How Rob Edwards is using Everton PSR saga to give Luton Town extra motivation

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Everton are firmly embroiled in yet another relegation battle; their third in as many years.

It is a gross regression from the European pushes and trophy successes that Farhad Moshiri sold to Evertonians, but has ultimately failed to deliver.

Now, they are perennially a side battling the drop, and thus far have done so with narrow success.

However, with just 14 games left to play, they are languishing in the bottom three, reliant on the overturning of their points deduction to potentially drag them out.

But, their position also is skewed due to that November punishment, as without it they would sit 12th.

Luton Town, realistically, should be the side in their place, but after a fine recent run of form Rob Edwards has managed to drag them above a heavily sanctioned Everton.

He has now spoken about how he is using the deduction to inspire his playing staff.

What Rob Edwards said about Everton

Speaking to The Athletic, the affable young tactician offered his thoughts on everything from Ross Barkley to the relegation battle.

However, when questioned about the unusual nature of Everton’s situation, he revealed the tactic he has employed to galvanise his Luton Town side.

The 41-year-old claimed: ‘I keep getting the analyst to update the table (with Everton’s 10 points restored.

‘I don’t want to show the players all the time because I don’t want to flatten them, but we have used it and said, ‘This is the table’. We’re in the bottom three and we’re one point behind Forest, under that dotted line, and we need to try to get out of it.’

It feels like Edwards is already preparing for a situation where the Toffees regain all ten of their stolen points. Let’s hope his prediction is correct.

A very tight relegation battle

With no word as of yet regarding the outcome of their appeal, Everton remain firmly entrenched in a relegation battle for now.

However, this Monday represents a huge opportunity to create some daylight between themselves and the drop zone, whilst also dragging Crystal Palace firmly into contention.

In fact, at the time of writing this piece, just six points separates 18th and 14th.

There have rarely been so many sides all with a high chance that they could succumb to relegation, and therefore for Sean Dyche, that must give him confidence.

In the past, he has had to endure shootouts with just one or two teams for two spots in the bottom three. Last season’s final-day clash with AFC Bournemouth springs to mind, where Leicester City and Leeds United could both have stayed up in their place had things gone their way.

The hope is that this term is not quite as dramatic, and a full remuneration on appeal, as Edwards is predicting, would go a long way towards achieving that goal.