Was that Man City's last trip to Anfield? | Football Weekly
Manchester City's possible last trip to Anfield: fan emotions and the punishment debate
The show uses Manchester City's visit to Anfield to discuss the charges against City, possible punishment and the mood among both sets of fans. There is no consensus: City fans largely see a witch-hunt, while Liverpool fans see cheating that cost them titles and want a heavy sanction.
- City have faced a pile-on and a kangaroo court, and they were never going to be found not guilty — The coverage has been one-sided and the outcome felt predetermined
- The Liverpool-City rivalry is no longer just about football because the cheating allegations have changed its tone — City are seen by Liverpool as having potentially denied them the most
- It is implausible that senior City figures would use work email to commit fraud — If you were going to cheat, you would not do it on your work email
- The Premier League has created this mess through its handling of the City case — The issue has been brewing for a long time and the process is as confusing as opaque police tactics
- The mood among City fans is shifting towards feeling the club lied to them — Some still buy the owners' conspiracy theories about the Premier League, but the overall wind is changing
- Liverpool should have won more Premier League titles in this era — They finished second to City by a single point twice, which has affected the recognition their players deserve
- City won through corruption and fraud, so they should receive a severe punishment, ideally relegation — He has spent years and money following Liverpool only to lose by fine margins, and City are accused of fielding players they could not afford
- Retrospectively awarding Liverpool titles would mean little now — It would have mattered at the time, but now they would rather earn it themselves
- Many City fans are not too worried about relegation to League One — They have already followed the club through York away, the Gillingham play-off final and Istanbul, so they have seen it all
Sam Dalling took a trip to Liverpool to speak to Manchester City fans who may well have taken their last trip to Anfield for years to come. Subscribe to Guardian Football ► https://www.youtube.com/@guardianfootball?subconfirmation=1 We want your feedback! If you had any thoughts on our coverage of the World Cup, please let us know here ► www.theguardian.com/YTWorldCupSurvey The Guardian publishes independent journalism, made possible by supporters. Contribute to The Guardian today ► https://support.theguardian.com/ Guardian Football Weekly: https://www.tiktok.com/@guardianfootballweekly https://www.instagram.com/guardianfootballweekly/ Website ► https://www.theguardian.com Facebook ► https://www.facebook.com/theguardian Bluesky ► https://bsky.app/profile/sport.theguardian.com Instagram ► https://www.instagram.com/guardiansport/ The Guardian on YouTube: The Guardian ► https://www.youtube.com/@theguardian Football Weekly podcast ► https://www.youtube.com/@footballweeklypodcast Guardian News ► https://www.youtube.com/@guardiannews Guardian Australia ► https://www.youtube.com/@guardianaustralia Guardian Sport ► https://www.youtube.com/@guardiansport
Transcript
There is no rock or cave people could be hiding in or under that would have prevented them from hearing about Manchester City. >> It's just been big one pile on and it's made me feel ill to be honest. I >> just want to be a villain cuz it's fun to be a villain. >> I'll take the punishment. I'll go Grimby away. I don't care. >> I think it's a kangaroo court and we were never going to come out of it ever being found not guilty. And as the narrative would have it, their first game is away at Liverpool at Anfield at the team they potentially denied the most with their well, let's put it no other way, cheating. Certainly from a Liverpool perspective, there's a shift in the tone of the rivalry. It was just about football. Now it is about so much more. >> Angry that we've been full for so long. >> In England, this is the national sport and it's not just football. There's a lot more to it than football. If they don't get an appropriate punishment, an appropriate punishment, >> I know he's going to give a season ticket away. I'm just going to go and watch on Lee. >> We've talked a lot about the executives, all the money involved, but there are two sets of supporters here. The Manchester City fans who have celebrated when perhaps maybe they shouldn't have been celebrating. >> Nobody's going to take away my experience of what we've had over the last 10 years. for me it's like it's implausible that anyone at that higher level would be that stupid to look if you're going to I think if you're going to cheat and you're going to commit a fraud. Don't do it on your work email. >> You know what I mean? >> It's just it is it's a very valid point. >> Premier League's created this problem and it's been brewing for a long time. Sometimes it's like watching these bloody uh tricks with the cops. You know, you don't know what's going on anymore. There's always been quite a lot of animosity towards City and this has heightened it recently. you know, you could see from what was planned if the bus had come the way they expecting it, I think it probably would have been quite vitriolic and uh aggressive. So, yeah, it has definitely changed. I think there's always been bit of a change in the city mindset. You will have fans that are fully committed to the owners theories and the conspiracy theories that they're offering out about the Premier League. But overall, I think there is a little bit of a change in the in the winds towards thinking that, you know, City fans have been taking a bit for a ride, been lied to for quite a while. And the Liverpool fans who are here at Anfield today who really ought to have more Premier League titles over the last decade or so then they've actually been awarded three times. They finished second to Manchester City twice by a single point should Steven Gerard slip. This famous slip really have mattered. Should Virgil van Djk have more Premier League crowns to his name? Well, most of those over there would say very much the answer is yes. that we get the recognition that we deserve from years and years of hard work and what Klopp did with the team is unbelievable because of what he's built from scratch. So I feel like for Verge especially as captain that will probably mean a lot more to him. But I mean it's besides the point now. It's happened. It's in the past and we just got to rebuild on what we've got. I guess >> what's the emotions? What have they been like over the last couple of weeks and what you're feeling today? Obviously, we look forward to this fixture every season and let's be fair, Man City have been fantastic on the pitch. But when you find out something as to this magnitude, it's heartbreaking when, you know, I've spent a lot of money coming here for many, many years and we've lost the league by a couple of points to this team on many few occasions now. And to find out that they've won it through corruption, fraud, call it what you like, it it's really, you know, it's really annoying because we could have been celebrating titles here if they hadn't had players on the pitch that they couldn't afford to buy in the first place. If they got as many points as Everton did, it would be about 4,600 points. So, you could only wish, hey, but I'm sure hopefully it'll just be relegation in a few cups. >> I love that you've done the math. So, uh that's excellent stuff. If Liverpool got awarded any of those cups, any of those titles, does it mean anything? >> It does mean anything now to be fair. Um it would have been loads at the time, but not now. We'd rather just earn it as we are. >> So, behind me, the Manchester City fans pile into Anfield. It could be their last visit to this famous ground for a long, long time. away trips may look very very different been a real mixture of emotions and I don't really blame them that how do you know how to process this there's been some contrition there's been a few that simply don't mind they've had their fun they've really enjoyed it for the time being and they get to go back to football but with so much uncertainty in the air with the appeal still to be held no one really knows what this game means anymore >> and that is the nature of football fandom that you will support your club whatever in the bad times but yeah you'll definitely enjoy the good times you know people will be here today Anfield you know they would have been at York away in 98. They' have been at Gillingham for the playoff final and of course and then they were in Istanbul. So they've seen all of it and probably why many aren't too worried about going back to League One because they've seen it all before. >> YOU KNOW WHAT YOU ARE KNOW WHAT YOU ARE. [laughter]