Like any decent person you are despondent about how Manchester United were today cruelly denied their 20th Premiership victory, losing at the last minute to their noisy neighbours Manchester City on goal difference. Given that Man City haven’t won the title since 1968 – the same year United were the first English club to win the European Cup- I suppose one has to congratulate them. Never mind that Liam Gallagher will be more obnoxious than ever (if that’s possible).
But one has to think of the economics. Between 2006 and 2011, City spent £455.7 million, £380million net of sales. In the same period United spent £164m, £13.5m net. That’s the flow rather than the stock of course and in 2006 the City squad were not up to much. Still, to win by the slightest of margins seems a modest return on a huge investment.
As they say in the pubs around Salford: Delapsus resurgam (I had that John Bunyan in the back of the cab once).
A friend tells me that these European regulations will apply to Premiership competition from next season: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UEFA_Financial_Fair_Play_Regulations
Interesting to see does it make a difference