SouthStandUpperTier

Daka just scored again for Zambia. 2-1 down against Niger.

It's a no from me. Vestergaard can barely run. Midfielders need to be able to get about the pitch.

We definitely gamed the system for our promotions in both 2002/03 and 2013/14. Questionable ethically, but no rules (as they were at the time) were broken.

We're so ordinary without Bellingham and Kane.

I'm only here for Dion's insightful commentary.

Daron Bland gets his 4th pick-6 of the season. Must be an NFL record.

Useful point I suppose. Still too many simple passes misplaced. Still too many shots on our goal. Still too reliant on Leitzig.

The general consensus in the media seems to be that Everton have been harshly treated, with plenty of Everton shills going into bat for them. My favourite was Leon Osman saying that the points deduction was harsh because Everton "tried really hard" to stay within the rules.

You're correct. We didn't break any existing rules. They changed the rules and brought in points deductions for clubs going into administration after we got promoted while in administration, and because Warnock bitched about it endlessly.

You know it's crap when the paper aeroplanes come raining down.

Poor Dion is completely lost when he's not asking Waseem what he's got planned for the 2 bedroom semi he's just bought in Wolverhampton.

Any player that pointlessly cuts holes in the back of his socks must think themself a bit special.

Thank you for clearing that up for me. Appreciate it.

The fans were chucked out of the stands ahead of FP2 because the security workers had finished their shift. https://www.espn.co.uk/f1/report?id=600026789

It's not a FFP issue. It's the Premier League's own PSR (Profit and Sustainability Rules) that Everton are in breach of. And they probably aren't the only club in breach when you look at the losses sustained by other clubs including ourselves.

What is the limit? The BBC article says this https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/67448714 Premier League clubs are permitted to lose £105m over a three-year period and Everton admitted to being in breach of the profit and sustainability rules (PSR) for the period ending 2021-22. Following a five-day hearing in October, the commission found in favour of the Premier League that Everton's losses during that period amounted to £124.5m.

Considering our last four financial statements show a combined loss of approximately £210m, are we not standing in our glass house throwing stones? How long before other clubs start pointing the finger at us?

A transfer embargo wouldn't hurt them, it would help them - considering it would stop them overpaying for the utter crap they've been buying for as long as anyone can remember. Their last decent purchase was probably Gary Lineker from us.

I know it's not really the point, but we should have finished well above that Everton team last season regardless.

Mickey Mouse venue. Just bin it off.

You'd think a young player like him would be well up for learning a new position and adding to his skillset under a manager like Maresca, especially as more and more managers implement a version of the inverted full back system. His loss more than ours though.

These aren't 'beer and chips' players at Championship level though. We just bought 2 England internationals in Winks and Coady, and we must be paying them a fair old wedge to have got them to drop down a division. We've got £38m in Daka and Souttar that we don't even use. This is the most expensive squad of players in Championship history, both in terms of wages and transfer outlay. The other 23 managers in the Championship would give their right nut to have even half the budget we have.

I think we have to accept that this is the way football is evolving now and I don't think there is any going back. In a couple of years time I wouldn't be surprised if 95% of teams in the top 2 divisions are playing some form of possession based inverted full-back system (the obvious exceptions being throwbacks like Dyche). It will then simply be a matter of who can do it better (i.e. who has the better players).

Man City break the £400m wage barrier. Would love to go on a rant but then remembered we are effectively the Man City of the Championship with the wages we are still dishing out. https://www.espn.co.uk/football/story/_/id/38902084/man-city-become-first-british-club-post-400m-wage-bill

Will Lutz must be grateful that because of the Bills' inability to count he still has a job today.