Ian Wright sends ‘beautiful’ Everton message after what he saw
Ian Wright has taken to his podcast to praise how Everton have reacted to the 10-point deduction handed to them by the Premier League.
Off the back of three straight wins, picking up nine points against Nottingham Forest, Newcastle United and Chelsea, Sean Dyche and his men have responded brilliantly to the punishment that left them with four points.
Wright was full of compliments for the Toffees, suggesting that they found the “energy, gusto, goodwill and bonhomie” to claw themselves out of the Premier League relegation zone.
“Everton, it’s a beautiful thing to see,” he said on his podcast Wrighty’s House (12 December). “They’ve taken everything on board.
“And let’s face it, before the points deduction, they were playing the type of football where they would have been okay anyway. So they kept playing the same way.
“I’m just glad they didn’t get bogged down with the 10-point deduction, saying ‘it’s not fair’. They used it [as motivation].”
Credit where it’s due
There are two ways Everton’s season could have gone after the punishment from the Premier League due to a profit and sustainability breach. The Toffees took the positive pick, climbing out of the relegation zone after three games.
They were not easy matches either. But Everton took motivation, fighting back against the league and proving why they deserve to stay in the division by keeping clean sheets against Forest, Newcastle and Chelsea.
With Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester City coming up in two of Everton’s next three fixtures, it was vital that the Toffees claimed important points before a tough run of games.
The players look rejuvenated. From Jordan Pickford in goal to James Tarkowski and Jarrad Branthwaite in defence, James Garner and Abdoulaye Doucoure in midfield, and Dominic Calvert-Lewin up front, they are in fine form.
As Dyche was reminded in a post-match press conference, without the points deduction, Everton would be in the top half of the table right now, above the likes of Brentford and Chelsea. But it could be argued their turmoil created this turn in form.
In other Everton news, 777 are “keen” on multiple signings at Goodison Park with the takeover now set to be completed ready for January.