Wolves Show the Hypocrisy of the Wealthy

Is there a Premier League book of rules for the elite group of teams and a completely different rule book for the rest of the "pauper" teams in the league?

There was a collectively outrage throughout the Premier League when Wolverhampton Wanderers manager Mick McCarthy thought best to field a "weaker" team against Manchester United in mid-November of last year.

Wolves have the second smallest squad in the league and faced five games in 17 days. The Wolves manager had picked up a shocking 0-1 away win against Tottenham at White Hart Lane. Their next opponents where Man United at Old Trafford in three days time.

McCarthy took it upon himself to rotate his team and make ten changes to the starting line-up for the encounter in Manchester. His rational for the decision was to keep his strongest side fully fit for the home tie against fellow bottom of the table team Burnley.

Wolves beat Burnley 2-0 and took all precious three points. Wolves are currently sitting in 16th place, level on points with West Ham United and Hull City, who sit above and below Wolves respectively in the table. Wolves are a single point ahead of 18th placed Bolton Wanderers and 19th placed Burnley.

If Wolves have not picked up all three points in their match against Burnley they would be sitting second from bottom two points behind the nearest two clubs. So in retrospect Mick McCarthy's decision to focus on the Burnley game paid great dividends. 

However, the Premier League have found that Wolves were in breach of Rule B13 and have subsequently been fined £25,000. A Premier League spokesman said "the club (Wolves) had failed to fulfill its obligations to the league and other clubs in the utmost good faith and was therefore in breach of Rule B13."

If there is a rule stating that teams must play there "best" or "starting 11" that is fine, but who is the judge of a teams "best" line-up. Surely only the manager of the club has the right to say what "starting 11" is best. Also why else would a team invest in a squad of 20-25 players if not to utilize them when called upon.

The main factor in this debacle is, if by fielding a weakened side or anything other than a team's strongest 11 is in fact a breach of the Premier League's Rule B13, where is Manchester United's fine.

At the end of last season Man United had tied up the Premier League title and had their focus set on the Champions League final against Barcelona. United had one remaining Premier League game against Hull City. 

Hull City where in 17th place, one point ahead of Newcastle United. A Hull City win would secure Premier League football for them for the following season. Anything other than a win and Newcastle had a lifeline for Premier League survival. 

Man United's team that played Hull consisted of no players that had played in the previous game against Arsenal. In United's starting 11 their was two reserve team players, Lee Martin and Ritchie De Laet. United also started three fringe players, Darren Gibson, Danny Welbeck and Federico Macheda. The entire United substitute bench was made up of seven reserve team players.

If a team ever broke the Premier League's Rule B13 it was the side the Man United sent out to face Hull City. So why is it that Manchester United can field whatever team they deem fit but Wolves are left out of pocket?