Everton facing sickening reality of 10 point deduction as three blunt questions emerge

The fallout from Everton being docked 10 points after being found guilty of breaching the Premier League’s profit and sustainability rules continues.

The punishment was imposed by an independent commission after a disciplinary hearing took place last month. Everton will formally lodge their appeal this week after claiming the punishment was a 'wholly disproportionate and unjust sporting sanction'.

The appeal must be heard and concluded before the end of the season, but for now, the Blues currently find themselves second from bottom in the Premier League table. Only goal difference is keeping Sean Dyche's side above Burnley.

On the pitch, the Blues return to action on Sunday afternoon when Manchester United visit Goodison Park. And with events on and off the pitch in mind, our Everton jury has had their say on what is going on at the club.

Alex McMonnies - Hardly befitting of the crime

So it’s been a relatively quiet international break in terms of news regarding Everton, hasn’t it?

I don’t want to go into too much detail on my thoughts of the independent commission’s ruling last Friday, but I feel it goes without saying that I am of the almost unanimous opinion that Everton have been hard done by and that the punishment of an immediate 10-point deduction is hardly befitting of the crime.

It’s a tough situation, and the really sickening reality of it all is that as it stands, we have been thrust right back into the relegation conversation in spite of all Sean Dyche’s hard work and the wins the side have managed to grind out in recent weeks. But at least one positive is that this has seemingly re-united the club and fanbase in a way that would have seemed inconceivable last season.

We are all now singing from the same hymn sheet, and that means that the atmosphere on Sunday for the match against Manchester United promises to be thunderous. Because amidst all of this, we now have a team to get behind who, through no fault of their own, have been plunged back into the relegation zone, despite only last week being eight points clear of it.

One thing is for certain: Erik ten Hag’s side will not be looking forward to their trip to Merseyside on Sunday afternoon. United have already been caught in the thick of a determined Goodison Park exercise, if you will, when they faced the Toffees in the midst of a fight against relegation in April 2022 and lost 1-0, thanks to a deflected Anthony Gordon strike.

They have had several wobbly moments already this season but tend to get the job done even when not playing very well. Everton must not let that happen on Sunday, and encouragingly, most top sides have had to play extremely well to take away anything from Goodison since Dyche came in.

The fans will certainly be chomping at the bit in the stands on Sunday, but can the players replicate that mentality on the pitch?

Paul McParlan - We get knocked down, but we get up again

Everton supporters everywhere are still reeling from the shock of the draconian punishment delivered by the independent commission on Friday.

It was far in excess of what was anticipated. We all knew that this day of reckoning was looming, but by any standards, the deduction of 10 points seems a clear case of the punishment not fitting the crime.

And fans are now forced to suffer for the extravagance of Farhad Moshiri, who thought that he could throw money around without consideration of the financial consequences for Everton.

The ramifications of the penalty need to be considered carefully. Every game now becomes a 'must-win'. The pressure on the players to play above and beyond their ability in every fixture will place an incredible burden on the squad and the management team.

Having to play the equivalent of 26 cup finals before the end of the season will stretch Everton’s limited resources like never before. Decisions will have to be made: will Everton sacrifice their ambitions in the League Cup and FA Cup to prioritise Premier League safety during a congested period of Christmas fixtures? What happens in January if somebody makes an offer we can’t refuse for Jarrad Branthwaite or Jordan Pickford? Or worst-case scenario: what if Sean Dyche decides he has simply had enough?

Suddenly, the teams around Everton have been handed a massive boost to their hopes of staying up, which might kick start their own campaigns. That home defeat to Luton Town is looking very costly now.

And given that the Premier League appears so desperate to get rid of Everton, do we seriously expect to have any contentious VAR decisions in our favour now? I don’t think so.

Nevertheless, Everton’s fate is still in their own hands. The Blues are only two points away from safety. Our home form is going to be more important than ever. We must start winning at Goodison again.

Manchester United will be tough opponents, but they will be facing a seething cauldron, ignited by a vociferous support high on injustice and indignation. This is an ideal time to make a club that wanted to be part of the European Super League feel our wrath.

The fightback starts now. Three points on Sunday would be a massive boost. It will also send a defiant message to the world that we are Everton, and Evertonians are a group you really don’t want to mess with!

Luke Davies - Goodison will be a cauldron

After a turbulent week for the toffees, we must focus attention on the next game.

I agree with most supporters that the harshness of the punishment is disproportionate, although we have to wait and see what happens next.

Our job as fans is to get behind this team; the players need us more than ever. I don’t doubt that Sunday will be a raucous atmosphere, and Manchester United aren’t particularly known for their ability to cope with stressful situations (not anymore, anyway). A siege mentality will be evident. I expect the team to respond with a performance.

I can’t wait to be in that stadium; the manager will be the same. In terms of selection, I’d go for an unchanged side at Crystal Palace; there isn't a reason to disrupt a winning side.

The opposition is in better league form than you’d expect - victorious in four out of their last five. It would be easy to convince yourself that United is struggling for points if you listened to several media outlets, but they churn out wins. We should expect three points for either side, as the visitors have yet to draw a game this season.

Historically, United at Goodison has been a dramatic fixture; Mikel Arteta’s shot spun off Paul Scholes to secure a 3-3 draw back in 2010. Of course, the FA Cup semi-final in 2009 stands out, as does the 1995 FA Cup final, although I wasn’t born to remember that one. I could go on.

The key period of the game will be the first quarter. The Blues are the quickest starters in the league, scoring twice in the first 10 minutes of their last two fixtures and five goals in the opening 15 minutes of matches this season.

The blend of a quick start, a hostile atmosphere, and a United team known for their inability to sustain pressure should combine to produce a positive result. I would be shocked if we saw anything but an Everton win, a victory that would take us to seven points in the Premier League’s book but 17 in reality.

Momentum is still important. Let’s not forget that this side has turned a corner lately. Come on, Everton!