Everton appeal 10-point deduction but Dyche shrugs off ‘pretty negative’ talk

Sean Dyche insists Everton’s 10-point deduction and subsequent appeal against the decision is no more draining for him and the squad than what has gone before.
The club have submitted their appeal against the verdict ahead of Friday’s deadline and are likely to argue the harshness and severity of the punishment, imposed by an independent commission, is neither a fair nor reasonable reflection of the evidence put forward.
The Toffees were handed the penalty last month after the commission determined Everton breached profit and sustainability regulations for the three-year period ending in 2021-22 by posting a loss of £124.5million, with the Premier League’s permitted threshold being £105m.
The sanction dropped Everton to 19th in the table, five points from safety, but after two close shaves with relegation – last season escaping on a nerve-jangling final day – Dyche insists the current boardroom-level battle is unlikely to distract his players.
“It’s been an interesting 10 months or so,” said the Toffees boss of his relatively short tenure.
“The outside focus has been pretty negative for the last couple of seasons so I don’t think bad news will affect them too greatly as they are used to bad news.
“I would suggest it is no more draining than some of the other stuff we have come through – and we have come through it.
“We have to find ourselves a way through the latest setback; there might be help on the way (in the form of the appeal) but we don’t know.
“We have to stay steadfast to the idea of winning games and that will be the key for us.
“The performance against Man United (Sunday’s 3-0 defeat) was very pleasing and I think there is a situation where all the players are, if not galvanised even further, then well aware of the task in front of us and it’s changed significantly since the Palace game (where a victory lifted them to 14th and eight points clear of the bottom three).”
Dyche can at least take some solace from his side’s away form, which was pivotal to their climb up the table with three wins and a draw from six matches.
At home they have struggled, taking just four points from seven games, but on the road they are more clinical in front of goal and a trip to an out-of-form Nottingham Forest awaits on Saturday.
Asked what the difference was between their home and away results, Dyche said: “Scoring.
“The chance count is high this season but we have created less chances away from home but been more potent.
“It is sticking with the belief and keeping asking the questions, keep affecting the games, but eventually scoring goals.
“You have to keep creating the chances and there is an absolute clear focus on maintaining the high level of chances.”