I've read a lot of QAnon and Trump stuff over the last few years. Looking at how delusional some people can be, what narratives they create in order to fit things neatly into their emotional understanding.
This "4D chess" thing is exactly that. City wanted to join the Super League and actually, the Mid Eastern oil shiekh owner didn't grow up with pictures of Trevor Francis in his wall. Neither are the executives political masterminds who can intricately plan every move and outcome like they're a genius in a badly written movie. They're just fallible men who want to raise the revenue of the business that they run.
I thought this would have smashed the fantasy world some live in with our owner. Instead it seems some are doubling down on fantasy instead of facing reality.