Football London

How much Man City could owe Arsenal, Chelsea and Tottenham in compensation after charges verdict  Football London

Tottenham could take action against Manchester City over the guilty 114 financial charges verdict with Harry Redknapp making his feelings clear

Harry Redknapp has claimed that Tottenham supporters are right to feel 'cheated' by Manchester City's financial breaches but that the Premier League should not deliver retrospective punishment. City have been found guilty of 114 charges over a period of roughly 15 years.

Failing to co-operate with the Premier League's investigation into financial irregularities between 2009 to 2018 relate to 35 of the charges. City managed great success during that period with Spurs impacted in two of those early seasons of dominance, in the eyes of Redknapp.

In his column for The Sun : "There are so many who will feel they have a claim to have some wrongs righted should City fail in their appeal and I am one of them.

"During the period City’s charges cover, I was in charge of Spurs and locking horns with them for the Champions League spots over a long run. In back-to-back seasons, 2010/11 and 2011/12, we finished one place off qualification.

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"Who knows what would have happened if those at the Etihad had been playing by the rules like everyone else? No one can say for sure but Tottenham fans will not be alone in feeling that they were, in some way, cheated across those seasons.

"Champions League football over those two years could have changed so much for Spurs but I have no interest in the Premier League going back and deducting points from those seasons or deducting titles from City."

The stripping of titles is seen as unlikely but a points deduction significant enough to relegate them in a future campaign is a real possibility.

City have denied any wrongdoing throughout the process - which is set to continue as they will appeal the decision - which started in February 2023 when they were first charged by the Premier League.

“The Premier League process remains ongoing, with significant elements to be completed, and subject to strict confidentiality," a City statement released on Friday read. "As such Manchester City FC’s position remains consistent with the club’s statement of February 2023.

“The club has diligently respected due process for eight years on the basis the Premier League board and executive would behave as an independent, impartial and fair minded regulator, free from partisan influence.”

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Five Tottenham players with a point to prove to Roberto De Zerbi while on international duty  Football London

Tottenham are back in action on October 10 when they travel to Manchester United in the Premier League

Roberto De Zerbi has plenty to ponder during the untimely three-week international break as he looks to mastermind Tottenham's first Premier League victory of the season.

The Italian has been left to pick the bones out of last Saturday's 3-2 home defeat at the hands of Aston Villa as he now looks to find the correct formula to take Spurs forward.

They are still yet to taste victory from their opening five top-flight matches, meaning changes are likely to materialise when Tottenham head to Old Trafford to face Manchester United on October 10.

So what XI does De Zerbi go with? Antonin Kinsky should remain in goal and then the club will have to assess whether Pedro Porro is fit following his hamstring injury.

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If he isn't there could be a start for Archie Gray at right-back. It's times like this that Tottenham miss Djed Spence because Gray is not a right-back, though he's all the club has for a back-up.

At centre-back Jan Paul van Hecke and Micky van de Ven should start with Destiny Udogie at left-back. Udogie isn't part of the Italian national team squad so he should be fresh following extra training with De Zerbi.

Andy Robertson will have played a fair amount of minutes with Scotland and he was also a tad shaky against Villa, so it feels like a good time for Udogie to come back into the fold.

In midfield, Sandro Tonali should start with Mateus Fernandes. Spurs signed the latter for £85million because they believed in his potential and this should be the kind of match where he's trusted.

Although De Zerbi is likely to stick with Rodrigo Bentancur, Fernandes has the athleticism and quality in possession to thrive at Old Trafford if handed the chance.

United have looked shaky in defence so this should be the kind of match where Spurs free themselves from their shackles.

Mohammed Kudus will be ready to rumble after dropping out of the Ghana squad, he should start on the right as playing him through the middle didn't quite work.

James Maddison should start as the No.10 with Savio on the left, even though he looks more effective from the right.

Then Omar Marmoush should start through the middle with Dominic Solanke dropped to the bench following an underwhelming start to the campaign.

That would mean there are four official changes from the defeat to Villa despite shuffling several players around in terms of position.

Tottenham are rooted to the foot of the Premier League table after the opening five matches as external criticism mounts on boss Roberto De Zerbi

Here we go again. Just when you thought Tottenham had finally turned the corner to embark on a new exciting chapter, the team plunges to new depths of despair.

They are bottom of the pile after five matches despite being the Premier League's biggest spenders following an ambitious £334million spend, though they raised £158m through sales (£176m net spend).

Things were never going to click immediately and as new signing Andy Robertson alluded to on The Overlap podcast, the current dressing room is still carrying battle scars and mental damage from last season's relegation scrap.

Still, there have been a number of decisions from boss Roberto De Zerbi that have proven hindering for the group even if the team has displayed signs of finally coming good.

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Vuskovic sale

Luka Vuskovic wanted minutes this season, which is why Tottenham reluctantly agreed to move him on. De Zerbi couldn't offer the young Croat defender assurances of playing time and evidently, there was a feeling he still needed to make key steps in his development before he was ready to start for Spurs.

That already looks quite daft. Last Saturday, Vuskovic started against Arsenal and looked right at home as he marshalled the Seagulls to a clean sheet in the 3-0 demolition of the Premier League champions.

He also recently scored against Leeds and has already become a mainstay at the heart of Brighton's backline. They rarely spend big money on new signings, so when they do, it's clear that particular player is rated incredibly highly.

Spurs sold Vuskovic for £46m plus up to £4m in bonuses (taking the total package to £50m). There is also a 20 per cent sell-on clause and matching rights and while that may all be great from an accounting perspective, a sale still feels like a mistake.

If Vuskovic left Tottenham red-faced a few years down the line, perhaps they would have accepted it. He's a player with huge potential and the club knew that.

But having brought in Jan Paul van Hecke for £52m - he had just one year left on his Brighton deal by the way - you'd have expected the Dutchman to outperform Vuskovic this season, at least in the first five games. Sadly, that just hasn't been the case. Brighton's new centre-back, the man they replaced Van Hecke with, looks destined for the very top.

Saying team 'were not ready' for season

Flying to New Zealand and Australia on the back of a World Cup was never going to end well for Spurs. Pre-season tours are finalised long in advance and you can't account for the fact new signings would have to travel across the globe on the back of featuring for their countries.

But it's been tough on those players and many, plus the head coach, have already made it clear those preparations for the new campaign were far from ideal for the club.

However, it sets a dangerous precedent for De Zerbi to come out and say after the opening day defeat at Brentford that he knew his team would not be ready to compete.

At the end of last season, when he came to save a sinking ship, he did not want to hear any excuses. While his point is very much valid, it's his job to ensure the team is ready. All other 19 Premier League sides started their campaigns over the course of a few days. The playing field is very much level.

Big-money buys

It's De Zerbi's job to get the best from the signings that he wanted so badly. Sandro Tonali and Mateus Fernandes were not responsible for their transfer fees (£100m and £85m, respectively) but they are weighing heavily on their shoulders.

It's still too early to draw major conclusions but equally, it's fair to reflect that neither player has been at the races so far this term. For Fernandes, that's a tad more understandable as he's a young player that has been relegated in each of the past two seasons.

For Tonali, he was a plug-and-play signing, so naturally you expect more. Both have had niggles to contend with in the opening stages of the campaign and it's unlikely we'll see the best from either star until the rest of the team is functioning well.

However, when you spend £185m on two midfielders, you expect them to be the beating heart of your side. That just hasn't happened yet and De Zerbi still seemingly does not know how to utilise Fernandes. It's a worry.

Avoidable Richarlison ordeal

The Richarlison situation got really out of hand. It didn't need to rumble on like this. Admittedly, it's clear Richarlison was rather indecisive this summer when it came to his future.

De Zerbi noted one minute the Brazilian was in, then he was out. Then once the European and Turkish transfer windows passed, he had the chance to go to Vasco da Gama but he couldn't agree personal terms with the South American outfit.

But to have the centre-forward effectively rotting away without being able to kick a ball when the team is currently short of an attacking threat, it feels ridiculously messy.

Richarlison earns good money for starters and it's no use to anyone paying him when he's not available due to the coach's decision. Why couldn't have things been resolved earlier in the summer? The communication definitely could have been clearer.

It's a sad way for Richarlison's Spurs career to end and the club could quite easily have got a decent fee for him had they clearly made him available through the right channels, sooner.

Djed Spence sale

This was one that many saw coming. Unsurprisingly, on the back of a World Cup where he not only won but starred, Pedro Porro has picked up a muscle injury. It was obvious there would be some sort of knock-on effect at some point, maybe just not this soon.

Meanwhile, Djed Spence was sold to Inter Milan for around £25.6m and Tottenham are using Archie Gray as a back-up. As a side note, Gray has also captained the side this season, which feels like a sweetener to compensate for the fact De Zerbi is not giving him the minutes he craves.

Anyway, Gray is not a right-back. Spence, on the back of the World Cup, could have had a really important part to play this term, too. His value has never been higher and while it's true he wanted to explore his options and play regular football, Spurs should have fought to keep him.

He can also play at left-back and even on the wing if required plus he's homegrown. Now Porro is injured, he'd have been a nailed-on starter at right-back, also.

Tottenham had to make some sales to remain compliant with financial regulations also but Spence was one of few Spurs players that fans could get behind due to his all-action style. It seems wrong that De Zerbi would rather have sold him than see him as a player that could elevate the level of the side.

Goalkeeper debacle

De Zerbi has placed his faith in Antonin Kinsky as his new No.1 on the back of an impressive end to last season. However, last weekend exposed the importance of having a top goalkeeper.

He flapped at Nicolas Jackson's goal while up the other end Zion Suzuki was excellent between the sticks for Aston Villa. There's nothing wrong with De Zerbi backing Kinsky but given the club spent huge money in the summer, it feels like quite a big gamble.

A goalkeeper, alongside centre-backs and striker, is arguably the most-important position on the pitch. Unlike other positions, a mistake will often be punished.

Kinsky is more of a project signing and long-term investment but given the problems Spurs had with Guglielmo Vicario, it's really important they patch things up in the goalkeeping department. There are still question marks unfortunately, even if the Czech has a bright future.

Arsenal and Tottenham could demand millions after Man City 115 charges verdict  Football London

Wonderkid Tottenham discarded this summer is being tipped for the very top  Football London

The Tottenham Hotspur attacker has come under fire from supporters back home for his decision during this international break

Mohammed Kudus' decision to withdraw from international duty with Ghana in order to continue his fitness and recovery work has been defended by a key man back home.

The 26-year-old was called up by Ghana boss Carlos Queiroz for the Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers against the Ivory Coast and Gambia as well as a friendly against Morocco, but the Tottenham attacker asked to be allowed to withdraw from the squad in order to work on his fitness and sharpness back at Hotspur Way over this three week period.

Kudus has only recently returned to action after eight months out of competitive football with a quad injury. He is yet to start a Premier League game this season for Roberto De Zerbi but did play 75 minutes in the Carabao Cup defeat at Liverpool last week while coming off the bench four times in the league.

Kudus' withdrawal, combined with Manchester City’s Antoine Semenyo and Sheffield United's Jordan Ayew along with others stepping out of the squad, has provoked criticism back home in Ghana.

However, Ghana football association executive council member Frederick Acheampong defended Kudus and his team-mates for their decisions.

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"There have been a lot of conspiracy theories and speculations about the withdrawal of the Black Stars players," he said, as quoted by GhanaWeb. "Kudus gave something on compassionate grounds, with the fact that he had been injured for so long and he is now returning, so they should excuse him without any malicious intent.

"It’s one way for people to draw those conclusions. For me, I think it is an opportunity for those called up to shine. If someone takes over a position, then that’s it. People got such chances and grabbed them with both arms, and it was difficult to take them out."

Queiroz said on Monday of Kudus' withdrawal: "It is simple for you guys to understand: over the course of our decision, we have the club games. "As national team coach, we can't control the decisions of the other coaches. In the course of our observations and conversations, it looked like Kudus was moving in the right direction.

"I had to make the decision on Wednesday or Thursday with the matches, that I was able to scout and make the right observations but later on other information about the status of the player after he played 70 something minutes, unfortunately the news was that they were not progressing in the direction that we expect.

"In my final conversation with Kudus, we realised that the best decision was to protect his progress and recovery process and keep the hope that in this period with more training and more games in the legs, in the next round, Kudus will be ready to be with us. In this moment for him, the most sensitive situation is that he can't take the risk to have a setback like he had before. Nobody wants to take that risk.

"We have decisions with informations that we have in the end, when they come, I made the decision to release him because he was not ready to come."