Why Merlin Rohl patience must be wearing thin at Everton after latest David Moyes call

Merlin Rohl started once again as Everton faced Stoke City in a friendly on Tuesday.

The Toffees continued their summer preparations with a trip to the Bet365 Stadium.

Coming just days after a goalless draw with Bolton Wanderers, fans wanted to see a better showing.

They didn't get that as David Moyes' side failed to find the back of the net once again.

The Potters went on to seal a 1-0 victory in the end as youngster Gabriel Kelly netted with half an hour to go.

That was a source of great frustration in L3, something that has only been made worse by the treatment of Rohl.

Merlin Rohl decision baffles vs Stoke City

The German didn't have the ideal first campaign after joining on loan from Freiburg last summer.

There was a general lack of positivity aimed towards the 24-year-old as his performance left a lot to be desired.

That didn't bode well when the Blues were forced to sign the midfielder permanently for £17million as part of his loan agreement.

The ex-loanee didn't prove his quality in the middle of the park last campaign, but that isn't to say he deserved to play out of position in pre-season.

As covered by Goodison News, Rohl featured at right-back against Stoke, which is very unusual for a friendly.

The German told the Liverpool Echo after the Bolton draw that "it doesn't matter which position" he plays, but he surely must be frustrated to do it for a full game.

Why the Rohl situation is so bizarre at Everton

Pre-season is an opportunity to set out your squad and even get a good look at some young talent.

That is exactly why it is highly unusual to see a player feature out of position at any time.

So, why is Rohl being forced to full-back for an entire friendly?

He needs to be afforded the chance to build up his confidence as a midfielder after a difficult debut campaign.

But no, poor planning at Everton has left Moyes without a right-back and is instead ruining the 24-year-old's pre-season.

It also leaves youngsters like George Finney, Odin Samuels-Smith and Luca Davis thinking that there is no chance of progression into the first-team.

That will hamper their progress and desire to work, while also leaving Rohl to struggle in an entirely new role. Ridiculous.