Everton came away with a 1-0 win over Aston Villa on Sunday afternoon, with Thierno Barry scoring the only goal of the game.
James Garner stood out in midfield and received plenty of praise, including from David Moyes, who mentioned in his post-match press conference that he believes Garner deserves a call-up to the England squad.
Jordan Pickford also had a strong game, making a crucial save in the second half to keep Morgan Rogers off the scoresheet. Thierno Barry’s overall performance did not go unnoticed either.
Another name who grabbed the headlines was Merlin Rohl, who completed just his second full match of the season for Everton.
David Moyes calls for patience with Merlin Rohl after promising Everton outing
Rohl played the full 90 minutes, and after the match, Moyes was quick to praise him while also urging patience from fans who have been critical of him lately.
The Scotsman noted that fans might have started to notice more of what Rohl can offer, saying: “Then I think that Evertonians might have just started to see a bit more of Merlin Rohl today.
“I see quite a lot of it in training. He’s been up and down a little bit and he’s coming back from a hernia operation, so he’s just beginning to get an idea of what the Premier League is like.
“He’s got loads to improve on as well, but if we’re going to judge them so quickly, then we’re not going to give them an opportunity (to show their best).
“I say it because the people who have watched Everton for many years will know the likes of Leighton Baines, Joleon Lescott, Phil Jagielka – they all had to bide their time before they got regular games.
“I’m not saying it’s exactly the same but if they go on to be as good as any of those players, that’s what we want.”
Merlin Rohl catching the eye at Finch Farm
Rohl has made a strong case for himself lately, drawing positive reviews for his work behind the scenes at Finch Farm.
Moyes has taken notice of Rohl’s physical attributes, and earlier this month, he stated: “We’ve been really impressed with what we’ve seen from Merlin.
“Certainly, his physicals are something else, they really are, so there’s lots about him we like. “I think he’s not quite got into his rhythm and it might take him a wee while this time. He surprised me by how quickly he went back into training, and I thought: ‘Oh, wow’ (over the pace of his comeback)…”
With Idrissa Gana Gueye returning from AFCON, minutes may be harder to come by for Rohl. Still, he appears to be much closer to earning regular playing time than before.
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