Tyler Dibling shows glimpses of quality against Burnley

Tyler Dibling, Everton’s most expensive summer signing, had to wait until the penultimate fixture of the year to make his second start for his new club.

Arriving from the south coast on the back of a lot of promise and a £35m price tag, Dibling’s adaptation is taking longer than even the most pessimistic would’ve expected. Even after 17 rounds of Premier League matches, the 19-year-old barely had 100 minutes collectively in a royal blue shirt.

While it’s certainly not a simple endeavour to displace Jack Grealish and Iliman Ndiaye from Everton’s first-choice starting XI, especially given the form they’ve been in this season, to be fair, David Moyes hasn’t been proactive about giving minutes to the youngster either.

At Turf Moor against Burnley, when the opportunity did present itself with Grealish out due to illness and Ndiaye on AFCON duty, Dibling grabbed it and showed sparks of real quality to suggest why he was so highly rated in Southampton.

“I thought he played well today. I thought he'd done a lot of good things. Obviously, he's getting used to us and getting used to the team and what's required. He probably looked to our best attacking threat, to be honest,” Moyes said after the game.

“Certainly, in the first half, he had one or two moments and a couple in the second half as well. So, I'm pleased with him.

“He got himself booked late on, so we just made sure [by taking him off], there was no problem there.”

Dibling played 88 minutes and created two chances, including a big chance from the right flank with a deflected shot that just missed Beto’s feet at the far post. He also completed four of his six attempted dribbles and looked confident while carrying the ball and driving at the Burnley backline. Some of his touches also showed a lot of flair under pressure and his passing was tidy.

While Dibling is quick and agile, there’s room for physical growth, which is natural given his age. There’s definitely a promising player in there and the lack of game time so far is baffling. At the very least, he’s a far better player than Dwight McNeil and should be one of the first names to come off the bench to shake things up in the frontline.

Reader Comments (35)

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Anjishnu Roy 2 Posted 28/12/2025 at 10:07:48

Grant, I agree, Dibling should be ahead of McNeil at the very least.

Tony Abrahams 3 Posted 28/12/2025 at 10:35:05

I don't think Dibling will start before McNeil, and if Moyes, goes that way, then it's not something I'd beat the manager up with either.

Forest need points and I believe that Forest have got a much better team than where they currently sit in the table.

First, we will need to match them right the way across the middle of the park, and I'm not sure Dibling is up to speed defensively. We simply can't afford to be easy to play against on Tuesday night because I expect Forest will be very aggressive.

I know we want more and we want to see us take the game to the opposition but, looking at us yesterday, against one of the weaker teams in the Premier League, then I'm not sure we have currently got the players to do this.

Bob Parrington 4 Posted 28/12/2025 at 10:38:50

Agreed guys. We haven't yet seen the best of Tyler as he hasn't been given the opportunity to show his skills.

Definitely he should be preferred to start ahead of McNeil.UTFT

Jim Bennings 5 Posted 28/12/2025 at 10:44:05

Dibling needs to be starting ahead of McNeil now.

McNeil is not the future of Everton Football Club, Dibling should be, we have invested in him to as such.

Nicolas Piñon 6 Posted 28/12/2025 at 11:08:41

Any day of the week, Dibling should start ahead of McNeil.

Mike Powell 7 Posted 28/12/2025 at 11:27:51

It's got to be Dibling, Rohl and Grealish.

I don't want to see Alcaraz anywhere near the team, he is awful.

Dave Abrahams 8 Posted 28/12/2025 at 11:55:14

Jim (5),

Dibling could be the future at the present time he still a £42M learner and I'd prefer McNeil to start on match days.

Tom Bowers 9 Posted 28/12/2025 at 15:54:57

Some players need more starting roles but others may need to be rested.

The players in question have been mentioned here but others are only average.

McNeil and Mykolenko are two who have been lolling along lately and certainly Alcaraz has made very little contribution of late when needed.

We don't have exceptional players at left- or right-back but we have very little else making a claim at the moment.

Getting a point at awful Burnley was nothing to write home about but their keeper made some excellent stops late on and the post saved us at the end.

Having dispatched Forest recently at Hill Dickinson Stadium, we can expect that they will be out for revenge, and they played quite well against Man City yesterday.

We will still be missing some strength and need to improve greatly from the get-go to get anything from Tuesday's game.

I cannot understand why all the home teams from the weekend get the benefit of another home game in midweek and also that Liverpool get an extra day's rest before they play Leeds!!!

John Pickles 10 Posted 28/12/2025 at 16:27:55

Ndiaye, Dewsbury-Hall and Grealish must be our preferred line-up behind a striker at the moment, but I think Tyler Dibling should be playing if any of the aforementioned three are not on the pitch.

Ndiaye out: straight swop. Dewsbury-Hall out: Ndiaye into the centre, Tyler on the right. Grealish out: Ndiaye to the left, again Tyler on the right.

He was bought to be a future starter, McNeil and Alcaraz are, and will only ever be, squad players.

Mike Gaynes 11 Posted 28/12/2025 at 16:29:55

I really liked what I saw of him yesterday.

Looked poised and confident, not at all shy or out of place.

Ian Bennett 12 Posted 28/12/2025 at 16:41:41

Slightly off topic, but if Connor Gallagher is available for €30M per latest gossip columns, then I'd be in for him to give our centre-mid a bit more drive and goal threat.

A loan for Ben Chilwell as well. Back fit, and would upgrade our left-back spot.

Raymond Fox 13 Posted 28/12/2025 at 16:57:33

He will only get better with time, at least he should do. I thought he showed some class.

I would still start with McNeil, more because its an away game and we will likely be under the cosh from the off. I'm pretty sure Moyes will also pick McNeil.

Betting- Forest 11/10 Everton 11/4 Draw 9/4 approx. odds

Tony Abrahams 14 Posted 28/12/2025 at 17:01:47

I'm surprised that Forest are better than even money after the way both teams played yesterday.

I'd definitely take a point right now, because I think this is going to be a really difficult game.

Mike Gaynes 15 Posted 28/12/2025 at 17:02:22

Ian, €30M is big coin, but if getting Gallagher means we don't have to recall Armstrong from his loan and we can move Garner to right-back, it might be worth it.

Chilwell is at Strasbourg. Signed in September and settled in.

Raymond Fox 16 Posted 28/12/2025 at 17:15:38

I think you are right, Tony, they are going to have to play a lot better than Saturday. Maybe they can, we can only live in hope.

I'm a world leading pessimist so don't take any notice of me folks.

Ian Bennett 17 Posted 28/12/2025 at 17:22:48

True Mike. Signed a 2 year deal, but still probably available.

Tony Abrahams 18 Posted 28/12/2025 at 17:26:05

I’m pessimistic after watching us playing yesterday Raymond, because football is all about injecting speed into the game and it’s not something I watched us do much of yesterday.

The biggest concern at times was how we vacated the middle of the pitch, and with Forest having a better team, and a few more clinical players than Burnley, then I’m sure they will make us pay if this isn’t tightened up on Tuesday.

Shaun Parker 19 Posted 28/12/2025 at 18:01:02

I feel Mykelenko is the worst left back we have ever had. He can’t cross, can’t tackle, can’t get up the line, his positional play is anwful, all he can do is pass the ball back. Have we nothing in the under 21s we can stick in, surely we have someone who can play there 🤷🏻‍♂️

Mike Gaynes 20 Posted 28/12/2025 at 18:04:59

Strongly doubt it, Ian. He's a regular starter and they're having a fine season.

Tony, agreed, we left some huge holes that Burnley walked through. I assume Davey has had a bit to say about it. And agreed also on our speed. That's one area where we haven't improved at all. None of our new players is particularly pacey.

Dibbling was good in parts. He is a kid. With immense pressure from all angles coming at him. If he can handle it and the club take real care of him then he has great potential.

I hadn't noticed him at Southampton.

Lets face it in todays world of third world debt transfer fees, £40m isn't and doesnt get you a Cruyff. Add a 1 in front of that 4 and maybe we should rightly expect a bit of magic.

In a pathetically weak squad, still full of relegation regulars, it isn't right for the ludicrous weight of expectation to be pinned on him, as some kind of footballing genius who can solve the clubs player crises and goal dearth.

Apart from loaning the kid out, which due to lack of numbers, we cant do, he is going to have to serve his apprenticeship in front of us highly demanding and critical supporters, with the selective alloted minutes Moyes allows.

Good luck Kid

Sean Kearns 22 Posted 28/12/2025 at 18:41:09

We want our Ritchie back!!… any decent forward who can slow down time and read the game would have scored that early Beto chance. Then it’s a different game as Burnley would have to attack, especially them being the home team, meaning we would have seen more final 3rd action and had more chances.. not scoring such clear cut chances is criminal at the highest level of club football in the world and makes the game less entertaining for us paying customers. They could not give a fuck less about us, have no doubts.

Phil Roberts 23 Posted 28/12/2025 at 20:13:35

Shaun - I don't think you read the reports which said that Mykolenko had to go to hospital to have Salah removed from his back pocket.

I think a number of people believe he is quite a good defender.

Shaun Parker 24 Posted 28/12/2025 at 20:43:04

One good game does not make a good player. All entitled to our own opinion of course Phil. If I may suggest? Watch him next match, see how many times he gets up and down the flank. See how many quality crosses he gets in. See how many times he either plays a shit pass, gives the ball away or simply passes backwards. Not the sign of a good defender, unless you’re including the last ditch challenges to give away a corner.

Jay Harris 25 Posted 28/12/2025 at 21:42:32

McNeil shouldn't be anywhere near the first team.

Dibling did okay but nothing more.

Mykolenko is an excellent defender but not good going forward, especially with McNeil in front of him.

I have had enough of Beto and Barry and would like to see Alcaraz tried as a false 9 and midfield beefed up. Charly always has an eye for goal and is a much better passer of the ball than Beto or Barry.

We have a run of winnable games after Forest and can only hope for Grealish and KDH to return asap and I hate to say it but an early exit for Senegal. That could be the difference between a bottom half or 8th place finish.

Mike Price 26 Posted 28/12/2025 at 23:10:45

Shaun #19 Couldn’t agree more on Mykolenko and I’m really hoping he doesn’t get a new contract.

I hear people say he plays Salah well; he doesn’t, Salah’s record against him and us is excellent. The simple eye test tells you everything you need to know about him, we regularly get murdered on his side, he can’t stop crosses, is slow with no positional sense, isn’t aggressive, is useless in the air and his forward play is virtually non existent.

Nicolas Piñon 27 Posted 29/12/2025 at 00:43:59

I began following Everton 20 years ago but I'm pretty sure Mykolenko going forward is the worst thing anyone has ever seen wearing an Everton shirt.

We are giving the same advantadge there that with Beto/barry upfront

Jonathan Oppenheimer 29 Posted 29/12/2025 at 05:02:56

I think Mykolenko would make a fine back-up, so if Aznou is still a few years away from starting, I’m fine re-signing him at a reasonable salary. He was never meant to be a starter in the Premier League, but it’s not his fault that our club is stupid and got rid of Antonee Robinson and then Digne for no good reason.

Similarly it’s not Nathan Patterson’s fault that we paid what we did for someone who was worth a punt for half what we paid, but was never Premier League-ready. (Injuries didn’t help.)

I’m still fine with paying big money for Dibling. He’ll be worth it in a couple years time, though we have to figure out a way to get him on the pitch when Grealish, Ndiaye and KDH are all healthy. If Jack comes back next year, it’s an even bigger problem. Dibling needs to play.

The Barry fee is the one that really bothers me. On the small chance he comes good, it still didn’t make sense to buy a striker over a right or left back. It should’ve been someone like Evan Ferguson on loan or even Vardy for a season once we couldn’t get Delap. They obviously thought Barry could replicate the 11 goals from last season and bed in more quickly than a young and unproven forward from a lesser league or the Championship, but either way it neglected our biggest areas of need.

Anyone who believes that Jake at right-back is an answer for the rest of the season should sit through the shite of yesterday again. This would be the same fella who grabbed the ball to give Arsenal players an autograph.

We desperately, desperately, need some sort of right-back next month. Someone who can get us through the season whose name is not Jake. We need Jake available for central defence and Garner for the middle.

It's fucking stunning that this TFG recruitment team did not get us a right-back over the summer. I don't give a shit what this ventriloquist dummy Kinnear says about what we should expect. His is the first defence of a weak window. Do your job lad and get us a right-back with the help of those two new erm ace recruiters who came on board after - AFTER - the last window closed.

Mick O\'Malley 31 Posted 29/12/2025 at 08:07:53

Delaphas hardly been a success at Chelsea, when he isn't injured or getting sent off he's scored once hasn't he? Give Barry shit by all means but he plays in a team that create nothing but at least he is available, plus after watching Beto on Saturday I hope.that is the.last time I see him in a blue shirt, he was an embarrassment, and I also feel the same about McNiel, he.was absolutely dogshit on Saturday as he has been every time he's played this season

Paul Griffiths 32 Posted 29/12/2025 at 08:11:46

The problem is Mick mate - 31 - TFG and their ace recruitment team have put us is in a position where AFCON

Paul Griffiths 33 Posted 29/12/2025 at 08:14:32

Sorry, again, I hit submit too early.

The problem is Mick mate - 31 - TFG and their ace recruitment team have put us is in a position where AFCON and injuries that they knew were coming have made McNeil who is shite an option for Moyes.

Danny Baily 34 Posted 29/12/2025 at 09:41:40

Myko is like Hilbbert. Solid enough for this level but limited.

Barry might come good, but as it stands it looks like he'll be moved on at a loss. Beto isn't good enough, that's clear, and will be moved on at a loss.

Dibling? I'm worried we could have a Daniel James type player on our hands. We'll get something back though.

35 Posted 29/12/2025 at 10:23:43

Jonathan # 29 ‘“ we have to figure out a way to get him on the pitch when Grealish, Ndiaye and KDH are all healthy.”

This is the answer to that question I posted on the Burnley thread:-

“My answer is move Grealish into the centre, play Ndiaye on the left and Dibling on the right, and Dewsbury-Hall back into his favoured position as a central midfielder. I think Grealish needs to be given more responsibility. Alcaraz can replace him if, as I suspect will happen, he runs out of steam after 60 minutes.”