Leeds spent a fair amount of money last season but lost their best players for most of the season and had a fallout in the dressing room. Burnley had money to spend but chose to use most of it on a buyout rather than improving the squad. What they did spend on players was largely wasted. On performance they both deserve to go down but because Watford and Norwich were laughingly worse that wont happen…but they arent going to admit it are they?
Of course not, but in the same manner we loath City I’m sure Burnley and Leeds in particular feel the same way. Maybe Watford and Norwich do too? Although the appear to be too far behind.
It’s yet another FFP failure where the “what if” gets asked because X didn’t obey the rules.
That’s beyond the point. Misusing funds is Everton’s fault. Everton could have done better with that money and Dyche in all likelihood would have done better for Burnley.
But the regulations are about how much you spend, not how well, or in Everton’s case how badly, you spend it. Leeds and Burnley could argue that if they could have written off three times their reported Covid losses whilst spending like a top six side they’d be significantly better than they have been this season.
Everton fans seem to have been giving the corruption and “agenda against us” shouts increasingly loudly the worse their season has gone. I think it’s only right that the Premier League are asked to justify how they’ve worked with Everton to justify these losses as being within FFP regulations. On paper and through layman’s eyes there are some numbers that jump out as being somewhat questionable.
Exactly. This is what Everton will get punished for (or not). That in itself is not what has led to Burnley or Leeds being relegated. No matter how the latter teams try to argue that case, it is a separate issue in itself.
It’s not beyond the point. It is regarding the second of the two points that the two sides threatened with relegation are making -
First that Everton have broken the spending rules (we all largely agree that based on what we have seen that is likely to to be the case) and secondly that it has unfairly contributed to one of them being relegated (which I disagree with - If Everton had been in Newcastle’s situation and climbed the table, then it would be a different story).
Had they brought their complaint sooner, there is a chance the league may have looked at it and considered a punishment this season - but as the season is almost finished it is more likely that any action will be taken next season instead. I think any legal action by the two clubs would likely fail unless there is something in the regulations that specifically covers this situation and states the action must be immediate.
It’s not like Donny and Alli helped them, more like hindered them. Maybe they should complain that Everton didn’t spend enough money. It will be interesting to see if there is any impact on next year (points), or if that only happens when you go into administration. I am fearful that this will become a precedent so that the oil/sports washed teams can take advantage of it.
I believe profit and sustainability rules allow for points deduction. It make sense to not punish them in the same season, however the PL should definitely look at their transfer activity in January especially when Everton knew without a doubt, that they were going to post another huge loss. In my mind, that cements a points deduction for next year.
I actually think they have got off quite easily and barely noticed, with the Russian links, especially when compared to Chelsea.
Profit and sustainability rules also allow for transfer and wage restrictions.
If they’d been required to balance the books in line with how everyone reported Covid losses then you could argue that players Everton have used in finishing above those two should not have been at the club. Either they couldn’t afford to buy them and remain compliant or someone should have been sold to balance the books.
Either way, for them to report Covid losses at £170m when ours was £46m and Arsenal was £86m is nuts. A subjective statement of “a contraction of the transfer market resulted in the inability to generate the level of transfer fees which could reasonably have been expected pre-pandemic” is definitely somewhat dodgy. Especially when you consider the year they suffered their heaviest losses they brought in three players for £20m+ fees and James Rodriguez.
If the market doesn’t allow you to generate the fees you’d expect, you should have to cut your cloth accordingly as Leeds and Burnley will argue they felt they had to.
I’ve no expectation that any governing body does anything about this but Burnley and Leeds have reason to feel aggrieved for sure.
I’d ignore teams like Arsenal and us, we have success and Arsenal are in the capital, it’s the fact they are so high compared to the likes of Villa that should be questioned.
Definitely related, but if you think about it, which year should they have had points deducted if it is an average of 3 years. It only makes sense to punish them after they are proven to be guilty. The only thing Leeds or Burnley could get is a financial settlement (depending on who goes down).
The precedent for this is West Ham and Sheffield Utd, when the hammers were using two players they were ineligible to field (Tevez and Mascherano) due to third party ownership rules.
Sheffield Utd went down and the Hammers stayed up, with one particular Tevez goal particularly instrumental in that.
The relegation stood, but West Ham had to pay significant compensation to United.
I think if Everton are hit by this, it won’t result in their relegation.
As an aside, I don’t think Everton will face any sanctions, despite clearly taking the piss with their declared covid losses and using it a way of circumventing FFP.
The Premier League is controlled by the clubs in the Premier League, and sanctions against one club needs to be agreed by 14 of the 20 clubs. I can’t see 14 clubs voting to sanction Everton, and creating bad blood between them.
This is why the game needs independent regulation, and the Premier Leagues insistence that they are perfectly fine regulating themselves, is bollocks.
Liverpool, through FSG, have strong desire to see FFP strongly implemented. A lot of other clubs have no match interest.
There are three clubs in the league who are either serially abusing FFP, or intend to start soon. Another 12-14 clubs in this league can’t be arsed with it because they don’t have any hope of competing at the top, or don’t want to be constrained from investing if they get the opportunity. That leaves very few who will stand against it.
Not sports club but concerning the overwhelmingly dominant political party in government in our part of the world, we derisively call the situation as ownself check ownself.