Tyler Dibling Earns MOTM For Everton, But What's Next?

It’s been a difficult period for Tyler Dibling at Everton.

Last season must have been a nightmare for him, and this season hasn’t gone much better. Dibling is yet to play a single minute in the Premier League, but he was given a chance to impress against Wolves.

David Moyes will want to take the Carabao Cup seriously, so it was a big show of faith to start Dibling over the likes of Tyrique George and Brennan Johnson. 

Dibling was fairly lacklustre against Preston North End in the previous round of the competition, so this was a crucial game for the youngster. 

It’s safe to say he delivered. Not just going forward, but defensively too, which will have pleased the manager, crucially. 

Alan Irvine was full of praise for Dibling after the game, and he’s been pleased with the reaction for Dibling since he’s returned for pre-season.

“First of all, since he came back for pre-season, he's looked like he belongs here. He has looked more comfortable. He's a very quiet lad, Tyler, and it can sometimes take quiet lads, young lads, quite a bit of time to settle in, especially to a club like this with the expectations that are here, so that was probably difficult for him last year. But he's come back right from the first day of pre-season, looking much more comfortable in the environment and being able to play for a club of this size. So that's been good.” 

Signing for a new club at the age of 19 for a huge fee is a lot for someone to deal with. Dibling has had to move across the other side of the country, and that’s going to take time for anyone to settle in, never mind a footballer under huge pressure. 

It hasn’t worked out for Dibling so far, but the performance against Wolves showed he could be heading in the right direction. 

Of course, there will be suggestions that it was only a Championship side, but Dibling can only deal with what’s in front of him. The youngster was criticised for his performance against a Championship side in the previous round, so it’s only fair that he’s praised for bouncing back. 

A criticism of Dibling’s in the past has been that he doesn’t take his man on at every opportunity, but people have to accept he’s not that type of winger. Someone like Tyrique George is like the opposite profile. 

Dibling prefers to slow things down, retain possession, and use combinations with other players in order to move defenders around and create space. Dibling is more of a Jack Grealish than a George, and that’s fine. 

Having differing profiles in George and Dibling is going to be hugely beneficial for Everton in the future. George will cause problems all game by being direct, while Dibling can mix it up, coming inside, bouncing passes off of team-mates, while also having the burst of pace to beat defenders.

Against Wolves, Dibling was heavily involved. He touched the ball 75 times, more than any other attacker on the pitch, constantly picking up spaces in order to receive passes. When you are so involved in the final third, it’s difficult to look threatening every single time you get the ball.

Dibling managed that really well, sometimes prioritising retaining possession, other times looking to get at his man, while also looking to find a killer pass or picking out a team-mate in a better position. 

Dibling created two chances, including setting up Charly Alcaraz for the goal, while no player completed more dribbles. But that’s not what impressed me the most, and it leads me into the questions about the opposition.

Of course, Dibling being given more time on the ball, being able to get past his man more easily, and getting on the ball regularly, that is impacted by the quality of the opposition. 

Dibling looked more threatening on the ball and was more involved in any other player, and the fact that it was a Championship side who made a host of changes does impact that.

However, the quality of opposition means very little in terms of what he was producing defensively. Dibling absolutely worked himself into the ground, was hassling the opposition when they had the ball, showed a real determination to try and beat his man, and in general looked like he wanted to prove people wrong. 

There was a moment, which I’m sure everyone remembers, where Dibling produced a phenomenal pass into Johnson, and sprinted half the length of the pitch seconds later in order to win the ball back when Wolves were through on goal. Maybe a better opposition gets away from Dibling, but the level of the opposition didn’t matter when he was sprinting back to try and prevent a goal. 

Had Dibling of just produced what he did on the ball and struggled defensively, looked lazy, and just walked about, I’d completely understand the claims of the opposition being weak. 

Now, it’s about Dibling applying that to the Premier League, but he needs to be given more opportunities. 

When Moyes has been questioned for his lack of trust in Dibling, it feels like many are thinking that others are suggesting he should be starting every week. That simply isn’t the case.

Last season, Dibling wasn’t handled well. It’s not the lack of starts, that’s far from the biggest problem, it’s just the lack of minutes overall. 

It’s the same story for this season. Dibling shouldn’t have started every game. He probably deserves at least one if Johnson is going to be given starts, but he has strong competition from the likes of Grealish and George. 

What’s been incredibly disappointing is the lack of substitute appearances. Despite the narrative, Dibling can be trusted. He’s a hard-working winger, he just looks less so due to his laid-back style. He’s the type of winger who walks when he’s not really needed, but bursts into life if he needs to press, run back, or find space. 

So what is next for Dibling? Well, Moyes needs to show more faith. 20 minutes here, 30 minutes there, a start every now and then. Everton would benefit more in the long run, and arguably in the short term, playing Dibling over Johnson. 

The upside of Dibling is immense, but he’s not going to develop if he doesn’t play. Hopefully, the performance against Wolves has altered the thinking of Moyes, and this is the season he truly shines.