David Yelland

Founded Kitchen Table Partners, edited newspapers in London and New York. Presenter ‘When it Hits the Fan’ @BBCRadio4, @BBCSounds. @ManCity Blue.

[David Yelland @davidyelland]

21 years sober today.

Love beats hate, connection beats isolation, each of us have so much in common.

That’s what I’ve learned. And for that I am truly grateful.

🙏💕✨

[mcfc lads @mcfc_lads]

Manchester City are 2nd favourites to win the #PL (4/1) and simultaneously 4th favourites to be relegated (3/1). 📊

You’ll never sing that! 😂👍🏻

[Financial Times @FT]

Manchester City’s rise under Abu Dhabi ownership has transformed English football, brought billions in investment to Manchester and strengthened UK-UAE ties. Today’s Big Read explores whether City has become too big to fail. https://t.co/pBPX9yTnKx

[David Yelland @davidyelland]

We're in for a right old Winter of Discontent and no mistake... but there is wisdom in this from Henry... and hyperbole... there exists within the Etihad an entirely different view to how this ends... never seen anything quite like this... an organisation besieged but utterly defiant... even in private... can you imagine what will happen if City prevail?

[Henry Winter @henrywinter]

Manchester City will feel Enzo Maresca handled a difficult press conference well. He looked and sounded confident, trotted out the familiar lines, echoed the club stance that City would win the appeal, talked of his trust in his employers, trophies not tainted etc. The obviously planned tone was of defiance without arrogance.

Maresca didn’t bridle at the (totally justified) repeated line of questioning. City’s chief comms officer Simon Heggie sensibly didn’t seek to restrict questions on the subject (which would have turned the conference adversarial). That also reflected the club’s trust in Maresca to handle the situation.

Maresca spoke of his commitment to City, no place he’d rather be, players focused, etc. But, really, what else can he say? Maresca is fronting up for the club, facing the music for owners who, according to an independent commission after a forensic, lengthy investigation, cheated the sport again and again. It’s not really Maresca who has questions to answer.

From an external perspective, Maresca smiling at times didn’t reflect the seriousness of the situation engulfing City and the Premier League. It might have been designed to reflect the club’s composure in the line of ire but it’s certainly not business as usual, whatever the mood music emanating from City’s owners and whatever Maresca claims.

It’s not business as usual – a press conference called to preview City’s trip to Liverpool was always going to be about the independent commission’s damning verdict on the club. It’s not going to be business as usual in future press conferences either. Fewer but still some questions will rightly be asked about a club being found guilty of cheating. Fans want answers.

The business, the sport, the industry and the whole season are on hold. The Premier League season now has dark clouds and a large asterisk running through it, scarring it, paralysing it, until City’s appeal is heard, the verdict disclosed and sanctions announced. Nobody knows whether City remain in contention for the title or for relegation.

It’s the biggest crisis facing the Premier League in its 34 years, bigger than the brief threat of the European Super League seen off by fans. It’s not only about this season but beyond if City’s appeal fails and they venture into the courts. Maresca may have been business-like but it’s certainly not business as usual. Not when there are questions over the integrity of the national game.

[David Yelland @davidyelland]

You've left out the live-streamed firing squad... Pete Hegseth was one of the secret Premier League panel... did you not know about that one? Raise your game, have a great weekend and bring on Sunday.... 🩵

[Duncan Castles @DuncanCastles]

Understand that the punishment Manchester City faces from English football should the Abu Dhabi-owned club continue to escalate its conflict with the Premier League include:
🔻Expulsion from the League
🔻The EFL declining to grant City admission to any of its divisions
🔻Removal of City owners, directors and executives

[David Yelland @davidyelland]

Wondering if the Premier League could send @ManCity a cheque for the soaring revenues the massive global interest in our games is drawing.... Sunday's game may be the most watched ever in many global broadcast markets... bonuses all round at the PL!

[David Yelland @davidyelland]

Colin's son. Top man.

[Jon Bell @Radiology_UK]

Last night I was at TheEtihad @MedlockSQ. What I witnessed was respect for history, investment, employment & economic growth. Proud to support @ManCity

[Match of the Day @BBCMOTD]

Enzo Maresca says he doesn't feel Manchester City's titles have been tainted, despite the club being found guilty of breaking the majority of the 115 financial rules they were accused of breaching.

[BBC Sport @BBCSport]

🗣 "I completely trust the club."

BBC Sports editor @danroan asks Enzo Maresca if he understands the anger around Manchester City, after the club was found guilty of breaking the majority of the 115 financial rules they were accused of breaching.

[David Yelland @davidyelland]

Simply superb media handling from Enzo and the team at the Etihad. It will be like this every game, before, during and after, this is a reputational crisis like no other, pure resilience, it will be studied for decades... may even last decades....

[City Xtra @City_Xtra]

Enzo Maresca: "It's the first time I've seen your face [@RobHarris] here, so we don't know each other, but if you ask the guys that are always here, I'm always concerned - not just about Liverpool. I will be concerned also about Ipswich. I know that Anfield is a nice pitch, probably will be even more warm in terms of environment, but the reason why I decided to be a manager is for these kinds of games..."

[David Yelland @davidyelland]

"Last game at Anfield for years..." We'll probably draw Liverpool in the Champions League for starters... you cannot wish @ManCity away....

[Jamie Carragher @Carra23]

This will probably be Man City’s last league game at Anfield for a few years, but that means there’s no excuses going forward for Liverpool, Man Utd & Chelsea!

https://t.co/DwiZtgAUcc

[David Yelland @davidyelland]

Interesting the PM praised Greg Clark and Theresa May for their role in the Manchester resurgence, the cross-party approach in the region has worked for a long time, as a lad I was a business corr on a paper called North West Times (it was great but it closed down..!) and saw the beginnings of what we now see, especially with the airport.. it was this unity which built the modern region.

[David Yelland @davidyelland]

Anyone in the market?

[BBC News (UK) @BBCNews]

Everton owners open to full club sale https://t.co/X8mRwsltfi

[1894 @WeAre1894]

There's multiple articles every day because the Premier League has a PR company feeding stories spin & angles to various outlets in particular the mail the telegraph and the times.

[David Yelland @davidyelland]

Yes.

[stefanstern @stefanstern]

Slight John Humphrys/George Entwistle feel to that Zack Polanski interview.

[Cityzen_Sameer @ySameer2129]

After a LONG scroll session this was the last purely Man City post by the PL. There's been 100s of red cartel posts since. The erasure 😂😂😂😂😂😂

[David Yelland @davidyelland]

You will see @ManCity for what it is at 4.30pm Sunday. In all the crises I have even seen the individuals in middle of it try to hide at first. The boys are not going to do that. We will see, in that great footballing arena, Anfield with all its history, sheer courage, defiance and talent. If we win it will be one for the ages.

Liverpool fans may hate us but they know their football. They will surely see some football.

[David Yelland @davidyelland]

Hats off to Christopher Hope, worth his weight in gold to @GBNews, sticking to facts on Holborn & St Pancras, despite distinctly dodgy Islamophobia elsewhere in studio earlier. Any politician asked if they will talk to GBN should say yes - the audience is huge - but perhaps insist they talk to Chopper?

[David Yelland @davidyelland]

Post the Harry win the Daily Mail is back as THE most powerful newspaper in the country - it sets the weather, mostly to very depressing drizzle, but it does so nevertheless.

Hence the PM is right to write for the right, especially on this most personal issue.

[David Yelland @davidyelland]

You probably need to understand Manchester to see why this isn't a story. Is it busy in Bexley and Sidcup?

[Louie French MP @louie_french]

Breaking news that Andy Burnham oversaw a £55m taxpayer loan linked to Man City’s owners.

He’s clearly compromised and must come clean on all his financial links to the club’s owners.

English football fans deserve so much better than this sorry mess.

https://t.co/dfmbDdhMBc