Everton Regrets Selling Star Outperforming McNeil

Everton’s recent takeover by the Friedkin Group offers hope as they fight to stay in the Premier League. With their final season at Goodison Park underway, relegation before moving to their new stadium would be disastrous.

Manager Sean Dyche faces pressure to improve results and move the team away from the relegation zone. While January reinforcements could help, getting the best out of current players is crucial for survival.

One player making a big impact is Dwight McNeil. The former Burnley man has already matched last season’s goal tally and is on track for his most productive campaign yet. McNeil’s creative stats are impressive, ranking highly among his peers for key passes, dribbles, and chance creation.

However, Everton may rue selling Alex Iwobi to Fulham last summer. Despite Dyche’s reluctance to let him go, financial constraints forced the sale. Iwobi is now thriving under Marco Silva at Fulham, who sit 8th in the table.

Iwobi has been directly involved in 8 Premier League goals this season, creating more big chances than McNeil. His passing and progression stats are outstanding, ranking in the top percentiles for passes into the final third and progressive carries.

Journalist Aadam Patel even claimed Iwobi is having his “best season yet” in the Premier League. His creativity and goal threat could have made a huge difference for Everton in their relegation battle.

While McNeil is performing well, Iwobi’s form for Fulham suggests Everton made a costly error in letting him leave. His ability to create chances and score goals is exactly what the Toffees are lacking as they fight to stay in the top flight.