OPINION: John Aldridge reacts to Man City being found guilty of 114 charges for financial breaches and what it could mean for Liverpool in the first half of his weekly column
Steven Gerrard and Luis Suarez in 2014
Steven Gerrard and Luis Suarez in 2014
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We finally have a verdict on Man City’s 115 charges. Better late than never, I suppose. I think the writing was on the walls when Pep Guardiola left in the summer.
I think he might have known it was coming. I thought when Pep left, this was going to happen. He’s timed it because he said he’d always leave if they were found guilty of these misdemeanours.
Perhaps they knew the outcome, they've got the best lawyers in the world. We’ve all been waiting to hear the verdict as they have continued to fight, and it’s not affected them on the pitch as they’ve still kept winning all these trophies.
All you want is closure now. I do feel sorry for genuine Man City fans. They’ve had a great ride, but maybe it comes to an end now.
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Everton were charged and docked points when they breached the regulations, and they complied. At the time, their punishment was maybe a little harsh.
But what will happen to Man City then? Facing so many more charges, and the fact it has been dragged out like this.
They’ll probably appeal, so the guilty verdict needs to have been upheld after what comes next before we can talk about potential sanctions. Who am I to judge?
Though, after being found guilty of 114 of the 115 charges at this stage, it has to be strict and severe. I think relegation.
You look at what happened to Glasgow Rangers, Juventus and other clubs. I know the situation is different and there’s a difference in the Premier League, but these are the sternest punishments in recent memory.
I don't think you can go straight down the leagues. But if there's a points ban, a transfer ban, and fines here, there, and everywhere. A points ban has got to be 60 or 70 plus.
If you multiply what Nottingham Forest and Everton were given, it's got to be huge. And, if Man City do go down, they’re out of the Champions League for years and that's going to have a major impact on the football club.
Can they keep the players? They’d have the money to keep the players, of course they would. But it’s about more than money.
If they go down, I don’t know how much it will hurt them. Their spending power gets cut down. It doesn't matter how much money you've got, you can only spend so much.
Let’s just wait and see. And could they be stripped of the trophies? Cheating’s cheating. They knew they cheated and they fought against it, but now they’ve been found out. If you get caught out, you’re bang to rights and who knows what could happen.
Whatever happens, again it’s the genuine Man City fans you feel for. But the club has got to face the most severe punishments, if the guilty verdicts are upheld. It’s got to be massively severe.
Liverpool players won’t say no to 2013/14 Premier League title
The charges are for the period 2009 to 2018. But there is a knock-on effect, of course there is.
If they don’t have the success in that period, can they bring in the quality of players they’re later bringing in? Can they get Pep Guardiola?
It has a direct knock-on for what they went on to achieve when going up against Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool.
They beat us to titles. On the pitch, they deserved them. Of course they did. But just how possible would it all have been without what came before it?
It had an effect but how far back can you go? What can you do? That's what really frustrates Liverpool fans, Arsenal fans, Manchester United because it's enabled them to build a massive force in world football whilst they've been cheating.
You can only do what you can do, legally. I don't know how far they can go. But, 114 charges they’ve been found guilty of, from 115. That’s really taking the mickey out of all these other clubs. Massively taking the mickey.
I can’t talk for the players in the Liverpool squad in 2013/14 and whether they’d want City stripped of the title and it be given to them.
But if it was me, I wouldn’t say no! You wouldn’t say no.
But it’s more than just the team that would have won the title. It’s the team that missed out on the Champions League, the team that missed out on Europe, the team that went down in 18th. They’re all affected, every year. Where does it end?
Anfield will be rocking when City come to town
You couldn’t write it, that Liverpool are Man City’s opponents the next time both sides play after these verdicts.
What a game it will be, and what timing! The Kop will be up for it, the whole ground will be up for it.
It’s the biggest game that Andoni Iraola has had so far. It would be a timely boost to go out and win it.
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