Merlin Röhl embraces Everton utility role in pre-season, as search for a full-back continues

Photo from Everton FC

Merlin Röhl has said he's happy to be Everton's utility man after fulfilling multiple roles during the opening games of pre-season.

Röhl started at right-back during the first fixture win at Dundee, before stints at wing-back and in central midfield during the goalless draw with Bolton. The German was signed as a midfielder, but has featured in a number of roles during his time at Everton to date.

Right-back has been an ongoing problem position for the Blues, whose search for a signing in that position this summer continues.

Röhl discussed deputising at full-back following the draw at Bolton and said he's willing to feature in any role the manager asks. He hopes his versatility can earn him regular minutes in the upcoming campaign.

“I train everywhere. Sometimes I train at right-back, sometimes on the wing. Sometimes you need to think about, OK, when you're right-back, 'I want to train a little bit for my crossing. I want to train a little bit on this touch’," he said.

“Then you need to have a good balance to train everything. But in the end, you need to be a good footballer to play on the pitch. No matter what position, you just need to be calm on the ball. That's what I'm trying to improve as much as possible so that it doesn't matter which position. I'm always going to be a footballer that is capable of playing on this level. That's my goal.

“I think in football it's so hard to predict anything. You always try to see what's coming.

“It's about my performances. If I had scored two goals at right wing-back, everyone would say, ‘oh yeah, maybe he's a good right wing-back’. That's football. It can change next week again if I play in a different position and perform there. It's always about the situation and how I perform in this one.

“[Against Bolton] I was hoping to get a little bit more [into] offensive situations and counter-attacks, and maybe stayed a little bit too high sometimes. Then they got a little bit in behind sometimes. That's what you learn when you play these positions against a very good team today. I'm going to take a lot from today and always enjoy playing everywhere.”

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Kevin Molloy 3 Posted 27/07/2026 at 11:49:15

I think the problem with Merlin is he's a little too accommodating. I don't think he cares that much about footy (compared with his fellow pros).

The fact he doesn't know his best position at this stage is indicative of the fact he's just drifting along.

Andrew Ellams 5 Posted 27/07/2026 at 12:39:41

He played in multiple roles during his time at Freiburg too, including full-back, so this isn't all new to him.

Jim Bennings 7 Posted 27/07/2026 at 14:07:35

Could be the closest thing we've had to a Fellaini type cult figure.

I enjoy the way he plays the game, he gets about the pitch well and he's deceptively fast.

Alan J Thompson 8 Posted 27/07/2026 at 14:31:25

Might be nice to sign players for the positions they are needed and then play them in their strongest positions in Premier League matches and move them around in practice at Finch Farm.

David West 9 Posted 27/07/2026 at 15:21:46

He's good on the ball, athletic and strong. He's definitely not a right-back, clips of him in Germany driving forward from midfield show he's got a lot to offer in the middle.

With Garner maybe missing the start of the season, he may get a chance, Tim's tackling will probably get him the nod though.

Ian Wilkins 10 Posted 27/07/2026 at 16:06:39

The fact that he can play in multiple positions is great... but please not another makeshift right-back, please no.

If the new recruitment team can't identify realistic options for right-back and pin one down (preferably first choice), then I despair.

How many seasons must we go without a proper right-back?

Christy Ring 11 Posted 27/07/2026 at 18:25:53

I don't believe it's a good thing to be able to supposedly play in a number of positions, for the simple reason, it'll stop the player excelling in his natural position.

Rohl is not a full-back or left-winger, Armstrong is not a winger, and O'Brien is definitely not a full-back, and Moyes has to stop putting round pegs in square holes.

Mike Gaynes 12 Posted 27/07/2026 at 19:13:13

Merlin is blazingly fast, strong, skilled on the ball and adaptable. What's not to like?

Christy #11, the square pegs argument holds no water for me. A player is a player, and if there is one thing Moyes is good at, it's recognizing a player's talent and teaching him a new position at Moyes University. He played Seamus at right mid for a season while he took a degree in right-back. He converted Jags from midfield to center back, successfully shifted Lescott from center back to left back for a season and turned the defensive Fellaini into quite a threatening attacker for his final season with us.

And while it was clearly not supposed to be a long-term solution, taking unused center back O'Brien off the bench and plugging him in at RB in January 2025 had an immediate and massively positive effect on the team's performance. It was a major factor in pulling us clear of relegation danger.

The Athletic reports that the club is "confident" of signing a quality right-back in this window, but if that doesn't happen and Moyes is confident enough in Rohl's training-ground performance to put him in the position, I think it will be a much better solution than returning O'Brien to the role. Merlin's attacking instincts will serve us well there.

Ian Bennett 13 Posted 27/07/2026 at 19:40:22

The positive Mike, is that Everton haven't missed out on any targets yet.

The inactivity is a worry. But whilst the main targets still haven't moved, there is a chance we can still put together a decent squad.

Wage capacity has been freed from Coleman, Gueye, and Grealish, so let's see.

Dave Lynch 14 Posted 27/07/2026 at 20:05:38

It's not a question of shoehorning players into positions, Mike, it's a question of strengthening the bloody squad. We can't compete on any level next season with the current squad we have.

You buy and play specific players for their specialised roles and strengths. If they get injured, you can then fill the gap with a player who can do a job in that role.

John Collins 16 Posted 27/07/2026 at 20:21:07

"The positive Mike, is that Everton haven't missed out on any targets yet."

How do you know that Ian?

Dave Lynch 17 Posted 27/07/2026 at 20:28:10

University of Mediocrity...he passed with first class honours.

Raymond Fox 18 Posted 27/07/2026 at 20:47:19

He's tall, quick, strongly built and intelligent, of course he can play in a few positions.

That's not to say he will be equally good in some of them, passable maybe but definitely better suited to maybe a couple.

Christy Ring 19 Posted 27/07/2026 at 21:10:04

Being tall quick and strong doesn't make O'Brien a fullback or Rohl a right winger.

an Moyes not buy a natural right-back? How long does it take Moyes to know it doesn't work long term??

Daniel Thomas 20 Posted 27/07/2026 at 22:32:59

Good point Mike.

Lots of younger players get minutes in positions that aren’t their best or most natural, early on in their development.

Hell, Saka was used as a left back in his early appearances for Arsenal.

Annika Herbert 21 Posted 27/07/2026 at 22:37:15

In actual fact it was the Sheffield United manager who converted Jagielka to centre half, not Moyes.

Fellaini was a box to box midfielder in Belgium with Standard Liege, where he occasionally played as a defensive midfielder. Again,nothing to do with the Moyes University of mediocrity.

The only reason Lescott was played st left back, was because of the successful pairing of Yobo and Jagielka in the middle.

Mark Taylor 22 Posted 27/07/2026 at 23:48:52

I like the look of Rohl but if we get to the end of another transfer window and still haven't signed a proper right back after 4 years without one, I think I'm going to take the hatchet to the hedgehog...

Dale Self 23 Posted 27/07/2026 at 23:57:03

I had him as more of a CM that could be disciplined enough to get forward without creating an open-season on our back line. If we are playing Tark or Keane, that is needed for more potent possession in the final third.

If Garner is claiming that as his comfort role, alright, he has earned the right and shown the goods there.

Having Rohl moving around may do for him what it did for Garner. The vision James displayed, as well as better positioning, came from his utility role.

As long as he and Baines are tight, it will get worked out for him. Along the way, he is the type of player (and personality it seems) for whom the growth is worth the unfamiliarities.

Just the kind of guy who could take some pressure off Dibling, and possibly talk him up once Merlin gets comfortable in a leadership capacity.

We have some decent dudes at the core of this squad. However, let's not let that keep us from railing about various other letdowns.

Steve Brown 25 Posted 28/07/2026 at 01:57:19

In fairness to Moyes, he usually only selects a maximum of 3 players out of position per game.

Ian Bennett 26 Posted 28/07/2026 at 01:58:37

Because John, none of the right backs weve been heavily linked with, nor the defensive midfielders or wingers have moved.

But please, tell me different.

Paul Griffiths 27 Posted 28/07/2026 at 03:24:55

It actually pains me that Rohl is discussing the possibility of the right-back position because it almost certainly means that the oldest PL manager by 9 years has spoken to him about the future and possibly playing there.

Mike Gaynes 28 Posted 28/07/2026 at 04:57:33

Or, Paul... Rohl looked at a very crowded midfield situation where he is unlikely to be first choice... and brought up the idea to the manager himself.

Steve Brown 29 Posted 28/07/2026 at 06:49:20

Ian, it might be true that our targets have not moved.

Although, a number of players on our short-list may have signed for other clubs. We don't know for sure.

However, isn't it the job of the recruitment team to engineer moves with player agents and make progress on finalising deals? A number of clubs make progress on deals that were then ready to announce when the transfer window opened on 15th June.

Hopefully, we are making progress in the background, but at an outcome level there is little to show since the season ended 2 months ago.

John Collins 30 Posted 28/07/2026 at 07:27:43

Mike. 24

John #16, how do you know we have. That's my point Mike. I don't know,neither do you and Ian.

Peter Gorman 31 Posted 28/07/2026 at 07:46:14

"I don't believe it's a good thing to be able to supposedly play in a number of positions, for the simple reason, it'll stop the player excelling in his natural position."

Try telling that to the Ajax and Dutch teams of the 1970s.

Totaalvoetbal!

Paul Griffiths 32 Posted 28/07/2026 at 07:54:47

Fair point MG - 28. I still see the balance of power lying with Moyes, however, and his roving around trying to fix a right-back situation that he is partly responsible for.

Paul Griffiths 33 Posted 28/07/2026 at 07:56:08

Over 50 years ago Peter - 31. Erm, football has changed.

Tony Abrahams 34 Posted 28/07/2026 at 08:02:28

I remember Moyes, played Jagielka, in central midfield against Metalist Kharkiv, and I don’t think he had any real option other than to never play him there again.

In saying that we had to endure Joseph Yobo, playing there a few times. Big, strong and athletic, but I still look back with embarrassment whenever I remember that time Liverpool, played for an hour and beat us with ten men.

Yobo & Carsley v Alonso, was no contest. One played sideways and forward, two played sideways and backwards, that was a very shameful day.

Christy Ring 35 Posted 28/07/2026 at 08:23:01

Mike#24 I’ve no problem with your post Mike, but at this stage have we even made an offer for a fullback considering we’ve been linked with so many?

Andrew Ellams 36 Posted 28/07/2026 at 08:34:58

Ian @ 26, doesn't mean they have turned Everton down though which would mean we have missed out on targets.

Darren Hind 37 Posted 28/07/2026 at 08:50:24

"Moyes university" Quite possibly the funniest thing I have ever read on here.

Andrew Ellams 38 Posted 28/07/2026 at 09:06:27

At least where not being linked with a move for Jordan Henderson today

https://www.theguardian.com/football/2026/jul/27/chelsea-surprise-move-danny-welbeck-brighton

Paul Griffiths 39 Posted 28/07/2026 at 09:13:50

Darren mate - Richard Dodd c.2006: Moyes will get us into the Champions League knock-out stages within three years.

Tony Abrahams 40 Posted 28/07/2026 at 10:30:39

Dale@23, I agree with that last paragraph mate. We have got some very good players at the club, imo.

My own view is that Rohl, has done more than enough to warrant playing on the right side of midfield, although with teams now being able to use five subs, I’m not sure that being versatile is now as important as it used to be, although this won’t be underestimated by our manager.

Moyes has always liked players who could play in more than one position, and Rohl, fits that kind of profile.

If we can now just sign a few more good players, in the positions that they are needed the most, then it’s quite possible we could have our strongest squad in years🤞

People say Moyes, doesn’t play younger players but my own view is that the squad needs a few players with more experience, especially if both Keane and Tarkowski, are going to be replaced in the middle of our defence?