Shay Given says relegation battle is ‘chaos’ after point deductions for Everton and Nottingham Forest

Shay Given has had his say on the situation at the bottom of the Premier League table, with 16th-placed Nottingham Forest's appeal after they had four points deducted yet to be heard.

That leaves the teams hanging around the relegation zone unsure of quite where they stand, a situation that is far from ideal as the season motors towards its conclusion.

Nottingham Forest were deducted four points for breaching the Profitability and Sustainability Rules that govern the Premier League.

They have appealed – with the result of that set to be revealed in the coming weeks. It leaves all the teams in the bottom third of the table in a difficult position, with no knowing whether Forest will have those points reinstated.

“It is chaos. Yeah, it’s a very tough one,” former Newcastle goalkeeper Shay Given told TNT Sports.

“The psychology of the managers and players and everyone involved in the bottom is really difficult because you’re telling them we need X amount of points to stay in the division but you don’t know because this appeal or this case is hanging over us still.

“So, you might be saying you need more points to stay in the division [than you actually need].”

Forest aren’t the first team to be docked points this campaign – Everton, who are also in the relegation fight, initially lost 10 points for also breaching the Profitability and Sustainability Rules. That deduction was reduced to six points on appeal.

“Everton, when they beat Newcastle 3-0 earlier in the season, they went on a mad run when they got deducted the 10 points, they got the points back and then they went on a really poor run,” Given continued.

“So, I do think it affects the psychology of the players as much as anything else, and what Sean Dyche is saying is we control what happens on the pitch but they are human beings so they get distracted by it as well so it’s not ideal for any club involved in it.”

Dyche’s Everton sit 16th in the table, one spot and three points above Forest with a game in hand over the Reds. But it isn’t only those two teams who are affected by the appeal – and the limbo while it is heard.

“It’s going to be messy to be honest, the fact that the appeal is going to be delayed,” said England Under 21’s coach Joleon Lescott.

“It doesn’t just affect Everton, it affects Luton, where the recruitment goes, do you recruit for the Premier League, do you recruit for the Championship. Nottingham Forest know if they appeal and are successful they gain points, all of a sudden Luton could be back in the relegation zone, Everton same situation.

“Out of those three teams Forest are in the more stable situation as they know worst case outcome, they’ve lost four points.”

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