Today the fans of Everton must be devastated. The Evertonians must be shattered over the news about the 10 points deduction after breaches of the Premier League’s Profitability and Sustainability Rules (PSRs). That’s all stems from the lack revenue and the building of the new stadium at Bramley Moore Docks. This in combination of lacking revenue and additional expenses has caused the Premier League to sanction the club.
This is an unfortunate situation for the Toffee’s who has barely avoided relegation two seasons in a row. They haven’t been stable or been in a soft corner or a while now. The leadership of the club has been fluctuated and it has caused further lack of cohesive strategy. That’s why the owner has hired and fired managers on a semi-regular basis. It isn’t a winning formula to build a squad or a successive football club. While the same club has been moving along plans to develop and build a new stadium.
What is striking is that this all stems from a mismanagement and a financial breach of £19.5m in one season and that is now the reason for the 10 points deduction this season. The lack of clarity or foresight is the reason for all of this. While one sponsorship deal with a Russian Company that season could have soften the blow, as it was anticipated to be in the realms of £10m, but the club didn’t do that because of the Russian invasion. Therefore, it has reasons for the lack of revenue and could clearly explain the breach of FFP and PSRs.
It is just such a big punishment for this. When you know other clubs are mixing and juicing up their revenues. This isn’t only a Everton problem that the club has to fix and find ways to adjust the books. There are other clubs that is facing investigations and has to answer for questionable transactions and bookkeeping. Therefore, if Everton is hit this hard… how hard will this be against Chelsea or Manchester City?
Everton is a small player in this one. In the pond of Premier League there are other masters and owners who has another level of spending. These are owners who has used plenty of tricks and ways to “generate revenue” to cover the sudden rise of “expenditure”. That isn’t an Everton problem, but a Premier League problem.
Moshiri and Kenwright has their reasons and their blame. They have built the club this way and now the Toffee’s faces the depressing punishment. The club was safe and getting well ahead of the curb. Now the club is in the relegation zone and will have to continue to win matches to even become safe this season.
Everton and the crowds of Goodison Park have the rights to feel hurt today. They have the rights to wonder why this punishment is coming their way. Some says its the poor who suffers and the rich gets away with it. At the moment is seems so and the onlookers are wondering if there will be any ramifications for the owners and clubs who has more than one breach. This being Chelsea and Manchester City.
If Everton can get deductions over building a stadium. What about Manchester City and their 115 alleged breeches against the FFP? Or the Chelsea allegations in the Abramovich and whatever financial voodoo they do under Boehly?
Questions remain, if there is only clubs like Everton who will face the Independent Commission and get into jeopardy in the League. Because, that’s far from fair and any honest person would wonder why it’s only them who has to face the music.
The Blues and the Toffees should have fared better, but this is where they are. The rules are there, but they have to be implemented alike across the board and the league itself. Not just against one and not against the others. Especially, when it feels like it and it’s easier to take the club who has fought relegation for some time. Then let’s say the clubs who are competing in Champions League and visiting European capitals on a regular basis. Peace.
MinBane 