Everton, despite their last few decades of mediocrity and unrest, have still managed to muster up a few cult heroes for the fanbase to cling to.
Whether it be due to their talent that was beyond anything else in the changing rooms, or their unflinching loyalty to the club, these are supporters who love their club unconditionally, no matter how mentally draining it can often be.
And as Alan Ball’s old adage goes: ‘Once Everton has touched you, nothing will ever be the same’. Well, this is a notion that extends to many former players too, with Phil Jagielka one of those transformed by that Toffees touch.
Now, speaking on talkSPORT just yesterday, the 41-year-old star has weighed in on the raging PSR debate which has plagued Goodison Park for many months now…
What Phil Jagielka said about Everton’s PSR issues
Having had ten points deducted back in November, it seems that only now is a ruling set to be announced on whether this will stand following a fervent defence during their appeal process.
But he felt like something like this had almost been coming long before the landmark punishment was enforced, as he told talkSPORT: ‘It wasn’t a great situation before the points deduction, there was a sort of financial strain on the club for a while now. Selling their best players, selling the young lads to try and make the FFP.
‘And then when I hear there was going to be ten points, which is a significant amount of points when you’re talking about the Premier League. Ten points is a lot, especially considering Everton have only survived on the last game of the season one year and I think it was two before that.
‘But, they got galvanised, I think the team got themselves out of it but then you open the newspaper and you realise that there’s maybe more points on the horizon. I don’t know what’s going on, I don’t know how and who’s coming up with the ideas of how many points and how quickly this has been done.
‘There’s been plenty of other teams who have supposedly bent the rules slightly or more than slightly shall we say over the course of the years but that’s never been sorted out. Now all of a sudden Everton have been given ten points.
‘Something’s not right, I presume some rules must have been broken for obviously Everton to accept it, but yeah it’s tough times.’
It is the toughest of times for Everton
Jagielka’s closing sentiment there is one which applies to the last few decades really for the Toffees, of which he played a large part.
The former Sheffield United and Everton centre-back spent 12 years of his career at Goodison Park and established himself as one of those aforementioned cult heroes for a period.
Although not blessed with speed, he was a solid and intelligent stalwart who seldom let his team down.
And yet, as has always been the case in recent times, he was never really surrounded by enough quality or clarity for them to ever threaten upsetting the traditional top sides.
The hope was that Farhad Moshiri’s fortune might rectify that issue, but if anything, he has only created a bigger problem.
Receive a digest of our best Everton content each week direct to your mailbox
