Former Reading manager Paul Ince made reference to the six-point deduction suffered by the Royals during his tenure when discussing Everton's recent 10-point deduction.

The Premier League giants were docked 10 points last week for failing Financial Fair Play regulations, the first time this has happened in the top flight.

At Sunday's match with Manchester United, which they lost 3-0, Everton fans protested before and during the afternoon's play.

Reading Chronicle:

Appearing as a guest on TalkSPORT on Monday morning, Ince was quizzed about Everton's survival chances.

The former Manchester United and England captain was in charge at the SCL Stadium last season when the club were hit with a six-point deduction for failing to stick to an agreed EFL business plan.

Coming into effect from April, it plunged the Royals into the relegation zone and ultimately cost the club their Championship status.

"We got done six points when I was at Reading," he told Jim White. "We got done in April with six games to go. It was tough. We’d already had six points and a suspended six points because we didn’t manage our affairs right. We got six points suspended, but we knew if we didn’t manage our job properly then it was coming. By the time we got to March, we thought that things don’t look right, and we hear we’re going to get another six points deducted. By then we’re seven points clear of the bottom three. You’ve got that hanging over your head, low and behold come April we get the six points, and it puts us in the relegation position.

"This situation with Everton, they’ve got plenty of games ahead and time to get out of this situation. As bad as it is for the Evertonians, and it is bad, you can’t keep using it as an excuse if you’re not winning games or playing well.

"I get it now. The game the other day Manchester United had three shots and scored three goals. It was a game that Sean Dyche would have thought he could have won. But until we know if it’s going to stay as a 10-point or reduce it to a six-point, players can’t keep using it as an excuse when they’re losing games."