Sean Dyche: ‘Hope’ of no Everton points deduction amid confusion on Nottingham Forest verdict
Sean Dyche has indicated hope that Everton will avoid a second points deduction from their recently concluded independent commission hearing.
The Toffees boss spoke in his pre-match press conference (28 March) ahead of the Bournemouth game to reveal he had been told that the club had provided all the information they could but were still in the dark as to what the outcome might be, although he did indicate that the players “seem non-affected” by the situation.
His view comes in the context of Nottingham Forest getting a smaller deduction (four) than Everton did in, either their original hearing (10) or following their appeal (six), with Dyche admitting “I don’t know the minutiae of ours [case] let alone theirs”, but that he didn’t understand how the two had come out so differently.
Predictions for the outcome have ranged from an inevitable second points sanction to possibly escaping one altogether, with the Toffees reportedly resigned to another blow, but the Goodison Park boss suggested that is not the case.
Dyche said: “I think the last one jolted everybody in football so I think really we’re just waiting now, because I don’t think anybody has concrete proof of which way these things will go, particularly after the first one.
“From our point of view we can only give the information that’s appropriate, I wasn’t there obviously but so I’m told, we’ve given every bit of information that we can give, and hope that they see it accordingly what the club’s been trying to do to make sure we’re in the right areas that they need us to be in.
“So therefore we hope it comes to nothing.”
Does Everton season hinge on second points deduction verdict?
On the plus side for Everton is the fact that they appear to be more in line with Nottingham Forest’s situation the second time around than the first, having admitted the charge early.
And with double jeopardy thought to have been a central argument in the second hearing this week the likes of Kieran Maguire have suggested there is a good chance that any sanction could be cut down by two thirds either way.
But the issue remains that rather than a defined set of rules and punishments that might be expected for a sporting competition the current Premier League profit and sustainability charges are essentially operating like distinct legal cases, with different decisions made by separate panels after arguments put forth by different representation.
Dyche will be aware enough not to bank on avoiding another deduction and will hope that if a second is imposed his squad can react in a similar way they did the first time, with a run of excellent results through early December.
He needs a spark from somewhere since the form since the New Year has been far more concerning, so the Everton boss will also hope that whatever the outcome of the second hearing he will have made significant progress with his players on their trip to Portugal, even if not everything went entirely as he had planned.
In other Everton news, a lawyer believes there is a “good chance” that a possible new vote will see the Toffees avoid a third FFP breach.
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