FEELING BLUE
Everton have been docked a full 10 (TEN!) points for contravening financial fair play regulations. That’s a Premier League record (just not one to boast about) and the first time since Portsmouth were deducted nine in 2010 that any club have been docked points at all. Having been referred to an independent commission in March for alleged breaches during the 2021-22 season, the commission upheld the charges and deducted 10 points off the Toffees’ total, dropping them from 14 points to four. Oh, Everton!
That now places them 19th in the table, only Burnley behind them on goal difference. Sean Dyche’s team have won three matches from their last five in the Premier League and will need to continue that form to pull away from the relegation zone. Last year Burnley and Leeds wrote to the Premier League to question whether Everton had broken the rules after they recorded losses of £371.8m over the last three years. Clubs are allowed to lose a maximum of £105m over three years.
“The club does not recognise the finding that it failed to act with the utmost good faith and it does not understand this to have been an allegation made by the Premier League during the course of proceedings,” roared an Everton club statement. “Both the harshness and severity of the sanction imposed by the commission are neither a fair nor a reasonable reflection of the evidence submitted. The club will also monitor with great interest the decisions made in any other cases concerning the Premier League’s profit and sustainability rules.”
As sure as there is night after day an appeal is expected, and so too might be similarly heavy penalties for other clubs found to have broken the rules. The only good news for Everton is the presence of Luton, Burnley and Sheffield United in the Premier League this season.
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QUOTE OF THE DAY
“All we’ve got to do is galvanise the players, the manager and the fans into one, which will be a good thing for them. They must appeal because that’s what everyone does. It will go on until after Christmas, which will just push it further down the road. If I was them now I would go ‘fair enough, let’s take it now and let’s finish with it’. They’re playing well, they’re doing OK, so there’s no reason why they can’t. The Premier League isn’t a great league from the bottom half down so they’ve got half a chance of winning that half of the league. It sounds harsh and it sounds horrendous, but if you broke the rules you broke the rules and you’ve got to suck it up and say ‘fair enough” – Neville Southall, as ever, with a reasoned take on his old club’s plight.
FOOTBALL DAILY LETTERS
So Everton are penalised 10 points for financial irregularities which helped them avoid relegation years ago. But in the year it is implemented it might see them drop from 12th to 15th. Surely penalties should be meaningful if they are to be effective. Better still, let’s hope that the new regulator will be able to step in and avoid clubs getting into such situations in the first place by evening up the financial playing field and examining accounts in real time. Points deductions are unfair on fans and players who are largely blameless. But whilst they are all we have, they should make a real difference commensurate to the harm caused” – Alex Folkes.
Maurico Pochettino and Pep Guardiola can start taking notes from Everton’s news briefing. Manchester United and Liverpool can start making space in their trophy cabinets” – Krishna Moorthy.
Re: inappropriately -named teams (yesterday’s letters): given the continued chaotic discord in the Theatre of Screams …..surely Manchester United?” – Maurice Hope (and 1,056 others).
Further to Thursday’s conversation with Marc Guehi (yesterday’s Quote of the Day). Maldini might have been right about tackles, but he takes the pleasure out of the game. What could be more satisfying than sliding on your @rse on a soaking wet pitch, locking your foot round the ball and seeing the winger taking off and doing a face plant 20 feet further down the line. Those were the days” – Keith Storey.
Send your letters to the.boss@theguardian.com. Today’s letter o’ the day winner is … Keith Storey, who gets a copy of United with Dad by Simon Lloyd, published by Pitch Publishing. Visit their brilliant football book store here. We have more prizes next week!
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