Manchester City’s Owners Have To Go, And I Want Liverpool To Make Them Suffer

First of all, it’s good to be back.

I had an absolutely wonderful time in Canada with the family, made some memories that I’ll treasure forever, and managed to switch off properly for the first time in a long while. I also want to thank Conor, Lewis and everybody who kept Anfield Agenda ticking along while I was away. They did a fantastic job, and I couldn’t be prouder of them.

But I’ll tell you something. As much as I enjoyed the holiday, I was itching to get back and talk about Manchester City.

Every time I checked the news, something else had emerged. More financial details, more arguments, more attempts to defend the indefensible. And through all of it, one thing has become abundantly clear to me.

Manchester City’s owners have to go.

I’ve Had Enough Of Manchester City’s Arrogance

I never doubted that Manchester City had serious questions to answer, and the independent commission’s findings have only strengthened my conviction that English football has been badly let down.

City have been found guilty of virtually all the financial charges brought against them, yet the response from the club and those associated with it has been extraordinary.

Where is the humility? Where is the acknowledgement of what has happened? Where is even the slightest indication that anybody understands the damage done to the competition?

Instead, we have continued denials, an appeal and people lining up to insist everything is perfectly normal.

I fully accept that City have the right to appeal. If there are genuine errors in the commission’s findings, they are entitled to challenge them. But an independent panel has examined the evidence and reached its decision. That cannot simply be dismissed because the club dislikes the outcome.

What really irritates me is watching former players, managers and current employees acting as though everybody else should simply move on.

Pep Guardiola previously spoke about distancing himself if he discovered he had been misled. Now, with the findings published, he appears determined to stand alongside the club.

That is his choice, but I believe his association with this period will inevitably affect how his achievements are remembered.

And I have absolutely no sympathy for the people at the top of Manchester City. They have had years to acknowledge the seriousness of these allegations. Instead, we’ve watched an increasingly exhausting battle over a case that has already taken far too long.

Relegation Alone Would Be Nowhere Near Enough

Jamie Carragher has argued that Manchester City should be stripped of their Premier League titles and that their owners should be forced to leave.

I agree with him.

In fact, I would go further with the sporting punishment because I don’t believe dropping City into the Championship for a single season would achieve very much.

They could potentially return almost immediately, particularly if they retained their financial resources and the bulk of their playing squad.

What sort of deterrent would that be?

For me, the punishment needs to reflect the scale of the offences found and ensure there are lasting consequences. Significant points deductions, financial sanctions, restrictions on recruitment and relegation should all be considered within whatever powers the Premier League has available.

Most importantly, I want the ownership situation addressed.

The owners ultimately set the direction of the football club. They oversee the commercial arrangements and are responsible for ensuring the organisation operates within the rules. I cannot see how the Premier League restores confidence in its competition without seriously examining whether those responsible should remain in control.

And before anybody starts with the usual arguments about Liverpool, Manchester United or Arsenal supposedly forming some sort of cartel, spare me.

Liverpool waited 30 years to win the Premier League. Arsenal have endured their own long wait. Manchester United have spent years trying to return to the top.

These clubs became successful through decades of building their support, commercial strength and footballing history.

You can absolutely argue that football’s financial regulations need improving. I’m happy to have that conversation. But the rules existed, clubs agreed to operate under them, and those rules have to mean something.

I Don’t Want Liverpool Handed Titles

There is another point I want to make because I’ve been consistent about it throughout this entire saga.

I don’t particularly want Liverpool retrospectively awarded Premier League titles.

I understand why other supporters feel differently, and I respect their position. We all remember those incredible seasons under Jurgen Klopp, particularly finishing on 97 points and missing out by one.

But what would handing us a trophy years later actually give us?

We wouldn’t get those celebrations back. We wouldn’t get the parade, the final whistle or the moment of watching the players realise they had become champions.

Those experiences cannot be recreated.

I’d rather see the historical record properly reflect what happened, with any titles removed from City where appropriate, than pretend we can somehow recover everything that was lost.

And Liverpool weren’t the only club affected. There were teams competing for European qualification, clubs fighting relegation and supporters who missed out on moments they might never experience again.

That’s why the integrity of the league matters so much.

Sunday At Anfield Cannot Come Quickly Enough

Which brings me to Manchester City coming to Anfield on Sunday.

What a game to return to.

I want Anfield absolutely bouncing. I want the supporters to make their feelings known, and I want Liverpool to give City the most uncomfortable afternoon imaginable.

Unfortunately, we’ve got a serious selection headache.

Alexander Isak and Cody Gakpo are expected to miss the game, while Hugo Ekitike remains unavailable. At precisely the moment we need our attacking options, international football has taken another couple away from us.

But injuries create opportunities.

I’d play Rio Ngumoha on the left, Victor Muñoz on the right and give Bradley Barcola a chance through the middle.

We’ve spoken before about whether Barcola could operate in a more central role, almost like Ousmane Dembélé has done. He’s quick, technically gifted and capable of moving across the forward line. I’d love to see Liverpool try something different.

Lewis Koumas deserves consideration too, although I’d probably introduce him later rather than throw him straight into a game of this magnitude.

And I’d keep Florian Wirtz in the number 10 position. We cannot spend the entire season moving him around to accommodate everybody else. Let him establish himself in the role Liverpool brought him in to play.

The positive news is that Jeremy Jacquet should be available, and I’ve been blown away by how well he’s started his Liverpool career. Ronald Araújo has impressed me too, particularly defensively, and we’ll need both of them at their best.

City are top of the league. Liverpool have drawn too many games, and this is a real opportunity for Andoni Iraola to show what his side can do against elite opposition.

I’m nervous, I won’t pretend otherwise. I want this win badly.

After everything that has happened over the past couple of weeks, I cannot think of a better way to welcome Premier League football back than watching Liverpool beat Manchester City at Anfield.

And whatever happens on Sunday, the wider issue cannot be allowed to disappear.

Football deserves better than what we’ve witnessed.

Much Love.