The incorrect way to view Everton's point deficit...

The incorrect way to view Everton’s point deficit.

Following the announcement last week that Everton had lost 10 points to the Premier League,

I ought to have been as ecstatic as Larry the clam.

I ought to have felt like a two-tailed dog walking around town with a large brush and a bucket of red paint.

You see, growing up in Liverpool, as I did, you develop an intense

hatred for your rival football team—Everton, in my case—in your DNA.

I want them to lose every game they play. unadulterated and basic.

And I have no doubt that when Liverpool lose,

every Evertonian feels ecstatic. That’s the nature of things. If you will,

there is an unwritten law that needs to be observed.

However, after it was decided to dock the Blues an incredible 10 points

for violating the Premier League Profitability and Sustainability rules,

I couldn’t help but notice how unjust and extremely harsh the penalty was.

“Everton are a blood sacrifice to show the Premier League can bring order to the Wild West,”

noted the incredibly gifted journalist for the Mail on Sunday, putting it far better than I could have.

Let us address one point directly from the outset.

Everton should have received punishment for breaking the rules.

All of Everton’s supporters, including myself, are aware of this.

They significantly exceeded their annual losses allowance due to their significant overspending.

To be fair, they couldn’t have predicted a lot of unforeseen events,

such as the COVID pandemic and the war in Ukraine,

which resulted in the EU imposing sanctions on their main sponsor,

Alisher Usmanov, which prevented him from receiving funding.

In addition, the team is currently devoting a significant portion of its budget to the construction of an extravagant new stadium.

Granted, other teams were also impacted by COVID,

but a ten-point deduction? Truly? This is the harshest penalty since

Portsmouth FC was docked nine points and put into administration in 2010.

But it’s not all doom and gloom. Everton of late have had some decent results,

and although they are now back in the relegation zone, they are only two points away from safety.