Dan Neil


I don’t recall him ever having a big injury, more niggles and out for a few weeks. Could be miles odd mind as well
Didn't he have a big injury at around 16, which is part of the reason we kept him as other clubs sniffing around at that point cooled their interest? Or I might have totally imagined that!
 
I think people are getting a bit carried away like.

Good player with the potential to be a very good one, but I don’t think we’re seeing a massive difference from last season.
Exactly. Not the finished article and you wouldn't expect it at his age. But don't dare say he gives the ball away!
 
Quietly brilliant again today. Most completed passes, 94% pass completion. Gets about the pitch, gets stuck in and always looks for the right pass.

111 career appearances for the lads at 21. The kids only gonna get better.
Wow 111 games already at 21 that’s mental tbh …

Every season he’s getting better and better, learning more of the nuances of the pro game in a very competitive league.

Anyone who knows football, could see three years ago what a talent he is, and he’s still a bairn really.

He is still learning as well, the fact that you said quietly brilliant says it all, just really gets on with the game, his passing is excellent.

Would be good to see him add some more goals to his game.
 
Exactly. Not the finished article and you wouldn't expect it at his age. But don't dare say he gives the ball away!
I watched Alexis Macallister give the ball away 5 or 6 times in the first half yesterday. World Cup winner. Point is players lose the ball probably more regularly than you think. With Neil all of his critics pile on in when he does lose the ball.

Saying that I can't remember one occasion this season where Neil has given the ball away
 
I watched Alexis Macallister give the ball away 5 or 6 times in the first half yesterday. World Cup winner. Point is players lose the ball probably more regularly than you think. With Neil all of his critics pile on in when he does lose the ball.

Saying that I can't remember one occasion this season where Neil has given the ball away
home game before last, I'll remind you. As for Neil critics rubbish, it's an observation that he sometimes doesn't play well, not a damming overview. He can be criticised because sometimes he gets it wrong, which is fine.
 
Didn't he have a big injury at around 16, which is part of the reason we kept him as other clubs sniffing around at that point cooled their interest? Or I might have totally imagined that!
Pretty sure we paid for him to go and get knee surgery over in the US or something
 
I think people are getting a bit carried away like.

Good player with the potential to be a very good one, but I don’t think we’re seeing a massive difference from last season.

I agree, think the difference is people are noticing him involved more because he's higher up the pitch now than he was last season when his job was primarily winning the ball back and playing it off simply. He was our best and most important centre midfielder last year, he's our best and most important centre midfielder so far this season. His level of ability hasn't really fluctuated at all so far. Only change is his position IMO.

Don't think it was his fault at all but if that QPR goal had happened last season then the grief Neil would have got on here for not challenging properly would have been never ending.
 
Didn't he have a big injury at around 16, which is part of the reason we kept him as other clubs sniffing around at that point cooled their interest? Or I might have totally imagined that!
I believe I heard similar but I'd forgotten all about this till you mentioned it.

They were game for selling him off till he got injured, was when the rest were leaving for peanuts. He probably wasn't even considered a top 3 prospect when Greenwood and co were there.
 
I watched Alexis Macallister give the ball away 5 or 6 times in the first half yesterday. World Cup winner. Point is players lose the ball probably more regularly than you think. With Neil all of his critics pile on in when he does lose the ball.

Saying that I can't remember one occasion this season where Neil has given the ball away
There were posters after the Ipswich game adamant he’d given the ball away 8 times in the first half alone. Whoscored.com (whose stats are used by the EFL) said he’d given it away twice all game.
 
Exactly. Not the finished article and you wouldn't expect it at his age. But don't dare say he gives the ball away!
Do you think he gives it away too much?
There were posters after the Ipswich game adamant he’d given the ball away 8 times in the first half alone. Whoscored.com (whose stats are used by the EFL) said he’d given it away twice all game.
Given away how? He absolutely misplaced more than 2 passes so I’m not sure what that stat is referring to
 
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Anyone who’s played the game at a decent level or has a decent understanding of modern football who has been trying to explain what he does for the team while being asked to play a completey different role because of injury’s and squad depth etc at such a young age can start feeling smug.

He’s 21. Played over 100 games for a club with high demands and improves week on week month after month.

He’s a safc fan and has took a lot of unnecessary abuse because he’s learning on the job.

Lost count of the times fans absolutely slaughtered him for losing the ball in bad positions which isn’t a great habit but the same fans thought evans is a better player than Dan when he’s shown for the 2 years previous that he’s not a ptach on the lad.
Evans would never lose the ball in those areas because he doesn’t have the balls to take risks and play under pressure.


Dan neil has had to learn that and has improved week after week.
He’s stepped up and is starting to look like a top midfielder in this league that if for example we had signed him from a club like boro Norwich Coventry etc etc we’d be fuckin buzzing that we’d nicked one of their top prospects with stats that are frightening.

If he can add a few more goals to his game we’ve got a big money player on our hands.
Lad can't hit a barn door like but has steadily improved over the last year and always puts in a good shift for us.
 
There were posters after the Ipswich game adamant he’d given the ball away 8 times in the first half alone. Whoscored.com (whose stats are used by the EFL) said he’d given it away twice all game.
The Dan Neil is average/shit/nee good craic on here after the Ipswich game was ridiculous (even from people who’s opinion I usually respect), especially as the lad dragged us back into it and was a good save away from getting us the equaliser. Defended him for a few hours then had to give this place a wide berth. Was doing my nut in.
They were game for selling him off till he got injured, was when the rest were leaving for peanuts. He probably wasn't even considered a top 3 prospect when Greenwood and co were there.
He was highly thought of as a kid, him Mumba and Greenwood were all very highly thought of in that age group and lots of interest.

I got told there was offers on the table and he practically insisted on staying. Made me think he was mint before he’d even made his debut.
 
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He’s definitely one that gets taken for granted. If we signed him from some other championship club we wouldn’t shut up about how good a player he is, but being an academy player it’s different, for some reason
If we had, I think it's far more likely people would be complaining that he does nowt and we need better.
 
Do you think he gives it away too much?

Given away how? He absolutely misplaced more than 2 passes so I’m not sure what that stat is referring to
In one particular game I thought he did, I said so, and was instantly a critic of him. He is a good player.
 
In one particular game I thought he did, I said so, and was instantly a critic of him. He is a good player.
I think he’s really improved this year so far. Has cut out (for now) getting caught out in silly areas (eg Sheff United last year). He’s on 90% pass success or something and is getting loads more progressive passing done. I like him a lot
 
I think he’s really improved this year so far. Has cut out (for now) getting caught out in silly areas (eg Sheff United last year). He’s on 90% pass success or something and is getting loads more progressive passing done. I like him a lot
Was just going to point out that something like the Sheff U error seems to have disappeared. Learning all the time and growing as a player.
 
If he could shoot / add goals to his game he’d be the best midfielder we’ve had in a long time.

He’s class like, seems like a top lad as well.
 
Didn't he have a big injury at around 16, which is part of the reason we kept him as other clubs sniffing around at that point cooled their interest? Or I might have totally imagined that!
I thought he had always sort of just flown under the radar, being overshadowed in the youth teams by Mumba and Greenwood at his age group. It felt like he just came out of nowhere when he started being brought into the team, especially as we had been selling off academy players. He was pretty established for us by the time he got his first youth international callup, whereas Greenwood and Mumba (and Embleton a few years older) had been picked through the age groups.
 
I thought he had always sort of just flown under the radar, being overshadowed in the youth teams by Mumba and Greenwood at his age group. It felt like he just came out of nowhere when he started being brought into the team, especially as we had been selling off academy players. He was pretty established for us by the time he got his first youth international callup, whereas Greenwood and Mumba (and Embleton a few years older) had been picked through the age groups.
He was part of the England set up as a schoolboy

He also made his debut for us as a 16 year old in the EFL thorphy

Always been very highly rated at the club
 

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