sport news Sean Dyche speaks for first time since Everton's two-point deduction for ... trends now
Sean Dyche has revealed that Everton's two-point deduction took him and the players by surprise - but reiterated their need to focus.
He was speaking for the first time since the Toffees were slapped with the punishment for breaching the Premier League's financial rules, their second dock this season.
Their latest penalty sees them drop a place to 16th in the Premier League table, just two points above the relegation zone with seven games left to play.
'[It was] unexpected in the sense that we thought it had been dealt with,' Dyche told reporters on Thursday afternoon.
'It obviously wasn't or it hasn't been and obviously there'll [be] the time window to possibly appeal, so the club will be looking into that.
Sean Dyche has revealed Everton's latest points dock was a 'surprise' but insists everyone is still focused
Everton were hit with a further two-point deduction under the Premier League's profitability and sustainability (PSR) rules
'The last response was: what's done is done. The league table changes. We know - or we're very, very confident - we've been told it won't change again with regards to anything this season.
'So therefore our focus is on the next round of games coming up after the news.
'I spoke to the players about it, reminded the staff about it, reminded the truth of the moment, which is to stay focused on the job in hand.'
Everton were hit with a 10-point penalty back in November for a PSR breach relating to the three-year period that ended in the 2021-22 season. This was reduced to six on appeal in February.
This second breach, for which Everton were referred to an independent commission back in January, relates to the three-year accounting period ending in the 2022-23 campaign.
Premier League PSR rules permit clubs to lose £105million over the three-year window and the independent commission found Everton exceeded that by £16.6m up to 2022-23.
Relegation rivals Nottingham Forest were docked four points in March for falling foul of PSR regulations - they too launched an appeal.
The Premier League said: 'Over a three-day hearing last month, the independent Commission heard evidence and arguments from the club in respect of a range of potential mitigating factors for its admitted breach of £16.6million, including the impact of its two successive PSR charges.
The latest deduction sees Everton drop from 15th to 16th, just two points above the drop zone
