Everton fans are wrong, Dwight McNeil still has role to play for David Moyes
Everton fans have taken the opportunity to lay into Dwight McNeil after their team were held to a 2-2 draw with Brentford on Saturday.
The winger has now started in each of the Toffees’ last five Premier League games, but the supporters do not see him in the same light as manager David Moyes.
The 26-year-old played 74 minutes of the draw at the Gtech Community Stadium before he was replaced by Tyrique George, and he completed plenty of valuable work for the visitors on the left wing.
McNeil has arguably become something of a scapegoat for the fanbase this season, and that has been exacerbated further by the fact that many people are keen to see George be given a bigger role.
Everton’s latest draw has kept them firmly in the race for European football next season, but that hasn’t stopped the fans from making their frustrations known.
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VISIT THE EVERTON MATCH HUBDwight McNeil provides a vital different option for David Moyes
McNeil almost left Everton in the January window when he saw a proposed move to Crystal Palace collapse on deadline day.
He didn’t play a big role for the Toffees in the first half of the season, and fans have been quick to jump on his back in recent weeks, when he has featured a little more.
| Stats | McNeil Total |
| Minutes | 74 |
| Accurate Passes | 18/24 (75%) |
| Chances Created | – |
| Defensive Contributions | 7 |
| Recoveries | 5 |
| Aerial Duels Won | 1/1 (100%) |
Several supporters piled onto the wideman’s back after Saturday’s draw with Brentford, but it is clear that Moyes sees far more value in giving him a shirt than those in the stands.
McNeil may not have made a telling impact in an attacking sense in West London, but he played a vitally responsible role on the left flank, as he chipped in with seven defensive contributions.
Moyes knows that he can rely on the former Burnley man to work hard, track his runners and provide a quality delivery when he gets the chance, and that role can be crucial in challenging away games.
The supporters unsurprisingly want to see more of George after some eye-catching cameos, but the flipside of that was shown by the hosts’ second goal on Saturday, when the substitute was beaten far too easily in the build-up.
He may not be a flashy option or a player who carries as much attacking threat as some of his teammates, but it is clear that he still has a place at the Hill Dickinson Stadium.
McNeil playing for his Everton future
McNeil is set to enter the final year of his contract on Merseyside in the summer, and as a result, it is expected that Everton will be open to letting him go.
Former Manchester United chief scout Mick Brown told Football Insider back in February that Everton will look to accept offers for McNeil in the summer, but there could still be scope for that stance to change.
He has found a new lease of life in the starting XI in recent weeks, and he is effectively now at the stage where he is playing for his future at the Hill Dickinson Stadium.
If McNeil continues to prove his worth to Moyes and his staff between now and the end of the campaign, then it could yet prove enough for him to avoid an exit and stay as part of next year’s squad.
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