McNeil

[Sheedyclaret]

Shows what years of Dycheball has done when some of our fans judge our most creative player on how much he tracks back. No wonder the lad looks like he's had the life sucked out of him.

He doesn't create anything though offers zero at the moment

[Rileybobs]

There are certainly players more deserving of criticism than McNeil, but the difference is that we know how influential McNeil could be - so he is rightly judged at a higher standard than some other players.

For me he lacks application, I’m not sure whether or not this is a mentality issue. He never ever makes a run in behind - not only does this prevent him from getting into dangerous areas, it also means that opposition defenders aren’t dragged out of position to open up chances for others. Watch the movement and desire of other ‘comparable’ players in this league and see the difference.

He seems to lack a desire to influence games unlike someone like Cornet, who I would suggest is technically no better (other than his finishing which granted is superior to McNeil’s).

[Stalbansclaret]

Cornet has two great feet whereas Dwight, though technically excellent, is always going to be limited by his one-footedness.
Don't understand how anyone can think he "offers zero" though when he retains the ball better than any other player. It's pretty important to hold onto the ball at times !

[Rileybobs]

Just watching MOTD and his body language is appalling at times. The Benrahma chance starts with a terrible attempted pass from Wood to McNeil, who then goes down on his haunches and jogs back with no attempt to help us cut out the attack.

He did something similar later in the game where he allowed his frustration to take over. It’s not what this team’s ahout.

[CrosspoolClarets]

Certainly holds his position too much for me which limits his impact. Can only be tactical. The rare times he gets to the byline we look dangerous.

[Claret3495]

Lethargic out of possession and head often down sulking. Does produce moments of brilliance but so frustrating to watch at times. When subbed off today there was no handshake for Lennon or Dyche, just jumped straight over the electronic board and sat down, again it seemed as if sulking

[andyh]

I’m not sure he should be starting. I’d try Cornet on the left. He is more one footed than I am. Needs to be able to do the simple things with his right foot or the opposition will continue to shut him out quite easily. Not pushed on from his first season.

[burnleymik]

Mcneil has definitely grown in a defensive capacity. He does a lot more on that side of the game now than previous seasons, but the side effect of that is that we have lost his creative magic. That determination to run at defences and swing in those cross from impossible angles has all but gone. Instead he seems more intent on shielding and then going sideways or backwards.

I hope he can rekindle that desire to attack teams as he has been our main outlet for creativity for the last two seasons. Without his creativity our strikers are looking lost.

[expoultryboy]

He certainly got away with the penalty decision , i can't believe var didn't give it ( thankfully ) .

[claretonthecoast1882]

Why would anybody try to coach him out off playing good football don’t understand theese silly threads he will come good again sorry to say lacking confidence at the moment utc

Agreed, in general it is a dumb term and says more about the people who use it

[CharlieinNewMexico]

I would have subbed him around 65 today. He looked naffed off or tired, and they were bombing down our left with him nary making a track back . I thought Pieters would have shored LM up and been fresher going forward. He must be a Cancer he looked moody af today.

[Woodleyclaret]

If I had Dwights ability and got subbed for Aaron Lennon I would be pxxx as well

[Zenwisdom]

Had a decent game against a good side
Always well marked by opposition most players will improve with better players around them .

[mill hill claret]

If I had Dwights ability and got subbed for Aaron Lennon I would be pxxx as well

What's wrong with Aaron lennon ?

[Papabendi]

There are certainly players more deserving of criticism than McNeil, but the difference is that we know how influential McNeil could be - so he is rightly judged at a higher standard than some other players.

For me he lacks application, I’m not sure whether or not this is a mentality issue. He never ever makes a run in behind - not only does this prevent him from getting into dangerous areas, it also means that opposition defenders aren’t dragged out of position to open up chances for others. Watch the movement and desire of other ‘comparable’ players in this league and see the difference.

He seems to lack a desire to influence games unlike someone like Cornet, who I would suggest is technically no better (other than his finishing which granted is superior to McNeil’s).

One of the issues I believe, is he lacks the physical engine to do what you mention. When he first came on to the scene he looked physically exhausted after 70mins. His stamina has improved but I just don't think he is/will ever be that player. Looks like people are twigging what I have seen for a while. It's really great Burnley have produced someone who is on his day a solid prem player, but there look be too many flaws in his game to be a top top level player and let's be honest he has regressed in quite a few areas since bursting on to the scene.

[jojomk1]

Still our most dangerous and creative player by a country mile

Did far more yesterday than JBG

Yes, he missed out on some passes and crosses but at least he made the effort and for those thinking Pieters is the answer

[Quickenthetempo]

Has anyone got any footage of his wizardry on the half way line in front of the managers, when he tricked 3 players in a spin and passed it out?

[claretonthecoast1882]

If I had Dwights ability and got subbed for Aaron Lennon I would be pxxx as well

He got subbed after 88 minutes, that way of thinking is daft

[claretspice]

I think there are two different questions around McNeil. The first is whether he's currently performing as effectively as an out-and-out left winger as he did when he first came onto the scene. The second is whether he's a better all round player.

The answer to the first question is debatable, but it might be "no". There are a few reasons for that.

Firstly - because what he was doing so effectively when he came into the side was pretty straightforward - using his skill to get half a yard and his technique to arc over a cross, and that has become such an integral part of our armoury that teams now focus on stopping him. There was an occasion yesterday when the crowd got frustrated that McNeil wasn't getting a cross in but the truth was he couldn't, because the defenders (two of them) were doing what good defenders now do to Dwight and standing slightly off him so that any cross McNeil put in had to hit them, whilst not getting too tight that Dwight could drop his shoulder and get past them. Secondly, he probably has lost a bit of the freedom and abandon that came with being a young and free from the pressures of seniority. He's gone from being the kid to our main man upon whom our creativity depends in less than 3 years and before he hit 22. That's a huge burden, particularly on a lad who is said to be pretty hard on himself at times, and I do sense that that is weighing on him at times, particularly with his set piece delivery and perhaps also at times with his crossing.

But he's also not helped either respect by the decline in standards around him. We've never been a possession team, but a couple of years ago we used the ball better and moved it with more precision. That meant Dwight got more opportunities to use the ball in the final third without being tightly marked, and had less of an onus on him to go and secure good possession in the first place because the likes of Cork did that. Any winger is only as good as the supply line to him.

But for all that - the answer to the second question is a resounding yes. He's matured into a splendid midfielder with a good engine (his stats don't support the idea he lacks stamina, but any Burnley winger has to do a lot of running and he does more than most because he comes inside as well rather than just shuttling up the touchline). He's good with his back to goal, receives the ball in tight spaces and holds it well, keeps the ball moving economically and spreads the play accurately and intelligently. He plays the simple ball but also opens up the pitch with good penetrating passes. If you look back at the chances we've created this season, there's invariably a telling pass from McNeil one or two passes back from the final ball. Look at the goal at Chelsea if you want a good example. He's good defensively, spots danger pretty well for a forward thinking player, wins his tackles and makes his recovery runs.

But fundamentally this means he's a central midfielder. He never really was a winger - it just made sense to use him there when he started, and he's ended up a bit of a victim of both his initial success in that position (not least in terms of what fans associated him with and expect of him) and also the fact we've singularly failed to bring in any wide players to improve the team in the last 4 years except Cornet who is being used up front. His one-footedness is actually less of an issue in the middle because he's got more angles to work with (although his right has improved markedly). If he has a real area for improvement its in his goalscoring. He ought to be a 5-6 goal a season man but he's not at present.

I think we need to value him for what he is - by a long way, our best technical footballer. Maybe he's not the flying winger people thought he might be, but that doesn't mean he's not contributing for us - even if he's not hitting the absolute peaks he's capable of right now. He's still contributing. He made more passes than any other Burnley player yesterday, and despite trying more ambitious passes than any other Burnley player, and receiving the ball in more difficult spaces than his teammates, he did so whilst maintaining a pass completion rate head and shoulders better than his teammates. In a team that doesn't keep the ball well, that's worth celebrating more than we do at present.

[Lancasterclaret]

Wasted on too many on this board that Spice unfortunately

[DCWat]

Wasted on too many on this board that Spice unfortunately

Not sure why there was a need to be critical of people posting on the board, on the back of Spice’s excellent post.

[DCWat]

I think there are two different questions around McNeil. The first is whether he's currently performing as effectively as an out-and-out left winger as he did when he first came onto the scene. The second is whether he's a better all round player.

The answer to the first question is debatable, but it might be "no". There are a few reasons for that.

Firstly - because what he was doing so effectively when he came into the side was pretty straightforward - using his skill to get half a yard and his technique to arc over a cross, and that has become such an integral part of our armoury that teams now focus on stopping him. There was an occasion yesterday when the crowd got frustrated that McNeil wasn't getting a cross in but the truth was he couldn't, because the defenders (two of them) were doing what good defenders now do to Dwight and standing slightly off him so that any cross McNeil put in had to hit them, whilst not getting too tight that Dwight could drop his shoulder and get past them. Secondly, he probably has lost a bit of the freedom and abandon that came with being a young and free from the pressures of seniority. He's gone from being the kid to our main man upon whom our creativity depends in less than 3 years and before he hit 22. That's a huge burden, particularly on a lad who is said to be pretty hard on himself at times, and I do sense that that is weighing on him at times, particularly with his set piece delivery and perhaps also at times with his crossing.

But he's also not helped either respect by the decline in standards around him. We've never been a possession team, but a couple of years ago we used the ball better and moved it with more precision. That meant Dwight got more opportunities to use the ball in the final third without being tightly marked, and had less of an onus on him to go and secure good possession in the first place because the likes of Cork did that. Any winger is only as good as the supply line to him.

But for all that - the answer to the second question is a resounding yes. He's matured into a splendid midfielder with a good engine (his stats don't support the idea he lacks stamina, but any Burnley winger has to do a lot of running and he does more than most because he comes inside as well rather than just shuttling up the touchline). He's good with his back to goal, receives the ball in tight spaces and holds it well, keeps the ball moving economically and spreads the play accurately and intelligently. He plays the simple ball but also opens up the pitch with good penetrating passes. If you look back at the chances we've created this season, there's invariably a telling pass from McNeil one or two passes back from the final ball. Look at the goal at Chelsea if you want a good example. He's good defensively, spots danger pretty well for a forward thinking player, wins his tackles and makes his recovery runs.

But fundamentally this means he's a central midfielder. He never really was a winger - it just made sense to use him there when he started, and he's ended up a bit of a victim of both his initial success in that position (not least in terms of what fans associated him with and expect of him) and also the fact we've singularly failed to bring in any wide players to improve the team in the last 4 years except Cornet who is being used up front. His one-footedness is actually less of an issue in the middle because he's got more angles to work with (although his right has improved markedly). If he has a real area for improvement its in his goalscoring. He ought to be a 5-6 goal a season man but he's not at present.

I think we need to value him for what he is - by a long way, our best technical footballer. Maybe he's not the flying winger people thought he might be, but that doesn't mean he's not contributing for us - even if he's not hitting the absolute peaks he's capable of right now. He's still contributing. He made more passes than any other Burnley player yesterday, and despite trying more ambitious passes than any other Burnley player, and receiving the ball in more difficult spaces than his teammates, he did so whilst maintaining a pass completion rate head and shoulders better than his teammates. In a team that doesn't keep the ball well, that's worth celebrating more than we do at present.

The unanswered question is, how did we get him into that central position. As part of a two, certainly with the current personnel, I don’t think it would work.

Pace talked of there being a plan over a number of windows to resolve the previous lack of recruitment, so I wonder if the aim is to move Dwight centrally. Will that ultimately mean that we look to move away from the standard 4-4-2?

[Lancasterclaret]

Not sure why there was a need to be critical of people posting on the board, on the back of Spice’s excellent post.

You are quite right

Course, I was attempting to explain (not as well as Spice) why I thought McNeil was getting unfairly criticised last night and the frustration at people ignoring the evidence of the stats got the better of me

[Lancasterclaret]

The unanswered question is, how did we get him into that central position. As part of a two, certainly with the current personnel, I don’t think it would work.

Pace talked of there being a plan over a number of windows to resolve the previous lack of recruitment, so I wonder if the aim is to move Dwight centrally. Will that ultimately mean that we look to move away from the standard 4-4-2?

One up front, with McNeil as a number 10 presumably

Its not like we haven't played that before way as well, so there doesn't appear to be any reason not to try it

[DCWat]

You are quite right

Course, I was attempting to explain (not as well as Spice) why I thought McNeil was getting unfairly criticised last night and the frustration at people ignoring the evidence of the stats got the better of me

I subscribe the Spice’s view about Dwight being a central player, I just don’t know how we achieve it, with what we have.

Whatever the solution, we’ve certainly got to be creating more and getting the bloody ball in the net more frequently than we have been.

[Lancasterclaret]

I subscribe the Spice’s view about Dwight being a central player, I just don’t know how we achieve it, with what we have.

Whatever the solution, we’ve certainly got to be creating more and getting the bloody ball in the net more frequently than we have been.

Players need to step up a lot more than they are doing now

I was massively unimpressed with the contributions of Wood, JBG and Westwood yesterday, and I'm a huge fan of all three

[DCWat]

One up front, with McNeil as a number 10 presumably

Its not like we haven't played that before way as well, so there doesn't appear to be any reason not to try it

My concern there is Cornet’s ability to support Taylor defensively. For all Dwight has been criticised, he works well for the team defensively.

[Norfolk Claret]

Bang on claretspice!! He is an attacking CM, I think that’s pretty obvious. As you stated we would have to change formation for us to fit him in this position. I really hope we accommodate his talent sooner rather than later but that will be down to when Dyche is happy and confident to do that. A central 3 of Cork/ Westwood as a holding midfielder with Brownhill/Westwood and McNeil slightly in front of, similar to what Coyle did with Grezza, McCann and Elliot. This would leave Cornet, JBG, Jay, Lennon and maybe Vydra to take the supporting wide berths. If anything surely this would strengthen our midfield centrally, it’s just finding the right balance of our attacking wide players.

[Lancasterclaret]

With my concern there is Cornet’s ability to support Taylor defensively. For all Dwight has been criticised, he works well for the team defensively.

I think the balance of attack and defence has swung back to more defence, and as a result we've barely created a chance

When we click we know we are a good side, and the task of the manager is to make the changes to make us click

I do wonder if the Cornet signing gives us the chance to try it though

[Burnley Ace]

He has already done and achieved more than Ince. Nonsensical

Lol - he’s not even played as many U21 games as Ince!

[KRBFC]

The worry was when he broke into the team that his attacking instinct would be coached out of him. Is that where we are now with Dwight?

Yes, Dyche has turned him into more of a narrow workhorse.

[KRBFC]

I don't see a £50M player in Mcneil like most do on here, comparisons with Saka and Emile Smith Rowe from people on here. I think my valuation of £20m-25m was closer than the £50m mentioned on here.

[KRBFC]

What's wrong with Aaron lennon ?

He's ******* shite

[IWOODLOVETT]

I look forward to the team emerging from the tunnel at the start of a match. I always look for enthusiasm and pride (ditto the opposition) but I only saw it in the Wet Spam team’s faces yesterday. We drifted out, chatting to each other - looking very much like a jaded outfit.

I think Dwight, Wood and Westwood are the three players most in need of a rest, but the depth of the squad in their positions and the management team’s fixed views can’t or won’t accommodate it.

[Papabendi]

I don't see a £50M player in Mcneil like most do on here, comparisons with Saka and Emile Smith Rowe from people on here. I think my valuation of £20m-25m was closer than the £50m mentioned on here.

Yet we've already proved you can pick up players with more technical ability, physicality and threat for £13m in Europe.

[ClaretAL]

This could be interesting, although as some have pointed out I don't think we have the personnel, especial the DM positions.

[dandeclaret]

I look forward to the team emerging from the tunnel at the start of a match. I always look for enthusiasm and pride (ditto the opposition) but I only saw it in the Wet Spam team’s faces yesterday. We drifted out, chatting to each other - looking very much like a jaded outfit.

I think Dwight, Wood and Westwood are the three players most in need of a rest, but the depth of the squad in their positions and the management team’s fixed views can’t or won’t accommodate it.

Ah mate..... you should see some of them on the TEAM PHOTO..... fewming I was...... FEWMING...... forget league positions and all that, they clearly dint wanna be ere..... is it too much to ask for them to come out like cheer leaders? They get payed enough.

[boatshed bill]

Not so long ago DMc was sitting Alexander Arnold on his backside with ease.
he has plenty of technical ability.

In truth form comes and goes, ability is constant.
Our problem is that we seem unable to rest players when their form dips.

[boyyanno]

I think there are two different questions around McNeil. The first is whether he's currently performing as effectively as an out-and-out left winger as he did when he first came onto the scene. The second is whether he's a better all round player.

The answer to the first question is debatable, but it might be "no". There are a few reasons for that.

Firstly - because what he was doing so effectively when he came into the side was pretty straightforward - using his skill to get half a yard and his technique to arc over a cross, and that has become such an integral part of our armoury that teams now focus on stopping him. There was an occasion yesterday when the crowd got frustrated that McNeil wasn't getting a cross in but the truth was he couldn't, because the defenders (two of them) were doing what good defenders now do to Dwight and standing slightly off him so that any cross McNeil put in had to hit them, whilst not getting too tight that Dwight could drop his shoulder and get past them. Secondly, he probably has lost a bit of the freedom and abandon that came with being a young and free from the pressures of seniority. He's gone from being the kid to our main man upon whom our creativity depends in less than 3 years and before he hit 22. That's a huge burden, particularly on a lad who is said to be pretty hard on himself at times, and I do sense that that is weighing on him at times, particularly with his set piece delivery and perhaps also at times with his crossing.

But he's also not helped either respect by the decline in standards around him. We've never been a possession team, but a couple of years ago we used the ball better and moved it with more precision. That meant Dwight got more opportunities to use the ball in the final third without being tightly marked, and had less of an onus on him to go and secure good possession in the first place because the likes of Cork did that. Any winger is only as good as the supply line to him.

But for all that - the answer to the second question is a resounding yes. He's matured into a splendid midfielder with a good engine (his stats don't support the idea he lacks stamina, but any Burnley winger has to do a lot of running and he does more than most because he comes inside as well rather than just shuttling up the touchline). He's good with his back to goal, receives the ball in tight spaces and holds it well, keeps the ball moving economically and spreads the play accurately and intelligently. He plays the simple ball but also opens up the pitch with good penetrating passes. If you look back at the chances we've created this season, there's invariably a telling pass from McNeil one or two passes back from the final ball. Look at the goal at Chelsea if you want a good example. He's good defensively, spots danger pretty well for a forward thinking player, wins his tackles and makes his recovery runs.

But fundamentally this means he's a central midfielder. He never really was a winger - it just made sense to use him there when he started, and he's ended up a bit of a victim of both his initial success in that position (not least in terms of what fans associated him with and expect of him) and also the fact we've singularly failed to bring in any wide players to improve the team in the last 4 years except Cornet who is being used up front. His one-footedness is actually less of an issue in the middle because he's got more angles to work with (although his right has improved markedly). If he has a real area for improvement its in his goalscoring. He ought to be a 5-6 goal a season man but he's not at present.

I think we need to value him for what he is - by a long way, our best technical footballer. Maybe he's not the flying winger people thought he might be, but that doesn't mean he's not contributing for us - even if he's not hitting the absolute peaks he's capable of right now. He's still contributing. He made more passes than any other Burnley player yesterday, and despite trying more ambitious passes than any other Burnley player, and receiving the ball in more difficult spaces than his teammates, he did so whilst maintaining a pass completion rate head and shoulders better than his teammates. In a team that doesn't keep the ball well, that's worth celebrating more than we do at present.

A good post Claretspice but I'd argue that currently he's not a winger, a central midfielder or a number 10, and that's part of the problem.

He lacks the physicality to be a flat central midfielder in our system in my opinion, but I agree his technical ability and retention/use of the ball would be good attributes to have there. Similarly so as a number 10 his technical ability would make him well suited to the position, but I'm not sure he is direct enough to be effective there either. That leads me back to Left wing and the more simple role he was playing before. Whilst it means underutilising some of his other abilities, I'd argue it's his most effective position as he has shown he can make a yard of space and put a good ball across. I think Dwight is a good player but unless he starts attacking his man more directly (more like Cornet) or getting back to basics on the wing I don't think he is going to be as effective for us as he has shown in previous seasons.

[KRBFC]

This could be interesting, although as some have pointed out I don't think we have the personnel, especial the DM positions.

I think it's pretty evident now that regardless of how crap we are, Dyche won't deviate from 442 whack it long

[KRBFC]

I said this before and nothing has changed my mind but I prefer Mcneil on the right.

[summitclaret]

This could be interesting, although as some have pointed out I don't think we have the personnel, especial the DM positions.

I can see the attraction, but we'd probably struggle to defend with that line-up.

I think 352 is a better formation.

Pope
Collins Tarks Mee
Lowton Westwood Brownhill McNeil Taylor
Wood Cornet

[claretspice]

A good post Claretspice but I'd argue that currently he's not a winger, a central midfielder or a number 10, and that's part of the problem.

He lacks the physicality to be a flat central midfielder in our system in my opinion, but I agree his technical ability and retention/use of the ball would be good attributes to have there. Similarly so as a number 10 his technical ability would make him well suited to the position, but I'm not sure he is direct enough to be effective there either. That leads me back to Left wing and the more simple role he was playing before. Whilst it means underutilising some of his other abilities, I'd argue it's his most effective position as he has shown he can make a yard of space and put a good ball across. I think Dwight is a good player but unless he starts attacking his man more directly (more like Cornet) or getting back to basics on the wing I don't think he is going to be as effective for us as he has shown in previous seasons.

Firstly - I do think McNeil can play in the centre of midfield even in a 2 in our system. He's become very good defensively (not at the expense of his forward looking game - the best players recognise that you can be good at both) and presses well so I don't see what he lacks to play in there beyond the safety that comes with being an old hand in that role. But I also think he can play in a 10, particularly if there's someone else in the 3 who is comfortable making third man runs beyond him - and there is, that's something Brownhill does effectively when he's released to do so. I understand what you say about being more direct (to some extent that goes to my point about getting more goals), but I think we'd see that more from a central role - we did yesterday on the one occasion he got to run at their back four and slipped in Vydra. no lack of directness there. I think his best role would be as the left sided of 3 central midfielders (I've seen him compared to Di Maria previously and in style, there's a bit in that I think).

I'm not saying he can't operate narrow from one flank - many players of his ilk have before. But when he's feeding on scraps out there, and is double marked every time the ball goes anywhere near him, and has only one option on - a cross - he's always going to struggle. At its simplest, the point is that you need you best technical possession footballer in a position where he can get on the ball. That's not happening enough currently.

[boyyanno]

Firstly - I do think McNeil can play in the centre of midfield even in a 2 in our system. He's become very good defensively (not at the expense of his forward looking game - the best players recognise that you can be good at both) and presses well so I don't see what he lacks to play in there beyond the safety that comes with being an old hand in that role. But I also think he can play in a 10, particularly if there's someone else in the 3 who is comfortable making third man runs beyond him - and there is, that's something Brownhill does effectively when he's released to do so. I understand what you say about being more direct (to some extent that goes to my point about getting more goals), but I think we'd see that more from a central role - we did yesterday on the one occasion he got to run at their back four and slipped in Vydra. no lack of directness there. I think his best role would be as the left sided of 3 central midfielders (I've seen him compared to Di Maria previously and in style, there's a bit in that I think).

I'm not saying he can't operate narrow from one flank - many players of his ilk have before. But when he's feeding on scraps out there, and is double marked every time the ball goes anywhere near him, and has only one option on - a cross - he's always going to struggle. At its simplest, the point is that you need you best technical possession footballer in a position where he can get on the ball. That's not happening enough currently.

I don't disagree that he works hard or has improved the defensive side of his game, but I do think our midfield two primarily break-up play and spend a lot of their time chasing shadows, I just don't think he has the physicality required to play that role, and even if he proved me wrong would we get the most out of him in that position? If we were adapting our system then arguably he could and your suggestion of playing on the left side of a 3 is interesting, I think if he is to be accommodated in the middle he would need to have a "free role" of sorts to get the best out of all he can offer.

I hope we do manage to make the most of him because despite my criticisms I do think technically he IS the best player at the club, but I would just like to see him used more effectively in light of that.

[claretspice]

I don't disagree that he works hard or has improved the defensive side of his game, but I do think our midfield two primarily break-up play and spend a lot of their time chasing shadows, I just don't think he has the physicality required to play that role, and even if he proved me wrong would we get the most out of him in that position? If we were adapting our system then arguably he could and your suggestion of playing on the left side of a 3 is interesting, I think if he is to be accommodated in the middle he would need to have a "free role" of sorts to get the best out of all he can offer.

I hope we do manage to make the most of him because despite my criticisms I do think technically he IS the best player at the club, but I would just like to see him used more effectively in light of that.

I think we're ultimately agreeing that in our system we'd be better off playing him ahead of the central midfield 2, with Cornet playing from wide and Brownhill taking advantage of McNeil's ability to fill in defensively and prompt from deeper by making runs that break the line. I think he could play a Defour type role, but I'd accept that whether he could do it in a strict 4-4-2, and whether it would get the best out of him, is a bit more moot unless we were able to keep the ball better. What's clear is that, not really of his making, when he's stuck out on the left side we don't get the best out of him.

[boatshed bill]

I think we're ultimately agreeing that in our system we'd be better off playing him ahead of the central midfield 2, with Cornet playing from wide and Brownhill taking advantage of McNeil's ability to fill in defensively and prompt from deeper by making runs that break the line. I think he could play a Defour type role, but I'd accept that whether he could do it in a strict 4-4-2, and whether it would get the best out of him, is a bit more moot unless we were able to keep the ball better. What's clear is that, not really of his making, when he's stuck out on the left side we don't get the best out of him.

From when we signed Cornet I wondered how we would accommodate both him and McNeil.
At first I thought maybe Cornet as a wing back, but Taylor could do that...


Exciting times?

[jojomk1]

Our best player is currently injured

Defour injured again !!!!

[ksrclaret]

I think this McNeil situation will turn out to be another of those where the fans can blatantly see something (in this case that McNeil needs to be played in a third central midfielder role) and Dyche eventually catches on painfully lately.

The sooner Dyche sets us up properly and drops the stubbornness, the sooner we might start winning some games. Whether it'll come soon enough to keep us up I don't know.

[claretonthecoast1882]

If only Dyche knew as much as internet experts

[Newcastleclaret93]

I think this McNeil situation will turn out to be another of those where the fans can blatantly see something (in this case that McNeil needs to be played in a third central midfielder role) and Dyche eventually catches on painfully lately.

The sooner Dyche sets us up properly and drops the stubbornness, the sooner we might start winning some games. Whether it'll come soon enough to keep us up I don't know.

His recent comments about Cornet being off the left, seem to suggest maybe there is a role for McNeil in the centre