Chris Sutton shocked live on BBC amid fresh Everton FFP charge
Chris Sutton believes both Everton and Nottingham Forest should have been aware of how close they were to breaching Premier League financial rules.
Both clubs have been referred to an independent commission for alleged breaches of such rules in their accounts for 2022/23 [BBC Sport, 15 January].
The Merseyside outfit are currently appealing against a 10-point deduction from a previous charge, and are now at risk of a further deduction or a fine.
“If Everton and Nottingham Forest were teetering near the edge, they must have been aware of this,” Sutton said on The Monday Night Club on BBC 5 Live Sport (15 January).
“So for example with the Nottingham Forest situation, what I understand, a timeframe is a timeframe. And if that timeframe has surpassed, then they must have known what was going to happen. So why put themselves in that position?”
Worrying
The latest charge is extremely worrying for everyone associated with Everton, with the club having already suffered massively this season with their 10-point deduction.
The Toffees now face another potential points deduction with the new charge, which will be very hard to take for manager Sean Dyche.
The man in the dugout worked extremely hard with his players following the points deduction to rise back up the Premier League standings.
But a poor run of form has put the Toffees right back down towards the danger zone, with Everton now just one point outside the relegation zone.
A further setback would be really damaging, and may just cause many players within the group to give up on the pitch.
That is the last thing that Dyche wants or needs right now, with the manager set for a huge task in the coming months in keeping his squad determined to avoid the drop.
In other Everton news, a BBC Sport pundit has named one Toffees star in his Premier League Team of the Season so far.