Everton and the rest of English football were left rocked yesterday as details finally emerged regarding Nottingham Forest’s PSR case.
Having been found in breach of the Premier League’s financial statutes for their reckless spending on many, many players, it was expected that the Toffees’ ten-point deduction, later reduced to six, would provide the benchmark for the minimum punishment the Reds would receive.
However, in a completely inexplicable turn of events, the independent commission ruled that their transgression only merited a four-point penalty.
It was an insult to Everton, who had only overspent by a mere £19m, yet been treated with more severity than a side that broke the rules by £34.5m.
Alan Myers, however, has tried to outline a positive that this ruling could have.
What Alan Myers said about Everton’s second PSR case
The Sky Sports reporter has sought to keep fans informed throughout many dramatic sagas, whether it be transfer, managerial or something else entirely. However, in this situation, he seems to be as puzzled as the rest of us.
After all, the reasoning behind the Premier League’s actions are baseless, lending to this frustration which has spread across Evertonians.
Taking to X, the well-respected writer would offer his concise opinion at the back end of what was a truly hectic day for English football yesterday.
He wrote, when asked why he felt Everton might escape a second deduction: ‘Because I’d hope the double jeopardy rule will be applied which. I believe would clear us of any breach, but just my guess work tbh’.
However, given how harshly the Toffees have been treated this season, truly anything is possible at this point.
Nottingham Forest have gotten very lucky
As aforementioned, it is truly mind-boggling that Forest only ended up with four points instead of at least the six that Everton have not got.
After all, the Premier League had initially lobbied for the Toffees to get 12 points stolen back in November, so their stance was clear.
And yet, their relegation rivals have been let off the hook, moved down just one place and given every chance of still escaping the drop. They are just one point from safety, whereas Everton’s ten-point deduction initially plunged them to joint bottom of the table.
It’s ludicrous that the division can treat one side with far more contempt than another, regardless of how differing their cases are.
They should have been charged against the same rulebook, and thus a similar conclusion reached. However, subjectivity has been such a woefully large part of these cases, and unfortunately Sean Dyche and his men have suffered because of it.