Finger Pointing: A World Gone Mad.

Afternoon Kopenders.

It would seem that with the influx of over priced transfer's, theatrical style footballers and the bigger clubs ability to poach anybody who can don a pair of boots - the world has indeed gone finger pointing crazy.

After the great news that Chelsea were to be punished for their tapping up of players [see link] and Manchester United set to follow suit with a second complaint launched against them [see link], Liverpool and Manchester City have emerged as two more clubs who will be grassed up to the head teacher.

French club Rennes, have launched a complaint against City, stating that they had a pre-contract agreement in place before the blue's came along and nipped a young defender from under their noses:

Fifa, which received a formal complaint from Rennes on March 19, confirmed that it is investigating the matter, although City insist that they acted “within the rules” and believe that any dispute pre-dated their signing of the player. |

Click for full article.

I can't see this bothering Mark Hughes at all, for the simple fact that in one year, he managed to buy more big names than the other top clubs would do in four - Tevez, Ade, Lescott, Toure, Cruz, Given, Robinho, Barry, Bellamy.. The list goes on. I think a ban on Man City should be imposed just to save the game of football. They say money cant buy everything, obviously nobody told the Sheiks that. Its also evident that City were using large sums of money to entice players away from their respective club's, even though the club's themselves didn't want to sell. The Lescott saga was a prime example.

Don't worry though guys, when reading the fine print, it always says that Liverpool has to be involved somewhere along the line:

| Crewe director of football Dario Gradi made the revelation in the wake of FIFA’s decision to ban Chelsea from signing any players until January 2011.

And while Gradi did not name the club or player in question, it refers to Liverpool’s interest in teenage starlet Max Clayton.

“We have a situation where one of our 15-year-olds has been approached,” said Gradi, who was Crewe manager between 1983 and 2007.

“He is an outstanding player by any standards and he has come in and told us that he wants to leave right now to join a big club.”

Despite their obvious displeasure at the situation, Crewe have not yet lodged an official complaint with the Football Association. |

Click here for full article. [advised]

I can see it now. Mr Hicks wakes up in the morning and walks down several flight's of stairs to get into his dinning room for breakfast. "Oh George honey, pass me today's copy of The Sun" he will say immediately looking at the sport pages to see what havoc he and Mr G are causing the club. That's when they stumble across the above article.

"Jumping jahosafats George, Christmas has come early! Pass me the phone!"

"But you haven't even touched your breakfast yet babe." Gillette will reply.

"Breakfast can wait! There is an article about the club and I have to phone Fifa to tell them to impose the ban on us, that way we will no longer have to worry about giving Rafa spending money. Instead we can use it for our second honeymoon"

As churchhill would say: Ahhhh yes! Thats exactly how I see that series of events unfolding. It would no doubt make the owner's very happy to know that they could go a couple of transfer windows without needing to spend a penny. Luckily for us, no complaint has been launched. Yet...

So in a finger pointing world gone mad. I leave you with the following video [thank you CaughtOffside]

Till tomorrow. Walk on, with hope in your heart.