Everton fear emerges amid latest points appeal after ‘mind-boggling’ set of developments
Michael Ball fears the uncertainty as Everton appeal their latest points deduction will have an renewed negative effect on the players’ form.
The former Toffees reacted in his Liverpool Echo column on 8 April after the club lost another two points, on top of the six previously deducted after appeal.
He felt that Sean Dyche’s side lost their way during the previous appeal, which brought the sanction down from 10, and amid the “absolute joke” of a second punishment in the same season the ex-defender is concerned the same could happen again after the latest “mind-boggling” different verdict between hearings.
Ball wrote: “I don’t want the uncertainty hampering our performances which I think has happened since the second charge was announced and our levels dropped and the results didn’t come. I feel a lot of that was down to the cloud over the football club.
“We could see that again with the club appealing a second time, the season finishing and doubts over what could happen. It’s a guessing game as to whether we get a point back, both back or even if we can have more added on if we were to fail.
“It feels like an absolute joke that the club have been punished twice in one season yet another of my former clubs Manchester City have 115 charges still hanging over them. For Evertonians there is a feeling of ‘it’s always us.’
“The rules are changing again for next season so the Premier League are just becoming a laughing stock. The inconsistency over the results of these three different commissions is mind-boggling.”
Sean Dyche must rouse Everton side after second points deduction
The Toffees actually reacted to the first points deduction by going on an excellent run of wins in December, following a disappointing loss to Manchester United.
So if Dyche can get something of the same in response to the latest punishment it would go a long way to ensuring their safety for another year.
With the threat of more sanctions on the way next season there doesn’t look set to be any let-up in the size of the challenge the manager and his players face, but a couple more results on top the long-awaited first win of 2024 against Burnley at the weekend would relieve some of the pressure.
The latest commission appear to have been more sympathetic to Everton that the previous one, or indeed the appeals panel, in that they have allowed for some mitigation on the point of having lost Alisher Usmanov-related sponsorship and started from a lower base sanction in the first place.
And yet even that comes with a caveat, as the dispute over stadium interest payments which was has been postponed to a later hearing which could bring another punishment next season.
That each of the three panels Everton have argued their case to have been different, and Nottingham Forest’s separate still, has led to all making different value judgments on the matters at hand and ultimately provided as many questions as answers.
But Dyche will hope there is no way for his points total to be further diminished in the current relegation battle so will need to get his players focused on that fact, that, in theory, the only way is up between now and the final day.
In other Everton news, a price and contract projection has emerged as a new continental giant eyes a move for one Toffees ace after the latest points deduction.
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