Done with a 15 yr old and his entourage trying to manipulate MUFC into bowing to his demands... Be gone with him and continue to focus on bringing other top quality youth players into Carrington that want to be there.

Man City have been found guilty by the Premier League - and as a result their fans are in the midst of a generational headloss... Oh yes, it's a very special edition of Fan Denial... 18+ GambleAware

There’s more similar nuances to the Armstrong situation too… To this day Armstrong still harbours a sense of righteousness over his doping. He feels it was fair due to the fact the whole field were doping. He believes his own doping was just getting him on a level playing field. It’s why when he got caught he went on the attack, particularly to certain journalists, because genuinely feels deep down he was a scapegoat for the whole sport being dirty. He has a sense of resentment to being caught. His moral compass, like the City hierarchy and the fanbase to an extent, is completely off kilter. In their eyes, cheating is justifiable if it means circumnavigating ‘unfair’ rules.

City’s response in this whole saga is arguably as dirty as the cheating. It’s shows them in an ugly and arrogant light, something they will never be able to live down. That’s the biggest punishment they could face - because for a sportswashing enterprise, reputation is everything. Now the mask has been removed and we can all see them for what they truly are. There’s absolutely zero way they will be able to salvage their reputation after this, especially in this country. And this will have implications for them beyond football - because they brought politics into this. So did the PL though by allowing state ownership in the game. And maybe this is the silver lining throughout all of this - that sportswashing by breaking rules will ultimately backfire more than just on the pitch.

Seriously, how do City fans square with being responsible for the worst scandal in English football history? If this was my club, I’d be embarrassed beyond belief. Maybe this is why theres such strong ongoing denial - facing the truth is just too hard for them to comprehend.

The institutional and diplomatic pressure Abu Dhabi City put on the media, other organisations and even government is the most sickening thing about this whole saga. They strategically cheated and then threatened anyone who dared exploit them - like the worst form of gaslighting imaginable. But I guess this is what you get when you allow nation states to buy football clubs.

I refuse to call that blue team “Manchester” City. They are Abu Dhabi City, or abbreviated to just City. The club you see in the modern era was once previously Manchester City, stripped to a husk and rebuilt via unprecedented levels of financial doping to cheat their way to the top. There’s nothing of the previous club about them - it’s the plaything, the sportswashing PR machine for a Middle Eastern oil state - and they should be named as such.

Photo of the day

No doubts. No but's. No conspiracies. They're cheats, end of. Their owners have brought the game into disrepute, and all achievements are now tarnished to the extent they're effectively null and void. Expulsion from the league and forced sale of the club is the only fair outcome.

Wow. Guilty AF. Expulsion, now.

Brighton looked like they were infinitely fitter, stronger, more technical and far more organised. But this shouldn’t be a surprise, they always turn up and beat us, looking like the far better footballing team. My pre-match prediction was exactly this.

Jesus... I'd forgotten about that.

I haven't posted much since the derby on Sunday, because it was pathetic. But tonight Big Michael's mighty Manchester matchday reds return... (@AlternativeMUFC) Predictions: Darlow Mazraoui Heaven Yoro Dorgu Mount Santos Bruno Zirkzee Sesko Rashford My lineup might seem weird, because I think it's almost impossible to call who will start, but I think changes will be made to bring in fresh legs AND to try and give others a chance who didn't feature against City. It's very important this season that Carrick utilises the squad, not just from a fitness POV, but also to generate competition. If we're being honest, United's players underperformed on Sunday - it's a game we should have won, and there needs to be consequences. Might seem harsh, but others int he squad should be given a chance. We always lose to Brighton, so I'm going to predict another lackluster performance and another defeat. 1-2.

I don't want to waste too much time speculating on a 15 yr old, and TBH it's not worth losing sleep on a 15yr old who may never make it as a top player. Remember Mason Greenwood and Ravel Morrison before him? They were generational talents that never made it to the top for United for different reasons. There's no guarantee in the world of football that JJ Gabriel will make it to the top, it requires skill and talent, but also dedication, the right people around you and a lot of luck. The poor start to the season I think is making people overreact a little bit to this. If there are systemic failings in the youth setup then that's a major concern, but that doesn't seem to be happening here. If the kid wants to go, let him go, move on.

Whatever the outcome one of this, it’s serious red flags that a 15yr old kid and his entourage are publicly demanding an early move away from the club. I’ve posted about this before, but ego and hype surround JJ Gabriel, either from him or from those that represent him. He might be a generational talent, but I’d rather not have ANY player at the club holding them to ransom, let alone a 15yr old.

Ok I’m going to need the offside rule explaining to me again…

Oh so predictable that the ‘neutral’ pundits are doing whatever they can to make out it being harsh red card for Foden.

I’m getting Everton PTSD with this red card. Game is calling out for Sesko though, we just don’t have any real target in the middle. Dalot’s bozo gene is in full swing today too.

No Shaw…

Ok so Derby predictions… Lammens Shaw Martinez Maguire Dalot Tielemans Mainoo Bruno Mbuemo Sesko Rashford I think this is a fairly predictable lineup considering who was rested against Sabah. I think Carrick will default to experience and go for raw pace up front. The likes of Cunha and Dorgu would be good bench options for different scenarios. But, I do fear about us defensively. City’s attack is firing right now and Haaland and Foden tend to turn up for derbies, particularly at OT. I think they’ll exploit these weaknesses, particularly from crosses. Carrick is trying to control tempo and possession more in games this season, but City are just superior at that right now - if Carrick goes toe to toe, City will win. United need to take a leaf out of the Ole playbook, sit back, be compact and hit on the counter. But our defence just can’t be trusted. I think Abu Dhabi City will win, 1-3.