Many have rushed to the defence of Everton after a challenging past week, in which the club have battled an unprecedented ruling in the run-up to their huge clash against Manchester United.
Whilst the game itself fell flat despite the raucous backing of the home support, their ten-point deduction has arguably provoked more unity on Merseyside than any result could have done. Nothing exemplifies that better than the sea of pink around Goodison Park, demonstrating against the Premier League’s ruling.
Whilst that marked a powerful message, it is unlikely to sway the division from their decision.
However, what might is the impassioned letter penned to them in the pre-match, with Mayor of Greater Manchester and staunch Evertonian Andy Burnham taking to X to detail exactly what he had sent.
Although he outlined he would be writing ‘not in an official capacity’, despite acknowledging the seriousness of the charge, he did go on to make a series of intelligent and well-constructed points to debunk much of what the harsh sanction had been based on.
One line wrote: ‘The fact that the Premier League sought to introduce a new sanctions policy in the middle of this process amounts, in my view, to an abuse of process.’
He then compared it to a real-world example: ‘It could be argued that the Premier League handing a new penalty regime to the Commission in this way is akin to the Government handing new sentencing guidelines to a judge in the middle of a particular trial.’
Having branded the process ‘flawed’, his knowledge on the subject was then outlined by the words of someone with far more research on the matter: ‘I am told that at no point has the sanctions regime submitted by the Premier League to the Independent Commission been shared with the 20 Premier League clubs nor has it been endorsed by them.’
Have Everton appealed their points deduction?
Unsurprisingly, the Toffees took no time in appealing what they detailed as a ‘wholly disproportionate and unjust sporting sanction’.
Some form of punishment was in order, but on such a scale was unprecedented given their overspend had hardly given them a sporting advantage; a notion even hinted at within the commission’s report.
It is expected that the outcome will have to be made before the season’s end, so as to ensure that everyone involved in the relegation battle know what must be done to ensure respective survival.
Sean Dyche and those above him will likely be praying for some kind of reprieve, even if it is to see the punishment halved given they now sit 19th in the Premier League, five points adrift.
There are certainly grounds for an appeal, which Everton will surely exercise with immense precision as the verdict is now put forward to another independent body.
Whilst their chances of success have been assessed by many, it seems nobody can actually predict the outcome given few would have expected ten points to be docked for a mere £19m overspend.
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