• The first stage of the forum upgrades has now been completed but they remain in a degraded state and are still being worked on. Normal posting/reading should now be possible.
    Please read this thread for more details.
    New user registrations are currently disabled.

Dan Neil


B-but but I thought all the incisive defence splitting play had been coached out of him?

I'm not sure how to take Mowbray's comments tbh. Because it was Mowbray who moved him there firstly. Mowbray generally has more technical players in his midfield than grafters. Also its an aspect of play that Neil certainly improved on under Le Bris playing the role at times last season - certainly during the moddle of last season he evolved from just sitting and moving the ball to at times driving forward with it and also managed to bring the ball forward through the opposition.

However as a single pivot trying to play out early last season, before Jobe dropped deeper, Neil struggled at times with less passing options when being pressed.
 
He started last season abysmally, but that middle third, as you say, he was excellent. Didn't quite reach those levels at the back end of the season but still played his part. He'll leave with my best wishes. The gulf between Xhaka, Sadiki, Diarra and even Geertruida is just massive and we're better off for it.

He didn't start abysmally. His play was generally good, but he got caught on the ball occasionally as the single pivot and was the focus of the opposition press. When you get caught there - you're quite exposed.

Le Bris changed the midfield so he was less isolated and things gradually improved, as he did. Strangely though the games Samed came in we plaued exactly the same way as earlier in the season and Jobe and Neil were isolated from Samed and Aamed got caught on the ball repeatedly before he was quickly cast aside.
 
He wants to play more, obvious he isn't going to get that under RLB. Best for both parties if he moves on this month.
It’s unfortunate for him and Rigg that the club’s evolved at an alarming rate, thus signed better players in their position. That doesn’t mean they’re bad players, they just can’t the opportunity and playing time to develop like they would if we were in the Championship. I know lads that are friendly with Neil’s family, and apparently he’s a proper home bird, so he’ll be keen to stay in the North East if possible.
 
Chunky's parsnip polls or Opta, which is the more reliable?
People on here watch with their eyes. As much as people's opinions differ and some have preconceived opinions I'd look the majority than Opta.

Optas are too stats based. At the weekend Mundle got a 7 or something and I thought he was ficking crap. But he had 4 shots, after trying the same type of cutting in around 98 times. statistically 3 were on target 😀 so he gets a 7.
 
As it stands he Xhaka, Sadiki, Diarra, Geertruida and Le Fee who would all be shuffled around in there before we likely got to Dan Neil in the pecking order. We've also played Rigg ahead him, and even Hume in there.
 
B-but but I thought all the incisive defence splitting play had been coached out of him?

Just like Milton Nunez.
I used to live in Honduras and he's* a national hero there- particuarly around Tela and his home village. I'm pretty sure he's very proud of his career.

*Milton Núñez, as far as I'm aware the people of Honduras are indifferent at best regarding Dan Neil.
 
Last edited:
People on here watch with their eyes. As much as people's opinions differ and some have preconceived opinions I'd look the majority than Opta.

Optas are too stats based. At the weekend Mundle got a 7 or something and I thought he was ficking crap. But he had 4 shots, after trying the same type of cutting in around 98 times. statistically 3 were on target 😀 so he gets a 7.
I didn't think he was crap at all.

A quick search suggests you may have some preconceived opinion on Romaine there.
 
Last edited:
As it stands he Xhaka, Sadiki, Diarra, Geertruida and Le Fee who would all be shuffled around in there before we likely got to Dan Neil in the pecking order. We've also played Rigg ahead him, and even Hume in there.
I've just came back on this thread to pretty much make this point.

Then imagine we get rid of Neil and bring in another £20m (give or take) central midfielder to replace him of the quality of say Le Fee or Sadiki.
 

Here are his stats, which also include a handy algorithm. When placed against others who play a similar position, interesting discussions can appear. One in particular is that a player who would never play in the championship is personally having a better season than he did so far. @The Cabbage

Here we go. The problem with these is they're too stat based and some of that is great and builds a picture, but that's all it is.

I've mentioned this elsewhere but we could all see Masuaku having a poor game against United. Some of that was due to Adingra's lack of work ethic and covering.
But I recall on one of our social media platforms a very well regarded individual suggesting that in terms of stats Masuaku had a similar, but slightly better game than Hume on the other side. Guess which one has never played again for us though and never likely will?

And if that's George Dobson I f*cking despair, as if he's anywhere close to Neil.
I didn't think he was crap at all.
He was absolutely hopeless - tried hard, kept fitness levels up, zero quality.
 
I didn't think he was crap at all.

A quick search suggests you may have some preconceived opinion on Romaine there.
Mental the stick Mundle got after Everton like. Yes, things didnt come off...but, he is the only one player we have who is direct and isnt afraid to get at his full back. He does need to vary it a bit by going to the byline sometimes rsther than cutting in but at least he's wxciting to watch imo. He stsrted to look a bit like the Mundle we know last week. The lad has just come back from getting his whole hamstring rebuilt.
 
Mental the stick Mundle got after Everton like. Yes, things didnt come off...but, he is the only one player we have who is direct and isnt afraid to get at his full back. He does need to vary it a bit by going to the byline sometimes rsther than cutting in but at least he's wxciting to watch imo. He stsrted to look a bit like the Mundle we know last week. The lad has just come back from getting his whole hamstring rebuilt.
If only Adingara would have a go at his fullback
 
Worth noting that with all these clubs now being free to negotiate with Neil, there's nothing stop them saying to him "we'll offer you X now but Y if you come on a free in the summer". And indeed he's free to sign on the dotted line with foreign clubs on that basis now.
 
Might be a SEB (BBC SAFC webpage)

"
Former Sunderland midfielder Lee Cattermole says he "will be gutted" if Dan Neil leaves the club.

Neil came through the Black Cats academy and played a big part in Sunderland's rise to the Premier League, featuring for the side in League One and the Championship.

However, the 24-year-old midfielder's contract is up in the summer and he has made only three substitute appearances for Regis le Bris' side this season.

Cattermole said: "If he does leave, I will be gutted that he hasn't had the chance to show himself because people write people off before they have even had a chance to kick the ball.

"I think he would have been expecting to have a start, especially with Afcon and us losing players.

"The speculation is definitely there. I believe he wants to be and should be playing football at his age."
"
 
I didn't think he was crap at all.

A quick search suggests you may have some preconceived opinion on Romaine there.

He showed zero quality and shoots from anywhere. He could barely get hold of the ball, lost it so many times trying to cut inside and shoot. Even went straight out of play when he miscontrolled on the touchline.

I mean yes - you are going to find several posts recently of me saying he has no quality and everything is overhit etc, because that's what we've repeatedly seen. Even so - it's still nowhere near you and the level of Neil yet.

I mean even if you go halfway down that page of search results it's not even really Negative about Mundle 😀
 
Last edited:
Back
Top