Last season was one of the toughest in recent memory for Everton, despite actually finishing the campaign 14 points clear of the bottom three.
However, it was not their battles to avoid the drop that caused stress, but instead what occurred off the pitch, with PSR rearing its ugly head and making a name for itself across the Premier League.
The Toffees and Nottingham Forest were the first two to be sanctioned, but the fear factor this provoked has made many other of their rivals equally wary to avoid falling into similar pitfalls.
During this tumultuous period, where Everton were dealt with two separate deductions, the fanbase rallied like never before.
And now, we have learned how the players actually reacted too.
Ashley Young reveals behind-the-scenes reaction to points deduction
Speaking to talkSPORT earlier this morning (01/06, 9:40 am), Ashley Young, who recently signed a new one-year contract with Everton, offered an insightful behind-the-scenes look into how the squad actually reacted to their points deduction during last season.
At the time, Sean Dyche and his players offered a steely retort, remaining staunch in the face of such adversity from the outside looking in.
However, we have since learned that this was merely a facade, as Young now reinforces: ‘It affected everyone massively. You know when you are hearing about points deduction, it’s just something that clouded the club non-stop for the whole season.
‘It’s tough because you are winning games and you are playing well and then you are getting points taken off you, and it’s like, right, we have got to go again now. I think we were going through a spell around Christmas time where we went through a difficult period because we had the second points deduction which was then hanging over us.
‘It’s one of the things that we had to get on with. As players, you are thinking, all I have got to do is go out there and win games, but that is something that is always in the back of your mind and you are worrying about it.’
Everton cannot afford another Premier League season like the last
Given Young’s claims, it is clear that the players, much like the fans, cannot deal with another Premier League campaign like the last.
After all, were it not for the two separate deductions, the Toffees would have finished a comfortable mid-table, level on points with Brighton and Hove Albion.
They no longer should be relegation fodder, and with a few key acquisitions, they could move even further away from such a dangerous possibility.
But, with the June 30th PSR deadline having just passed, we now await the Premier League’s verdict on the various accounts that will have been submitted.
Surely, with Kevin Thelwell’s intelligence and long-term strategy, this year has to be one of comfort and stability. Otherwise, next summer could see a lot of players try and justifiably jump ship.