Serious question relating to us and FFP(update P17)

[I'm no cynic but...]

Here's another one...

Clubs failing the rules are in danger of "the ultimate sanction", a points deduction. Fine, except that City's annual results are for the year ending 31st May each year, but are only released in mid-December.

So with this in mind, and if City had been deemed to have broken the rules for the season past, where would the points deduction come from? This season or from last? If it came from last season, it would make another team champions, but if that deduction had have theoretically cost us a Champions League place even though we had gone on to compete in it because of this delay in auditing, then how would Spurs be feeling as it was them who missed out?

I tell you, it's a nightmare to work out, the courts would be working overtime to cope and I just can't see how these sanctions could work for more than one year before being dropped.

 

[omcfc]

A lot of the aspiring teams, teams like Tottenham and Everton among others may have shot themselves in the foot somewhat but the truth is this:

They may not like United, they may think they are odius and arrogant. But they hate the idea of a club that was once like them raising their profile even more.

See United are the devil they know. They are used to that pecking order. But to see a club like City making strides in Europe and winning trophies domestically, now that they *really* hate because they are used to us (in their minds) being inferior. Jealously and spite are very powerful motivators.

"I may be shooting myself in the foot, but I'm going to drag you down with me."

Sad.

 

[*simmo*]

You don't think the timing has anything to do with the global economic crisis? Austerity measures in European nations? Rangers going into administration? Spanish clubs on the brink of bankruptcy?

Limiting costs is just smart business. I would start by capping agent fees at a fixed limit (not percentage) on any transaction.

More competition from the lower table teams will make the league more exciting and every game more meaningful.

In all fairness, it is fuck all to do with smart business is it? Do you honestly think any chairman or exec at any club gives a flying fuck about any other club than the one they own/are employed by?

Do you think U***** want competition? Do you think they want anyone being able to challenge their recent domination? Of course not, it affects the bottom line if someone can beat them to all the prizes (remember, they won the sum total of fuck all last season so are probably smarting a bit).

Do you think the Glazers and Gill have had a meeting where they've discussed how they can ensure Arsenal and Liverpool can make a reasonable tilt at the title? Do you think they also discussed how they can make the transfer system fairer so clubs like Sunderland can buy Jack Wilshere for a couple of million and pay him in vimto and mars bars?

Or do you think any discussion they've had is more along the lines of:

"How can we reduce players costs? I know, why don't we drive down prices and wages, put in some rules about what you can spend so ultimately we can pay clubs fuck all for their best players, pay shit wages and ultimately cement our domination further?"

Now, I'm not on 1st name terms with Sheikh Mansour, but it is pretty clear what his plans are in terms of how they will be financed and how they will ultimately become self sufficient over time through academy investment and increasing commercial revenue streams whilst also investing/regenerating not just Manchester City FC but a part of Manchester itself. If the Premier League said "you have lost x so deposit same in this account to cover it in case you decide to walk away." that might have been a more reasonable method of protection.

These measures, along with UEFA's FFP, are no more altruitic than Sir Ronald of Dunmow's philanthropy towards poor old Gazza.

All we are seeing in the cold light of day is restraint of trade, rejection of investment and championing of debt - the very thing that has been a signifcant factor in the global economic crisis. In terms of comedy of the absurd, the likes of Andy Hamilton, Anthony Jay and Jonathan Lynn would have been proud to have written it.

I imagine this is where City take their gloves off?

Agree totally with your post, but after the letter sent to UEFA by Rags, Liverpool, Arse, and Spurs its clears that some clubs have been talking. Financially it's not about winning titles it's about being in the champions league and these clubs want to try to ensure that it's them in the long term.

 

[allan harper]

If other clubs have shot themselves in the foot then fuck em. Our boss won't be wanting us to be operating at losses over a £100 million so I don't see an issue with this ruling. We won't be spending huge (nor need too)amounts of money on players again. If we want a player we'll bid for him no matter what. United where never going to go away even without this ruling, Arsenal will continue as they always have. Liverpool may move up in the on coming seasons and us and Chelsea will just keep improving. I don't see why Mansour has to fight this, there's nothing to fight.
Where here to stay so I couldn't give a fuck.

 

[BoyBlue_1985]

Im thinking this may not be good for us in the next couple of years<br /><br />-- Fri Feb 08, 2013 11:24 am --<br /><br />

You don't think the timing has anything to do with the global economic crisis? Austerity measures in European nations? Rangers going into administration? Spanish clubs on the brink of bankruptcy?

Limiting costs is just smart business. I would start by capping agent fees at a fixed limit (not percentage) on any transaction.

More competition from the lower table teams will make the league more exciting and every game more meaningful.

I would start by shooting agents and misinformed idiots

 

[bluscuba]

How many Messis, Iniestas, Ibrahimovics, Eto'os have we seen in the Premier League? I am talking about players at the absolute top that would walk into any team in the world. The answer is one - Cristiano Ronaldo. And he was an unknown before he came here.

The PL has been able to attract good platers, even great players. But not the very very top. The world's elite won't come here because the transfer fees and pay are not good enough already. So now the dickheads running the asylum want to limit things further. And hope that PL will continue to be the most watched league in the world because everyone just loves Jones and Cleverly don't they. FFS.

You literally could not make it up.

Aguero, silva,kompany,Ashley cole (a few years ago), henry, Rooney, van persie.

Four of those were bought by clubs operating beyond their income stream which is precisely what's proposed to be banned. It's historically been more difficult for various cultural and other reasons to attract the elite players to England than it is to Spain or Italy, therefore the wages need to be better than competitive.

It would seem that, having taken the new big tv money the PL chairmen have patted themselves on the back and thought it was all down to them and their annual capitulations at Old Trafford, not Sergio Aguero.

Another point - United are clearly well and truly rattled. Chelsea and Arsenal they could cope with, probably welcomed it to pretend its all very competitive. We though are right on their doorstep, threatening and in fact taking their future fanbase and they don't like it one bit. The more we rise, the more desperate they will become. This is probably only the start of their manoeuvres. Dressed up as maintaining healthy competition to avoid another Pompey. Can't see why united didn't do something to help Pompey at the time if they are so concerned.

 

[moomba]

FWIW our commercial income has gone up by £54.3m in our last set of figures, our mathday revenue has gone up by £4.3m. Add the £4m to it so if we wanted to we could increase our wage bill next year by £62.6m.

Haven't gone through the other clubs, but the next biggest wage increase (based on increases in commercial and matchday income) is Chelsea on £28m.

Clubs that don't have a lot of growth in commercial and matchday income will be limited to £4m wage increases, about the cost of one player earning £80k a week.

That should help the competitiveness of the league.

 

[BluessinceHydeRoad]

City voted against the introduction of these regulations and they, along with all other clubs, can still challenge them in court because they contravene the Competition Act of 1998 and Article 101 of the EC Treaty.

City are unlikely to take the matter to court because these ludicrous regulations are a total irrelevance. No club can make losses of more than £105 million in the next three years. This means that our years of bumper investment and losses don't count! The changes to the squad in the future will be financially neutral because this is our club's long term plan. We won't make losses at all, and, if we do, they will be noyhing like £35 million pa!

The wage bill is currently some £200 million pa. The club's plan is to trim that considerably. Some players' contracts will not be renewed at the end of this season and this, combined with the healthy growth in commercial revenue, seem to put City in a strong position. United will not be the only club in the area to be able to increase wages without touching the TV money!

Then the training complex increases the opportunities for sponsorship income and probably other "revenue streams". In the long term the development of the collar site promises massive increases in income.

I think the club had more than moderate grounds this morning for expressing confidence that City would not fall foul of the regulations. Their words, however, were drowned out by the sound of doors slamming, bolts scratching and horses' hooves heading swiftly for the horizon!

 

[coulsonblue]

bill is currently some £200 million pa. The club's plan is to trim that considerably. Some players' contracts will not be renewed at the end of this season

and those whose are renewed will reduce the annual amortisation costs

 

[Chippy_boy]

How many Messis, Iniestas, Ibrahimovics, Eto'os have we seen in the Premier League? I am talking about players at the absolute top that would walk into any team in the world. The answer is one - Cristiano Ronaldo. And he was an unknown before he came here.

The PL has been able to attract good platers, even great players. But not the very very top. The world's elite won't come here because the transfer fees and pay are not good enough already. So now the dickheads running the asylum want to limit things further. And hope that PL will continue to be the most watched league in the world because everyone just loves Jones and Cleverly don't they. FFS.

You literally could not make it up.

Aguero, silva,kompany,Ashley cole (a few years ago), henry, Rooney, van persie.

Four of those were bought by clubs operating beyond their income stream which is precisely what's proposed to be banned. It's historically been more difficult for various cultural and other reasons to attract the elite players to England than it is to Spain or Italy, therefore the wages need to be better than competitive.

It would seem that, having taken the new big tv money the PL chairmen have patted themselves on the back and thought it was all down to them and their annual capitulations at Old Trafford, not Sergio Aguero.

Another point - United are clearly well and truly rattled. Chelsea and Arsenal they could cope with, probably welcomed it to pretend its all very competitive. We though are right on their doorstep, threatening and in fact taking their future fanbase and they don't like it one bit. The more we rise, the more desperate they will become. This is probably only the start of their manoeuvres. Dressed up as maintaining healthy competition to avoid another Pompey. Can't see why united didn't do something to help Pompey at the time if they are so concerned.

Another quality post mate. You should contribute here more ;-)

I agree entirely. United could cope with Chelsea (although them winning back to back titles surely smarted a bit). But they were used to "healthy competition" from a London club with their historical battling against Arsenal. The fact that the London club filling that role wore blue instead of red was probably of little consequence to them. Helped of course by Chelsea's rise coinciding with Arsenal's fall.

So however it came to pass, the end result was that from United's point of view, the status quo remained the same. United remained top dogs and they had healthy competition from a single London club. They would have been betting on winning the league 2 years out of every 3 at least.

Then we came along and we have fucked it all right up for them. For the 1st time in donkeys years they have been facing the prospect of being knocked permanently off the top perch and over a period becoming marginalised as an also-ran team. The implication for their global revenues (and the Glazer's profits) must be truly frightening for them. How sad <giggles>