Well, they should. Title and European rivals, a season out of Europe smashes them in the pocket and harms recruitment plans, kills their momentum etc.
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Match Thread West Ham United v Everton - Preview, Match Report and MotM Poll
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Well, they should. Title and European rivals, a season out of Europe smashes them in the pocket and harms recruitment plans, kills their momentum etc.
Yes, but that all smashes Liverpool, not City.
Think you've missed the point. If Liverpool are weakened, that benefits City. If Everton qualify for the CL, we're not remotely the same kind of threat to them in either competition, at least for the foreseeable future.
My point was that I don't see what real difference it will make to City if Liverpool finish in the top four. They won't play them until at least the semi finals, if then, and why would they throw a match on such a tenuous possibility.
I'm not bagging you because of your suggestion, I'm just making my point that I don't think City would consider throwing a match to avoid a situation
which is unlikely to happen.
It's not just directly playing them that would be the benefit. It's making the league overall easier by not having Liverpool be able to afford/attract an Mbappe or a Haaland etc. Which increases the chances of league titles and Champions League qualification for City each year.
Like any competition you want your rivals weakened, any advantage you can get.
Yes, but throwing a Premier League match to change Euro qualification is something to be seriously considered, and I don't think preventing
Liverpool FC from qualifying to further your own chances of progressing is worth risking even if you thought it was likely to matter.
PaulPowersTash
Player Valuation: £15m
City won't throw the match but there is no way on this God's earth that Pep will play hardly any of the first eleven just before a CL final. He'll rotate massively just like he did on Saturday where he made 9 changes..
Got to agree with @Tubey when he says Liverpool not being in the CL is a big benefit to City. Particularly on the player recruitment front for Liverpool. Hardly any, if any genuinely top players will not go to them if they are not playing CL football. It would also deprive them of circa £50m which they very badly need. If Everton need to beat City to get the last top 4 spot then I for one would wager a good few quid on it that they will.
I don't believe I have to say this, but I don't mean literally throw the match, like they're going to sit down and let us score ten.
I mean they play reserves/kids and/or down tools and lose an 'unlucky' one 1-0.
If Pep starts any of his first choice 15 or 16 or so players against us he's a mentalist.
I mean they play reserves/kids and/or down tools and lose an 'unlucky' one 1-0.
If Pep starts any of his first choice 15 or 16 or so players against us he's a mentalist.
Failure to recruit top quality players would probably impact on Liverpool's chances of challenging City and others in the Premier League, but I still don't
believe that City would throw a match to prevent that. And that's the point I'm trying to make.
Deliberately losing a match is serious stuff and you'd need a far, far more reason to do it than a chance that Liverpool might beat you to a major trophy
when they are just one of a number potential challengers.
I just have a feeling he'll get the odd important goal. Richarlison looks shagged out too half the time too.
Runub
Player Valuation: £60m
You could be right. To be honest I really don't care who puts the ball in the onion bag as long as someone does
NathDogg
Player Valuation: £50m
Boss away win, like the others before it this nutty season. 60grand Sheamo was like a man possessed, absolute quality and my motm.
Sick that the perplexing home form has crippled us of being higher in the table, but to still be in with a chance of European footy at this stage is testament to the gaffer.
We ain't the best to watch by any stretch, but Carlo's playing the hand he's been dealt. Were solid (in the main) defensivley, with a counter attacking threat when we go direct, and I'm sound with that atm.
We all want progressive, expansive possession footy but we haven't got the players for that - we try possession stuff now and it would be on par with the dross brown shoes used to serve up, pissing about at the back for 40 mins, going nowhere.
Brands and Carlo to add the equivalent of Allan, the duke, god Benfrey and James again this summer and were laughing - be nice to be in Europe to welcome the new signings as well!
Arriba los caramelos!
Sick that the perplexing home form has crippled us of being higher in the table, but to still be in with a chance of European footy at this stage is testament to the gaffer.
We ain't the best to watch by any stretch, but Carlo's playing the hand he's been dealt. Were solid (in the main) defensivley, with a counter attacking threat when we go direct, and I'm sound with that atm.
We all want progressive, expansive possession footy but we haven't got the players for that - we try possession stuff now and it would be on par with the dross brown shoes used to serve up, pissing about at the back for 40 mins, going nowhere.
Brands and Carlo to add the equivalent of Allan, the duke, god Benfrey and James again this summer and were laughing - be nice to be in Europe to welcome the new signings as well!
Arriba los caramelos!
Ring master
Player Valuation: £90m
SpongeBob brown shoes
Player Valuation: £40m
That's the first time I noticed it and I've saw the incident a lot of times since yesterday. Not going to blame officials if I cant see it myself
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