrench the current elite.
I understand the fear that this is all driven by specific clubs’ interests, but that’s precisely why a shake-up might be necessary. The system needs reform, and sometimes it takes a significant disruption to make that happen. What’s essential is that any changes push towards greater transparency, fairness, and true competitive balance, not just for the top clubs but for the entire league.
Do you think there’s any scenario where reform could come from within the current system without such a disruption, or is it just too entrenched in maintaining the current power dynamics?
I get where you're coming from, but he misses so many chances it's not even funny. We need strikers who can score goals or we may as well spaff all our money on Broja.
Noisy noise annoys
Player Valuation: £60m
He went through a period of missing chances, no question but, he looks like his confidence and injuries are sorted and just needs actual service
The rest of his game, is do much better than others realise again, he gets constant plaudits from professionals for it
JimmyJeffers
Player Valuation: £70m
The rules are there, just city broke them and now have a bench worth 300 million. There are always big and rich teams like Man Utd.
With smart management and investment a team like everton could break into the top 4. This would not happen overnight and would require patience and long term planning.
The rules should be looked at but let’s not forget City are where they are because they broke these rules.
Im going on holiday that week thought it would be a nice relaxing time!
….me too, last two weeks of the election campaign as well.
Norwegian Cow
Player Valuation: £35m
You make a good point about the importance of smart management and long-term planning. However, it’s also true that the financial landscape of football today makes it significantly harder for clubs without immense resources to break into the top tier.
City’s actions certainly raise important questions about fairness and the integrity of the sport. They did break the rules, and their financial power has given them a significant advantage. But let’s consider the broader context: the current rules were largely shaped by the interests of already wealthy and powerful clubs, making it extremely difficult for any new challengers to compete on a level playing field.
Smart management and investment are crucial, but in today’s football environment, financial muscle is almost indispensable to consistently compete at the highest level. The question we should ask is whether the current financial regulations truly promote fair competition or if they primarily serve to protect the status quo.
If the current financial regulations are meant to ensure fair play, why do we still see such a concentrated dominance by a few clubs, and why are there so few success stories of clubs breaking into the top echelon purely through smart management and investment? Could it be that the rules themselves, while intended to promote fairness, actually reinforce existing disparities and limit genuine competition?
Titus Bramble
Best centre half to grace the Premier League
Don't try and apply logic to any of it... Nothing is how it 'should' be
Exactly.
JimmyJeffers
Player Valuation: £70m
That’s right Robbo.
Norwegian Cow
Player Valuation: £35m
Villa and Newcastle are showing that breaking into the top tier with smart investment and management is possible. However, these examples are still relatively rare, and the overall trend shows that financial muscle plays a significant role in sustaining success at the top level.
Gross mismanagement has certainly hindered clubs like Everton, and better management could indeed lead to improved performance. But even with excellent management, the financial gap created by current regulations makes it incredibly challenging to consistently compete with clubs that have vastly superior resources.
Regarding changes to the rules, the argument isn't necessarily about benefiting City but about creating a more equitable system overall. If financial regulations are reformed to truly level the playing field, it could potentially benefit all clubs, not just the wealthiest ones. The goal would be to ensure that smart management and investment can indeed lead to sustained success, without being constantly overshadowed by the financial clout of a few dominant clubs.
If we acknowledge that smart management and investment are crucial, do you believe the current financial rules sufficiently level the playing field to allow clubs like Everton, Villa, and Newcastle to consistently compete with the top teams? Or do you think there's room for reform to make the competition even fairer and more balanced across all clubs?
TheBigIguana
Player Valuation: £90m
