Phil McNulty: Everton defender Lucas Digne has been terrible this season
BBC chief football writer Phil McNulty has insisted Lucas Digne’s poor form this season for Everton is down to him and not Rafa Benitez.
The Athletic published a report on Wednesday morning, highlighting how the Spaniard’s style of play has hindered the France international left-back from creating plenty of goalscoring chances like he used to.
McNulty was having none of that, though, claiming Digne is to blame for his woeful return in the final third and unimpressive individual campaign.
He responded on Twitter when The Athletic Everton correspondent Patrick Boyland shared the link to the post.
The BBC pundit said: “Digne is not maximising his own ability. Been very poor this season.”
Boyland attempted to defend the Toffees ace, replying: “I don’t think the system helps at all.”
McNulty has not been impressed with his input at the back either, making it clear in his response.
He said: “Defensively, he has been terrible.”
True?
Digne is without an assist or goal in 10 Premier League games this season after ending his first three campaigns at Goodison Park with 18 assists and four goals.
Admittedly, his attacking inputs are bound to be stifled playing in a side that deploys a counterattacking style, but he is not impressing at the back either.
The 28-year-old was all over the place in the 5-2 defeat against Watford, and fans were far from impressed.
With Dominic Calvert-Lewin still out injured, the crosses of the Everton ace are not finding anybody to connect with in the box, and that is definitely a factor.
Under Benitez, Demarai Gray and Andros Townsend are having to do plenty of defending, and they are mostly the creators once the Toffees launch an offence.
Nevertheless, there is no denying that Digne needs to do more at both ends going forward.
He is firmly behind Theo Hernandez in his country’s pecking order, and he has a lot of work to do if he does not want to spend the majority of next year’s World Cup on the bench.
In other Everton news, the Toffees are plotting January loan-to-buy bid for centre-mid hailed by Jack Grealish last month.
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