More PSR confusion as Forest receive lighter punishment than Everton

However, despite this Forest have only been docked four points for having overspent, just as Everton did but significantly more so too.

It is beyond belief how ridiculous and farcical this situation has become. And the first question might be if the Toffees were docked ten points then why haven't Forest also suffered that fate?

Although the details of Forest's case are slightly different, it is possibly arguable that they behaved more recklessly towards these regulations than Everton did.

The Midlands club didn't sell one of their prime playing assets, Brennan Johnson, within the time-frame under scrutiny and held out for a bigger fee before doing so thereby taking them over the accounting period in the process.

Contrast that with the Blues who sold Richarlison to Spurs within the accounting period, and for considerably less than his likely market value, if they had been able to hold onto him for longer.

That was apparently done to try and comply, albeit perhaps belatedly, with the rules and show a commitment to bringing the Toffees finances back into line.

None of this is to claim Everton did not breach the rules, they did.

But, as the club's partially successful appeal underlined, there was an indication of the willingness of the club to try and act in good faith.

By the way this is also not an attack on Forest at all, but it indicates just how ridiculous this situation has become and how unsatisfactory it all is.

Forest have apparently been treated more leniently because they fronted up and admitted their guilt straight away rather than contesting the charges as Everton initially did.

But I don't think that should matter because points deducted (or not deducted) directly affects the outcome of the season on the pitch.

This is not a mitigation of a fine for good behaviour, instead it is a direct sporting punishment which hits not only the club concerned but also those around it.

You could argue that this season is effectively null and void - at least from the point of view of the clubs in the bottom half - given all the chaos and confusion these points deductions have caused.

Because of course, the current and final standings don't and won't simply and only reflect actual on-the-pitch football outcomes accurately.

And, the report into Forest's breach couldn't find any clarity on why the Toffees had been handed a ten point penalty in November!

This is the essential heart of the problem.

This is the consequence of a process in which the rules and punishments are unclear, thereby leaving scope for differing interpretations. Especially when variable sporting sanctions are imposed on clubs for financial misdemeanors.

While all this is going on it appears increasingly likely that Premier League clubs will vote to change the PSR regulations, with such a change potentially coming in time for next season.

So, what would that mean for other clubs who have had allegations made against them and whose cases have yet to be heard?

Futhermore, there is the looming threat of yet another potential points deduction for the Blues when the commission reports on the second charge they are facing.

As expected Forest have announced they will appeal and given that the Toffees did the same and will surely do so again if they are deducted more points, this process quite possibly won't be over until well after the season concludes. Farcical.