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Alan Shearer strikes gold with Everton relegation verdict after Goodison Park crisis
Alan Shearer has hit the nail on the head with his comments regarding the chances of Everton avoiding another costly relegation as another crisis breaks at Goodison Park.
Sean Dyche’s side have slipped into the relegation zone after an Independent Commission decided to deduct the Toffees ten points (Sky Sports, 17 November) after they were found guilty of breaking the Premier League’s profit and sustainability rules.
Everton officially stated soon afterwards that they are “shocked and disappointed” by the ruling and have vowed to appeal after being handed the largest deduction punishment in the history of the Premier League.
As a result, Everton now sit 19th in the Premier League, two points away from Luton Town in 17th.
Having seen improvements from Dyche’s side over the last few weeks with four wins from their last six in all competitions [SofaScore], Shearer intriguingly argues that the Toffees should have enough to avoid relegation again at the end of the season given the new crisis development.
Speaking on The Rest Is Football podcast (20 November, 20:00) he said: “If there is a going to be a time when you are deducted 10 points, this probably the season in which you think, ‘at least we’ve got a realistic chance of getting ourselves out of the mess that we’re in’.
“Because the standard at the bottom half this season is as bad as it has been for a long time. I think they can recover, I think they will get out of it.
“Such is what I have seen in the last five or six weeks that I believe they would have definitely stayed up [without the points deduction]. Even with this 10-point deficit, I think they will stay up, I think they will have enough, yeah.”
No one will be more disappointed at Everton than Dyche with this dreadful development. After such stark and encouraging progress in recent weeks, the Blues have literally been kicked back down to earth by the Premier League.
Ten points is incredibly harsh and excessive and the independent commission is certainly trying to make an example of the Toffees rather than actually punish them for breaching the rules.
Majority shareholder Farhad Moshiri can admit some blame for what’s happened and surely deserves some form of punishment for his incompetence in recent years but the fact that Dyche and his team are having to brent much of the flack is treacherous.
However, Shearer has hit the nail on the head with his verdict that Everton should have enough to survive relegation given the struggles the clubs around them are embroiled in trying to win points in the English top-flight and the Toffees renaissance under Dyche’s management.
The Toffees are unbeaten in their last four matches in all competitions, picking up results against incredibly tough opposition, including Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park, West Ham at the London Stadium and a point against high-flying Brighton.
There is still two-thirds of the campaign to be played and plenty of points to be played for between now and May. So, the deduction could have come at the right time rather than further down the line if Everton were to struggle for points.
Things have been made tougher for the Toffees, but they have a manager who has become a master of dodging relegation and players who now have experience of surviving adversity in the Premier League.
In other Everton news, new Bramley Moore Dock concerns could lead to added costs for the Toffees