BigBird

Everton seem to have passed on Doak, they now pushing the boat out to sign Dibling from Southampton. Clubs haggling over a £40M fee.

I've no idea why they can't be stripped of any titles but for me the most meaningful punishment is to be expelled from the Prem. This is how the 115 charges have been analysed: Failure to provide accurate and up-to-date financial information from 2009/10 to and including 2017/18 - 54 alleged breaches. Failure to co-operate with Premier League investigations from December 2018 - February 2023 - 35 alleged breaches. Failure to provide accurate financial reports for player and manager compensation from 2009/10 to and including 2017/18 - 14 alleged breaches. Breaches of Premier League profitability and sustainability regulations from 2015/16 to and including 2017/18 - Seven alleged breaches. Failure to comply with UEFA's regulations, including UEFA's Club Licensing and Financial Fair Play Regulations - Five alleged breaches. The second set of charges are the most damming. Failure to co-operate by refusing to supply information after December 2018. The hacked documents ended in December 2018 and the Premier League are keen to discover if any “Mancini” type payments took place after that date. What are City hiding? If nothing, then why not co-operate? If City are found guilty and appeal then whatever the outcome of that appeal, the matter is closed. If they are found still found guilty after an appeal they can be punished without any comebacks. Booting the b******s out of the Prem is the most meaningful punishment.

Bobby Clark could sign for Derby on loan. He's not impressed at Salzburg following his transfer from us a year ago. Sad to see as he seemed to have a bright future when we nicked him off Newcastle and he played so well in that League Cup final against Chelsea.

Didn't know that, cheers. He came across as very even-handed in that Talk Sport interview. Certainly cleared some of the fog surrounding the matter.

A shameful display of ingratitude, how could you ignore Darwins two of the seven? That day was more fun than winning a title.

Having listened to Borson I'm more optimistic and less cynical than you. I could be naïve but I'm putting my faith in the process. City my not be found guilty of all 115 charges but it's inconceivable that they will be found innocent of them all. The identity of the 3 man panel is confidential and will not be disclosed until after the decision is announced. At least one member is a financial expert. All three were selected by the head of the Premier Leagues judicial panel, who is a KC, and approved by both City and the Premier League. If City or the Premier League are dissatisfied with the panels decision they can appeal to a separate panel. This separate panel will also be selected and approved by the same people. If found guilty the four possible punishments are a fine, points deduction, suspension from matches or expulsion from the prem. Stripping City of titles is not an option. I can't believe a panel of experts, appointed by a KC, will conduct a whitewash in such a high profile case. Here's hoping.

Ooops.

They are a duo these days, still touring and releasing albums. A former Mrs BB was a big fan. My favourite song of theirs was, Robert de Niro's Waiting. They wrote it after seeing an Al Pacino movie. The band were so mesmerised by his good looks they confused Pacino with de Niro and a pop music classic was born.

Keep Darwin - Play him in goal.

I'm not sure after reading a post by Simon Stone over the weekend. Stone is a BBC reporter and MU fan who referenced the £70M flexible loan facility. I took it to mean that is how MU would finance their bid for Sesko if it is successful, rather than that is how they funded the Chuna and Mbueno transfers.

Apparently MU have £70M of funds available in a flexible loan scheme. They only need to sell to buy if their transfer costs exceed this figure.

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This Arsenal flavoured newsflash illustrates the point: Arsenal considered a move for Isak before signing compatriot Viktor Gyokeres but had doubts about the Newcastle forward's fitness record. (ESPN), external. Had doubts so didn't consider a medical.

When a newspaper claims a storey is exclusive, it means it's the first time that paper has reported the matter. Meaning, the storey is exclusive to the newspaper not that other newspapers are unaware of the storey. I listened to some journo explaining news print cliches on the telly years ago. He described them as artistic licence not deceitful lies. Strangely enough, he seemed to believe it too.

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Yes it does sound like a fudge, but Bronson was keen to point out the nature and the number charges of corruption are so serious the panel cannot afford to get the decision or the punishment wrong. Bronson is claiming the delay is due to the panels meticulous attention to detail in deciding innocence or guilt and an appropriate punishment if found guilty. He is claiming the delay is due to the panel wanting faultlessness, not a fudge. Lets hope he's correct.

Arne not getting carried away; Arne Slot was impressed by Rio Ngumoha's performance against Yokohama FM. But the #LFC boss also warned there was room for improvement. "He wasn't the only one that impacted the game from the bench because Trey Nyoni, also a youngster, scored [and was] assisted by Jeremie Frimpong. In the first goal, I think Curtis Jones played a big part by winning the ball in the midfield. Rio again showed the quality he has and that's nice for us because we have a lot of very good players. "But to get some very good players through the Academy is always helpful and always gives energy to a team as well. It's always nice to see young players from 16, 17 or 18 years old already impacting a game. There was also a moment in the game where he should have squared it to Macca [Alexis Mac Allister] or Curtis. So, [there were] also learning parts for him. If you are 16 and you can impact the game like he did, that's definitely worth a compliment."

The end of 25/26.

Stephan Borson is a financial journo and the principal source for explaining what's involved in the 115 Charges case. He recently appeared on Talk Sport and, broadly speaking, made the following points in response to being asked why the allegations are taking so long to resolve. According to Borson, the independent 3 man channel, having heard all the evidence over a 12 week period, are currently reviewing the case to decide if City are guilty of the charges, and if so how many. Borson claims the decision will not be announced until October at the earliest because the charges are so serious and reviewing the evidence is time consuming. The panel cannot rush their decision and risk getting it wrong. Borson claims that the idea a decision would be reached by last Spring was never feasible due to the shear volume of evidence generated by numerous individuals during the 12 week hearing. If City are found to be guilty of some or all of the charges, the 3 man panel then have to decide a suitable punishment. This second process is also likely to take months to arrive at an outcome and, in Borsons view, will almost certainly not be finalised until after the end of next season at the earliest. The legal fees incurred to date are £20M each for both parties, a sum that has “raised eyebrows” among several chairmen of Premier League clubs.

Who the F**k was that, Evil Knievil? Joey the Lips. God sent him. On a F**king Suzuki?

I live two miles from Blackwood and remember you. Paid for a pint with a tenner in an English accent and expected change. Weirdo.

You missed the turning, that will be Merthyr.

I'll refer to him as Royston in future. I bet he hates that name. I would.

Take a tip Pal; never repeat that if you're on the pull in this part of the world, local ladies love the Phonics. It's heresy to trash them. Tell any of them how much you love, “Dakota”, and your practically engaged.

Oddly enough, Kane confirms your quip in his book. A young teenager when he signed for Forest, Kane became homesick and flew home to Cork whenever there was an extended break between fixtures. He had to stop the trips because as his fame grew local Cork lads would take every opportunity to pick a fight if he visited a bar. I can well believe that because the same thing happened to the Stereophonics during their early years in my part of the world. The band are from Aberdare, a town above the treeline deep in the Valleys. Band members were frequently beaten up by locals when they went home between tours, especially the drummer who had a reputation for being handy with his fists in a scrap. The fame game has it's dark side no matter what you do for a living.