Defiant Jon Walters reacts to second Everton points deduction threat with message at Tony Bellew
Jon Walters’ reaction to the news that Everton face another points deduction if the takeover falls through is to suggest that club will then just be the first to lose 19 points and stay up.
The long-time former Stoke City forward took to Twitter on 12 December after was reported by the Daily Mail’s Matt Hughes that 777 Partners are not set to get approval to become owners this month.
That has reportedly raised fears over the threat of administration with the Americans not willing to continue bankrolling the club with monthly past January, but Walters was defiant in the face of the addition nine-point deduction which would be triggered in such circumstances as he posted his message at fellow Toffees fan Tony Bellew.
Walters wrote over a clip of the ex-boxer being told Everton had beaten Chelsea on his exit from I’m A Celebrity Get Me Out Of Here: “You can take another 9 points off us and we will still stay up.
“Has any club ever stayed up on minus 19 points?
“UP THE TOFFEES”.
Flying
Hard as it is to believe after two years where every point felt like a struggle Everton probably could take the hit of a second points deduction and still be safe.
It is absolutely not a challenge that Sean Dyche will want to have dropped in his lap, even if he might have the possibility in the back of his mind until there is a concrete conclusion to the takeover situation.
If 777 aren’t given the green light there are believed to be alternatives waiting for the opportunity to step in, but it is going to have to be quick if the Americans are cutting off loans thought to be around £20million-per-month within a matter of weeks.
The administration danger will forever be loitering in the background unless or until Farhad Moshiri finally sells, but after investment from MSP Sports Capital also fell through after weeks of expectation it wouldn’t be the greatest shock for this full takeover to not happen.
Somebody needs to fund the everyday goings on at Goodison Park and it apparently isn’t going to be the current majority shareholder, so it is impossible to 100% say administration and nine more points deducted is off the table.
On the other hand, alternative reports also suggest that the takeover is in fact going ahead imminently so it may all prove to be a moot point as contradictory briefings continue to emerge.
Dyche has beaten Nottingham Forest, Newcastle and Chelsea in the last three games without conceding a goal, to claw back 90% of the previous penalty and lift Everton clear of the bottom three again.
Without the deduction the Toffees would be 10th and genuinely gunning for the European places, so in this form it feels the team could overcome most challenges. The hope just has to be that they won’t be required to.
In other Everton news, Gabby Agbonlahor was stunned live on talkSPORT by a “wild” Toffees revelation as Andy Goldstein branded it “unbelievable”.