Pre-season doesn't mean an awful lot in terms of results, but the Everton players will have been wanting to impress David Moyes ahead of the Premier League returning.
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Everton’s pre-season is now over, and the real stuff gets underway this weekend as the Toffees host Crystal Palace at the Hill Dickinson Stadium.
It’s been an interesting pre-season for the Toffees, but quite a positive one when reflecting on the few weeks overall. Some of the results and performances could have been better, but there are certainly many positives to take.
Young talent being given a chance, players improving, plenty of games. Of course, it would be nice to play well and win every single game, but that’s unrealistic.
The positives in pre-season will hopefully stand us in good stead ahead of the return of Premier League action, while there are still some new signings to bed in and come through the door.
Brennan Johnson received his first set of minutes last time out, while Hayden Hackney has been given plenty of opportunities. We’re yet to see Christian Norgaard in action, but hopefully he’ll be fit enough to play a part this weekend.
As mentioned, there have been plenty of positives, so I thought I’d do unofficial pre-season awards. There are a number of players who deserve credit for what they’ve produced over the last few weeks.
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Top 3 players of pre-season
Merlin Rohl
Harrison Armstrong
Thierno Barry
I think Merlin Rohl deserves first place for a number of reasons. Not only has he consistently produced strong performances, but he’s also done so in a number of different positions. He’s shown incredible versatility and quality, and he’s given David Moyes something to think about, particularly at right-back.
Action Images via Reuters
Action Images via Reuters
Harrison Armstrong was going to be given the award of ‘young player of pre-season’, but I think it was a disservice to him to label him as such. Instead, he’s my number two in the player of the season rankings.
Armstrong has looked so comfortable and mature in the middle of the park. Often with young players, you can see a little nervousness, but he plays like an experienced, seasoned midfielder. He’s undoubtedly the young player of pre-season, but he deserves to be named in the top list.
Thierno Barry slips in at third. Others might be unlucky to miss out, but Barry has been excellent over the last few weeks. Enough about him, as he grabs an award later in the article.
Surprise package
This has to go to Tyler Dibling, for me. Maybe Rohl has been a bit of a surprise, but Dibling more so.
I’ve always been a huge fan of Dibling, but he looked completely shot of confidence after a disappointing season. His first couple of games in pre-season were also a disappointment, which is perhaps why it’s been such a shock to see the improvement in recent weeks.
It seemed like Dibling just needed that one game to spark him into life. Now, he looks full of confidence, stronger, and is taking responsibility in the final third.
It’s great to see, as Everton invested a lot of money in him. They need this deal to work out, and after a year of adaptation, it’s time for him to prove himself. The last few weeks he’s looked much improved, and hopefully he can carry that into the new season,
Best individual performance
This is a tricky one. I think Iliman Ndiaye was excellent against Lille, Dibling too. Barry performed superbly against Newcastle, Hackney has impressed on multiple occasions.
But for me, this award goes to Armstrong for his performance against Newcastle.
Two assists, 94% pass completion, five defensive contributions, three out of four duels won. It was a fantastic, mature performance, showing composure in the final third to create two goals, while also helping control the game from deep.
He’s a midfielder who can do a bit of everything, and that was certainly on show against Newcastle. He’s a strong ball winner, comfortable in possession, and has a creative side to him. He’s a complete midfielder in terms of profile, and that was displayed against the Magpies.
Most improved
Dibling is someone who could have won this one, but I think he’s only really come alive in the final few weeks of pre-season.
Someone who has impressed me throughout the whole pre-season is Barry. The French striker has improved in multiple different areas, and he’s becoming more of a well-rounded striker. He’s found the back of the net on three occasions and also won a penalty, and hopefully he’ll take his strong form into the new campaign.
It was a year of adaptation for Barry, which is understandable, but he looks a different player in pre-season. Stronger, sharper, better hold up play, more creative, and just overall a better player.