Former Everton midfielder Peter Reid believes the punishment given out to his old club is excessive.
Ried, a former Sunderland manager, is the latest figure in the sport to speak out against the club receiving a ten point deduction in the Premier League.
Everton are now in the relegation zone with only four points so far this season due to financial rules breaches, which Reid has lamented.
Everton has been a fractured place, and, at first, this shoddily handled punishment felt like the all-shattering blow, but 48 hours on, I firmly believe this moment will re-unite the club," Reid wrote in the Mail.
Ask Sean Dyche, ask Frank Lampard, and they will tell you the supporters have kept Everton up over the last two seasons.
There's good reason why Everton are called the people's club and the people want to fight back because it's in their DNA. The harshness of this points deduction has created a siege mentality: it's us against the rest.
I can't wait for when Manchester United come to Goodison Park. I'd wager that the fans will pack the streets around the stadium before kick-off to make sure that desire to fight transcends to the players on the pitch. It could evoke the spirit of Bayern Munich in 1985 all over again.
Whoever faces Everton between now and the end of the season is going to be in for a very difficult day.
I was with some of the club's staff on Friday, ladies who work hard behind the scenes, and the news had floored them. It could cost jobs, but by the end of our conversation even they were like 'let's show them!'
If Everton have broken the rules then the club have to face the consequences but the way this decision was leaked and handled was disgraceful. The club will appeal but will the commission back down? I don't see it happening.
The punishment is excessive and there's no doubt other clubs will be feeling anxious. We all agree we need more transparency, so let's see the books of every football club."