'I'm sick to death of it' - Expert 'mystified' by what he's heard in build-up to Liverpool vs Man City
Pep Guardiola and his players at Manchester City should not be discredited after the club were found guilty of 114 breaches of the Premier League's financial rules.
That is according to experienced former Everton, Tottenham and Aston Villa scout, Bryan King, speaking exclusively to Football Insider.
The Citizens will return to action in the Premier League on Sunday for the first time since the verdict emerged, when they take on Liverpool at Anfield.
Man City have appealed the verdict and still hope to be vindicated, but the cloud of potential punishments will continue to hang over the side until a final outcome is reached.
Enzo Maresca faced the media this week and reiterated his team's defiance against the odds, but he will be aware of the potential atmosphere facing them at Anfield on Sunday.
Liverpool have been on the wrong end of several title races against Man City, and the home faithful are sure to let them know it.
Man City players 'should not suffer'
In many eyes, Man City's achievements have already been tainted. Guardiola left the club in the summer, and his legacy is now under serious scrutiny.
Yet some argue that the Citizens' achievements stand regardless of a guilty verdict.
"The thing that mystifies me is that at the end of the day, whether you buy the best players or not, you're not guaranteed that the best players are going to perform every week," King told Football Insider.
"When you look at it, you've got 11 against 11 on a football pitch. During these years, there were teams that beat Manchester City. So why did they lose against those teams with, according to everybody, 'the most magnificent set of players that any club could ever have?' It's 11 against 11.
"I think all the talk about taking away titles from players and giving them medals and all this is rubbish. The fact of the matter is, the people who are running the club have cooked the books, supposedly.
"These are the people who should suffer. It's got nothing to do with the players at the end of the day. They go to a football club because they've been offered a good contract, and that football club has done their home work on recruitment.
"The manager's not guaranteed that those players are going to perform every week. The fact is, he introduced a winning culture to that football club. Why did nobody complain about his so-called antics with players when he was at Bayern Munich and Barcelona? They won everything there.
"I'm sick to death of the thing. What sort of atmosphere will Manchester City face at Anfield? Well, I would imagine it would be a bit hostile."
What has Enzo Maresca said?
Maresca likely faced more preparation ahead of his press conference this week than any before.
Questioned on the verdict, he said: "I trust the club because I trust the people and this is also the reason why I joined the club.
"There is not another club in the world where I would like to be. I’m very happy to be [here] I’m very proud."
"The last time I was here was in the treble season [2022-23, as assistant manager] and I know the effort from the players, the club, the manager. I know the effort that the club put to achieve that kind of target so I don’t have any doubt about that," he added.