John Aldridge reacts to Man City appealing after being found guilty of breaking Premier League rules and looks ahead to Liverpool's return to club football against Enzo Maresca's side
Cody Gakpo
Cody Gakpo
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Since my last column last week, the Premier League released a statement detailing all the wrong-doings Man City have been found guilty of.
I am not surprised. I was not surprised by the verdict and I am not surprised by the extent of it. I always knew it was going to come out. Especially after Pep left, it was obvious. But it’s remarkable that they’re still fighting it.
From what we've heard, they think they've got a case to fight it. It looks to everyone else, except Manchester City fans, that they haven't got a case to fight.
It's all about wealth and power, and a bit of arrogance. The arrogance of it. We’re not just talking about football,we're talking about politics, governments. That shouldn't be in football. Football's a sport.
We'll see what happens. They're going to fight it and they've got enough money to fight it forever. But there's got to be a line drawn under it.
When the government starts to talk about things, then you sort of worry. But the government's got nothing to do with football. It's its own body. And it doesn't matter if the government loses out on billions and billions and billions, and then the country does, it doesn't matter.
If you've done wrong, it doesn't matter. You are bang to rights if you've done wrong. And everyone knows that, except Manchester City fans, who will not accept it.
The more you hear and the more things are coming out, the worse it actually gets. They still think they've got a case after all we've heard, that’s arrogant, isn’t it?
It's opened up a can of worms, though. I think of all the things around it, teams going down, teams losing titles, Champions League qualification - It's like a domino effect.
If they are bang to rights, there are going to be a load of dominoes that fall. And who knows where it all ends up.
People are saying it's a criminal offence and all that. I don't know, I'm looking at the sport side.
At this moment in time, they're not pleading guilty. But it doesn't look good. It doesn't look good for them, and the governing bodies have got to be strong.
Will the owners stay? Will they sell the club and leave? Will they be made to leave? We don't know. We're mere mortals. But it doesn't look good.
I know quite a lot of Manchester City fans and they won't admit it, but they're bricking it.
Be wary of scorned City
City will be really up for the game at the weekend. Anfield will be electric, but they’ll be up for it. They’ll be telling the players they’re innocent and playing into the whole ‘everyone’s against us’ angle. It’s something to be wary of.
When you're looking at the game, I think the rivalry from all of the clubs will more or less go away, because everyone will want City to get beaten every game now.
True football fans will be anti-Man City because it has affected them all as well.
So that's all that their manager can do. ‘We're still innocent. Go out and, in the face of adversity, show what you’ve got.’
But at the same time, our players have got to be wise. Go with the atmosphere, play with your heart and your head, and remember how many times we’ve lost the league to City.
It’s time to make a statement about the new manager and his team.
Cody Gakpo dodged a bullet - Now Liverpool should sign Erling Haaland
Cody Gakpo could have easily joined Man City in the summer. We don’t know what they were telling all these players they were after, but it looks like he has dodged a bullet, hasn’t he?
All the City players’ agents now will be licking their lips. Because if City do go down, Haaland won’t be playing in the lower divisions.
Will these players they’ve got, all world-class players, want to drop down and play there? Or will they move to Barcelona, Real Madrid, PSG - get the same money as they get at City and go to a bigger club?
That's what the agents will be telling them, because they get more money by moving them on. It’s more money by moving them on than giving them new contracts. So, the agents will be licking their lips looking at the situation if it arises.
If they have to sell, Haaland’s the first one you’d want. I’d love him at Liverpool. Everyone will want him.
They’ve got some great players. If it comes to it, a lot of quality players will be pushing for transfers. But we’ve all just got to wait until that situation arises and watch it develop.
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