McNeil on his new role as an inverted winger

Does he stand on his head?

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.

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

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.

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

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

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.

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.

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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.

Not surprised he's doing well.

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

Probably better suited to Serie A than the Premier League.

Such successful teams usually have a play making midfield that can pass the ball and move into space.Something under Moyes selections Everton don't have.

Dyche to his credit never turned McNeill into a inverted winger and he worked with him for years, though he favoured their use in his formation.

To say he's only a squad player is suggesting we already have a title-challenging team. Did I skip 5 years or something?

As for the inverted winger, until we get better, faster, attacking full backs on either flank I'm more for keeping him central or on the left.

He and Ndiaye can learn to play in tandem, swapping positions, creating space, mayhem and plenty of chances.

Then hopefully in several seasons, McNeil could be a squad player in a fantastic, winning team.