Everton face Manchester United on Super Sunday in what is their first match since losing 10 points for breaching the Premier League’s Profit & Sustainability rules.
Sean Dyche says the decision from an independent commission to dock Everton points was “disproportionate” and that he was shocked when he heard the news. The Toffees are now down to 19th in the table and have work to do to get themselves out of the relegation zone.
That may not be the hardest task. There are struggling teams in the league this season and Dyche has shaped Everton into a tough team to beat as well as unlocking their attacking threat. They have only lost once, to Liverpool, in their last five league matches but face a Manchester United side in fine form.
However, that doesn’t feel like the case. United have won four of their last five matches in the league but each by just one goal.
They’re sixth in the table yet have a negative goal difference of -3. If things go wrong for Erik ten Hag’s side they seem to go very wrong. With the boost of Andre Onana and Luke Shaw in the squad can the Red Devils triumph at Goodison Park oo?
Everton boss Sean Dyche has expressed shock at the “disproportionate” 10-point penalty imposed on the club but insisted he and his players are ready to take on the latest challenge put in front of them.
Dyche was trying to enjoy a short break during the international window when he got word of the unprecedented sanction handed down by an independent commission for breaches of the Premier League’s financial rules – a penalty that Everton will appeal against.
publicly for the first time on the matter, Dyche said: “I think like everyone, certainly in these parts, I was shocked and seemingly from the wave of noise after that, most people in football are shocked by the enormity of it.
“Disproportionate is a word used by the club. Obviously we feel a bit aggrieved by that, but on the other hand it doesn’t change the focus. The focus since I got there is sorting things out on the pitch, getting the team to win.”
The club were docked 10 points last week for breaches of the Premier League’s financial rules.
Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag knows Everton’s players and fans will be “mad” about the 10-point penalty imposed on the club and has challenged his team to meet fire with fire on Sunday.
United make the short trip to Goodison Park this weekend to face a Toffees team fuelled by a sense of injustice after an independent commission imposed the sanction on the club a week ago for a breach of Premier League profitability and sustainability rules.
Ten Hag is expecting Goodison Park to be a bearpit on Sunday but is determined his players will not be outmuscled.
“It’s always about us, I can see the opposition and I can see they are mad, but then finally it’s about us,” he said at a press conference on Friday afternoon.
“If they are mad and that’s their fuel, we have to match those standards. When we match the standards we have a very good chance to win the game.”