Andy Grady has responded to Richard Keys’ claim that Everton will escape Premier League relegation despite being docked ten points.
Because Everton violated the Premier League’s profit and sustainability guidelines, the club was sanctioned, sending them into the relegation zone and tying for 20th place with Burnley
But the Blues could have avoided relegation with just one more victory. On Saturday, November 25, Luton and Bournemouth’s victories have persuaded Goodison icon Gray that things won’t be that easy for his former team.
According to Keys, “I think this Everton team is a good side; they’re not going down,” which is evident in a video clip posted on the beIN SPORTS Twitter account on Sunday, November 26, is the big difference for me right now.
“I’ll be bold enough to say that.”
“I would have said three days ago that you’re absolutely right,” immediately disagreed Gray.
Would I have sat here with you guys and predicted that we would be more than 10 points above relegation had we not been docked 10 points? Since I most likely would, I should assume Everton will make it through with ease.
Keys declared, “I see no problem.”
“Well, there is a problem because it’s football and teams like Bournemouth, who’ve won back-to-back league games, and Luton, who won yesterday, suddenly pile pressure on,” Gray stated.
“And it’s done so by creating games that you can enter with faith and confidence, thereby relieving the pressure on Everton players to consistently win games.”
Even after that 10-point deduction, a lot of people were probably fairly certain that Everton wouldn’t be fighting for relegation this season.
When it was issued, they were only a few points from being safe.
But Luton’s victory over Crystal Palace and Bournemouth’s consecutive victory imply that the relegation spots are definitely up for grabs this year.
Burnley nearly defeated West Ham, or at least nearly picked up a point.
In all honesty, Sheffield United looked dead and buried against Bournemouth and were completely out of it. But as Gray points out, this is football, so things aren’t always clear-cut.
Who would have guessed that Southampton and Leicester would lose last season? Not many.
Even though Everton is in a worse mess than they have ever been in, at least they have a very capable and reliable manager in charge who has faced similar challenges many times in the past and has typically prevailed.
