Why the arguments against Financial Fair Play are wrong - but just one change is needed

As Premier League executives started to agitate for changes to financial control rules, it led to a pointed quip from one official. When it comes to any kind of regulation, those in football are utterly incapable of looking beyond how it affects them alone. They almost never think of the wider game. It has led to some distorted positions, as the last few days have made clear.

Eddie Howe bemoaned how Newcastle United do not have “friends in the market” willing to do loans to ease pressures on the team from Profit and Sustainability restrictions, at the same time as his bosses were loudly letting it be known that other clubs shared concerns on that regulation. There were even mutterings after Saturday’s 3-2 defeat to Manchester City about how the rules facilitated a situation where the champions could just bring Kevin De Bruyne, and that they were restricting a similar state-owned project in building the same sort of force. “That’s the difference,” was one grumble.

There’s a huge irony to that given how City have long felt the original regulations were devised to keep established clubs in power at their expense, often asserting that in an aggressive tone. In fact, the rules may indirectly aid as they feel this is what a challenger now needs to match the champions. They can’t, however, because they are close to their P&S limit over the last three seasons: Premier League clubs can only lose a maximum of £105m over that period.