In the ever-turbulent landscape of English football finance, Keith Wyness has emerged as a frequent, if controversial, apparent oracle on the fate of Leicester City and other organisations. As the former chief executive of Everton and Aston Villa, Wyness possesses a curriculum vitae that commands a degree of technical respect.
The 68-year-old's tenure at the helm of established Premier League institutions provides him with a seasoned perspective on the Profitability and Sustainability Rules (PSRs) labyrinthine that now govern the game's administrative theatre. However, his insights are often disseminated through Football Insider. A digital outlet frequently relegated to the lower tiers of credibility by the United Kingdom's discerning footballing public. Essentially, observers often view its output as sensationalist or unfounded.
Keith Wyness on Leicester City's appeal
​Wyness's latest notion suggests City find themselves in a perilous legal quagmire - predictably! Following an initial six-point deduction for financial breaches, the Foxes have opted to appeal; a move Wyness characterises as potentially catastrophic.
The core of his argument rests on the judicial mechanism of phony claims. Should the independent appeal board deem LCFC's challenge to be a time-wasting exercise (devoid of substantive merit), the regulatory body retains the discretionary power to aggravate the original sanction. Oh dear!
"I think they would have been better advised to just go home and accept the punishment. I do think they’re going to get an extra point.Keith Wyness - FI
“I think they’re going to end up with seven points. And I think that’s what the problem is that they should have just taken those six."
​Rather than securing leniency, the club risks a punitive 'boomerang effect' where their six-point deficit could be unceremoniously increased. The EPL, already pursuing a counter-appeal for a more severe penalty, appear emboldened by what is perceived as the club's procedural obstinacy. King Power chairman Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha didn't seem too bothered to many supporters, sadly.
Irrespective, Wyness posits that by failing to accept the initial verdict with contrition, Leicester may have inadvertently invited a more devastating sporting erasure. For a club teetering on the brink of competitive precarity, this legal gamble represents a high-stakes defiance that could ultimately accelerate their descent - or worse!