The Blues boss spoke positively of the 23-year-old despite dropping him for the visit of Leeds United
Merlin Rohl is challenged by Youri Tielemans of Aston Villa during the Premier League match at Villa Park. Photo by Clive Mason/Getty Images
David Moyes conceded it was difficult to leave out Merlin Rohl on Monday night but is backing the Germany youth international to have a growing impact at Everton.
With Iliman Ndiaye and Idrissa Gueye returning from their success with Senegal at the Africa Cup of Nations, there was always a chance someone would miss out despite the excellent team display at Aston Villa eight days earlier – even with Jack Grealish missing the first game of what looks set to be a lengthy absence with the stress fracture to his foot.
Rohl was the unfortunate one, losing his spot to Gueye who, while there was a solid argument for leaving on the bench given the effectiveness of Rohl, Harrison Armstrong and James Garner at Villa Park, was likely to start given Moyes’ pragmatism and the high-value he places on experience.
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Armstrong made way at the break but did so for Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall rather than Rohl, who did not get onto the pitch as Everton fought back to earn a point. Moyes later explained this was due to the creative struggle of his side in a poor first half display.
He said: “It was difficult to leave Merlin out and I didn’t use him tonight because I felt that I needed Kiernan in the position to be more creative and it was a difficult choice tonight for what I’d done. I thought Harrison had done enough to start again but again, he’s 19, so it’s a lot to ask.
“Leeds are a strong, powerful team so it was quite a difficult night for him in the first half but it wasn’t necessarily any worse than many others, it was just that I had to find a way of getting him. Getting something which might give me a chance of getting back in the game.”
Rohl was overlooked because Moyes was desperate for attacking impetus and his wholesale changes were rewarded with a much-improved second half that Everton could have won had it not been for the crossbar or Karl Darlow’s save from Thierno Barry.
While Moyes wanted to avoid using Dewsbury-Hall (and Branthwaite, who also came on at the break) given their long absences he felt he had to and was rewarded with a much-improved second half.
Moyes remains positive about Rohl’s potential – though he believes patience will be needed from staff and supporters as he fights for opportunities in what is now a congested midfield. For all that his arrival on loan from Freiburg was a last minute deal in the summer, the manager had been aware of the 23-year-old through his European exploits with West Ham United and was initially blown away by his impact in training.
Injuries then held Rohl back and the minutes he earned over the festive break showed glimpses of what had impressed Moyes, who is backing him
Ahead of Leeds, Moyes said of Rohl, who he thought had his best game at Villa but who he wants to stay patient with: “Merlin, I think, is going to take a bit of time. He’s going to fall over the ball a few times and he’s going to be a bit uncompromising at times, but he’s got other attributes which are really important and I hope that he’ll pick them up and he’ll get better as we go along. So he’s done a really good job as well. [Villa] was more like what we were hoping to see from Merlin as well, and I think he’s got more to come.”
A version of this article first appeared in this week’s edition of the Royal Blue newsletter. You can read, and subscribe, here