Sky Sports pundit wants more from Dwight McNeil amid Everton form, Neal Maupay will be key
We’re delighted to welcome former Everton striker Kevin Campbell as our exclusive columnist. Each week the former Toffees captain will be giving his views on the biggest talking points at Goodison Park…
Dwight McNeil “needs to find his feet” after a slow start to life at Everton, but his game requires a striker to flourish according to Kevin Campbell.
The £20million signing from Burnley, admittedly on a staggered deal, has not made a massive impact since arriving at Goodison Park, but amid a slow start to the season for the team in general he has been forced to operate in a front three lacking a central striker.
The former Toffees captain Campbell, a Sky Sports pundit, believes that a front man is the key to his style of play so with the late-window addition of Brighton’s Neal Maupay, and eventually the return from injury of Dominic Calvert-Lewin, he expects to see significant improvements from the 22-year-old.
Campbell said, speaking exclusively to Goodison News: “I think the team have started to settle down. They’re not conceding a lot, where as last season the away form was atrocious.
“Although they rode their luck [against Brentford] and at times [against Leeds] but to keep Brentford and Leeds down to one goal each showed the defence was stepping up.
“Obviously [Amadou] Onana is in there now he’s playing. I think [Alex] Iwobi’s been excellent.
“I think Dwight McNeil needs to find his feet. I think Dwight McNeil needs a striker, he needs somebody up there who he can put it into, hold it up, and allow him to get up the pitch.
“So, not a criticism, just an evaluation of him because I think he’s a good player but he definitely needs that striker who he can rely on to give the ball to, then I think his game will improve.
“He’s a good player.”
It is easy to forget that McNeil is still very young, considering he has already made over 150 senior appearances, but there were signs that he was starting to establish himself in the draw with Liverpool at the weekend (3 September).
Although Frenchman Maupay passed up a couple of good chances to score himself he should have had an assist for Conor Coady’s goal which was ruled out for offside, and it was when he combined with McNeil that the winger went close to a winner late on.
His shot was tipped over by Alisson and there have been some suggestions that a handball from James Milner on the way through should have resulted in a penalty, although since none of the big decisions in that sense went the way of the home side it is no surprise that didn’t get looked at, but they were encouraging signs from the pair of Everton attackers.