McNeil Maintains His Status as Everton’s Brightest Light by Gary McCarty 5 December, 2024 To retain your calm and composure, while chaos unravels all around you, is an admirable quality no matter what your job title. But in the cauldron of the Premier League, with millions scrutinising your every move, in a team that is failing… that deserves huge respect. So credit must go to Dwight McNeil, whose remarkable season continues to go under the radar with everyone but hardcore Everton supporters. His reinvention as a number ten has been one of the standout decisions Sean Dyche has made this season… The Only Way Is Up There’s no point beating about the bush: Everton are in a relegation battle once more. The Premier League betting odds have them as a 9/4 chance for the drop – only Southampton (2/13), Leicester (1/2) and Ipswich (4/7) are a shorter price. And played out against the backdrop of Liverpool becoming a heavy favourite in the Premier League title odds, it’s not exactly a Christmas season of great cheer for Toffees fans. Sean Dyche's reaction to #MUNEVE: pic.twitter.com/RRzDJutUPn— Everton (@Everton) December 1, 2024 The new ownership group will, hopefully, soon take over the running of the club, which in turn may precipitate a change of manager. But even then, how much business – if any – will be conducted in the January transfer window remains to be seen. The glass half-full mentality decrees that Everton aren’t as bad as the three betting favourites for the drop. That’s both an anecdotal viewpoint and one backed by statistics: the Toffees sit 15th in the Premier League table and 16th in the Expected Points standings, so either way you look at it, they should, in theory, stay up. If they do, it will be that man McNeil that’s performed much of the heavy lifting… Man in the Middle Even in a performance as derisory as Everton’s at Old Trafford on December 1, McNeil shone. He played eight successful passes into the final third of the pitch – more than anyone else on the day, including Manchester United’s players, while serving up 0.27 in Expected Assists. He also won 75% of his duels and drew three fouls, which may all sound like jargon to some. But the takeaway point is that McNeil continues to be an attacking force even in an Everton side as blunt and toothless as this. Dwight McNeil has created more chances than any other player in the Premier League this season. 🪄 pic.twitter.com/QqvZWDq1JA— Squawka (@Squawka) September 30, 2024 With six goal involvements in 12 Premier League starts, the 25-year-old has been the Toffees’ best player this term by a country mile. And now the concern is that a bigger club may come a-knocking in January. Historically, McNeil has been the classic-inverted winger, cutting in from the right-hand side on his favoured left foot. But credit must go to Dyche for reinventing him as a number ten, who has been given the freedom to roam and act as playmaker. In that role, McNeil has played 27 key passes in the Premier League; for context, only four players in the entire division have delivered more. He is delivering elite level performances in a mediocre team… McNeil needs to be protected at all costs.