Gary Neville shares who Everton and Nottingham Forest fans need to blame after points deductions

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With Sky Sports’ Fan Debate returning, Everton were yet again the hot topic as they await their second PSR charge.

Baz, from Toffee TV, once again represented the Merseyside outfit, and offered a variety of defences against any criticisms that Gary Neville of Jamie Carragher lobbied at the club.

However, he failed to stop the former from launching into a passionate defence of the Premier League, arguing that there was no outcome that would have satisfied all parties and suggesting who fans should instead be blaming.

And whilst his point makes sense, there are clear holes within it.

Gary Neville on the Premier League’s deductions

Unsurprisingly, the Sky Sports Fan Debate was largely dominated once again by Everton and Nottingham Forest, due to their controversial points deductions which have drawn scrutiny.

Whilst fans of those clubs are rightly frustrated, seeking to voice their grievances, there are also many who suggest that without their punishments the fairness of the Premier League would not be upheld.

Neville is one such example of that, who engaged in a heated debate with Forest’s fan representative.

He arguably sides with the division, justifying their actions in response to what these two clubs had done.

The former Manchester United full-back noted: ‘I’ve got some sympathy with the Premier League because they’re damned if they do, damned if they don’t on this.

‘Look across here to Luton Town. They worked within the financial parameters of the league’s framework, you [Nottingham Forest] don’t, whilst you benefit from having extra players.

‘That’s where we’ve got to, where we’re at the point where clubs feel they’re bigger than the league. Don’t support the clubs breaking the rules, blame your owners. It’s simple accounting.’

Everton and Nottingham Forest are justified in their frustrations

Whilst Neville does make a good point, I think that the anger towards the Premier League is not regarding the respective guilty verdicts, but instead the scale and unpredictability of the punishments.

Three different independent commissions have all come to three different conclusions, and with Everton having just finished their second PSR hearing, it would be impossible to predict this outcome as well.

The fact that each sanction differs from the last only adds to the lack of faith instilled in supporters, who feel like there is far too much subjectivity in the process.

And that is the fault of the Premier League, who failed to conjure up set-in-stone statutes and therefore left everything open to interpretation.

So, despite the Toffees acting in good faith and offering numerous justifiable mitigating factors in their defence, they were first handed a ten-point deduction, later reduced to six.

And yet, Forest’s perceived ‘good behaviour’ saw them only get four points.

Not only that, but Everton have blamed their ownership on numerous occasions. The fanbase was left furious with Farhad Moshiri, yet they are the ones now being punished for his recklessness.

Neville’s point about clubs spending outside of their means is a valid one, but he fails to realise the true frustration that Evertonians are suffering from.