Manchester City fans have been backed for their response to the club’s guilty verdict on their return to action.
The travelling supporters, who were joyous throughout, were rewarded with a 3-0 victory away at Liverpool on Sunday.
It came in City’s first match since they were found guilty of all charges against them in their Financial Fair Play (FFP) case.
Whilst the club have since appealed against the ruling, their players were booed by the Anfield crowd as they came out to warm-up and throughout the entirety of the match.
Their fans were also targeted, who responded with jeers of their own as they displayed inflatable bananas in the away end.
Meanwhile, the players’ wild celebrations as they romped to victory against Liverpool have also been called into question.
Man City celebrations defended
It has since been argued that they were being ‘smug’ by celebrating their win amid the ongoing scandal.
However, talkSPORT’s Adrian Durham, Dean Ashton and Sam Matterface have defended the current players as well as the fans for their behaviour.
Discussing the claims on Kick Off, Durham admitted: “These City players, I think, should be respected.
“With what’s happened, those players could have downed tools, refused to play, demanded moves in January and let it affect them, but they didn’t.
“They showed that players and fans are the wrong targets for the boo boys, in my opinion. They’re going to all have to take the punishment, whatever it is, but what are they meant to do?”
City were first charged in February 2023 for alleged breaches of the Premier League‘s FFP rules between 2009 and 2018.
Ashton agreed, adding: “They’re trying to clear their name for something they haven’t done. They wouldn’t have been involved in it.
“You want to play football, play for the best you can, try and win trophies.
“So now, they’re going to get pelters from supporters, going up against that and almost justify why they’re allowed to play and celebrate.
“I expected nothing less than for them to celebrate at Anfield.”
Goals from Erling Haaland, Jeremy Doku and Rayan Cherki in the second half secured all three points against the 10-man Reds.
City are next in Premier League action at home to Ipswich Town on Saturday following a visit from Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League on Wednesday.
Man City fans right to back team
Ashton and Durham’s stance was echoed by Matterface, who said: “I don’t think you can blame the current crop of Man City players for the ills of the past if they fail to win their appeal.
“What you can’t do is go at other supporters for airing their frustrations. There isn’t any other vehicle for them to be able to do that.
“So they do that in the manner they believe to be the loudest, which is boo the players and opponents.
“They want to show their distaste for what’s happened. You also can’t blame the City fans, it’s nothing to do with them!”
Meanwhile, Durham continued: “What are they meant to do, say we want to lose?! It baffles me how people have responded to what the City fans did.
“It’s a galvanising thing, a siege mentality. They’ll stick together. Erling Haaland said stick together. Pep Guardiola said stick together. What are you going to do?!”
Ashton even admitted he feels sympathy for the City supporters, who saw their side win three Premier League titles during the period in which their FFP breaches took place.
Amid their appeal, the club have continued to protest their innocence, with Matterface exclaiming: “They’re being told that they’re innocent by their owners.”
Durham then concluded: “And until that road is closed off, there’s nothing else the fans can do.
“I thought the Liverpool fans should have spent more time and energy on supporting their own team. The Liverpool players weren’t supported enough I don’t think.”