Mcatee will never be a regular starter in our team and im pretty sure were not signing mgw
It’s disheartening how quickly some of our fans dismiss players from our own academy. It often feels like Phil Foden has become the sole benchmark - as if a young player reaches his level immediately, they’re deemed not good enough. We saw this with Cole Palmer.
I was at the Super Cup in Athens, in his final appearance for the club, and what stood out most wasn’t just his performance - which, for me, was the best on the pitch that day — but the abuse thrown at him by grown men that day in the City section despite the fact he’d barely had a proper run in the side. Just days later, he was sold to Chelsea, where he’s since become one of the Premier League's best players. And yet, some of our supporters have turned on him, despite the fact he never even wanted to leave the club.
What makes it more frustrating is the contrast in treatment. Players like Oscar Bobb are rightly encouraged and supported, but Palmer who was a local lad who came through the ranks was criticised relentlessly. It’s hard to understand.
Similarly, James McAtee hasn’t done any worse than others in his position this season. In fact his output has arguably been better. Yet he’s regularly singled out, while others seem to escape scrutiny. Even Rico Lewis who has shown plenty of promise, gets targeted at both home and away games by a section of the younger fanbase. It's wrong.
It just feels unjust. We should be supporting our academy graduates not turning on them when they’re still developing. The academy is something to be proud of.