David Moyes
Everton’s recent victory against Newcastle United saw a standout performance from Dwight McNeil, who was instrumental in the team’s 3-2 win. McNeil, who had been at the center of a collapsed transfer to Crystal Palace, returned to the starting line-up and played a crucial role in the match. His efforts included winning the free-kick that led to James Tarkowski’s opening goal and contributing significantly to Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall’s goal, which put Everton 2-0 up.
David Moyes said: “Dwight was great. His control and his pass for the second goal to get out and then (pass) to Ili (Iliman Ndiaye)… he did really well and I’m really pleased for Dwight because he’s probably had a tough time.” Moyes continued, “His other performances were never at the level that he played tonight, so he played much, much better tonight. And I’ve been saying he’s training better, and he’s getting more confidence. So that tells me that everybody in the house is watching him. And they all thought he played well tonight, and he did. He did a great job.” Moyes added, “It was a good win and we deserved a victory in the end and scored a couple of good goals to go with it as well. (The first goal) settled us down because, look, I’d still like to have created more chances and more opportunities, but in the main we did a good job and kept it controlled for most of the game and for pretty good long periods.”
McNeil’s performance was a breakthrough, especially after being a bit-part player under Moyes, despite being integral to former manager Sean Dyche’s plans. The win against Newcastle not only boosted McNeil’s confidence but also ended Everton’s three-month home win drought. The victory moved Everton closer to seventh-placed Brentford, two points behind sixth-placed Chelsea, and five points from fifth-placed Liverpool. Everton’s next challenge is an away game against league leaders Arsenal on March 14.
About The Author
