At Anfield, where Manchester City are due on Sunday at 17:30, the consequences of their financial case are already becoming part of the occasion. Jamie Carragher believes any punishment following City’s guilt on 114 financial-irregularity charges must arrive quickly enough to affect next season.
Anfield figure calls for swift action
Carragher, the 48-year-old former Liverpool defender who spent his entire playing career with the club, said the process should not drift beyond the current campaign. Now a television analyst, he argued that English football needs a decision with immediate practical consequences for City.
- Manchester City were found guilty on 114 charges linked to financial irregularities.
- The case covers seasons from 2009-10 through to 2017-18.
- Possible sanctions have been discussed in terms of a major points deduction, the removal of honours or relegation.
- Carragher said the outcome should be imposed during this season so City are affected in preparation for the next one.
“It needs to happen this season, because Manchester City have to feel it going into next season,” Carragher said. “I do not think anyone wants to wait.”
A punishment to match the period involved
The former England international said a one-season measure would not reflect the length of the conduct covered by the case. In his view, a penalty should extend over a substantial period rather than serve as a brief interruption.
“Whatever it is, it cannot just be a punishment for one season,” he said. “This has been going on for years, so I think the punishment should last for years as well.”
Carragher also said it would be “a farce” if City were to win the league after what has emerged from the proceedings. He expects the club to face a difficult season in the battle for major honours.
Sunday’s visit carries a different edge
City’s first fixture after the verdict takes them to Liverpool, a meeting Carragher expects to carry unusual intensity. He described the match at Anfield as a compelling spectacle and suggested City will encounter heightened atmospheres wherever they travel.
- Liverpool host Manchester City on Sunday.
- Kick-off at Anfield is scheduled for 17:30.
- Carragher expects away grounds to produce their strongest atmosphere of the season when City arrive.
- He believes those environments could be more charged than at any other stadiums City visit.
