No Excuses

Well, perhaps the welcome news that independent regulation is on the way and that is in large part, I think, down to the select committee's reaction to the North Wharf Road arrogant turd.

12 points is simply too much to come back from.

It's a simplistic view, but just beat those around you. And them of course!

It's been said many times. The Premier League is making this up as they go along. Get a truly independent regulator in to hold them accountable and dig into their alleged frameworks.

Fat cats milking their positions… It's almost Stalinist.

This might not turn out to be a great move as other bodies like Ofcom, Ofgen etc have been less than perfect but anything that takes power from the PL and the FL is surely a step in the right direction.

The payers and staff at Everton really need to get their act together. Never mind uncertainty. They have had a nice holliday and rested injuries etc and like all of the other clubs in the Bottom 6, they will have to put external worries about further charges and appeals to the backs of their minds and get on with their jobs.

Personally, I think we will continue to struggle for goals and we will be in the mix until the last game and then we will have to wait, like everyone else, to see the final league table.

The answer, of course, is to win a few games. If we are back to full strength and Coleman can play right-back, then we might be okay.

Does para 9.20 of the Commission report into the Nottm Forest case show that the Forest Commission did in fact use the benchmark used by the Appeal Board in Everton's case??

Looking at the run-in for the clubs, I'd say we have a relatively decent run-in. Apart from Liverpool and Arsenal games, I think we can take points from the others.

Forest have a relatively good run-in and are strong at home. Luton's next four could be decisive; I can't see them getting anything from Spurs, Arsenal, or Man City.

If they were to lose at home to Bournemouth as well, I think that would probably be them gone, particularly if we were to win at least
two of our next four.

Good Luck, Everton.

I don't think it's right to say they didn't follow the benchmark from our case. They did.

Where Lyndon is right is that there is no transparent framework for sanctions in place. The original commission had nothing to go on, our appeal commission used the EFL guidelines to some extent, and then Forest's Commission used the benchmarks from our appeal. All 3 independent commissions have had to use their own judgement to fill in the gaps.

The main gap is whether we got the additional 3 points for the £19.5M breach. They've ended up assuming it was an extra 3 points for a 'significant breach' including aggravating factors (telling porkies). And Forest got an extra 3 points for a more significant breach without aggravating factors.

That feels about right, but there wouldn't be any 'feel' required if the Premier League could do their job.

My belief is that the 10-point deduction was designed to put the club under a massive amount of pressure,and this is exactly what has happened to a small squad, that had been getting weakened over the last few years by the Premier League before they came in with such a massive punishment. (I think this has been proven now we have seen Forest's, punishment.)

The players are still under pressure because they must feel that there's a big chance our club will be punished again but none of them will want to be relegated and I'm sure they would all like to stick two fingers up at the Premier League.

With everyone fit, Everton have simply not been a relegation team this season, so after a 3-week break, then everyone should be fit and refreshed enough, to pull us away from danger.

The world is a brutal place, which means that all the excuses in the world mean absolutely nothing, unfortunately, so the quicker the whole club adopts this truth, then the quicker we will finally move forward.

I'm as "exercised" as everybody else about certain elements of our case but I think it's also important to be honest about, for example, what the Commission and Appeals reports are and are not saying.

Then again, seeing the total amateurism, incompetence and yes, corruption of the Premier League and its commissions, it might be that Forest finish up with no points deducted!

Likewise Forest didn't get their mitigation regarding Johnson accepted.

I'm all for challenging points deductions. Certainly the first one was excessive and all judgements have had a subjective element. Likewise the sanctions are poorly administered and absolutely not transparent.

But I think we have to turn our attention to the club's leadership and to the pitch. Both are of incredible importance to our ongoing existence. And both are currently failing massively. And making changes in those areas is something that the club does have control over.

Where is the pressure on the manager to try something to arrest our dismal form? Where is the pressure for Moshiri to sell to someone who can actually afford us? That's all stopped in favour of lamenting our bad luck on the pitch and brandishing 'Corrupt' posters to lament our misfortune off the pitch. Don't tell me there isn't someone out there - it's just a matter of the price. And it's far more important than this stuff.

Hopefully soon the league will make a decision on 777, because the fear of administration grows daily, when you consider they are allegedly going to stop lending the club money, at the end of this month, and if we can’t pay the players, then this is usually another automatic point’s deduction? Or do clubs receive a suspended penalty first?

Honestly, it terrifies me. It's an existential threat. Isn't it?

I'd add the misrepresentation about our Appeal hearing - we weren't shown to have acted in good faith (we just shouldn't have been found guilty of not acting in good faith as that charge was never brought against us).

So rules that are supposed to be black-and-white and implemented to a transparent, open and fully understood sanctions framework are anything but.

This is perhaps the clearest explanation for the cry of 'Corruption' howled to the rafters by distraught Evertonians these past months.

I just wonder how true this is? I mean, the "transparent, open and fully understood sanctions framework"? There never was such a thing – and never such a claim or presumption, within the Premier League framework at least.

Yes, all right-thinking fans and even disinterested observers would reasonably assume that's what should be in place… but as Joe Thomas says: "There is no formula to decide the sanction for breaches of profitability and sustainability rules because the clubs did not want one."

Also, "rules that are supposed to be black-and-white"? Same considerations apply. They should be (obviously)… but that's not what the Premier League clubs agreed to.

For me, the 'Corruption' charge still comes down to whether the Premier League's rules were implemented correctly, as written, or not? If they were, then the charge of 'Corruption' seems difficult to sustain — despite all the incomprehensible inconsistencies that have now been exposed.

As much as I am sure we all feel aggrieved by the seemingly endless conflict with the PL, I feel Everton have been buffeted to some degree by other results “going our way” and as such, the manager and the team should now start to deliver and lift the club away from the drop zone whilst having complete focus upon what we can achieve in the field of play. A win on the south coast on March 30th would go a long way to that end.

It feels like an eternity until we go to Bournemouth and focus on the football again.

We will win enough games and the eternal optimist in me fancies us against them.

We're in a corner blues. Come out fighting.

Our Appeal Commission made a comment along the lines of it being very obvious to clubs that any breach would result in a points deduction.

The 3+3 wasn't tabulated by our Appeal Commission but it was there.

Absent any particular mitigation, three is therefore the minimum points deduction prescribed by the EFL Guidelines, with an increase in that minimum to reflect extent of breach in money terms of one point per £2m-£2.5m up to a maximum of 12 points leaving aside any particular aggravation. On the information available, the EFL Guidelines appear to us to suggest that, without descending to precise numbers (which would be over-mathematical), where there is a significant overspend in percentage terms beyond the upper loss threshold, such as of the order of 20%, without other factors, it is appropriate for that to be reflected in an additional three points sanction.

I mentioned yesterday afternoon on another thread I found it amazing that the Forest Commission noted point after point both Everton's initial charge and their appeal, thereby obviously using us as a guideline. Finally when actually determining the Forest decision they didn't have a clue how our deduction had been arrived at.
Not only did they not have a clue about how our point deduction had been derived but they strangely used our position to ascertain that Forest should get an 8 point deduction and then ignore the calculation.

As with Everton, any deduction should have been obtained on appeal. It appears in this case the commission agreed 8 points could be justified and then immediately pre-empted an appeal and reduced it down to 4

An equal playing field is all we can ask for. When this is not applied then incompetence and/or corruption surely, can legitimately be called

It's not true that they didn't have a clue as to how we got our deduction. They made an assumption as to whether our additional 3 points included aggravating factors (misleading the PL). That's all. They knew it was 3 as an entry point and 3 for a significant breach.

It's not true that they justified an 8 point deduction for Forest. They stated 8 points would be the maximum for a breach given administration is worth 9 in the PL framework.

And it's certainly not right that they would ignore all of that history and give them a higher punishment to make them work a bit harder for a reduction in the punishment. They're supposed to reach what they believe is the right decision - not set a mark to be reduced on appeal.

We didn't get our reduction just because we appealed. It's not a parking fine. We got it because we demonstrated in the appeal that the punishment was not consistent with the PL's rule framework and did not take into account existing benchmarks.

Everton face another charge, Forest can appeal this.

The outcomes of Everton and Forest's final ruling will not be known until after the season.

If they had been consistent you'd have some faith that it's in Everton's hands. The fact Forest were hit for 4 not 6 or 10 gives you no confidence at all in the next charge Everton is facing.

We could get an "independent" panel that decides we need another 10. We appeal Forest appeal and only one of us goes down. Would you trust them to treat Everton fairly?

This needs stopping now. Everton should use whatever they have in their power to take the Premier League to court. If they can't then the fans need to.

This league will ultimately be decided by who the Premier league wants to relegate and not on results and points earnt.

It's sending us down when we don't deserve to be, and it stinks. It's one of either corruption or incompetence of the highest order.

To stay up we'll need to pick up around 15 points, which could leave us on 34 points. That's 4-5 wins, with 4 winnable games remaining. There is absolutely no margin for error

They will now be charged with…
3pts for breaching PSR
3 pts for a “serious breach” (we now know it doesn’t matter if you’re £19.5m over or £500m over - it’s still just a “serious breach”)
2-4pts for not initially complying with the premier league.

Man City should therefore receive somewhere between an 8-10pt penalty for their 115 charges based on what has been published for us and Forest.

In dealing with the Premier League, Everton were weak from the start.The whole process was not based on rules, but negotiation.Everton did not engaged in any negotiation from the start.They were rudderles and the whole Club was run that way.Dyche has attempted to lead, without help. He has limited ability.The Club is being still run the same as always, so the players are use to it.

Precedence has been set in the tribunal decision making, and all ready it is making a mockery of the whole situation. Fools rush in, where Angels fear to tread.

The PL have not clearly thought out all the implications, not only affecting the clubs that have allegedly broken the spending rules, but also those who allege that because clubs have allegedly broken the spending rules, those actions have impacted upon their PL survival, and/or they have been disadvantaged.

I think that this mess will rumble on for months, and whereas some clubs accept the findings and take points deduction, albeit after appeal, other clubs who claim that they have been disadvantaged will continue to question the fairness of any decisions.

The Premier League will probably stay untouchable, everything will be weighted in line with keeping The 6 at the top and we'll carry on scrabbling around pointlessly year on year in the vain hope that one day we'll win something.

I'm 51 in the summer, and my best guess is that we'll never win anything again in my lifetime because the doors are shut and the drawbridge has long since been pulled up with us locked out.

Football has become solely about matchday victories for a club like ours now - the days of being top of the league, or winning a cup are over.

It's not the winning that counts, it's the taking part.

For example I don't think we know how many charges actually relate to overspending the PSR.

It's hard to believe there won't be some though. Realistically they don't need that many 'sporting advantage' charges to be well and truly relegated if punishment is applied evenly.

Another thought has also crossed my mind because of what I consider to be unbalanced punishments, and that is that the league have been embarrassed by the Evertonians, who never took their clubs punishment, lying down, and have got the commission to wangle some kind of reward to the supporters of Nottingham Forest

Sorry to bore everyone with my military analogies, but rules and regulations should be black and white. No question or debate.

Guidelines are different. They are vague and ambiguous. Open to interpretation.

We used to have "harmony guidelines" to try and avoid sending people out into conflict zones within 18 months of returning.

Guidelines. We often had to send people within 6 months. I, myself spent most of 2007 through to 2010 deployed in Helmand.

Anyway, I digress. Get this shower of a Premier League properly regulated and held accountable.

The laws are a shambles, and these new rules that have been proposed are only going to close the shop a lot further. Especially when you consider how many of the biggest clubs in Europe are still allowed to keep entering the competition where these new rules are coming from (Europe) – despite having astronomical debt.

"The Commission does not know how the three extra points were arrived at by the Appeal Board for Everton, but some part of those three points must relate to the provision of incorrect information."

Ernie, to me, that sounds like they didn't have a clue how our extra 3 points were inflicted. Assumption is definitely not "knowing" Assumption is a guess.

And, as they say, the 3 points may not have been all for a breach but for incorrect information. So how many for the breach and how many for incorrect information? All wishy-washy.

14.4: If the Commission applied the same approach to Forest, this would also result in five points being awarded for the breach of £34.5 million, to be added to the minimum of three points.

They didn't just mention the 8 points in reference to administration, they actually calculated how they arrived at 8 points in section 14.3

It is fair to say that Forest determined that all PSR breaches should not inflict more than 8 points as a breach was far less serious than insolvency. That being the case, why did not the Commission agree with Forest and give them the 8 points??
Why did our commission totally ignore that argument and inflict us with 10 points???

14.5 Mentions a mitigation of co-operation and early plea in a reduction of two points. So that's 6 points.

Sorry, Ernie, in my book, I just repeat: incompetence and/or corruption. The Forest commission had more than enough of a guideline to work from from both our charge and appeal in which to guide their decision. They quoted us often enough and, at the end, went their own merry way.

3 commissions 3 separate decisions from 3 different processes.

We did get our points back because we appealed. If we hadn't appealed, the 10-point deduction would have remained. Our appeal was won on 2 legal grounds.

One, the original commission was wrong in saying we were "less than frank" regarding new stadium debt;
Two, the Commission were wrong in not using available benchmarks such as EFL guidelines.

The whole bloody thing is a complete shambles and there has to be some legal path for whoever gets relegated to fight this charade.

I will be absolutely amazed if we get another 6 points and if we get a 1-point deduction, I will be surprised. The 6 points was far too much but it forewarned all the other clubs what lay ahead for them and they have and will benefit from watching us being the guinea pigs and scapegoats in the future.

You could argue that Forest already have although I would say that neither club should have been charged under rules and sentences that were not fixed firmly in place.

It's pretty clear now that any breach is a minimum of 3 points. Anything that is considered to be a ‘significant' breach is going to get a further 3 points (based on the Forest wording), ie, not a sliding scale.

I'm thinking that the definition of 'significant' could easily be anything more than +5% or £5M say.

I'm guessing that we are more than £5M over, so we can assume a 6-point deduction could easily be applied. Everton may get the benefit of cooperation like Forest did, but I don't think there's a cat in hell's chance that the Premier League would advocate for us in the same way as they did for Forest.

So, in my judgment, we're getting a further 6 points. So far, the commissions have rejected almost every mitigation both clubs have put forward and have taken a very black-and-white view with minimal subjectivity. This means that I feel that we have very little chance of any mitigation being successful and that includes any argument on double jeopardy.

Points deductions are being applied immediately and our argument that you can't be punished twice in the same season is going to fail for 2 linked reasons. Both are related to Forest.

Firstly the 2022-23 breach for Forest is being applied this season, so Everton's should be the same.

Secondly, Forest absolutely stuck the boot into us in their submissions by claiming that Everton deliberately delayed the first hearing to avoid relegation last season.

How they can claim that is beyond me but this clearly gained some traction based on the commission's comments. These two factors will make it difficult to avoid the second punishment being applied this year.

We need to assume that we're currently on 19 points, 2 behind Forest and 3 behind Luton and we're going to have to fight for every single point to avoid the drop.

The prevailing winds are against us. We have strikers who can't score – not even, in the Grafton.

Calvert-Lewin has not looked the same since Martinez refigured his cheekbone. He's also pissed with Evertonians for booing him that day as he was substituted and, in my opinion, he's right to be so. He's also become a father and as us fathers know trying to get enough sleep can be a problem, when a baby arrives.

Beto is a trier and will give all he has but all he has, is so far nowhere near what we require right now. I'd love to see him score 7 or 8 goals before the season ends – but will he?

Chermiti and Dobbin, who knows. We just need someone to hit a rich vein of form in front of goal and it needs to start at Bournemouth.

It's administration that scares the hell out of me and I don't trust Moshiri one bit.

That is incorrect: Everton were deducted 10 points and got 4 points back and the appeal commission gave 2 back because they said that Everton didn't obstruct the investigation. Also, Forest were given an initial 6-point deduction but got 2 back for being very helpful through the process.

As I keep saying, this is not a civil trial, this is a commission set up by the Premier League, and Everton by appealing proved that the initial judgement was wrong.

Again, some reporters on Sky Sports News are saying Forest might get an additional 2 points deducted if they appeal — where does it say that in the rules?

Like most of the rules brought in by Uefa and the Premier League, they are there to facilitate the wishes of the rich and powerful clubs, and it's no coincidence that it's the clubs at the wrong end of the table who have been found in breach of the rules.

Bizarrely, it's being rumoured that, if Leicester City get promoted, they will also be deducted points.

So basically these rules were brought in to keep anyone bar the Top 6 in their place.

Without being extremely lucky, promoted clubs have very little chance of staying in the Premier League and those at the bottom of the Premier League table will struggle financially until eventually they fall through the trap door.

It's like a Russian election.

If you protest, you get arrested or punished!!!

And I'm sorry, John, but I just repeat that you're misinterpreting the document.

The sections you quoted are not the Commission's decision. They are the Premier League's proposed deduction. The Commission then goes into detail about why it is not accepting that, just as they didn't accept the Premier League's proposed deduction in our case.

You have stated that the Commission 'didn't have a clue' as to how our deduction was worked out. Well, they did – the appeal report. They used assumption to fill in the pretty minor gap that was not explicitly called out. That gap was the extent to which aggravating factors had been incorporated. They considered that the size of Forest's breach was comparable to the size of Everton's plus the misleading conduct we engaged in. In the absence of documented rules (which as Michael points out, neither the Premier League nor the clubs insisted on) that's a pretty reasonable interpretation and absolutely aligned to the judgement of our case.

Yes, the Everton Appeal Commission accepted two grounds. The available benchmarks one, and the 'requirement to act in utmost good faith' one.

But when they tore up the deduction and started again based on available benchmarks, they still considered that we had misled the Premier League and considered that to be an aggravating factor. Even in Everton's own words, we 'objectively misled' the Premier League.

To clarify my earlier point – we didn't get points back just because we appealed. As you seem to think Forest should need to do in order to get the right penalty. The points deduction was changed because the Appeal Commission agreed that the punishment was disproportionate and did not take into account available benchmarks.

The appeal commission gave 2 back because they said that Everton didn't obstruct the investigation.

When? Where?

I'm feeling pretty confident that it didn't happen.

3 points off and we can stay up. 6 points off and I think we'll go down. Only Top 4 chasing form would likely be enough to keep us up in the latter scenario.

Apart from being good boys and agreeing to everything, there appears to be no other mitigating circumstances considered.

Also appears to me that, based on Forest's replies to their points decision, they were under the impression if they behaved they would get a slapped wrist.

The fact the legal eagles representing the Premier League went after them I think came as a complete surprise. I think they'll appeal though I doubt they'll get anything further off.

I still hope the scumbags at the Premier League appeal on the lenient points deduction.

My guess is they will say you can lose in total £105M, let's divide that by 3 so your allowable losses for Years 1 and 2 are £70M. So, if we are over a £35M loss for Year 3, then we will be hit.

My second guess is they could say you've been hit for 2 of the 3 years already so 1 third of the charge so 2 points.

Most likely, they'll make it up as they go along and it will all depend on which team upsets them the most as to which goes down.

The fact Everton have been very silent on the Forest decision makes me think there is something going on behind the scenes regarding the second charge.

Thanks for your reply. I live in hope that the two charges in one season is very unfair as pointed out by our barrister at the appeal to the commission. If he hasn't made that point forcibly enough, he will have make it stronger if another appeal is needed.

Apart from that, I just hope that you are wrong.

Yes, we were probably used as the R&D prototype but the model is now up and running and fully explains why Forest got a reduced sentence for good behaviour and we didn't.

Why?

Because the authorities effectively said we were playing for time, obfuscating and telling lies, so in that respect we are very lucky to be only 6 points down.

On reading this report and the terse snippets about Everton, the second investigation could see us hung, drawn and quartered

I also believe that the Premier League will take back the four points they gave us, so I just hope that getting to 36 points will be enough!

More importantly, I think we have 15 very attainable points from our remaining games and at best estimate, Forest will get 13 and Luton will get 10.

Of course, as I always say, the only thing that is certain is that nothing is certain and a lot will depend on confidence and motivation.

I just hope our supporters can create another siege mentality to stick two fingers up at this warped and corrupt Premier League administration.

I quote Joe Thomas Liverpool Echo's Everton correspondent who said today the original commission stated that Everton purposely misled the commission, but the appeal commission found that we hadn't misled the commission.

The commission dealing with the Forest case say they don't know how the appeal board deciding on Everton's case came to an extra 3 points.

Also probably the most damming part of the 52-page document released on Monday was the experts on the commission say they do not know how Everton's punishment was formulated.

The Forest deduction is good and the reduction of Everton's even better. This is a sort of wake-up call to get some redemption from the last 10 games.

Okay, we know there are some games they will be lucky to get something out of but others are there for the taking if no silly mistakes are made at the back.

If that's about the new stadium debt, then the Appeal board only said the original Commission were wrong to introduce that point at the end of their report, as those allegations hadn't been made against Everton.

That's not the same as saying we hadn't misled the Commission; the Appeal board drew no conclusions on that point.

It is impossible to predict but nevertheless, if we do get another deduction, it's going to be a right scrap between Luton, Forest and ourselves to avoid going down with Sheffield Utd and Burnley.

Oh sweet joy.

While their remaining matches aren't hard, they aren't easy either and their form as of late has been almost as poor as ours. A couple more losses by them and they'll certainly be feeling the pressure as well if they aren't already.

If we go up against Liverpool with them needing a win to stay in with a chance of winning the League, I can see them playing the way they did against a poor Man Utd side (their away form isn't great) with a touch of complacency and arrogance.

The danger will be if they are out of the running for the League and their players are relaxed and playing for possible Europa League Final places.

I can't see us getting anything against Arsenal but again, tension could get to them as well. All the other games – just defend and take our chances!

Our run-in suggests that this squad should make us safe. Over to Sean Dyche, do it or go.

Seriously, though, this is an utter farce. And yet it's entirely within our hands to grab 15 points from our remaining fixtures. We didn't endure two relegation scraps to be taken down by this bullshit. COYB!

Bill, I've been mentioning Brentford to anyone that will listen for the past month and possibly longer.

Brentford have gone to pot since Ivan Toney has returned.

Discontent in the camp?

The rest of the season is for Dyche to get it right or get it wrong. If he keeps us up then fair play to him but I can't see it happening, I think he's had his chance.

The Appeal Commission did not find that we had not misled the Premier League. They only removed the charge of not acting in the utmost good faith. They still stated that we had misled the Premier League with incorrect numbers and stuck to that story for a long time.

The Forest Commission did not say they did not know how Everton's punishment was formulated. They made an assumption that it included aggravating factors (specifically, the fact that we misled the Premier League). I suspect they already regret the words they used as they get picked up on by low grade news outlets and repeated out of context... before becoming silver bullets to supporters.

Why read the Echo when you can read the actual report?

This club is horrendously mismanaged. The pressure should all be on the owner. I actually wonder whether half of this reporting is Everton propaganda. It's certainly taken the heat off Moshiri.

I've been following your discussions with interest. With regard to recent comments re The Bees...

Yes, we are on a terrible run, but it has nothing to do with Toney or discontent. The reason is simply that we have suffered from an unprecedented run of serious injuries. At the moment, there are about 7 or 8 starters who have been unavailable for long periods: Henry, Hickey, Pinnock, Schade, Mee, Da Silva, Mbeumo (who has been superb this season), Norgaard...

Thomas Frank has had to fill in with fringe members of the squad who are struggling. No blame attached to those playing who are trying but a small squad is stretched to the limit.

Best of luck for the rest of the season.

I hope Brentford scramble clear with us. I like my days out at Brentford!

I wouldn't wish relegation on anyone, apart from Lucifer's Children.

I've just watched with interest how a previously stable team has gone into free fall. I have a lot of respect for your manager.

If it wasn't for the Stasi (Premier League), we'd be relatively comfortable.

Noticeably none of the media outlets have covered those injuries, too busy backing up Ratcliffe's bid to get his mitts on public money for his “Northern Theatre of Dreams”.

Would you expect Brentford to try and keep or sign Maupay for next season?

Get down to Goodison Park. You'll be welcomed with open arms.

I hope Brentford stay up I remember Everton playing Brentford in the second division in the early fifties, and although I never saw them then I think they were in the old first division after the Second World War.

Its always great to hear from fans from other clubs, and like you I am an old git so I can remember going to away grounds and being allowed to mix with the home supporters. There is no doubt your club has done very well and I think Toney being out for so long hasnt helped your cause this season. I think if Toney stays fit he will score enough goals to keep you up, wish we had a striker of that quality. Your right about how we used Maupay under both Lampard and Dyche, he needed to play alongside a main striker not as the main striker.

The Greek team we lost to in the European Cup as it was then was Panathaniakos ( sorry about the spelling) if my memory is working they were managed by the great Hungarian Puskas.

That was the same night they showed the World Heavyweight Boxing match between Ali and Frazier which had been fought the night before, Ali got beat so it wasn’t a great time for me.

The EPL board must surely be declared null and void and the current private members club, be banned from all levels of football across the globe. They are not fot to govern the EPL.

A massive couple of months and Everton must start scoring goals.

UTFTs!

We couldn't be in a worse position than we are right now. Our only positive on the horizon would be the C P L only taking two points off us, and three teams actually being as bad as we are. We haven't won since December, we have a striker who is anything but and hasn't scored in what. 23 games, the two other strikers (?) are as bad as him if not worse. Now we are leaking goals. Our owner has disappeared, the possible new owners are apparently skint and as bad a deal as the current. Even a company fitting the outside cladding to the new stadium has just gone into administration!

Couldn't be in better circumstances? If I am the only negative post on here then the rest of you really need to stop eating Lyndon's cereal.I really do dispair.

It's quite conceivable they lose their next two on the road to Forest and Bournemouth, they then face Liverpool and Man City.

Lose those and then they would still very much be in the mix with 6 games to go, none of which are against the current bottom 6 (4 home games against Villa, Newcastle, Man Utd & West Ham, and trips to Fulham and Wolves).

What I meant was we could not have asked for better circumstances in terms of the run-in with regard to the form of the teams around us (with two teams seemingly already doomed, unlike last season where it was too soon to predict who might go down with 9/10 games to go), the break giving our players time to rest and recover from injury, and the comparatively favourable run of games we have left.

Do you disagree? Because it could be a lot worse! Or did you just not read the article? 😉

This three week break has felt more like three years.

Thanks for taking the time to post your thoughts on here. It seems to have become more difficult to have sensible dialogue with supporters of opposing teams over the years.

We need to be safe before the final two games. I was hoping not to be playing this "How many points is everyone at the bottom going to get" game this season as it stops me from sleeping in April and May!!

The home record is abysmal and we've been beaten at home in that time by the likes of Sheffield Utd, Norwich, Luton, Watford to name but a few.

History tells us it's unlikely we're going to win many of those remaining 4 home games based on past performances against opposition we're 'expected' to beat.

More chance of probably getting victories against Chelsea and Newcastle on the road.

And their numbers say Everton's center-back pairing should be England's.

Tarks leads the PL in blocks and is second in interceptions, 3rd in aerial duels won and 5th in clearances. Jarrad has 41 interceptions. And they're the top-rated English backs.

The statistical choice in goal, however, isn't Picks but Pope, which is kind of weird because he hasn't played in almost four months. But the article traces the Skunks' ongoing defensive collapse to the moment Pope was injured in December.

Anyway, the Guardian posted it

Tarkowski the leader with experience. Branthwaite the apprentice playing above his years. So composed and comfortable on the ball.

I just wish the midfield would take the pressure off them now and again.

And me for that matter!!!

Call them both up for the Euros by all means.

And that is that S.Dyche and his squad now have to get the club out of a mess that they had no part in creating. We are in a relegation battle that the outcome is in doubt, and a major influx of the remaining points will help to alleviate the feelings of doom that the P.L. seem determined to portray.

Instead of sticking 2 fingers up at the P.L. officialdom lets get behind the team to improve on that with 3pts. per game.

Didn't know where to put this, so please move as appropriate Lyndon & Michael but I wanted it to get visibility.

Others may have received the message. Something George founded and is passionate about as much as he is about Everton.

For those of you who don’t know, Yellow House is a registered charity based in Central Liverpool with over 30 years’ experience. Most of the young people we work with are considered hard to reach for various reasons, however commonly all the young people we work with struggle with their mental health.

Our main aim at Yellow House is to empower young people, by utilising the arts to promote positive mental health and wellbeing.
Our founder George has dedicated his life to Yellow House, but also has a huge devotion to his beloved Everton Football Club, which is why we were delighted that Everton Football Club have donated to Yellow House, a signed 23-24 Everton Shirt.

To raise some much-needed funds, we are looking for donations of £5 per number to enter our lucky prize draw to win the signed shirt! All names will be added to our prize draw.
Entries are unlimited at £5 a go.

If you would be interested in taking part, please make your £5 donation to our local giving appeal at: Link

Here you will be able to leave add a message to your £5 donation.

If you would prefer to do it in person, please get in touch with us via any of our socials or email admin@yellowhouse.org.uk and we can
arrange for this to be sorted.

On 30th May at 5pm we will go live and hold the draw where the lucky winner will be announced - keep your eyes peeled and good luck ☘️

As always, thank you so much for all your support!

One of my closest longtime mates here in the US, an Irishman from Belfast, is a Bees supporter, and I suffered with him through the years as the club suffered one horrendous promotion playoff heartbreak after another before finally clearing the final bar into the Premier League. You've done it right and you richly belong.

I hope to meet you at a match sometime at one of the two new stadiums, yours or ours. My pal and I had hoped to make a trip together and watch games at Goodison and Griffin, but his health prevented it -- his survival from stage 4 cancer has been more complicated than mine -- so I'll stand you to a Guinness in his honor.