Inside Futbol
·10 August 2024
Inside Futbol
·10 August 2024
Mike Hewitt/Getty Images
Former Everton star Michael Ball has urged the Toffees to provide Iliman Ndiaye with more of the ball as he can ask questions of opposition sides.
Everton spent big money in the summer window to bring the 24-year-old forward to Goodison Park from Marseille to help their forward line.
Since his arrival, Ndiaye has quickly established himself as a starter in the Everton squad and has turned some heads with performances.
Ball pointed out that during Everton’s game at the weekend with Newcastle United, Ndiaye looked frustrated due to a lack of service in the first-half and added that the forward was forced to come down the pitch to receive the ball.
He urged Everton’s players to get the ball to Ndiaye more as he asks questions of the opposition defence rather than taking the easy way out.
Ball is also of the opinion that the 24-year-old forward is among the best dribblers in the league.
“For those first 10-15 minutes against Newcastle, he was hardly receiving the ball so he was getting frustrated and you could see him trying to creep in to get it”, Ball wrote in his Liverpool Echo column.
“Our first thought seemed to be to go down the right-hand side but we weren’t getting the joy.
“That’s all about game management from both the players on the pitch and [Sean] Dyche.
“Get the ball out to him as it was a great little battle between Ndiaye and Kieran Trippier, I think he had about 10 dribbles and won half of them.
“It’s not going to work every time but he’s one of the best dribblers in the Premier League, popping the question rather than taking the easy option, going backwards or sideways.
“When Ndiaye gets the ball, he drives forward and it gets the fans up on their feet.”
Ndiaye has so far scored only once in the league for Everton and Dyche will be hoping that the forward will find the back of the net regularly when they return after the international break.
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