As a sports journalist writing about Everton, my role has become far more muddled and awkward with the recent inclusion of financial jargon.

These days, I frequently find myself juggling accounting spreadsheets with the club I have always loved, and the persistent unrest that surrounds Goodison Park begins every story.

Here, I had the good fortune to seek the advice of  someone far more knowledgeable about finance than I was, in the hopes of illuminating the Toffees’ predicament while they await the resolution of their appeal of the ten-point reduction they suffered in November.

Doctor Dan Plumley was perhaps the best person to explain what’s going on behind the scenes because he is a specialist in sports finance and a Chartered Global Management Accountant. His familiarity with Everton’s problems is probably further enhanced by the fact that he supports Sheffield Wednesday.

Given that they have also been involved in a deduction issue in recent years, he is the perfect person to discuss such an incident with both personally and professionally.

What Dan Plumley said about Everton’s appeal

Evertonians, who have long known that Farhad Moshiri’s reckless spending was out of control, are unfamiliar with this area, which is why they have protested.

But after being ordered to shut up and be content with what they had, the club is now in danger of going bankrupt and needs to take out loan after loan just to keep the lights on.

There is a risky dependence on 777 Partners, the company’s proposed new owners, and the resolution of this continuing appeal.

In an exclusive interview with Everton News, Dr. Plumley made the following prediction: “I get the feeling that we will see some sort of slight reduction in the ten-point deduction, but it’s definitely more of an opinion than anything evidence-based because we just don’t know.”

“I believe that some of that will be removed, and it will fall somewhere in the center.” Since it’s an independent committee, we don’t know, but there are three possible outcomes.

Either they wholeheartedly support Everton or they fully support the Premier League. Alternatively, they come to an agreement wherein it is acknowledged that the ten points may have been too severe, but there is still a violation that needs to be resolved, so things sort of come down to that.

It could transform Everton’s season

For Sean Dyche and his team, even the smallest compensation could be crucial to turning around what has been a difficult season thus far.

After all, they would be in 13th position with a comfortable nine points and five spots above the drop zone if it weren’t for the ten-point deduction.

However, as things stand, they are far from secure and dependent on a repeat of the success they saw at the beginning of December.

But with games at West Ham United and Brighton & Hove Albion coming up, along with a home match against Crystal Palace on Monday, it’s hoped they can pick up a few points and then string a few victories together to go back to where they feel like they belong.