27/04/2025 19comments  |  Jump to last

 

Dwight McNeil has been talking about yesterday's game against Chelsea, the chance he had to score after he came on as a substitute, and the 'new role' David Moyes had him playing as an inverted winger.

“I haven’t seen it back, but I think at the time I didn’t see it until late. For me it was a bit of an awkward height to generate the power that I wanted.

“But they are the chances that we need to create more, especially against a team like this, and be more ruthless in front of goal.

“We knew before the game it's always difficult to come into places like this. I think it was just that one mistake.

“Against teams like this, that's all it takes, and we got punished for it. But yeah, we were better in the second half, but we’ve got to create more chances.”

“We’ve had that problem the last couple of years. We don't create chances, but when we do we’re not as ruthless in front of goal. The goal that they scored today was one chance from our mistake and they scored.

“It’s a new position for me but I just want to be on the pitch as much as I can to try and help the team.

“I definitely feel like I’m getting back to that fitness that I want to get to every day in training, which is helping. Now I’m just waiting for my chance to try and help the team.”

“It was my first serious injury and it was really difficult to not be involved, especially when I was doing well, playing inside, before I got injured, contributing goals and assists. Now I just want to get my fitness up and try and have a chance to get back on the team.

“It’s been a tough season. But before getting injured I think I was playing well, playing inside where I want to play and impacting games.

“Like I say, you’re with the lads but you're actually not a part of it. You only see them after training. Meg (his partner) and my family have supported me really well through this difficult time.”

“The gaffer is the main one who drives it. He’s already looking ahead to next season, trying to improve the team. He doesn't want to be where we've been in the last few seasons, he wants to be looking up.

“So that’s starting to rub off on us. We want to try and implement it in the last four games of this season and carry it on to next season.”

 

Reader Comments (19)

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Les Callan
1 Posted 27/04/2025 at 16:49:43
What on earth is an inverted winger?

Does he stand on his head?

Kevin Naylor
2 Posted 27/04/2025 at 17:12:03
Posh term for being played out of position.
Jim Bennings
4 Posted 27/04/2025 at 17:21:29
I like Dwight McNeil but I still think he's too slow and far too one-footed to really propel himself to another level.

I put him in the same kind of bracket as the likes of Mykolenko, Garner, Doucoure, and Harrison really.

All players that have some use in terms of work ethic but very limited and we are probably the biggest club they'll ever play for.

Kevin Naylor
5 Posted 27/04/2025 at 17:33:01
He has ability – bit like the majority of our midfield front line.

But he doesn't create or score enough to be anything more than average.

Martin Farrington
6 Posted 27/04/2025 at 17:45:33
I have commented on a previous thread about the state of our team, squad and massive massive problems that we face next season.

Between 10 - 15 players will go. Most having zero effect on the footballing ability of our club, other than a physical presence of making up numbers in the squad and bodies on the pitch.

How we got here is obvious, but no longer matters.
New ownership. New board. New investment. New stadium. New optimism.

But a juxtaposed reality. Due to regulations, we cannot resolve this terrible situation in a positive manner.

For me, Dwight McNeil is a squad player at best. Occasional starts perhaps. Not much more. However, due to our dire situation, he is going to be a guaranteed name on the sheet for next season and probably the season after.

Peter Hodgson
7 Posted 27/04/2025 at 17:49:00
Is this the sort of reason Jason Kidd has been brought on board? Can his experience help the Manager and the Team get more focussed on attacking and creating more opportunities?

If so, we have needed this sort of input and improvement for years.

Mihir Ambardekar
8 Posted 27/04/2025 at 18:43:32
McNeil is one of the better players we have. Much much better when compared to Doucoure, Harrison and Mykolenko in terms of ability, creativity and scoring despite slow speed.

Next season, he should be competing with Alcaraz for the playmaker role. We should have 2 faster wingers capable of playing on both sides.

Andrew James
9 Posted 27/04/2025 at 19:46:39
I'd always interpreted 'inverted winger' as being similar to the old inside left and right. It's a good position for Number 10s to play in and overload the opposition.

It interests me that Moyes uses it but I suppose he did employ similar with Baines and Pienaar.

Several of our players, like Alcaraz, Ndiaye, Lindstrom and McNeil, can play it, so I would expect to see more of this next season.

Jerome Shields
10 Posted 27/04/2025 at 23:16:54
What this means is that, rather than overlapping, he is coming inside. It means that Moyes is applying a low block tactic, similar to Dyche.

It also means that Ndiaye is doing the same on the other wing. This is a 4-4-2 formation and is a negative defensive formation.

Moyes has morphed into Dyche.

Mal van Schaick
11 Posted 28/04/2025 at 08:21:13
I think McNeil still looks injured. He was hobbling around. His best position might be inside left at another club.

He's too inconsistent for me, the odd dribble and goal maybe, but he can't defend very well. Cash in for the rebuild.

Robert Tressell
12 Posted 28/04/2025 at 09:16:31
Most successful clubs play inverted wingers now – Salah, Yamal, Saka, Bowen etc. This is because they are not conventional wingers. They are kept higher up the pitch as forwards.

It is the full-backs who often resemble conventional wingers. When the winger or forward cuts inside, the full-back goes on the outside.

McNeil is a pretty good player – a bit slow but decent technique and work rate. But the team is not set up for this approach because we're desperately in need of the attacking right-back who makes it work.

If we can get a quality right-back, then McNeil may be better playing more centrally (the No 10-ish spot). He's got much better technique than Doucoure. We could then bring in a faster right-winger to give us more dynamism on the counter-attack.

Whatever the case, McNeil to me is a bit like Garner. Both good players. Both unlikely to ever play for England. In time, this is the sort of quality we need on the bench – not in the starting XI.

Steve Brown
13 Posted 28/04/2025 at 09:56:41
Robert, did you see McTominay last night for Napoli?

That was a great No 10 performance. He was right up close to Lukaku, almost in a 4-2-4, when attacking.

Anthony Dove
14 Posted 28/04/2025 at 10:17:49
Steve @13,

Did you notice a certain Che Adams was playing for Torino?

Also, Gilmour and Billings were on the bench for Napoli.

Steve Brown
15 Posted 28/04/2025 at 10:41:19
Yes, Anthony, I was surprised to see Adams in the Torino line-up as I didn't know he moved there. He was another player constantly linked with us.

£25M for McTominay is looking like good value now. Unfortunately, that fee was beyond us last summer.

Andrew Ellams
16 Posted 28/04/2025 at 11:18:31
McNeil and Ndiaye could both work as good inverted wingers if we had better attacking full-backs.

For those who don't know what one is… think Steven Pienaar.

Tom Bowers
17 Posted 28/04/2025 at 11:59:13
I agree, Andrew #16. We do need better fullbacks as I am not sold on what we have.

Whilst these days teams line up with three at the back the new fullback/wing back setup is crucial in the modern game and I think Everton have come up short.

Seamus in his prime was excellent, as was Bainsey.

Soucek is just like Doucoure an odd goal here and there but not good enough as supporting midfielders.

I would sooner get Bowen but he will be over-priced.

Robert Tressell
18 Posted 28/04/2025 at 17:59:27
I didn't, Steve #13, but just echo what you say #15.

Ian Bennett
19 Posted 28/04/2025 at 18:30:53
Yep, I said we should've signed McTominay last summer.

Not surprised he's doing well.

Si Cooper
20 Posted 28/04/2025 at 18:48:48
McTominay pops up fairly regularly as a potential target.

He gets a few goals but for me has never resolved some clear deficiencies.

Probably better suited to Serie A than the Premier League.


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