Richard Keys has been talking about Everton.

Discussing the 10 points deduction and the conversation(s) around it.

On this occasion, Richard Keys the voice of reason, mostly so anyway.

As he goes on to bring Manchester City and Newcastle United into the debate.

Richard Keys writing on his personal blog - 20 November 2023:

'Let's be clear - Everton were at it. And they've been on a slow-motion journey to last week's announcement of a 10-point deduction because of financial irregularities for some time now. They should be thankful that the trip ended last week and not before the end of last season - as some at the PL wanted - because they'd be playing Championship football now if it had done.'

'Evertonians - would any of them have been complaining if the gamble to re-join the PL's elite had paid off? Of course they wouldn't. It didn't - so I'm afraid they've got to suck this one up now.

There's an appeal to be lodged of course. And it's possible the 10 point deduction will be reduced. Possible - but I'm not convinced that it will be.

Look. Ten points sounds harsh. But is it? Some pundits have been screaming that it's 'disproportionate'. But is it? No. It's now the benchmark. There's never been a case like this one so there's nothing to judge it against.

It's certainly not the harshest of punishments for financial wrong doing - albeit of a different kind. That was handed down to Luton before the start of the 2008/09 season when they were docked 30-points before the start of their League Two campaign.

They were docked 10-points for irregularities when dealing with agents and a further 20 because of a failure to secure an insolvency agreement that satisfied HMRC. The result? They were relegated to the Conference. That was a genuine disgrace.

It's also worth noting that the season Luton got docked those points, Rotherham and Bournemouth suffered 17-point deductions.'

'No amount of 'whataboutery' will alter the fact that Everton only have themselves to blame for the mess they find themselves in. It doesn't matter what [Manchester] City have been charged with - although the outcome to the 115 charges they face will be under even greater scrutiny now. The Athletic have done some great reporting on conversations between the U.K. govt and Abu Dhabi on this subject.

An independent regulator eh? Is that the same 'regulator' that fixed it for the Saudi's to own Newcastle? Yep - this Tory govt. Will they fix it for Abu Dhabi?'

When it comes to Everton, I think Richard Keys is pretty much totally correct.

The Goodison Park club knew exactly what they were doing and I think a big part of it was that they maybe just never thought there would be any repercussions, for so clearly breaking the rules.

Which has been an ongoing problem, the Premier League failing to clamp down properly, if at all, on rule breakers, UEFA as well.

Richard Keys also raising the point that in many ways Everton have surely been lucky, a ten points deduction last season would have seen them finish second bottom on 26 points, only one ahead of Southampton. Whilst a ten points deduction the season before (2021/22) would have seen them end up on 29 points, six below safety.

As for Manchester City, this is surely going to be the big one. Will the Premier League stand up to them finally and punish them for what has been going on down the years. season after season?