I strongly suspect that Masters had Levy and the cartel screaming in his face to "get these dirty, cheating arab oil bastards" done or we will take our ball and our money and fuck-off to the european super league and your premier league product will be destroyed and you with it.Agree with you completely about how wise it was and exactly why the PL went down this particular rabbit hole. These are all good questions. And obviously I agree that Masters quite clearly isn't an impressive CEO.
I strongly suspect that Masters had Levy and the cartel screaming in his face to "get these dirty, cheating arab oil bastards" done or we will take our ball and our money and fuck-off to the european super league and your premier league product will be destroyed and you with it.
Faced with this, the wet wipe wilted.
The bit I really do not get is 4 years to complete an investigation. Was it carried out by the office junior who picked it up and put down when they got bored or had to go on day release?
4 years, teams could win lots of trophies in 4 years and yes, I know it’s unlikely but a team could possibly win 4 consecutive premier league titles ;-)
Great explanation and also a sign of a very savvy and clever business model.If I may say so, the error here is to assume that the artificial and the sham are synonymous. There is however a world of difference between the two. Imagine the scenario plays out like this.
City have it in mind that they will be sacking Hughes’s before too long and think Mancini is their go-to guy. Mancini says “if you want me, hire me, otherwise I’m on the market and may be in another job by the time you decide you do want me.” City, not wanting to take that chance, says this; “our owner also owns a club in the UAE. They will pay you for a modest amount of consultancy work until the time is right.” Mancini looks at his severance packet from Inter and thinks “that works.”
All That might be wholly artificial but it is certainly not a sham. A sham is where two people sign a contract that neither of whom intend to be bound by. I think if anyone had asked Mancini he would very much have intended that he would be paid.
When AJ entered into the contract with Mancini HHSM and his advisers may have had their eye on what would happen if/when Hughes got the axe. That does not make it concealment for remuneration under a contract between a club MCFC don’t own and a manager City don’t employ not to feature in MCFC accounts.
Agree with you completely about how wise it was and exactly why the PL went down this particular rabbit hole. These are all good questions. And obviously I agree that Masters quite clearly isn't an impressive CEO.
But, at some point you get so far down an investigative rabbit hole you can't get back out. You have to go all the way and either find your rabbit, or find there isn't one.
To continue the analogy, I think in this case the bloody rabbit is behind you filling in the rabbit hole as you go deeper so there is, in fact, no way to back out. For the avoidance of doubt, the rabbit in this story is the club, you are the PL and there is no rabbit left in the rabbit hole when you finally get to the end of it. Oh, and the PL are going to end up dead and buried :)
Why humour me? I don't need your engagement.
You can take or leave my comments.
I would love and somewhat believe this explanation but the thought that the PL have spent 10s of millions of pounds fighting one of its founding and arguably most successful founders is fanciable and if not, this will go down as one of the most incredibly scandalous business decisions in the history of man.Agree that I can't see the PL landing any of the main charges (with the possible exception of Toure which I don't know much about but is small anyway).
On the reason for pursuing the allegations, do you think there is any merit in my view that, at the end, they had no choice? They had investigated for four years and City were presumably withholding key external evidence, so they had a choice: drop the investigation which would set a terrible precedent, or refer the allegations knowing that the external evidence will disprove them when it is provided which would be a terrible result for the cost involved.
There are questions around the investigation and why and when it was carried out, but for the decision to eventually refer the allegations I am not sure they had a choice.
I have said before I think the club know exactly what they are doing, and have the PL exactly where they want them on this whole thing. Clever stuff.
Or maybe it's all bollocks. Interested in your view, though.
It will never be over.This thread really is just round and round and round with the same stuff.... can't wait for it all to just be over
In some people's minds anyway. But there will most likely be an end to the legal process and that will be a relief.It will never be over.
As long as they all live in hell for the rest of their days, this will be satisfactory.Anything that doesn’t find guilt will be jumped on as a whitewash or that we’ve bribed people or that we’ve just out lawyered the PL due to our unlimited nation state wealth. The PR war was lost years ago and it won’t change. It will mean though, if we win, that we can legitimately start suing the rear end off people not careful with their insinuations
They are truly pathetic. Might as well be fairy tale writers.Absolutely no leaks.
How do I know that?
Because the media pricks have gone into overdrive about what will happen to us.
At the minute we're being relegated to the Stockport Sunday league, we're getting docked 500 points, we're getting docked 25 points per season forever, we're also getting expelled from every competition, every single player is looking at other options, pep and kdb will lead the walkouts
Oh and a transfer ban which, by the way, will be hard to impose if we aren't playing in any competition or don't have any players.
So as you can probably tell our lovely chaps in the press are like junkies who have gone cold turkey.
Pretty certain that the investigation didn't go-on all those years. Not sure of the time line but, I'm sure it had lots of pauses for CAS and, the time awaiting the commercial court decision regarding the right of the PL to request documents that City regarded as commercially sensitive, then the subsequent appeal regarding the publication of the caseThe bit I really do not get is 4 years to complete an investigation. Was it carried out by the office junior who picked it up and put down when they got bored or had to go on day release?
4 years, teams could win lots of trophies in 4 years and yes, I know it’s unlikely but a team could possibly win 4 consecutive premier league titles ;-)
Andy from Redcafe, paddy from rawkWill be interesting to see who the Premier League bring in as witnesses.
In some people's minds anyway. But there will most likely be an end to the legal process and that will be a relief.
Sources within the clubWhere’s this rumour come from?
Clears throat to sing along with all of SS3 "cry in a minute, he's gonna cry in a minute".It makes for amusing reading
Todays headlines include:
Pep made me cry & how Arteta freed me by Gabby Jesus
&
I managed City for one game & Pep was furious by Mikel Arteta
Tomorrow’s headlines ought to float your boat tho, as I believe they’re linking us with a January transfer of Tony Martial ;)
The PL never had any intention of speaking to Mancini. The motive is damaging City’s reputation. They have no interest in justice. It has been a sham from the start.@Chris in London Mancini has previously stated that he has had no contact with the PL.
This is what I find totally amazing. Whether it is a police investigation or an internal disciplinary inquiry at Tescos, you would always look to speak to the main witness. Obviously they could lie or even refuse to speak to you but, the witness just might give you all the evidence you require.
If the PL had asked Mancini and he backed up everything they are alleging we would not now be pissing about it London.
It shows how amateurish this witch hunt really is and who is driving it.
For the record Mancini stated everything was above board and that he would attend any hearing to give evidence. Again this shows that the investigation was deliberately stretched out to cause maximum damage to City, it has no integrity.
I think this is close to the truth. The PL could have got out after CAS. But Masters was under pressure from key club directors who wanted to damage City at all costs irrespective of any evidence. Masters is stupid and weak. Don’t underestimate how stupid he is. He was grossly over promoted and has no skillset to be a CEO,Agree that I can't see the PL landing any of the main charges (with the possible exception of Toure which I don't know much about but is small anyway).
On the reason for pursuing the allegations, do you think there is any merit in my view that, at the end, they had no choice? They had investigated for four years and City were presumably withholding key external evidence, so they had a choice: drop the investigation which would set a terrible precedent, or refer the allegations knowing that the external evidence will disprove them when it is provided which would be a terrible result for the cost involved.
There are questions around the investigation and why and when it was carried out, but for the decision to eventually refer the allegations I am not sure they had a choice.
I have said before I think the club know exactly what they are doing, and have the PL exactly where they want them on this whole thing. Clever stuff.
Or maybe it's all bollocks. Interested in your view, though.