Sheffield United manager Paul Heckingbottom believes Everton have shown they are capable of staying in the Premier League as he commented on their points deduction.
A run of three wins from their previous five league fixtures had given Everton breathing space between themselves and the bottom three. That was until they were dealt the most severe punishment in the division’s history due to breaching profit and sustainability rules.
An independent commission sided with the Premier League and, as a result, plunged the Blues into the relegation places. However, the positive form means Sean Dyche’s side are just two points from safety.
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A 10-point penalty in previous years would have resulted in Championship condemnation but Everton will remain optimistic about their survival chances. And speaking to Sky Sports, relegation rival Heckingbottom admitted he has been “impressed” by the Blues while admitting other clubs should be wary of future punishments.
"It's opened the doors to other sanctions,” said Heckingbottom, whose Blades side are now one point above Everton. “We can't just have one team punished if there have been more breaches. We suffered last season from that and I think being a football fan, it's only right. The rules are there for a reason and, if not, what's the point?
"From Everton's point of view, they're going to feel hard done to because they are the first to have it done to them and it's the biggest punishment we've seen in the Premier League. That will only be justifiable if others follow suit with bigger punishments potentially.
"From a football point of view, I've been impressed with Everton this season. They should have more points than they have anyway. While it knocks them down to where they are, they've shown more than enough to show they're going to be fighting and more than capable of working their way out of it. We just hope we finish above them."
