Everton set for extra cash as pundit glad Sky Sports have wasted budget for Luton Town clash

Michael Ball is glad that Everton securing their Premier League safety means Sky Sports have wasted part of their budget by screening the clash with Luton Town live.

The former Toffees defender hailed Sean Dyche’s men in his Liverpool Echo column (29 April) after three-straight victories ensured relegation danger has been averted for the third season running, with the players having “stuck two fingers up” at the Premier League who sought heavy points deductions this term.

And with the Friday night (3 May) trip to face Luton likely chosen for TV as it would have looked a relegation six-pointed just a matter of weeks ago Ball is glad of the extra broadcast cash that Sky Sports have wasted in the hopes of focusing on struggles at Everton.

He wrote: “I loved what I heard from Sean Dyche and James Tarkowski that now is not the time for flip-flops.

“Yes we’ve secured our place in the top flight for another season and the Premier League have put a lot of pressure on our manager and our players but even if they’d have got their way and deducted us 17 points, the boys have basically stuck two fingers up to them because even with that we wouldn’t be in the relegation zone…

“Everton have now got another game on Sky Sports on Friday and I’m just thankful for the extra television money coming into the club because they’ve wasted a chunk of their budget on what they thought will be another huge relegation battle but now it won’t be.

“We haven’t had any help from anybody. The players have had to look themselves in the mirror and dig deep so let’s finish the season off correctly and professionally, there’s nothing better than going into the summer on a roll and in form.”

Sean Dyche secures Everton safety early

Dyche and his players have arguably been operating under more pressure than even during the past two relegation-threatened campaigns, with a pair of points deductions and appeals seeing their league standing artificially altered, all while the takeover uncertainty hangs over Goodison Park.

The outcome of their second appeal is not expected to put top flight survival back under threat so, relatively speaking, the final three games of the season should be a chance for fans to relax, although unwelcome developments involving 777 appear to still be threatening to undercut that.

There is no love lost between the Evertonians and Sky Sports this term, with the coverage of the club’s situation almost as unpopular as Richard Masters and the Premier League itself at times.

With the financial situation likely to remain perilous into the summer and potentially next season any extra cash is a bonus, and there will likely be more than a few Toffees supporters additionally satisfied that the game at Kenilworth Road won’t have the Everton jeopardy riding on it the broadcaster would have expected.

Dyche’s side have been feast of famine this season, with the recent run of wins over Nottingham Forest, Liverpool and Brentford, without conceding a goal making a mockery of relegation danger and delivering a stunning response after the 6-0 collapse at Chelsea which preceded it.

Four-straight victories to nil over Forest, Newcastle, Chelsea and Burnley in December had equally threatened to make the points deductions a nothing, before a dismal run saw the Toffees go almost four months without winning another league game.

So they have been anything but predictable but have to be praised for confirming their top flight status once more despite being docked eight points.