We have decent experience through the spine of the team mate. Batth, Bailey Wright, Gooch, Evans, Pritchard etc
Dan Neil. Or Embleton can drop into those areas too, if you look at where his Wembley goal started from.
To be fair to Evans, towards the end of the season he dictated a lot of games. I think we need 2 hard working players in there to cover for the likes of Pritchard, Roberts, Clarke , aswell as the fullbacks who like to get forward
Totally agree with this, we need someone else that can do the same job as Evans. Play alongside him or take his place when he needs a rest, non of our other midfielders can do the same job as him
My view of Neil first bit of the season was that he was very Lee Johnson. Creative and an amazing final ball but defensively a liability, ie the soft pass that led to the breakaway that led to the goal but also the amazing visionary pass that led to a beautiful goal. The better the quality though, the less you can surrender the ball or you get hurt and I think other teams discovered that if you press Neil you get the ball in a punishable place. I don’t think Neil is a number 10 but he’s one who can only play in a three. The new manager may well coach that out of him but it’s a gamble he may not take if he needs us to win games. So for me, and I get why people disagree because of his natural ability, he needs a full year at a place like Oxford or Sheff Wed or Ipswich a level down. Maybe under Neil we can get the lad who keeps the ball and does the dirty bits, but playing games and getting dropped sometimes teaches you better than the training field.
I agree about his positional sense but the fact is DN was starting to burn out as in his first full season LJ played him far too much and if people recall in one of his first interviews AN said that some of the players were fatigued and needed a rest. Dn was definitely one of these players I think we may see more of him this season but that will be monitored and done right which will enable DN to progress properly and give him time to build up to math pace and fitness
I do agree that Dan is a fine home grown talent. His form fell away towards the end of last season, he may have been over played? This is an important season for him he has to become an integral part of the team, otherwise....
AN saw straight away that our younger players had been used too much, not only DN but Doyle as well. I could see as a fan that these two needed taking out of the firing line and our manager was spot on in doing so which imo went a long way to getting the seasons end we all wanted. Doyle was used sparingly as a sub but Dan Neil has the talent to make a mark this season when he gets his chance, I've every faith that AN will bring him on and become the player we all know he's capable of.
Heard exactly the same. But, there again, Huddersfield fans said the same about Pritchard. Might be a settled thing. Or he might just be another Chris Maguire!!
Neil is a talent but he vanishes during games, an aspect he needs to improve on. And I don't buy the 'just a kid and doesn't have the stamina for a full season' theory. Rudoni, who we're fighting to sign, is the same age and played almost every game in a relegation battle. As you say, it's time for Neil to step up.
We could apply the arguments above about Neil, equally to one of my favourites Elliot Embleton, he also fades in games , both show outstanding promise, but need to improve and adjust, to become what we all want them to be, an integral part of a Premiership starting eleven. And if anyone can do it , Alex Neil can, and will imo.. Oau
There'll be no rush on this one as I'm sure we'll get players in before him. Either Broadhead or Khadra, or even both, will come in to bolster the forward line. Rudoni could cover here as well as midfield if we get him.
I don't think we'll get a like for like striker but Broadhead, Khadra and Parrott would be good backup options
A loan would be an odd one for me. I quite like him as a player, and he has plenty of scope to get better. Having said that his goals return is pretty poor in league 1, and last year he was playing for an attacking side. I would be ok with a permanent deal and we develop him for us, but not so much a loan. If we do a loan for a CF I want someone proven at a higher level personally.
