Football finance expert shares ‘gut feeling’ on Everton Premier League punishment
Football finance expert Kieran Maguire believes Everton will not be punished by the Premier League during the current 2022/23 season.
The Toffees have been charged with a breach of Financial Fair Play due to their recorded substantial losses over the past three years.
Maguire has claimed a points deduction could be on the cards but doesn’t feel it would come into effect during the current campaign.
“In terms of the sanctions, there is no set list of sanctions because the Premier League has never had to deal with this before,” said Maguire (Price of Football Podcast, 11m 38s, 27 March).
“It could be a finger-wagging over when the accounts were published but if that’s the case then why did the Premier League issue a press release? That seems just a bit daft.
“It could be a wage cap, squad limit imposed. The thing that is being discussed is a points deduction with other clubs being impacted. My concern is how long is it going to take to form a commission, for both sides to present evidence than for the commission to come to a conclusion.
“We are getting closer to the end of the season the credibility of football declines the closer you get to the end of the season. My gut feeling is that it will be unlikely to impact upon this season.”
Good news
This will be a relief to the Goodison Park faithful. Considering the lengthy process which could now ensue, it’s highly unlikely the Toffees will be punished during the 2022/23 season.
The charge has to be a huge wake-up call to the club’s hierarchy. The recorded losses are staggering and largely down to the board’s mismanagement in recent years. It’s time for Farhad Moshiri and company to be more prudent in the running of the club and stop handing out big contracts to players who are well past their sell-buy date.
Too often Everton have signed ageing players on huge deals. These players see Goodison Park as one last opportunity at a big contract and the club are continually taking the bait.
When the season does come to a close, the club must ensure they look to a different calibre of player during the summer window. Younger players with a high ceiling should be on the agenda for Sean Dyche and Kevin Thelwell when their shopping spree starts.