I think we're being far too sympathetic to FFP even as it exists now. Has Sheikh Mansour shown the slightest sign of wanting to "walk away" in the last twelve years? Has anyone claimed that City's financial stability is actually in any kind of danger? Are we in the same rude good health as Manchester United or Chelsea when our liabilities and assets are taken into account?
I would also add that the whole point of this case is to show that FFP made it impossible for any club to crash through the ceiling imposed by UEFA and its magic circle clubs! UEFA's message is surely that in their eyes even an owner like Sheikh Mansour had to inflate deals and break the rules to manage it. And they'll have two goes at him for it if they can get away with it.
Let's turn our attention to the good clubs, those who've shown us that FFP works. Better forget Leicester for a start - they broke FL FFP to pieces to get into the PL. So, Southampton, Brighton and Watford for a start. Invested in infrastructure as FFP allows. Unfortunately long before FFP, so its their owners who take the credit there. Spent within their means. Yes. But again long before FFP demanded it. Southampton picked clean by ... who is it again. And what do they have in common? Well look at the PL table? Which end do they inhabit most of the time? But there are other good clubs. There's MU, always break even. Chelsea. Miraculously began to break even when FFP came into effect. Spurs. Great example of investing in infrastructure and being prudent on transfers and wages. The problem? They've all risen to their present status as a result of spending way beyond their means, before UEFA gave a tinker's cuss - and now their "finacial stability" looks as wobbly as possible because they're massively in debt. Thank God UEFA insists on a time limit for them to pay off their debts - just as "new" owners have a time limit to meet the break even rule after acually being allowed to invest.
So, well said that man who argued that FFP makes it more difficult for clubs. Some clubs are stable without any aid from FFP, some are stable DESPITE FFP and some are UNSTABLE because FFP thinks its better for them. "We luuurv debt."