A new study has hailed Everton as the real champions of the Premier League in the 2009/10 season!
That is the finding of a university study which has put together a Financial Fair Play league.
The research, carried out by Dr Sue Bridgwewater from the University of Warwick, balances teams' performance over the 2009/10 season against their financial circumstances.
It was based on a formula which takes into account wages and transfer expenditure in relation to points gathered, with the Blues coming out top of the league.
David Moyes' men come out ahead of Blackburn, Arsenal and Tottenham in the standings. In contrast, Manchester City, Liverpool and West Ham would have been in the relegation zone.
The research was suggested by The Times, with their chief football correspondent Patrick Barclay writing: "The findings are very much in line with the view of managers of how Barlcays Premier League clubs are run.
"If football were anything to do with fairness, Goodison Park would have been a blue sea of celebration at the end of last season and David Moyes a champion manager."
Dr Bridgewater has written several books on football business and runs a course for current and aspiring managers at the University of Warwick.
