Sir Jim should ignore Man Utd’s misplaced titles – Man City’s responsible verdict is deeper than that

Manchester United’s biggest news from the first week of the international break came via their neighbour’s guilty verdict for breaking Premier League financial rules and the huge knock-on effect it has at Old Trafford

Jose Mourinho’s greatest achievement, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer becoming the first man to win the Premier League as a player and manager, and Sir Alex Ferguson bowing out with a three-peat have all been washed from history because of Manchester City’s cheating.

But it’s much more than just that, United’s current struggles on the pitch, in the transfer market, and financially can all be traced back to falling behind their noisy, nefarious neighbours.

City have been found guilty of 114 of the 115 charges of breaking Premier League financial regulations between the 2008/09 and 2017/18 seasons. All that noise from the blue half has gone quiet and the arrogance of deluded fans has been silenced by the bombshell that everything they achieved under Roberto Mancini, Manuel Pellegrini and Pep Guardiola has been by cheating, or as a result of cheating and staining football.

Sergio Aguero’s last-minute strike would effectively be wiped from history to see Fergie win the league at a canter, and goal difference not be a second thought.

Mourinho would cement himself as the second-best Premier League manager of all time behind Fergie with United winning the 17/18 title if City’s tainted Centurions were removed. The Special One famously said finishing second that season was his greatest achievement, now imagine his legacy as the first man to win the league at United post Ferguson.

Ole could very much still be at the wheel if the Reds took the 20/21 title. While that season occurred after City’s breaches, how can the Blues possibly argue they deserve to keep that title given how much they profited on and off the pitch in the years prior?

Marcus Rashford would have a look at being a knight of this realm with his 39 goal involvements in that season and Paul Pogba would be lauded as one of the best signings in United’s modern history.

The likes of Marouane Fellaini, Marcos Rojo, Brandon Williams, Donny van de Beek and Dan James could all be Premier League champions. And Kevin De Bruyne would be the best player to have never won the league. It seems a bizarre alternative universe – but it’s potentially true in this life if City’s void and tainted honours are stripped.

Whether or not United are owed three titles, as well as Liverpool, will rage on. Handing out titles for second doesn’t tell anything like the whole story of how the season could have panned out without City in the mix. And ultimately the biggest insult for City would be just to slap them with the largest asterisk next to everything they lifted.

Fans from those clubs will argue for the trophies they missed out on. But the first thought in the minds of club chiefs will be about the impact on the club’s finances, freedom in the transfer market, and commercial revenue lost. Despite not winning a league title on the pitch since 2013 (let the arguments over the legitimacy of the following league titles continue amongst yourselves), United are still the biggest commercial power in England.

Now imagine what the club would have been able to cash in on during the most heavily marketable period in football’s history. Just scratching the surface, Sir Jim Ratcliffe and INEOS have undertaken massive, controversial budget cuts in recent years that have seen hundreds of staff made redundant – would that have happened if United had three extra shiny Premier League trophies to parade? Ratcliffe and co probably wouldn’t even be at the club today.

The effect isn’t just bragging rights among fans or clubs seeking lost earnings. The human impact of those who have had their lives changed for the worse in an indirect way by City’s illegal dominance is inconceivable.

Bringing it back to United in the present and near future. The rebuild and renovation of Old Trafford and the surrounding area could well be paid for by City if the club are successful in obtaining compensation for lost revenue. Before we even imagine the knock-on effect around the world with the several City Group clubs all profiting on and off the pitch from the Cityzens’ success.

An unimaginable number of English clubs have also been impacted during the years of the charges, and as a direct result of the teams that were built off the back of breaking regulations. Leicester were robbed of a Champions League spot twice, and now find themselves in League One. How many hundreds of millions has that cost the cash-stricken club?

Everton also missed out on a place in Europe’s elite competition – how the Toffees would look now is unfathomable.

Stoke would have won their first major trophy since 1972, Sunderland since 1973, Watford their first ever. Ryan Mason would have won the League Cup in his first ever game as manager with Tottenham.

Plus the times Brighton, Bristol City, Burton Albion, Sheffield United, Nottingham Forest and Southampton all missed out on historic cup finals having lost to illegal City teams in semi-finals.

The rabbit hole goes on with the clubs that have been relegated and missed out on European spots due to their results against City.

Expunging City from history over the past 15 years won’t just be enough. Court battles and settlements will turn incredibly ugly with clubs arguing their case for compensation after having had to come up against, and subsequently be downed by a guilty club.

United’s lawyers are busy people, and one would suggest their lives are about to get a whole lot busier.