Good footballer - was on the books at PSG / shined at U-17 world cups and Euros He has excellent technique - good with deadballs / corners / penalties. He has struggled to find his place and his role - his club - he was on the periphery for us. RLB decided he didn't want him and excluded a few players from the first-team squad - but he kept working, never shirked, and during an injury crisis, ended up playing an important role for us in a run of 10 games, playing out of position on the LW - he is really a 10 or attacking central midfielder. Coming in from the cold, he struggled to complete games - 60, 70 minutes before running out of puff but I think he will get that back with regular game time. We were all impressed that he managed to contribute decently in those 10 games. He has the technique and good ability, should probably score more goals (he was unlucky not to score more for us) - he isn't quite fast enough to be a winger in England and his decision-making could be better at times, but he still has a high ceiling. He could be one of the best players in Scotland next season.
I think he’s spot on. Great effort, never hides and is generally a good player. Technically he is one of our better players and (no offence) in Scotland he should be a very high level signing and certainly one of the top players. I think in a slightly different circumstance he’d have been very important for us last and next season.
Yep,it's fair comment lad,and the replies you've had from our lads have been spot on. He's a nice footballer,plenty of skill and effort. It felt like RLB just couldn't find him his position where he could be at his best....competition. He came off the bench, but never really affected anything.We could see the skill and the workrate....never in doubt.Hope he has an upturn in his career with you next season,I'm sure he'll do you well,at least he has some experience of that brutal wind off the North Sea!
Cheers, all sounds really encouraging. Sometimes there’s no doubt as to ability but there’s perhaps an attitude problem or something going one behind the scenes, definitely not the case here. Good luck next season, great to see you guys back in the top flight and looking forward to seeing how you get on
Thanks really appreciate the analysis, sounds really encouraging and a real professional when others may have thrown their toys out the pram at not getting gametime. We have the makings of something special at Pittodrie atm, last season was a transitional season and finished of course with a trophy and this coming season Europe beckons. We seem to be bringing in loads of attacking players this transfer window and the set up and the general approach we have, this lad could be a huge player for us. Good luck for the return to the top flight, great to see a proper team like Sunderland back there.
Cheers, aye he’ll acclimatise soon enough I’m sure to the bracing breeze from the North Sea. Pittodrie can be the coldest place on earth and our first game of the year believe it or not, after playing 20 minutes in a blizzard, the orange ball made an appearance - hadn’t seen that in years! Anyway, said it already but all really encouraging chat from you guys, give the lad a good run in the right position and he will shine I hope!!
Thanks, no offence taken. There can be some outbreaks of technically decent football at times though Encouraging that you rate him in what I would say is a pretty tidy Sunderland squad. It’s players such as this we need to properly compete against Celtic and to a lesser extent, rangers up here, as they generally hold all the cards! So the platform is there for him and we are building something a bit special at Pittodrie imo! Cheers