No More Double Standards with McNeil and Röhl

And in all fairness, he delivered. Playing out on the right, McNeil worked hard (albeit, that is surely a prerequisite for any Premier League footballer), was disciplined off the ball, and played a part in Everton’s second goal, with a fantastic first touch followed by a decent shot, which was parried out by Nick Pope for Beto to slam home.

McNeil did enough to deserve a second chance, and he followed that up with a fine display at home against Burnley, with the 26-year-old receiving a standing ovation when he was taken off in the second half.

But even with McNeil fitting well into the system Moyes had set up, there is a fair argument to say he has been on the receiving end, positively, of some double standards from the manager.

Double Standards?

Yes, he strung together some decent displays before the recent 3-week break, but since Everton’s campaign resumed, he has failed to hit those standards. McNeil was poor against Brentford, worse in the Merseyside derby, and again in the loss at West Ham.

In all of those matches, there’s a fair case to be made that Moyes left McNeil on too long, and that he wouldn’t have shown the same loyalty to the likes of Tyrique George or Tyler Dibling. However, Moyes did at least show a willingness to change against Manchester City, with Merlin Röhl coming in instead of McNeil.

Sure, it’s disheartening in a way to see another player, one who is not a natural winger, getting in ahead of Dibling, and to a lesser extent, George, who has been playing effectively from the bench.

Röhl Revels in Rare Renaissance

But Röhl pointed out in his post-match media duties, as reported by The Athletic’s Paddy Boyland on The Everton Byline Podcast, that Moyes wanted him to track O’Reilly, and drop into midfield when needed to prevent Everton from being outnumbered.

Röhl, though, also mentioned how Everton’s boss was keen for him to use his turn of pace to stretch Man City. That turn of pace was in action in the first half, as Röhl powered in behind to set up a great chance. And it was on show again when he drove onto Jake O’Brien’s throw and dragged a shot/pass to Thierno Barry, who finished to make it 3-1.

Röhl did brilliantly throughout. Yes, he was not perfect, but he demonstrated more dynamism than McNeil and, frankly, was more of a threat, while also showing plenty of endeavour defensively.

Sunday’s clash with Palace, at one point not so long ago, looked like it would be a real chance for McNeil to clip the Eagles’ wings and show them what they had missed. While that could still happen for McNeil from the bench, Moyes should not be drawn into giving him another chance as a starter.

Ultimately, McNeil’s time at Everton is coming to an end, and Röhl— even playing out of position — has proved that it pays to give others, who do have a future at the club, an opportunity. Perhaps that freshness may just be what this team needs.