Manchester City have yet to learn their punishment for Premier League rule breaches but a number of ex-pros have offered theories as to what it should be
A Manchester City corner flag at the Etihad Stadium
Manchester City's charges and potential punishment have dominated discussion during the international break(Image: Getty Images)
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This weekend sees Liverpool take on Manchester City in what has become one of the English top-flight's most enticing fixtures in recent years, though a lot has happened since the match was scheduled for this time of year.
City have been found guilty of 114 of the Premier League charges brought against them relating to the 2009-18 period. They continue to maintain their innocence and confirmed they have lodged an appeal against what they describe as "the opinion of the Premier League Commission, in relation to the Premier League disciplinary matter".
With the news arriving in the middle of a lengthy international break, there has been ample opportunity for speculation about what might happen to City. Some want the book to be thrown at the eight-time Premier League champions but there is no concrete agreement on what that entails.
Plenty of pundits have their own feelings about the matter, though. Here, we have taken a closer look about what some have said - including a couple of former Reds players.
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Stan Collymore
Ex-Liverpool striker Stan Collymore has perhaps the harshest verdict. He doesn't just want City demoted from the Premier League - he has called for them to be banished from the Football League entirely.
"I would exclude them from the Premier League for a period," Collymore told Canadasportsbetting. "I would expel them from the EFL, which means they would have to start from the lowest National League. They would have to get promoted all the way back again.
"I would say that they would have to expel them, because if you just put them in the Championship, they are back in a year or two they will be back and that's not a punishment."
Stan Collymore
Stan Collymore wants City handed a severe punishment(Image: PA)
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He also called for a financial punishment, suggesting City paying back sponsorship revenue, Premier League prize money and television money could be the answer. He also argued he would be making the same argument even if the guilty party was a club he had an association with.
"I would come up with a figure that would be given to all the other teams that have lost points, that have got into the Championship, lost the titles and so on," Collymore added. "Then you would send a massive message, saying; It doesn't matter the name of the club, it matters what that club has done."
Ian Wright
While working as a pundit on England's UEFA Nations League match away in the Czech Republic, Ian Wright also called for major sanctions. “It’s cheating on an industrial scale," the former Arsenal star said.
“It’s quite surreal seeing it written down like that. You can’t mention [Man] City without mentioning what’s going on because they were so great.
"I feel like an unprecedented punishment is required here. It’s a massive day for the Premier League, they’ve taken on a whole country.”
Gary Neville
Aside from any points deductions or stripping of trophies, the question of ownership has been raised. Speaking on Stick to Football, Manchester United's former captain Gary Neville argued the current owners need to be removed.
"Points deductions, fines, transfer bans, removing the titles - not giving them to others, just removing the titles - it's significant punishments," Neville said. "The only punishment that would be fair would be have huge consequences - the biggest consequence - would be removing the owners.
"That is the only consequence if I was Manchester City that I would be worried about. And as a fan of Manchester City, if you wanted to keep the investment that you've currently got, that would be the one I'd be most concerned about."
Jamie Carragher
Neville's fellow Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher was another who argued City's punishment should be long-lasting. Speaking on The Overlap Fan Debate, he argued the nine-year period covered by the charges should be followed by a multi-year penalty for City.
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Jamie Carragher on The Overlap Fan Debate
Jamie Carragher has strong feelings on the matter(Image: @TheOverlap/Youtube)
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"I think if the people talk about 80 points or 100 points, but that’s just over one season that gets you relegated and then you come back again," he said. "And I think players, a few of them would leave, but I think some of them would say, ‘I could put up with that for a year.’ It also builds a connection with the supporters, it’ll be seeing in a great light.
“But I think because this has gone on for so long, I do think the punishment should be over a number of years, three to five years and then players would move on. But then you’ve got the financial aspect of how can they afford the wages of those players if they haven’t got Premier League money?
"If they’re having to pay all this money out and you can only spend the money that you’re bringing in. They’ll have to abide by it now.”
Alan Shearer
Former Premier League champion Shearer suggested no punishment would be too harsh. However, he also stressed the importance of a speedy decision.
"Manchester City deserves whatever punishment they get," the Premier League's all-time top scorer told Betfair. "We'll have to wait to see what they do get, but whatever they get, they have no one else to blame but themselves.
'You have to also think and look at the other clubs, whether that be Liverpool or whether that be Man United or whether that be Arsenal who have lost out on titles, other clubs who have lost out on Champions League places and other clubs who have been relegated."
On the need to act quickly with any punishment, he added: "We've now got City who are sitting top of the league and it's ironic they're going to Liverpool in their next game. That's why I feel as if it has to be sorted sooner rather than later because the longer it drags on, the longer it damages English football and the Premier League.
"Because you've got a team who are there and all these charges have been thrown at them. They keep on saying they've got evidence to suggest it's all wrong. Well, this has been going on for years and you've got an independent panel who have just gone, 'No, you're wrong. You're totally wrong.'
"Now, they're sitting top of our league at this moment in time. Every single game that they play, you can imagine the scenario at every single ground they go to."
Roy Keane
Pundit and former Ireland midfielder Roy Keane, who won multiple Premier League titles with Manchester United, suggested City players take matters into their own hands. "If I was a player, I'd be 100% sticking those medals in the bin," he said on ITV's coverage of Czech Republic vs England.
Roy Keane on ITV
Roy Keane also had a message for City's players(Image: Daniel Weir/Sports Press Photo/Shutterstock)
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"Of course you would, it's cheating. They won it on the pitch because cheating was going on. They knew it would hurt a lot of people, but they've still done it."
He also recognised questions still need to be answered when it comes to the punishment handed to City. "It's very damaging for the league, the brand is huge all over the world, but for them [City] to be caught cheating, they deserve that punishment," he said.
"It's bittersweet. You deserve to be punished, but it's not good for the league. What about the players who have been part of the problem, new players, what happens now going forward?"
Stuart Pearce
When it comes to those with connections to City, Stuart Pearce offered a strong reaction himself. He had stints with the club as a player and a manager and shared his feelings on The Overlap Fan Debate.
"I hope it’s resolved quicker than my expectation," said Pearce, who added he was saddened for football as a whole after the latest developments. "I know you’re putting time dates on it and we’re thinking maybe by January everything will be resolved. I’m not so sure. I think this could run and run and run, and I hope I’m wrong.
“The Premier League need to put down almost an iron fist here and send a message out to all the other clubs, as well as Manchester City if they think they’ve wronged and got it horribly wrong, and what the punishment will be… I wouldn’t like to be one of the people making a judgment on the panel to say what is a fit and proper punishment for this situation.
“I think if there’s going to be a massive fine, I’d like to see the money go to good causes, maybe go into grassroots football and not just be hovered up somewhere at the Premier League. I’d love to see that, to see the good of the game, something good come out of it to be quite honest with you, whether there’s a demotion through the leagues, it could be absolutely anything.
"And I’m almost watching with interest as somebody that when I managed at Manchester City, we didn’t have a bean, we didn’t own the ground, we didn’t own the club shop. My first major decision I had to make as manager was to sell Shaun Wright-Phillips, otherwise the club would go bust. It’s incredible the journey the club had been on and, in the process, as we speak, going in full circle. Time will tell.”