Premier League want 12 point deduction if Everton found guilty of breaches

According to a national newspaper the Premier League want a twelve point deduction as punishment if Everton are found guilty by the independent commission of breaking FFP rules.

This is dependent on the commission, set up by the League, ultimately do come down against the Toffees and it is a guilty verdict.

Everton have vehemently denied breaking the rules and have been stating publically that they are very confident the final ruling will vindicate them.

I don’t think many Blues supporters are too surprised though at the enthusiasm that the Premier League appears to have for punishing our club.

Strangely, the football authortities don’t seem to be nearly as keen to pursue others accused of similar or possibly worse examples of breaking the rules.

As ex-Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher has been pointing out, champions Manchester City are supposed to have as many as 115 odd alledged breaches of financial and possibly other rules, but the League does not appear desperate to get on with investigating their case?!

I’m being facetious here obviously, but frankly it is difficult not to see that something is seriously wrong with the way the two clubs are being treated and more generally the different outcomes that so often affect Premier League teams.

Blues supporters witnessed another game at the weekend where the rules of the game on the pitch are selectively applied by a referee with a long history of sending off Everton players, but who was still chosen to officiate the derby at Anfield.

And on the one hand, in Everton’s case, the authorities have proceded with speed, vigor and determination to set up a commission and look into the single alledged breach.

Meanwhile in the other, despite multiple supposed offences, they seem to be behaving a little like the three wise monkeys unable to say or do anything or take action, certainly not with any haste.

I am not saying City are guilty of anything they are charged with, but it does seem clear that we are dealing with a classic case of one rule for some and another for others.

And furthermore, let’s be honest many English clubs are sailing very close to the wind in terms of financial viability and have big deficits year-on-year.

There does seem to be a particular vendetta against our club for reasons I don’t understand. And the authorities appear to be determined to make an example of the Toffees, even though if they have broken any rules, they surely aren’t the only ones.

Having said all that, it is true that Everton have massively and recklessly overspent in recent years and looking at the bald figures, would probably struggle to make a case against a guilty verdict.

But there was the unprecedented situation with the Covid lockdowns, which had a hugely negative impact on the club’s already shaky finances and this appears to be central to the Blues defence. We will see if it is enough.

In truth, regardless of the outcome of this report and the commissions’ recomendations, its hard to avoid feeling the Premier League are desperate to punish Everton and maybe even see the club relegated.

Maybe they (and many of us) thought it would happen on the pitch in each of the last two campaigns, but this pesky club keeps somehow saving themselves, fending off the drop with a game to go and then on the final day, in each season respectively.

Well now it might finally happen, with the Toffees almost certainly being effectively consigned to the Championship if the commission comes up with a guilty verdict and decides on a points deduction and applies it now.