Though Sean Dyche believes the football world was “stunned” by Everton’s 10-point deduction, he says the Toffees must face their situation head-on and ignore questions over any possible changes to their position.
Everton were handed their points deduction – the largest in Premier League history – earlier this month after an independent commission found them to have broken the competition’s Profit and Sustainability Rules.
The Toffees dropped from 14th in the table to 19th after they were ruled to have exceeded the Premier League’s maximum loss limit by £19.5million during a four-season period between 2018 and 2022.
Things got worse for Everton last weekend as they were beaten 3-0 by Manchester United, and they now sit five points adrift of safety following Luton Town’s hard-fought win over Crystal Palace.
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Everton have announced their intention to appeal the punishment, though reports on Thursday suggested they could be close to breaching the rules for a second time, with new regulations stating any further penalties should be applied before the end of the current season.
Dyche, however, says Everton cannot afford to be caught up in the uncertainty and must simply focus on regaining the points they have lost.
“I have not been told anything else, other than what has happened so far,” Dyche said on Thursday as he previewed Saturday’s trip to Nottingham Forest.
“We were stunned, and so was football, by the outcome of the 10 points, so who knows what comes next.
“We have to keep rewarding the fans with good performances and winning performances.”#EFC 🔵
— Everton (@Everton) November 28, 2023
“The way it sounds is it is not just going to be us, with others possibly looked at over time. We have to wait and see.
“The fact is that the recent situation has stunned us, who knows what comes next. We just have to be ready for whatever comes next, as best we can.
“You can’t go on ifs, buts and maybes. The recent facts as to what has happened are facts at this time, and we park that and move forward.
“The 10 points are not currently there so we basically have to crack on.
“It does not change the facts of the matter. When I got here we had to win more games and that doesn’t change.”
Saturday’s opponents Forest are among the teams Everton may hope to reel in over the coming weeks, but the Toffees have a few selection issues to contend with ahead of the game.
Dyche confirmed on Thursday that midfielder Amadou Onana is “unlikely” to be fit, while striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin must be assessed after suffering from tightness in his calf.
Everton face a daunting run of fixtures after their trip to the City Ground, taking on Newcastle United, Chelsea, Tottenham and Manchester City in their next five league games, as well as fellow relegation candidates Burnley.
“Amadou is unlikely [to play on Saturday], Beto is likely and trained today. Dom, we’re just being careful with. We’ll make a decision on him over the next couple of days.”@wearfigs 🔵 #NFOEVE pic.twitter.com/hF0zijoFBz
— Everton (@Everton) November 30, 2023
