Everton should seize McNeil momentum
Matt Jones: As much as it is easy to play down the significance pre-season, Dwight McNeil has given Frank Lampard a substantial conundrum ahead of Saturday's opener with Chelsea.
Two goals, some surging runs and tidy touches from the new signing gave Everton a different verve in the final third. With new team-mates embracing him and the Gwladys Street singing his name, McNeil will feel ten feet tall.
That momentum will be important if Everton are to beat the London club this weekend and for that reason, I'd be tempted to throw McNeil in from the off as a result.
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As much as they've all shown bright moments, none of Anthony Gordon, Demarai Gray nor Alex Iwobi have looked completely comfortable in the advanced role on the right - the former of the trio should get the nod on the left, although some inconsistent pre-season showings make him vulnerable if he starts the season slowly.
Elsewhere, the goalkeeper, left wing-back and centre-back spots pick themselves provided Yerry Mina is fit. It's at right wing-back where there is a potential decision to make - it would be no surprise to see Lampard go with Iwobi given his performance in that position in this fixture back in May. However, Nathan Patterson appears to be the popular choice and has done little wrong in recent outings.
In midfield, Abdoulaye Doucoure takes up one position. Should Iwobi play on the right, then Allan will likely partner him, although Patterson playing out wide may mean the Nigerian begins in the central duo.
My team (5-4-1): Pickford; Patterson, Godfrey, Mina, Tarkowski, Mykolenko; McNeil, Iwobi, Doucoure, Gordon; Calvert-Lewin
Lampard has already given big system hint
Adam Jones: Frank Lampard perhaps gave his biggest hint as to the system he's going to play on the opening day with his setup against Dynamo Kyiv. In many respects it wasn't a surprise to see a five-man defence, and with the current crop of midfielders you can certainly understand why Everton look more comfortable in this shape.
Yerry Mina was left out of the side as a precaution with the hope that he can be training from the middle of this week, so you'd hope he would be fit enough to come back into the starting line-up in place of Michael Keane. Otherwise, you'd expect that back line to remain the same.
The midfield is an interesting one. Abdoulaye Doucoure and Alex Iwobi bring a lot of good qualities to that area of the pitch, but defensive positioning and awareness perhaps aren't among them.
Much could depend on the fitness of Allan, then. If the Brazilian is close to 100% then you could see him placed in the centre of the pitch and then it just depends on how bold Lampard wants to go against his former side - and I would personally side with starting Iwobi.
In that front three, it's hard to look past a starting place for Dwight McNeil after he looked so promising off the bench against Kyiv. In this case, I would drop Anthony Gordon as I think Demarai Gray is a little better suited to the more naturally narrow position Everton are forced to play at that end of the pitch thanks to their wing-backs.
Gray has great potential to cut inside and produce a goal from nothing as he did against Arsenal, or tee up a cross for Dominic Calvert-Lewin as he did in the final match of last season against Crystal Palace. The striker, of course, is a given for starting this game - and let's hope he can get off on a strong footing as he did at the beginning of last term.
My team (5-2-3): Pickford; Patterson, Godfrey, Mina, Tarkowski, Mykolenko; Iwobi, Allan; McNeil, Gray, Calvert-Lewin.
Connor O’Neill - The team picks itself as McNeil must start
Following an indifferent pre-season campaign, in which we saw the good, the bad and the ugly of Everton, the real action is just days away from starting.
For Everton and Frank Lampard, his side for the opening day clash against Chelsea, for me, effectively picks itself. Pre-season has shown it has to be five at the back.
Jordan Pickford will no doubt start in goal, while Ben Godfrey, Yerry Mina and James Tarkowski should start as the three centre-backs. Out wide, despite the signing of Ruben Vinagre, Vitaliy Mykolenko should be given the nod on the left, with Nathan Patterson opearing down the right.
In front of them, Abdoulaye Doucoure and Alex Iwobi should line-up in the middle, while new signing Dwight McNeil should start on the left, with Anthony Gordon on right, and Dominic Calvert-Lewin tasked with leading the line.
My team (5-2-3): Pickford; Patterson, Godfrey, Mina, Tarkowski, Mykolenko; Iwobi, Doucoure ; McNeil, Gordon, Calvert-Lewin.
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