FFP: A TOOL FOR INEPT CLUBS TO ATTACK AMBITIOUS RIVALS

WHAT a wonderful irony that useless, under-achieving Championship clubs are now agitating behind the scenes to see if they can make trouble for Wolves over financial fair play. Rather than run their own campaigns better, or with more ambition, they would rather the league clipped the wings of the leaders, in the hope they can share the unearned bounty of a hefty fine. No complaints about another Chinese-owned Championship club in the Midlands, though — Birmingham City, heading for relegation under the ludicrously named Trillion Trophy Asia group. Trillion have more managers than trophies, with Garry Monk becoming their third this season. Since sacking Gary Rowett for not being famous enough, they have run through Gianfranco Zola, Harry Redknapp and Steve Cotterill without arresting a slide towards League One. Birmingham have spent, too, but on rubbish. So running your club with flair and aspiration is wrong, but running it into the ground in chaos is permitted. The Football League should stop pretending that FFP is an attempt to make clubs efficient; it is a tax on ambition by those with neither the talent nor imagination for it.