If Dwight McNeil is given minutes on the pitch at Hill Dickinson Stadium - or even if he warms up as an unused substitute - expect him to be given support from most of the 52,000 supporters inside the ground. And there will probably be quite a few whose backing for the player will come with a sense of guilt.

Some of the criticism that has been directed at McNeil in recent days and weeks has verged on abuse. Mind you, that seems to be the norm on social media.

Ironically, that criticism might have played a part in the collapse of the proposed move to Crystal Palace. When the switch seemed imminent, were Palace spooked by the majority of comments - coming from users purporting to be Everton fans - that were, to put it mildly, highly critical of McNeil’s recent form? It seems unlikely but it is possible.