The former Blues player offers his view on football's biggest talking point in the second part of this week's Liverpool ECHO column
Manchester City have been found guilty of 114 of the 115 charges against them
Manchester City have been found guilty of 114 of the 115 charges against them
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The big headline of the international break is clearly that of Manchester City reportedly having been found guilty of most of the charges brought against them by the Premier League.
As a former player for Everton, who were hit with serious penalties for their financial fair play breaches, and of City, whose punishment should these verdicts stand is now the major talking point in the game, I feel like I am viewing this debacle from multiple perspectives.
Given I also played for Rangers, who in 2012 essentially re-formed and entered into the Scottish Third Division after their own money crisis, there is another layer to my thoughts on the news and what should happen next.
I do not know enough about the intricacies of a complex case that has taken years to reach this point to dive headfirst into what an appropriate punishment would be and the various repercussions of any sanction that could be handed to City.
But what I do feel is important is for it to be remembered that the supporters and players of the club are not responsible for this. They will be hurting too.
On the part of the players, they will have known nothing about what was happening above them. Yes, they will have been well paid but their influence played out on the football pitch, as 11 men against 11 men, with both sides trying their best.
They would have had the confidence created by being surrounded by some of the brightest talent in the world and well aware their squad was expensively assembled in order to compete for the biggest prizes. But they would not have known had they had a helping hand in the corridors of power behind the scenes.
Nor would the supporters as they got to see their club rise to prominence. The fans ARE football. The game is so loved because fans play such a big role in the game. Owners come and go but loyal supporters remain, whatever happens.
My thoughts are with them as they try to come to terms with what the outcome of this case will mean for them and their pride and memories of so many incredible occasions over the period in question.
There are also the people who work so hard behind the scenes to help a club come together to enjoy success - the people you don’t typically see, the chefs, the cleaners, the secretaries, the training ground staff, the people who make things as smooth as possible for the players to go out and express themselves. All of these people will now find the value of what they did undermined.
None of this is to say that I don’t feel for the supporters, wider staff and players of the clubs who may have missed out if the allegations of wrongdoing against City are upheld. They could have lost their own life-changing memories through this, and that is awful.
But whatever happens next, I hope that if and when punishments and sanctions are meted out, it is those who were truly responsible who feel the consequences of their actions, not those acting in good faith far beneath them.