Richard Masters slammed by politician after Everton ‘forced’ to sell multiple players
Everton are “still under attack” by the Premier League despite being “forced” to sell multiple players, according to Joe Anderson.
The former Liverpool mayor reacted via Twitter on 29 April as top flight clubs were set to vote on changes to spending regulations at a shareholders’ meeting in London the same day [Times], claiming FFP has always been an “oxymoron” when the Toffees have suffered two points deductions for a pair of breaches while Manchester City have yet to be punished with over 100 charges, all contested, hanging over them.
He blasted the league and chief executive Richard Masters for their stance in opposition to Everton throughout recent financial issues, suggesting there was no fair play involved when they have had to sell the likes of Richarlison, Anthony Gordon and Alex Iwobi in recent windows only to still be sanctioned.
Anderson wrote: “Financial Fair Play is an oxymoron if ever there was, the PL & Masters wanted to impose 17 points on Everton & forced club to sell Richarlison, Gordon, Iwobi & others to meet FFP. EFC cooperated and yet are still under attack. City 115 charges yet remain untouched.”
Consternation over Everton and Manchester City cases
The predicament at Goodison Park leaves plenty for the club’s fans to feel aggrieved about, even when Sean Dyche has now led the club to top flight safety once more.
It is impossible to argue that the finances have been managed entirely without issue at Everton, and with Farhad Moshiri now trying to offload the club on 777 Partners the situation remains concerning.
But there remains a feeling that spending practices at numerous other clubs haven’t been spotless either, and that a system of technicalities and loopholes govern the league rather than an actual attempt to provide some sort of parity.
When the regulations which has seen Everton hit by two points deductions and Nottingham Forest one, with all three appealed, already scrapped and more changes to the rules pending it is hard not to see the situation as an arbitrary one, and while there are two sides to every debate but the Toffees rarely seem to come out on top of the argument.
Their breaches were considered straight forward, while City’s are complex and historical, and yet the goalposts were moved sufficiently to see the club sanctioned twice in one campaign while a further element is still so complicated it has been suspended until after the season ends to possibly bring yet another deduction down the line.
The way the independent commission hearings have been set up obliges the two sides to argue for maximum or minimum punishments, yet the size of Everton’s two breaches is roughly the same as Nottingham Forest’s one and the punishments have all differed, while Forest were rewarded for their cooperation only for the league to argue that the Toffees hadn’t cooperated at all.
It is quite possible to argue against Everton on numerous points given the poor management from the top of the club in recent years, but so often there is a caveat that is ignored or a similar situation elsewhere that slides to leave supporters feeling harshly treated.
In other Everton news, Alan Myers has issued a verdict on whether the Toffees could yet see their second points deduction increased amid a “significant” Nottingham Forest factor.
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