Everton were deducted 10 Premier League points earlier this month for breaching profit and sustainability rules; former top flight manager Neil Warnock, 74, has criticised the penalty, calling it "very harsh"
Tuesday 28 November 2023 22:43, UK
Former Premier League manager Neil Warnock says the decision to deduct Everton 10 points for breaching profit and sustainability rules was "very harsh"
The deduction, which was meted out by an independent commission and will be imposed with immediate effect, is the largest in the history of the Premier League and plunged Sean Dyche's team into the relegation zone.
According to the Premier League, Everton admitted during a five-day hearing it was in breach of the league's profitability and sustainability rules (PSR).
The commission determined that "Everton's PSR calculation for the relevant period resulted in a loss of £124.5m, as contended by the Premier League, which exceeded the threshold of £105m permitted under the PSRs."
Speaking ahead of his live 'Are You With Me?' tour shows in 2024, Warnock, who turns 75 on December 1 said: "I think, when you look at what they've been fined for, regarding the cost of the new stadium, I think about what a development is going to do for that area,
"There wasn't a lot happening around that area before. So to be punished for building a brand new stadium, with all the jobs it would bring, I think it's very harsh, if I'm honest.
"It's the same with Man City. Before the new owners came in, the area around it [the Etihad Stadium] was derelict and they have spent millions, if not billions on it. I think people forget about what they've put into the area.
"If Man Utd fans had a choice between the Glazers and the owners at Man City, who would they pick? I know who I'd pick, I know who they'd pick."
Warnock also says he would be open to taking on a new job in 2024, two months after he left Huddersfield for the second time in his career.
He led the Terriers to victory in the Second Division play-offs in 1995 and returned in February, helping them to retain their Championship status.
There have been numerous occasions where it looked as though Warnock would walk away from a management career that started at Gainsborough Trinity 43 years ago, but he appears as keen as ever to make a return to the dugout.
Warnock added: "If there is another one after Christmas, I'll take it on board - it's usually February I start work!
"It would be nice to have a club mid-table that I can have a go at getting into the play-offs, rather than somebody bottom of the league or second from the bottom.
"You just don't know what's around the corner. I'm fascinated with challenges now, so that's what I want to do.
"Sharon knows that, if I do get one for two or three months, she'll let me go for two or three months!"
Warnock's willingness to exchange banter with opposition fans has proven him one of the most charismatic figures in the game and it is safe to say that is one element of the game he misses most.
"With a lot of clubs I've given stick to, places like Portsmouth, Ipswich, Bristol City - teams I wish I'd managed over the years - yes I've given them stick, but they've given me a lot as well. I don't think it's bad, as long as it doesn't get out of hand," he said.
"I think there's enough bland managers. You see them writing notes on the bench - what are they writing? I always say it must be a shopping list they've got to do when they get home.
"You've got to make people smile. My last game (at Huddersfield) was against Stoke and their fans were giving me some, even though they were winning 2-1, and I was waving to them. Then we equalised and I gave it back to them!"
Warnock also revealed his desire to work north of the border in Scotland.
"I've always wanted to have a go at Celtic and Rangers," he added.
"I remember applying for the Aberdeen job once and I never got a reply at all. Then I asked one of my ex-players, Laurent D'Jaffo, what it was like in Scotland and he said: 'Gaffer... it's the only place the seagulls never land!' It's the coldest place on Earth!"
