It's actually quite incredible that Dwight McNeil has managed to convince two Everton managers that he can function in the no.10 role in the middle of the pitch.
First Sean Dyche and now David Moyes have acquiesced to the player's request, allowing the very left-footed McNeil to operate in the central of the park. More often that not, the move has not worked out, as the player's lack of pace gets caught out there, leaving the rest of the midfield lacking behind him.
With Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall likely to miss at least the rest of January, Charly Alcaraz still injured, and Iliman Ndiaye also gone until after Senegal gets knocked out of AFCON (they face Mali on Friday, with a potential semifinal on January 14, and the final set for January 18), Moyes needs another plan for the role.
Tyler Dibling has been decent on the right wing, and should stay there for the duration of this period. That leaves only one option if the manager is intent on still having McNeil in the side for his set piece abilities: it's time to shift Jack Grealish to a more central role.
Unlike McNeil, the Manchester City loanee isn't as dependent on his dominant foot, and while he isn't likely to beat many for pace either, he's excellent with the ball at his feet and, as shown on Sunday against Brentford, his ability to pick out a pass continues to be top-notch.
McNeil could still feature on the left wing, where his one-footedness won't hamper him nearly as much, and might actually allow him to use the touchline to unleash crosses at a better rate. He wouldn't be asked to lead the line from the attacking midfielder role, and can instead pick his spots more adeptly.
Grealish, meanwhile, can run the show. This will also allow the likes of Merlin Rohl and James Garner to drop deeper when they're on the pitch, something that the German, in particular, would benefit from. The same could be said for Harrison Armstrong, depending on when Moyes opts to use the teenager in the match.
This isn't a suggestion for the long term. Once Ndiaye and Dewsbury-Hall are back, the lineup will likely return to where it was prior to all the injuries and international duties clogging up the system.
But for now, Everton need to stay afloat, and the best way to do that is by giving their best attacking player more freedom to do what he does best.