Steven Gerrard has never been one to shy away from a big call. This one, though, feels a touch convenient.
The former Liverpool captain told The Overlap that City should be stripped of their Premier League titles from the 2009-2018 period. His reasoning? The club, not the players, should carry the can.
In terms of how I feel, I potentially could be affected, if you like. I wouldn't want individual players to give stuff back; that wouldn't be right. But the club, they have to be stripped.
It's a neat line. Separate the players from the institution, let the trophies vanish into thin air, and move on. The problem is the timing — and the target.
The Appeal That Changes Everything
City were found guilty of breaking financial fair play rules. That much is on the record. What Gerrard's argument skips past is that the club is appealing that finding. Until that process plays out, the conversation about stripping titles is a hypothetical dressed up as a verdict.
And the process itself? It could take years, not months. Gerrard may be retired from playing, but he's not retired from waiting.
There's also the small matter of who he's aiming at. Erling Haaland and others arrived not long before. The current squad — the one that's actually competing — had nothing to do with the 2009-2018 period. Strip the club, fine. But you're punishing players who weren't there.
It's a debate that will run and run. Gerrard has had his say. The appeal will have the final one.