Tyler Dibling’s ‘predicament’ is both ‘concerning’ and ‘bizarre’ according to this week’s salivating media reports as they seek the next way to destabilise Everton ahead of a key home fixture.
The £45m signing from Southampton has appeared just five times for Everton this season and has been an unused substitute in the last few games.
Should Evertonians be concerned that their young star is not getting much time on the pitch? While many of us would like to see more of Dibling his plight at the club is not actually concerning – especially when you can compare him to another of Everton’s stars who even plays a little like the former Southampton man.
At the age of 18 Jack Grealish was playing in League One for Notts County. The following season as he turned 19 he did finally get some minutes for Aston Villa, playing 17 times in what was the equivalent of nine full games for the club.
Grealish, a future £100m footballer, made one assist and did not score in his first season at Villa. The following season he again played the equivalent of just nine games at the age of 20, finally scoring his first goal but registering zero assists.
At the age of 21 Grealish was down in the Championship where he had his breakout season – something Tyler Dibling has already done in the Premier League. By the lofty standards of Jack Grealish, Dibling is significantly ahead in his development.
Anthony Gordon, one of the players keeping Grealish out of the England squad, was Dibling’s age when he was playing 11 games for Preston in the Championship, scoring no goals and creating none in a disappointing loan spell.
It is not unusual for a footballer to not be getting Premier League minutes at the age of just 19. Although Dibling has already played plenty of top level football, scoring twice and often looking like the best player in the Southampton team. Games against Manchester United at Old Trafford and Arsenal at home are perfect examples of Dibling, unfazed by his team’s struggles, posing a huge threat to the opposition.
The fact is that Everton can afford to be patient because Tyler Dibling is about as close to a dead cert as you can possibly get when it comes to buying a 19-year-old footballer.
Sky Sports’ Dan Long said: “Following Southampton’s return to the Premier League, I have been covering games at St Mary’s regularly this season and, since I first saw Dibling play, focusing on him has become arguably the thing I look forward to most ahead of a trip to the south coast.
“He shows no fear as he skilfully and menacingly strides down that right-hand side. His physical presence means he is not bullied off the ball easily. He is the talk of the press room and the fans both inside the ground and online. His is the name cheered the loudest before kick-off.”
Dibling has already played for England u21s, where he is one of the youngest players in the squad. He has been labelled one of the best youngsters in football by former manager Russell Martin and while he is now being branded a flop, those same media outlets were talking up £100m moves to Manchester City, Manchester United and Spurs less than a year ago.
So why is Dibling not getting minutes at Everton?
The reasons are fairly simple. Dibling famously moved to Chelsea at the age of 17 but moved back to Southampton because he couldn’t settle at the London club. He is known to be quiet around the training ground and it may simply be a case of David Moyes easing the pressure and making sure he is happy and settled before the huge expectation of Premier League football is thrust upon him.
Moyes has also got the luxury of Jack Grealish and Iliman Ndiaye, two of the team’s best players, taking up the wing positions. Experienced winger Dwight McNeil is also struggling for minutes and it means competition is fierce for Dibling’s right wing role.
There are further issues in that Everton are rarely in a comfortable position to tinker with the side. Narrow away wins at Wolves, United and Bournemouth would have been difficult for a mercurial winger when a more robust defensive player was needed. There is probably more of an arguement for him to appear against the likes of Aston Villa or West Ham at home but as Everton get more comfortable in mid table more opportunities are bound to arise.
Moyes also has the luxury of waiting until January, when the AFCON robs the club of Ndiaye for an extended period. It opens up a gap and a chance for Dibling to impress at a time when hopefully the pressure on the players to perform.
There is a very real chance Dibling plays more minutes this season than both Jack Grealish and Anthony Gordon at the same ages. From next season he will still only be 20 but with Grealish’s future in the air he will know a pathway is opening for him to establish himself in the first team.
There is also a job for Everton fans. Tyler Dibling is a wonderful, technical footballer who can pass, dribbling and create. Everton fans easily warm to the sort of player who chases lost causes, throws in tackles and spends 90 minutes busting a lung to cover the pitch.
That is not to say he is lazy or lightweight, but like Grealish there is a mental adjustment to be made in order to support a player whose talent on the ball is different to many of the players to wear Royal Blue in recent years.
Fans will need patience. First the patience to wait for him to get minutes in what will be a slow introduction to the first team. Secondly the patience to recognise it may be a year or two before the true Tyler Dibling emerges. If, as many suspects, he does fulfil his vast potential the £45m fee will seem like loose change.