The Toffees have been docked ten points by the Premier League after breaching profit and sustainability rules.
Everton plan to appeal the decision and many have insisted that the punishment is a harsh one for the Goodison Park side, who now sit second bottom as a result of the deduction.
Keys though insists that the punishment is not unfair and is simply the new benchmark; he is sceptical that any appeal will reduce it.
He believes that if Everton’s gamble with big spending had paid off the fans would not have had an issue with it and as such they need to suck up what has happened.
“Everton is a fantastic football club. I do genuinely feel sorry for their fans”, Keys wrote on his blog.
“It’s always the fans that are hit the hardest in situations like these. You can be sure that Manchester United will know that Goodison is angry at the weekend. It’ll be one hell of an atmosphere in the ground.
“But having said I feel for Evertonians – would any of them have been complaining if the gamble to re-join the PL’s elite had paid off? Of course they wouldn’t.
“It didn’t – so I’m afraid they’ve got to suck this one up now.
“There’s an appeal to be lodged of course. And it’s possible the 10 point deduction will be reduced. Possible – but I’m not convinced that it will be.
“Look. Ten points sounds harsh. But is it? Some pundits have been screaming that it’s ‘disproportionate’. But is it? No. It’s now the benchmark.
“There’s never been a case like this one so there’s nothing to judge it against.”
Everton have been on a good run of form in recent weeks and will try to lift the points deduction gloom when Manchester United visit on Sunday.
Now with just four points, boss Sean Dyche will want a run of wins stringing together as quickly as possible to erase the ten point punishment.
