Everton striker Neal Maupay could be heading for summer exit after Sean Dyche decision v Liverpool
Everton lost 2-0 against Liverpool at Anfield on Monday night and Sean Dyche’s team selection was very interesting.
In the absence of Dominic Calvert-Lewin, the club’s first-choice striker, you would expect the manager to bring on an experienced striker against a top side.
There was Neal Maupay who wasn’t injured and was available to start. Maupay is a vastly experienced striker who has played for clubs like Brighton and Brentford. And yet, Dyche chose to start with an inexperienced homegrown player, Ellis Simms in the Merseyside derby.
The Frenchman joined the club last summer from Brighton for a fee of around £15million [Daily Mail]. Frank Lampard quickly realised that the money was poorly spent.
Lampard couldn’t get the best out of him and he was only reduced to seven starts in the Premier League. Dyche had the opportunity to use the player against Liverpool, and yet he chose to bring him from the bench.
Although Simms didn’t make a big impact if any, the message from Dyche was pretty clear. Maupay is way down the pecking order at the club, and even Simms is ahead of him. Obviously, there are a lot of games left to be played, but based on the decision from Dyche, it can be said that Maupay is not in the manager’s plans.
“Maupay, isn’t the right fit for Dyche,” said Ashley Williams on Premier League Tv production on Monday night (13 February, 11.14pm).
The BBC pundit is absolutely on the money here. Maupay doesn’t seem to be the right fit for the club. Dyche picks players based on what he sees in the training, and probably he’s not too satisfied with the 26-year-old striker.
Poor recruitment has led Everton to this situation and the signing of Maupay is another example. The club need to sell him in the summer, unless there’s a dramatic revival.