Tyler Dibling or Dwight McNeil: The Pros and Cons for Moyes to Weigh Up

The time many Evertonians have been worrying about has come: Iliman Ndiaye, one of Everton’s main attacking threats and a key facet to how the Toffees play under David Moyes, is heading off to the Africa Cup of Nations.

Ndiaye, along with Idrissa Gueye, will be hoping to go all the way with Senegal in Morocco.

Senegal are among the pre-tournament favourites, which is no surprise, given their excellent squad. And should they go on to reach the final on January 18, then Ndiaye and Gueye will miss seven Everton matches — six in the Premier League and one in the FA Cup.

While Gueye’s absence could prove a particular sticking point, it is going to be far from easy to fill in for Ndiaye.

There are two clear choices for Moyes to pick from.

The Case for Tyler Dibling 

It took Everton much of the summer to get a £35million (potentially rising higher) deal for Tyler Dibling over the line. It marked a big investment in a 19-year-old who had impressed in one of the Premier League’s poorest ever teams last season — the winger had been a rare bright spot in a miserable campaign for Southampton.

Yet Dibling has only made two starts in an Everton shirt, and in one of those, against Crystal Palace in the league in October, he was subbed off at half-time. In fact, he has tallied up only 88 minutes of Premier League football this season.

Chances have been hard to come by for the teenager, who has at least got minutes late on in each of the Toffees’ last two games.

Dibling lacks the experience that Moyes values so highly, but the Everton manager should remember that ultimately, the club backed his choices when it came to recruitment.

Players only improve — or at least, they only really improve — with gametime. And with such a congested fixture list, Dibling has to be trusted to show what he can do in his best position.

That is the crux here. Dibling is the only natural right winger in Everton’s squad. And just because he is young, it does not mean he shouldn’t be given the nod and a chance to impress. 

He offers a dynamism and dribbling ability that echoes Ndiaye’s, even if he is not quite as refined. And as he demonstrated at times last season, when given space to work with in transition, he can be particularly effective.

Dibling is also an exciting prospect, and that can provide the positive boost fans may need to really get going as they travel across the country in the depth of winter.

Perhaps Saturday’s clash against league leaders Arsenal is not the match to start Dibling in, but games against Burnley, Wolves and Brentford in the weeks that follow seem ideal to test the waters, and that’s assuming Moyes takes a more conservative approach when visiting Nottingham Forest on December 27.

The Case for Dwight McNeil

When it was put to Moyes in his pre-Chelsea press conference that Ndiaye’s absence would provide Dibling with a chance to shine, the Scot was quick to point out that it would also enable Dwight McNeil to get a shot.

A stir has been caused in the fanbase in recent weeks, with McNeil having been preferred to Dibling from the bench against Manchester United and Bournemouth. And against Nottingham Forest, even with Everton 2-0 up, Moyes turned to McNeil before he opted to bring Dibling on, with the youngster only introduced after Everton had gone 3-0 up.

But taking a step back, it is surely understandable why Moyes would turn to a player with plenty of Premier League experience to help hold out slender leads at both Old Trafford and the Vitality Stadium. Throwing in a 19-year-old and asking them to defend for their life is surely not the best idea.

And even against Forest, before Everton scored their third goal, there was always a chance the tide could turn if the visitors had managed to get one back. Indeed, it was only James Tarkowski’s clearance on the line that prevented Forest from capitalising on a Jordan Pickford mistake when the score was 2-0, and who knows what may have played out had the centre-back not been on hand to spare his goalkeeper’s blushes.

McNeil is, rightly or wrongly, seen as something of a safety net. He works hard, can provide quality with his left foot, and knows how to play in a disciplined shape. 

He is not, though — or at least, this is how it seems — destined to be part of Everton’s future. It would be a surprise to see McNeil, who is out of contract in 2027, be a feature of the squad next season.

But there is a time and a place for him. Just as there is a time and a place for Dibling. 

This writer would much prefer to see the long-term solution, the player that Everton have invested heavily in, get his shot. Yet putting one’s self in Moyes’ shoes, it is easy to see why, against Arsenal in particular, McNeil may get the nod.

Moyes’ task now is to get the balance right. McNeil may well have worked hard enough in training to show that he deserves a ch ance, but Dibling cannot be allowed to drift. He needs game time and needs to develop, and Everton have made a significant investment in securing what they seemingly saw as one of England’s bright young talents.

Everton have got themselves into a strong enough position that Moyes should be willing to take a calculated risk or two; sometimes, playing it safe is more dangerous.

 

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