Football finance expert slams Everton media relationship amid £170m Goodison Park accusation
Football finance expert Kieran Maguire has claimed Everton haven’t helped themselves when it comes to the club’s relationship with the media.
The Toffees have been charged by the Premier League in relation to their published losses during the past three years over Profit and Sustainability regulations.
Maguire has suggested Everton will now be at the heart of media scrutiny having previously rubbed certain individuals up the wrong way.
“Having seen the accounts published by other clubs, nobody has come near £170million,” said Maguire (Price of Football Podcast, 10m 26s, 27 March).
“We said this 12 months ago and nothing was done so I think the conclusion people reached in the absence of anything else was that the Premier League were happy.
“These figures cover up to the season 2021/22 and Everton have not published their accounts and they have until 31 March to submit them.
“They will be subject to a lot of scrutiny from fans and journalists. Everton haven’t helped themselves with their relationships with the media. Some of the things which have been said have rubbed people up the wrong way.”
Not good
This charge was coming from a mile off and all eyes will now be on the Premier League and how they will act. The club have robustly responded to the charges, but when comparing the Toffees’ accounts to their rivals, it’s pretty grim reading.
It will be intriguing to see how the Premier League respond to this accusation. A points deduction would be the harshest sanction, but even if that was the punishment, it would likely come into action at the start of the 2023/24 season.
This whole saga should be a wake-up call to the hierarchy at Goodison Park. They simply have to be savvier when it comes to their expenditure in the coming years. Too often, the board have dished out lucrative contracts to players who are well past their best.
Heading into the summer window, the board have to be more prudent in their work and target younger players who can be signed for minimal fees and sold on for maximum value.