Merlin Rohl has finally announced himself at Everton.
The German was given just his third Premier League start of the season on Monday as Manchester City turned up at the Hill Dickinson Stadium, and despite his lack of action, proceeded to put in a fantastic display as Everton recorded a 3-3 draw.
Merlin Rohl – who admitted it has not been “nice” to watch from the bench all season – could actually get even better for the Toffees once David Moyes deploys him in his favourite position, which he revealed last year.
Who was your Man of the Match as Everton settle for a point? 🤝
Merlin Rohl could have another gear to move into at Everton
Upon his arrival from Freiburg back in September, the Germany U21 international revealed that his favourite position is “box-to-box midfielder” despite his ability to play in several different areas.
Rohl told the official Everton website: “I see myself as a box-to-box midfielder, and I feel I can bring my qualities to this team after having discussions with the manager.
“I think versatility is a strength of mine, and the style of my game will suit the Premier League.”
Versatility certainly is a standout quality for Rohl. For example, he had only played on the right wing 22 times in his career before tearing Manchester City apart from that position on Monday.
Once the 23-year-old begins to earn more trust from Moyes and receives chances to roam freely from box to box, Everton fans could witness the man from Potsdam deliver an even higher level of performance.
Merlin Rohl may have to be patient
At the moment, Moyes doesn’t really have the licence to deploy a box-to-box midfielder in his team.
The Glaswegian has two holding midfielders, typically James Garner and Idrissa Gueye, in a 4-2-3-1 formation, and their positional discipline is highly important. Were either of them to go charging around all over the pitch, it would leave Everton vulnerable through the centre.
Who is to blame for this? 🙄
This is becoming a real issue for Everton and costing them valuable points! 😭
That is potentially why Moyes is yet to give Rohl a chance at playing a box-to-box role, but when the time does come, the German has shown more than enough promise to suggest he can make a real impact in that position.
Receive a digest of our best Everton content each week direct to your mailbox
