Everton are currently mid-way through one of the most important weeks in their recent history.
And yet, it has nothing to do with the Premier League football set to return at the weekend.
Instead, as this season has been devolved into, the impetus has been stolen by the off-pitch antics, most notably their takeover and second PSR hearing.
The latter, at least, is guaranteed to come to a conclusion after the three-day trial ends tomorrow. 777 Partners’ takeover, however, is seemingly never-ending.
Having struck a deal with Farhad Moshiri to buy the club back in September, here we are about to enter April, seemingly no closer to an answer.
Well, Simon Jordan has sought to explain why.
Simon Jordan lifts the lid on 777 Partners’ Everton takeover delay
Replying to Jim White earlier this morning, live on talkSPORT (26/03, 11:40 am), the former Crystal Palace chairman was keen to lift the lid on why 777 Partners had seen their takeover delayed so relentlessly.
Jordan claimed: ’Well, hang on, on one hand we’re constantly saying we want strident and stringent interrogation.
‘We’re in a situation where this is quite a sophisticated mechanism that’s being deployed to make sure that these people are buying this club for the best reasons.
‘They’ve just watched three years of carnage at Everton. Moshiri did that. Moshiri’s ownership did that. No one can deny that Moshiri, whoever’s money it was… people go on about Usmanov and the loss of sponsorship deals.
‘Careful how you open that Pandora’s Box, and who’s money actually owned Everton and what you might find under the bonnet of that particular conversation when you start wittering on about how you’ve lost money out of Usmanov’s sponsorship on that football club.’
Sean Dyche needs to keep focus on the pitch
Whilst it might be a near-impossible job to keep the playing staff solely focused on what they can control on the pitch, it is simply a must if they are to avoid the drop.
After all, whether it be these distractions or just a blatant lack of quality and confidence, they have not won in the Premier League since they beat Burnley back in December.
It is a truly torrid run that stretches across 11 matches, and should it continue will prove pivotal in their certain relegation.
That is, especially if they fail to beat any of the five relegation-threatened sides they face in their last eight matches of the season.
Their future is in their hands, and only they can make it happen. Takeover or not, Sean Dyche needs to divert focus and funnel it back to where it belongs: picking up vital wins.
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