Everton could avoid second points deduction after ‘disadvantage’ vs Nottingham Forest
Alan Myers has suggested that Everton may no longer be in line for a second points deduction in the wake of the punishment imposed on Nottingham Forest.
The Sky Sports journalist reacted on Twitter after the news that a four-point sanction had been handed down at the City Ground, speculating that the Toffees original 10-points reduced to six on appeal had acted as precedent and left the club at a “disadvantage”.
Myers suggested that the final size of the Everton penalty had acted as the “starting point” for Forest’s, with the commission seeing fit to then hand two back based on an early plea and cooperation, and after the latest developments he now feels that there may not be a second deduction on the horizon at Goodison Park.
Myers wrote: “It appears to me Everton’s previous case and subsequent appeal has now acted as precedent, the original 10 points reduced to 6 on appeal clearly a disadvantage as now the starting point is 6, and not 10 (have I got that right?).”
Then when asked about another points deduction he said: “I don’t know, my guess would be no but don’t hold me to it.”
Everton to avoid further blow in Premier League table after Nottingham Forest verdict?
If Everton had to go through extra problems as the test case for these FFP punishments then it will please nobody at Goodison Park, but the different arguments at different hearings have made the situation tricky to predict.
Forest sought to paint the Toffees in a negative light to get a lighter penalty and appear to have succeeded, and the regulations are all set to change sooner rather than later anyway.
While none of that will likely leave Everton feeling particularly happy the possibility of avoiding a second points sanction, and thereby greatly increase chances of staying in the Premier League, maybe would.
The club admitted their guilt alongside Forest this time around and have already been punished for two thirds of the relevant period of spending.
So if at the City Ground they were awarded points back on the grounds of cooperation, and there was already a valid hope of seeing any further Toffees penalty reduced by two thirds, then perhaps more damage to Sean Dyche’s season could be minimal.
Additionally, with the potential for further appeals from Forest and Everton possibly reducing the size of sanctions further there is perhaps some logic to Myers’ guess.
But at the same time, in light of how most things have fallen in recent months, Evertonians will perhaps feel that making predictions that are too hopeful only opens them up for greater disappointment.
In other Everton news, a senior Toffees player stepped in after Sean Dyche got into an incident with a player.
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