Dwight McNeil surely out of Everton chances as Burnley findings prove January exit now essential
Dwight McNeil made it clear to see why he’s not been getting any Everton chances under David Moyes in the draw against Burnley on Saturday.
Everton dropped points at Turf Moor, as the Toffees were held to a 0-0 draw, struggling in the absence of key players.
Moyes was without the likes of Jack Grealish, Iliman Ndiaye, and Idrissa Gana Gueye for the clash and was forced into a decision to play McNeil at left wing.
McNeil has been tipped for an Everton exit ahead of the January transfer window, but the need for his sale has never looked so clear after the latest emerging statistics on the Englishman.
Dwight McNeil offered Everton no attacking threat vs Burnley
Grealish has made the left-wing spot his since arriving on Merseyside this summer, and has only put McNeil further down the pecking order at the Hill Dickinson Stadium.
Moyes showed great trust in McNeil to start him in an important match for the Blues, one that should have been an easy win on 27 December.
Instead, the 26-year-old’s performance showed exactly why the Toffees boss will jump at the chance to sell the forward come January.
As highlighted by Sofascore, McNeil recorded a zero per cent accuracy from four attempted crosses in the match, and only created one chance despite Everton having 15 shots in total.
It wasn’t for a lack of trying, as his defensive efforts were there to see, but McNeil is simply not at the required level to help Everton moving forward.
He is far too one-footed, and opponents can read the winger like a book. Moyes will need to make another change for the Toffees’ next game.
Moyes can tweak Carlos Alcaraz’s role to introduce another Everton star
Moyes started with Carlos Alcaraz in central attacking midfield, which saw McNeil and Tyler Dibling play either side of the Argentine.
However, the 62-year-old head coach may be tempted to play Alcaraz on the left for Everton’s showdown against Nottingham Forest on Tuesday, which will make room for another star.
Merlin Rohl’s Everton career has been blighted with injuries so far, but after making a 21-minute cameo off the bench versus the Clarets, he could be set to start next time.
The German has the capability of playing in an advanced midfield role, and Moyes may have the perfect unknown entity to stun Sean Dyche at the City Ground.
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