Everton have slipped into the bottom half of the Premier League table following their goalless draw with Burnley on Saturday afternoon.
The Opta supercomputer expects Everton to finish 13th after that drab display at Turf Moor, so clearly the Toffees are going through a bit of a wobble at the moment.
David Moyes seemed to downplay the result as he explained that it was a really tough fixture, so that’s a little bit concerning, considering the goal all along has been European qualification.
Is David Moyes too negative? 🤔
Moyes certainly learned a lot about his side yesterday, as Tyler Dibling finally got his second league start of the season.
That said, there was a £17m concern that arose for the Everton boss.
Merlin Rohl’s impending transfer is a slight concern
Merlin Rohl, who joined in the summer on a loan deal with a £17m obligation to buy if Everton stay up, made only his sixth Premier League appearance of the season against Burnley.
Rohl has been plagued by injuries this season, but managed to come on for the final 20 minutes at Turf Moor.
Who was your Man of the Match vs Burnley? 🤩
A frustrating 90 minutes at Turf Moor!
It’s fair to say, Toffees fans were far from impressed with Rohl’s display, and many are now concerned about the prospect of having to buy him next summer.
The Germany under-21 international just looked miles off the pace and certainly isn’t suited to the number 10 role.
- 21 minutes
- 11 touches
- 4 possession lost
- 67% pass accuracy
- 2/8 duels won
That’ll be a concern for Moyes and could force him into recalling Harrison Armstrong from Preston in January.
Merlin Rohl still adjusting to different culture
It’s easy to forget that Rohl is still a very young player who is having to adapt to a new country and culture whilst dealing with injuries.
That’s clearly not going to be easy for any player, no matter how good you are, so it’s important to consider that.
Who was your Man of the Match vs Burnley? 🤩
A frustrating 90 minutes at Turf Moor!
Speaking earlier this month, Rohl admitted he’s still adapting to England and learning the language.
“Yeah, I’ve seen some differences with the lifestyle and cultural differences, and, of course, the language. Trying to get better at the language and get better at understanding the accent here,” the 23-year-old said.
“I’m trying to be part of the team here and to talk with everyone. I like the country and I like the people here.”
A proper run in the team would do him no harm, too, so Moyes should consider that before making any judgment on him.
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