David Moyes was asked about Beto and Dwight McNeil in his pre-match press conference to preview Everton's game at Manchester City
David Moyes speaks in his pre-match press conference to preview Everton's game at Manchester City
David Moyes speaks in his pre-match press conference to preview Everton's game at Manchester City
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David Moyes has admitted Everton haven’t been playing to Beto’s strengths as he outlined what Dwight McNeil needs to do to try and force his way back into the side.
Beto, who missed an open goal in Guinea-Bissau’s 1-0 World Cup qualifying defeat to Ethiopia, allowing the ball to slip through his legs and go out for a goal-kick, has netted the only goal from an Everton striker in the Premier League so far this season when he headed in the opener in their 3-2 victory at Wolverhampton Wanderers on August 30. The 27-year-old struck seven times for the Blues under Moyes in the second half of last season – including a February purple patch that including five in four Premier League games – but has struggled so far this term.
Speaking in his pre-match press conference to preview Saturday’s trip to Manchester City, Moyes said: “I think every Evertonian has seen as much as I’ve seen. Of course we’re working every day with him.
“The boy is mad to do the work. He’s a brilliant, brilliant lad and his dedication to try and himself is second to none, so you can only praise him for that.
“We want him to get back what he was doing, running away from people scoring goals. When I came in last year, he probably had eight or nine one-v-ones.
“Maybe the way we’re playing, we’ve had more of the ball, we’re playing slightly different now, so maybe he hasn’t had as much room to run into behind.
“It still doesn’t take away that we want him to score goals. He’s got a couple (he also netted against Mansfield Town in the Carabao Cup) and he should have scored the header that Jack gets, but it doesn’t matter, we got the goal.”
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Moyes was also asked what Dwight McNeil needs to do to get into his team. The Rochdale-born player, who joined Everton from Burnley for £20million in 2022 has made 227 Premier League appearances in his career but has dropped down the pecking order after Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, Jack Grealish and Tyler Dibling were all signed for big money in August.
The Blues boss said: “He has to keep pushing to get into the side. As you can see, we’ve changed a few players in the attacking areas, we’re trying to improve there.
“Dwight can give us something which we want. He has got the ability to create goals, make goals but he has got competition now.
“I think maybe this time last year, Dwight could have been Everton’s best player and he was injured when I first came in. So, he has to get back to that and show that and as I said, he’s got stiff opposition in front of him but he did ok for the Under-21s the other night.”