There was some talk after Manchester City’s win against Newcastle United last Saturday that City’s players had been inspired, freed from their shackles and generally reinvigorated by the club’s recent legal victory in a tribunal hearing over certain time-specific aspects of financial regulation.
Could this be true? Are we underestimating the effect of these things? Did the pitch mics at the Bernabéu pick up Nico González in the pre-match huddle saying: “Lads, we’ve all absorbed the news about the related third-party transaction rules being declared improper. I am as a consequence bang up for this.” Did the cameras detect Savinho whispering: “Guys, we are now free to seek our own definition of market value. This commercial potential is hugely energising. Hit me early over the top.”
