Man City urged to adopt 'siege mentality' amid financial rule breach claims

Manchester City manager Enzo Maresca and his players must embrace a "siege mentality" in the wake of allegations they breached Premier League financial rules, according to former boss Tony Pulis ^[1]. Pulis believes the team will be "vilified" by others but should use this to foster unity.

With the Premier League returning this weekend, all eyes will be on City's match against Liverpool at Anfield. Players will be returning from international duty straight into a "media frenzy" surrounding the allegations, which the club has consistently denied ^[1].

Pulis, speaking to BBC Sport's Chris Bevan, emphasised that Maresca needs to reassure his squad the club will defend its position. He also stated that players must concentrate solely on winning games, without distractions from the off-field issues ^[1].

City's players, despite not being directly involved in the allegations, should expect hostile crowds at away grounds. Pulis noted that the club has become a target for critics and the media ^[1].

The former manager suggested that if the verdict against City is upheld, it will significantly damage the club's reputation and incur heavy costs. He also raised questions about the fairness and effectiveness of current financial rules, given the massive investment in modern football ^[1].

Pulis highlighted how top clubs often have the financial power to stay at the summit, but also praised clubs like Brighton, Bournemouth, and Brentford for achieving success through smart management without huge budgets. He believes the rules should reward all clubs for smart practices ^[1].

He concluded that while all negative attention is currently on Manchester City, the broader issue of financial fair play and its impact on the game needs more scrutiny. Pulis argued that the current rules might be leading clubs to find loopholes rather than genuinely fostering fair competition ^[1].