Renowned journalist David Ornstein has responded to questions about Manchester City's Premier League investigation in The Athletic.

How much might players distance themselves from Manchester City to protect their reputations? Could players like Erling Haaland reconsider their commitment to Manchester City?

David Ornstein: It's too early to say because we don't yet know the final outcome.

Many players at Manchester City are showing their support. For example, Pep Guardiola has publicly backed the club, and even though he didn't have to, he's made his position clear.

These players are at the club because Manchester City has invested significant transfer fees and wages. They chose to embark on this project with open minds.

They could go elsewhere, but it was this investment that brought them here. Most players have won trophies, and I expect they're earning good money now and likely will continue to do so in the near future. From what we've seen so far, most players seem happy. I don't think they'll suddenly change their minds and want to leave right now.

Things could change once the appeal verdict is announced. Like anyone in society, some people only care about self-interest and have short memories. If Manchester City face the worst-case scenario, players could become angry, dissatisfied, turn their backs, and even demand contract terminations.

In that scenario, some players certainly wouldn't want to play in a lower division. Of course, some might be willing to stay and help the club through that challenge, remaining committed to rebuilding.

For now, everyone at Manchester City seems confident in the club's leadership. We'll have to wait and see how things develop over the coming months.

Do you think Manchester City will demonstrate strong fighting spirit when Premier League action resumes, or might their performance suffer significantly due to this news? Some of their players underperformed during the international break.

David Ornstein: There are two sides to this. First, I think Manchester City will use this as motivation to unite and create a "us against the world" atmosphere. Club leadership and Enzo Maresca will communicate with players and staff. They might say: "Let's show what Manchester City is about. We're united. We don't want division, and we won't let this affect our team."

The other side of the coin is the verdict declaring wrongdoing. Many people managing this situation will change how Manchester City operates.

Players, agents, managers, and staff are all raising questions and expressing concern: "What will our future look like?"

David Ornstein: While this may distract Manchester City fans somewhat, it's likely that not everyone will prioritize football and results the way they did before.

They're not aliens—this is clear. This is an entirely new situation with many unprecedented factors and distractions. I don't think they can remain unaffected.

There will certainly be anxiety. I know players are discussing this. Tuchel even mentioned it in his England press conference, noting that English players are talking about it. All players' reactions would undoubtedly be similar.

Anxiety will definitely arise. There's no doubt this will affect everyone's mental state at Manchester City. However, that doesn't necessarily mean on-field performance will suffer negatively. The atmosphere may be uncomfortable, but this could actually motivate them to perform better instead.

We can't say for certain. It will be very interesting to see how they perform when they face Liverpool at Anfield this Sunday.

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