Paul Tierney

I have asked repeatedly: Did Man City allegedly fix matches? Dope their players to the point of turning them into superhumans? Directly influence match officials? The reason this matter has generated so much noise is not unconnected with what City achieved on the pitch. They took the game to a level that left their rivals struggling to keep up. For years, City were practically untouchable, setting standards that their fellow contenders could barely match. I cannot help wondering whether these allegations would attract the same level of outrage if another club were involved. The hostility often feels less about the allegations themselves and more about the club at the centre of them. And please, comparing this matter to Juventus and Calciopoli or Lance Armstrong’s doping scandal? Come on. Those are fundamentally different allegations involving different conduct. We need to distinguish between them rather than lump everything together simply because we want to make a point against City. The players City signed during this period were not all ready-made superstars. Some arrived with raw potential, some were relatively unheralded, and several needed exceptional coaching, tactical development and time to become the players we now celebrate. That is the point about Pep Guardiola and the footballing project City built. Let us separate allegations from proven wrongdoing, sporting excellence from financial misconduct, and legitimate criticism from rivalry-driven outrage. You do not have to like Manchester City, but at least let us be intellectually honest about the case against them.