The reason Nottingham Forest points deduction update is ‘ludicrous’ as the elephant in the room

Saturday’s victory over Sheffield United was always significant for Nottingham Forest. Even more so today.

The Reds, who were reportedly unsuccessful in their bid to lessen their four-point deduction for violating financial rules, remain three points above the relegation zone. The victory at Bramall Lane has taken on even more significance.

Forest now knows where they stand, at least. They’ve been dealing with this saga and the uncertainty it entails for far too long now.

Nuno Espirito Santo has described it as a “mess” and a “distraction”. He is correct. It should have been resolved well before early May. It’s ridiculous to receive an appeal ruling with only two games remaining.

“We are waiting for the final decisions to see if we have 33, 32, 31 or 30 points,” the Portuguese remarked following Saturday’s 3-1 triumph. “This is what we need to know, and so do our opponents. It (the verdict) should have been done earlier.

“People have raised concerns about the league’s integrity, which is bad news for everyone. They need to get it properly.

Whether the club believes the independent commission and the Premier League “got it right” is another story. Forest had hoped to get at least one point back.

But, in the end, what matters is what occurs on the pitch. The Reds are firmly in control of their fate. There will be no more distractions; it will all depend on how Nuno’s team performs in their remaining games.

The Profitability and Sustainability Rules, as they stand, have severe problems. Not least is the disparity between the decisions of the independent panels regarding Forest and Everton.

Both teams have made this clear in their official announcements. When the former’s points deduction was first confirmed, the club stated: “That the Premier League sought an eight-point sanction as a starting point was utterly disproportionate when compared to the nine points that their own rules prescribe for insolvency.” We were also disappointed that the Premier League gave no attention to the Club’s particular circumstances or mitigation.”

Following their second points deduction of the season, Everton stated: “Everton remains committed to working collaboratively with the League on all matters relating to PSR but is extremely concerned by the inconsistency of different commissions in respect of points deductions applied.”

Meanwhile, Manchester City’s 115 charges are the big elephant in the room. As long as this is the case, questions will be asked and eyebrows raised.

Lessons must be learned at the City Ground to avoid being in this situation again. But the aim is to keep the Reds in the Premier League so they can apply what they’ve learned – and they know what they need to do to get there.