Liverpool v Man Cheaty

I have seen various people saying you shouldn’t punish Man City football club, the players, or the fans, but then what sanctions can you impose that won’t affect them? How do you identify who is to blame then and how do you punish just them? The management and coaching staff will have had many changes and those remaining can plausibly claim they were unaware or just doing the jobs they were employed to do. The owners are so rich they can just shrug off a fine or any other sanction and there is always the threat that they will have a tantrum, pout, stamp their feet, then sell up and slope off to ruin another league somewhere else, where their money would probably be welcomed.

The FA, backed by the other premier league clubs, have done the right thing so far, but are also now left with a quandary. Do they go full steam ahead and impose serious sanctions, or having made a very stern face and wagged their fingers, do they think about the bottom line, pull their punches and opt for a negotiated settlement? One that looks firm, but is manageable from the club’s perspective and after a bit of performative huffing and puffing can be reluctantly accepted. I know where my money lies after witnessing the Post Office scandal, the blood scandal, Grenfall and too many others. The rich really are above the law and when they find that temporarily they aren’t, they move to damage limitation, hold up their hands, say how sorry they are and then move on to change the laws and the lawmakers….

Team: Alisson, Araujo, Jacquet, VvD, Kerkez, Mac, Bosz, Wirtz. Ngumoha, Barcola, Munoz

Game is at 16.30 and on Sky.