MANCHESTER CITY PLAYS THEIR HAND

Week 1 of the so-called EPL mid-season break. With Liverpool playing next weekend, it was an opportunity to make up ground for the other teams at the top. It was an important game as City has an "easier" run of games after playing the Geordies. A win at St. James Park would only strengthen a hand that is already looking like a winning one. No top-8 opposition in March!! I am in the camp that City has cheated to build its current dynasty. That aside, Saturday's match was great, and Manchester City was superb. Over the last few years, City have dominated so much that their games have often become boring. Saturday's match was unique from two perspectives:

First, City was swamping Newcastle in the first half with wave after wave of attacks. They were a goal up, and number two was imminent, yet Newcastle responded with two superb goals of their own.

Second, rivals Liverpool and Manchester United have often cemented countless games with a goal in the last minute. For once, Manchester City took this route with a magnificent winner in a game of many top-notch goals. As someone who regards themselves as a football fan, I would be hard-pressed to pick the best goal.

Enter Kevin DeBruyne. After several months on the sidelines, KDB entered the fray and turned a potential defeat into a victory. That's what the experts told us. He may have made the difference, but gutsy Newcastle was running out of gas anyway. Given all their injuries, the Geordies gave a brave display under severe pressure. It was hard not to feel for them to concede in injury time. DeBruyne is the best midfielder in the EPL, and with Rodri beside him, he has #2 to play off. Rodri's a pain, but it's evident that he is a vital cog in the Manchester City machine.

The stars are aligning for Pep. Players are returning to the fray with Stones and the Norwegian goal machine to come shortly. There are no international conflicts for his players added to the aforementioned easier run of fixtures. Another predictable season-ending awaits. From a football perspective, there is much to admire with the team we see on the field. Top players and manager show a team with many qualities. Their pace of play, the ability to get players in between the lines and the breathtaking speed of their counterattacks. As a fan of the game, I can appreciate that. Unfortunately, this club has been built upon breaches of the EPL rule book. This past week, we have heard about concerns over FFP from clubs like Manchester rivals, United, and Newcastle. Why do we never hear that in conjunction with a club facing up to 115 breaches of the FFP rule book? The fact is, they don't seem overly concerned.

I can bleat on about this endlessly, but when will something be done about it? We need visible pressure on a club that has built an empire of unprecedented domination by breaking the rules and putting in place a financial foundation that is both powerful and significant. Newcastle United are richer potentially, but with scrutiny at a level that City never received in the previous decade, it is not straightforward. Last week, I speculated whether Manchester City would be brought to heel. Not just because of their delay and lack of cooperation over the accusations but because of the ties between the British and UAE governments. Given what happened to Everton for far less, what is the best way to handle Manchester City should justice prevail?

I would be against taking trophies away from the club because of the fans. There are two kinds of Man City fans: those who followed them through thick and thin when they fell to the third tier and those who suddenly became "Citizens" because of recent successes. There are a few Brits like that over here in the States. I have no time for them. The first group of fans do not deserve to see trophies taken from their club. Points deductions following the Everton model would see City demoted several divisions. That would not make any sense. However, on a one-season basis, putting the club in the Championship and freezing their ability to sign anyone for that season would be a reasonable start, given the number of alleged breaches and their bloody-mindedness in refusing to cooperate when claiming proof of innocence. That would not be the end of the sanctions. For the number of seasons these alleged breaches occurred, Manchester City would have to operate under the lowest budget in the league. Can you imagine Manchester City working on Luton Town's budget? Now, that would be a real test of the manager's mettle!

I hate to keep knocking Pep Guardiola. I cannot deny he has great ability and strengths, but he always plays with a loaded hand. I would love to see him at Luton or a club like Everton, which has been grossly mismanaged. How would he fare? It would be interesting to find out. If the club were placed under the sanctions above, he would surely be forced to turn to his Academy. City's Academy is said to be the best in the country, so why not use these youngsters, Pep? Before you can say "Oscar Bobb", and what a magnificent goal he scored to win the Newcastle game, this is an exception to the rule. Pep finds it hard to trust his youngsters. With KDB returning, will Phil Foden now be marginalized again? Foden was at the centre of everything good in Man City's play before Debruyne took the field.

I can only compare Guardiola's situation to that of my team and Jurgen Klopp. While Liverpool is a wealthy club, it is clear that they cannot compete financially with the Etihad. Consequently, Liverpool's Academy plays a different role. Three Academy players are firmly established in the first-team squad: Trent, Curtis Jones and Harvey Elliott. Outside of these, defenders Caomhim Kelleher, Jarell Quansah and Conor Bradley, midfielders Stefan Bajcetic and Bobby Clark and forwards Ben Doak and Kaide Gordon are slated to get minutes in cup competitions and beyond. There are several more Academy youngsters on the LFC horizon!

It may have been a great game at St James's Park and a fabulous performance by Manchester City, but it's a pity that everything is clouded by deception. Over time, the punishment I propose above might hopefully get the club in line with the rest of the EPL. Please acknowledge this deception more readily, pundits, experts and media.?

The EPL is more competitive between the other 19 clubs. Under current conditions, the best team in the Premier League would be better served to join a Saudi-promoted league with Real Madrid, Barcelona and Juventus. City's dominance is to such a degree that ultimately there is little jeopardy in the EPL. Guardiola's claim that Newcastle is the hardest place to go to in the Premier League is both hollow and insincere. It's time to expose the shama and continue to wage a one-man battle! to get Manchester City's alleged FFP breaches resolved once and for all.

YNWA

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/67971279

Note:?This was written after the Newcastle-Man City game and before the latest round of FFP allegations against Nottingham Forest and Everton. I will deal with my thoughts on this in my weekly newsletter.