THE 93:20 NEWSLETTER:- ISSUE 66

Author

Howard Hockin
October 17, 2025

Hello, and welcome to Issue 66 of the 93:20 Newsletter. Plenty to discuss as always, despite the lack of proper football, but as it is an international break, like with the podcast, I have decided to dedicate the final section to non-football matters, without a single whine in sight, and reconvene the occasional series of listing what I have been reading, watching and listening to recently.

 

The usual reminder that the Newsletter cannot survive without your support. As has been the case for many years, there has never been a greater need for independent coverage of City – without bias, but WITH emotion.

You can donate via this link, and help the content keep flowing:

But above all, we all know a certain legal decision is imminent. And when that decision is made, there is only one place where you should be taking in the inevitably huge fallout, whatever the decision may be. There will be A LOT to unpack. That place is on the 93:20 Player, of course. If you are not already a subscriber, this is the time to change that – you’re going to get even better value over the next month.

Let’s crack on! 

Elliot Anderson, and the role of PSR

We are reminded of the insanity of PSR on a weekly basis. Has nobody (in a position of influence) questioned the sanity of certain players affecting the figures more than others, even with an identical transfer fee? And questioned if this system is fit for purpose? Or thought that new contracts change amortisation levels, and that this is all smoke and mirrors really, and not protecting any club’s future?

Turns out they have, as we will see shortly.

Imagine seeing Anderson excel for club and country as a Newcastle fan. Anderson did not want to leave Newcastle, who did not want to sell him, but had to because of their financial situation. Howe told Anderson as much. It must be galling as fans to see home-grown talent used as collateral, and whilst there is an argument that clubs should not put themselves in this perilous position over PSR, as Tony Bloom did this week, there must be a better way than this. I truly admire how Brighton do business, but they are set up to buy and sell for profit, not to truly succeed. Bloom states that he will never buy a player for £100m, but is happy to sell then for that amount. What’s more, a £100m player is never joining them, to be blunt. De Zerbi was unsettled at Brighton as he was exasperated by the club’s recruitment policy, that targeted young talent about to break through and elders with vast amounts of experience, but little in between.

I digress. Deep down, everyone knows this system is a joke. A new one may be on the horizon, with anchoring mooted. It’s fairer in my opinion. City are naturally against it, and that’s the obvious problem with all this. Every club naturally wants a system that suits their situation, and protects their interest. Fairness does not come into it much, and never has. The bigger clubs wielding more of the power will ensure that does not change in the foreseeable future.

John Stones

The shrieking hysteria over John Stones representing England has got rather tedious for me by this stage of his career. Sorry to offend. For me, I wonder if it is all irrelevant. Are we not now past the point where his body can be managed? Do you not just play him if he is fit and hope that nothing bad happens, against all expectations?

More to the point, John Stones seems to be attracting criticism for daring play for his country. He is currently fit, so what were you expecting him to do? There are fans that honestly expect him to feign injury to avoid playing. Meanwhile, back in the real world, Tuchel did send him home when he suffered discomfort during the last break.

I’m sure Pep and Tommy have discussions over players. I’m sure there are agreements made. And the dichotomy with Stones for some is that he needs minutes in his legs if we want to see him at his best again, but we also need to wrap him in cotton wool because he can injure himself making a coffee.

Nevertheless, Tuchel could employ his brain better. Four goals up in a game, what point is there in keeping your most injury prone player on the pitch? 
I'll answer that one for you - none. Stones was subbed in both games, but as the second wave of substitutions, after the 70-minute mark.  But if we’re sweating over him having an extra ten minutes on the pitch, then that’s basically an admittance we don’t expect him to remain fit in the future, so resting him seems pointless.

Tuchel criticising fans and atmosphere

This is one topic I am not in the mood to defend him over.

After all, what was the purpose of his comments? Pep has annoyed me by saying something similar in the past, but his motive was clear. It usually did lead to a boost in the atmosphere, temporarily, during the subsequent home game. 

There is little point in comparing with atmospheres in other countries, even if England v Wales had been a competitive game. Crowds are different in the UK, whether Tuchel likes it or not. They are reactive, nor proactive, which I would argue is how it should be. I’ve seen many a European opposition fanbase at the Etihad continue with their synchronized interpretive dance moves as a goal goes in, and not a single flag stuttered once in its swaying, not a note was missed. Are you even there for the football? But just as pertinently, in a world where digital tickets are king, UK clubs are now even banning taking power banks into matches. Those in charge have sanitized atmospheres to the point we are at, and whilst some changes were necessary, there is little point in criticizing atmospheres at grounds now. We have reaped what we sowed. As long as the PL “brand” remains strong, that is seemingly all that matters. City’s owners would happily price out the fanbase’s noisiest supporters if there was more money to be made with tourists, which there is. It’s only the inevitable backlash that stops them.

But for Tuchel, what purpose is served by criticising the crowd at a home game? He may never have to manage a Wembley friendly again. His sole concern is the World Cup finals, when England's large travelling support will make plenty of noise, as always. The game shouldn’t even have been at Wembley, but that’s a discussion for another time. As always, the context was lost on a manager, and as you can see it triggers me when managers act like this. Exorbitant ticket prices to watch a friendly, with the game devoid of all competitiveness within 19 minutes. Was he expecting congas along the touchline?

Having said that – he took the “banter” from the England supporters well. Look, it’s quite refreshing to have a manager speak his mind, but please pick your battles better. There’s plenty of justifiable ones out there to fight, after all.

One being Jude Bellingham. You will have seen a significant level of cynicism from me about Jude in previous newsletters, but it is time for the case for the defence. I am nothing if not balanced and impartial at all times. Much of that criticism has been fair – in Miguel Delaney’s newsletter recently (big fan), he commented on how many other players have treaded on eggshells around him due to his “ways”, and the ways of his family and entourage are well-documented. But that should not mean it is open season on him all year-round.

Jude Bellingham is the modern-day David Beckham, who has his own section of the media dedicated to covering him, good and bad. And there is plenty of bad, mostly from the right-wing press, which is just one of life’s coincidences. His coverage in the past week, having not made Tuchel’s squad, was pitiful beyond belief. He has played under two hours of football this season, his fitness is not there, his omission from the squad perfectly understandable – in a sane world. Tuchel’s past comments will have fanned the flames for evermore, but the reaction to his omission has still been pathetic in the extreme. Questioning everything about him as a reaction to a non-event. It is perhaps little wonder that some players are the way they are, when they are not treated the same as others.

Still, you do wonder if his place back in the first team is guaranteed. Same goes for Foden and Palmer. The best team is not automatically the one consisting of the best players. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves, with England yet to play a team of any real note under Tuchel. If there is an England manager prepared to make bold and controversial decisions, then it is Tuchel. There’s no logical explanation for Jordan Henderson appearing on the pitch, after all.

Time To Make Myself Unpopular With Some

I watched Jeremy Doku tear Wales a new one during the week, and it was joyous to witness. Not because I hate Wales you understand – I hope they qualify. And not just because he won me £40 either, though it helped. It was joyous just to see a City player in such full bloom, especially one we have all doubted.

So you would think, with all that in mind, that the fanbase would be united in one at applauding and enjoying his current form? Yeah, right.

It's so, so weird how a section of the City fanbase are loathe to give Jeremy Doku any significant praise, as the fun police move in to put us in our place. How dare I be happy, eh? How dare I take pride and satisfaction from a player in form. No, I need to calm down, and realise it’s a small sample size, and not get ahead of myself. I am suitably shamed. It feels like some people don’t want to be happy, optimistic and bolshy about any players, until they’re grasping trophies and Ballon D’Ors. I guarantee that one bad game at the weekend for Doku will have the “I told you so” crowd out in force.

But instead, just enjoy him, especially as a break-out season for a wide player was essential for City to succeed, considering the lack of output from out wide as a whole last season, and with Grealish gone, and Savinho unsettled. Doku’s potential was obvious, it needed fine-tuning, and we’re seeing that tuning right now. And there is no greater sight in football than an electric, in-form wide player. So I’m not going to apologise for celebrating his good performances, nor spend another second discussing my feelings, or hold fort until I see the form replicated across a whole season.

Linked to all this, it comes as little surprise that Riyad Mahrez is now treated as some sort of deity as a City player, which is weird considering how differently many talked about him (and Sterling, and Sane) when he was at the club. Short memories, or maybe just very selective ones. But then deifying Mahrez, Sterling et al makes it easier to criticise the current crop. It is my theory, and hey, maybe a poor one, that if you planted Mahrez, Sterling and Sane into the current side, they would not produce the numbers they have done in the past, as the game has changed, and more to the point, the opposition has changed. That’s not to ignore potential issues with some of City’s current wide players, they are real, and criticisms have been justified, but I feel some exaggeration has entered the wider chat.

For the record, I worship them all. Just not Kalvin Phillips. Sorry mate…..

Apparently the new 4th kit (much-needed 4th kit) is "interactive".  Hopefully it will let me transfer tickets, because the existing system ****ing doesn't.

An Apology

Finally, the 93:20 Newsletter would like to officially apologise to Ruben Amorim. In the last newsletter, I stated that Manchester United manager had not won two successive games during his time at the club.

We would like to make it clear that this statistic refers only to Premier League games. On three occasions, United have followed up Europa League victories, against FK Bodo/Glimt, Viktoria Plzen and FCSB (no, us neither) with Premier League victories.

We are happy to set the record straight, and will make a charitable donation to the new stadium fund.

STUFF I HAVE BEEN WATCHING AND LISTENING TO

Anyway, enough football, here’s the occasional return of stuff I have been filling an international break with.

Matt Bragg

Great comedian, and he has just put a live show online. Check it out (despite the ignorant City dig at the end, and telling of City’s perception).

Track Star, hosted by Jack Coyne

A music channel well worth checking out, mainly due to the videos of interviewing a wide range of people in the street, testing their music knowledge.

Speaking of music – Trash Theory

Brilliant music mini-documentaries.

Sharon Van Etten – Seventeen

To an old man like me, this hits hard.

Taskmaster, OBVIOUSLY. Continuing the ridiculously high standards of Series 19.

Mark Steel – In Town – a new series is out on BBC Sounds, and is always worth a listen.

Ben Howard – End of the Affair

Mari Samuelsen – Max Richter: November

WHAT WE HAVE BEEN UP TO THIS WEEK

ROOM 101

Ste, Chris and Howard take advantage of the international break once more to assign four items into Room 101, before voting on their inclusion. One football-related, plus three wildcards. What will make the cut?

THE MARKET:- EPISODE 46

Howard and Ahsan look at the squad, whether opinions on what is needed have  changed since the summer, talk future recruitment, plus consider Wharton, Anderson, Jamine Lamal and much more!

OPPOSITION FAN:- EVERTON

Howard chatted to Andy Smith, about all things Everton, from the new stadium, new players, Jack, the future and more.

WEEKEND SHOW

A special guest, as Howard chats to Dom Farrell about his new book: Glory Days for the Waifs and Strays: Identity and Meaning in the Rise of the Modern Manchester City, out next week. Plus they preview the Everton match, as proper football returns.

If you are not a subscriber to our player shows, then enjoy some free samples of what we are about. Every show we do will have a 10 minutes sample on Soundcloud, along with a full, free weekly Friday show, jam- packed with content. Give it a try!