Scale of City's punishment is the only story but Premier League must bear some responsibility Ronay

Nothing is over, nothing is done. Or at least not judging by the bravura, balls-out confidence of Manchester City's chair, Khaldoon al-Mubarak, who remains convinced the past three days of whiplash are simply the drumroll before the big reveal, prelude to some clinching piece of evidence that will swish away the initial finding of guilt on the Premier League's 100-plus charges.

This appears to be the official City position right now. A verdict that is simply exposition, buildup to that moment where we finally get to rip off the zombie mask and reveal the cranky old amusement park owner underneath, with his bulging ring‑binder full of irrefutable evidence of City's innocence.

This is certainly one way of going about things. Lord Pannick KC, Mystery Machine Chambers.

That great escape may still present itself in more nuanced ways, most obviously in the question of what the actual punishment is here. But even in the current in-between days this feels like the end of an era.

The greatest decade in the history of nation-state football projects is over. They're selling Pep wigs in Woolworths.

And we have failed, barring that promised deus ex machina, to paint it sky blue. It is understandable there should be a great deal of confusion.

The common assumption is that events will unfold like this: sanctions first, perhaps as early as midweek. And it won't be cheap or quick.

For now, the scale of City's punishment is the only story in town. A verdict means nothing without the hammer of actual consequences.

The triumphalism of those who seem personally invested in seeing City fail could still turn out to be premature. There are many suggestions of how this may play out.