87 | James McAtee - 2024/25

Status
Not open for further replies.
Alan Harper's Tash said:
Pep obviously sees him in training and doesn’t fancy him at present.

He was in and out of Sheff U’s side, so no surprise he’s finding it tough to get game time here.
Click to expand...
Thing is with Pep he expects our academy players to have an instant impact. If they don't they get benched and it's tough for them to get any minutes from then on. In recent seasons he'd sometimes bring our youngsters on second half when we were 3 or 4 goals up but we rarely have been this season.

I think we have to be realistic in winning the league, top 4 CL qualification is far more realistic and achievable. CL is beyond us I think, maybe we can win the FA Cup. If not we simply have to accept that we're past our best and build for the future.

Since losing Rodri we haven't had his reassuring steady influence and our injury situation has meant no stability in the team. Also several players aren't performing anywhere near their true capability. Walker has lost his pace, Gundo is well off pace, De Bruyne has been injured too often and needs several games to get up th on speed. That said he's unlikely to dominate midfield like he did due to age and constant niggling injuries.

I'd like to see McAtee get starts and minutes off the bench but he has to impose himself and make an impact, like Bobb did at Newcastle for instance. He definitely needs a chance to prove himself but Pep can be a stubborn so and so and maybe he regrets not letting him stay at Sheff United.
 
BlueMoonRisin’ said:
Thing is with Pep he expects our academy players to have an instant impact. If they don't they get benched and it's tough for them to get any minutes from then on. In recent seasons he'd sometimes bring our youngsters on second half when we were 3 or 4 goals up but we rarely have been this season.

I think we have to be realistic in winning the league, top 4 CL qualification is far more realistic and achievable. CL is beyond us I think, maybe we can win the FA Cup. If not we simply have to accept that we're past our best and build for the future.

Since losing Rodri we haven't had his reassuring steady influence and our injury situation has meant no stability in the team. Also several players aren't performing anywhere near their true capability. Walker has lost his pace, Gundo is well off pace, De Bruyne has been injured too often and needs several games to get up th on speed. That said he's unlikely to dominate midfield like he did due to age and constant niggling injuries.

I'd like to see McAtee get starts and minutes off the bench but he has to impose himself and make an impact, like Bobb did at Newcastle for instance. He definitely needs a chance to prove himself but Pep can be a stubborn so and so and maybe he regrets not letting him stay at Sheff United.
Click to expand...
A lot that I agree with there. The biggest issue is that McAtee isn’t a midfielder. He’s only ever played senior football as one of the front line.

Now, he might take to being an 8 in our system like a duck to water, but he didn’t dominate the game against Watford.

He’s not particularly quick or strong. He’s great on tight spaces and has a good shot on him,

I’ve not seen enough to see what his defensive play is like, but it hasn’t stood out at SU or his fleeting minutes here.
 
Alan Harper's Tash said:
A lot that I agree with there. The biggest issue is that McAtee isn’t a midfielder. He’s only ever played senior football as one of the front line.

Now, he might take to being an 8 in our system like a duck to water, but he didn’t dominate the game against Watford.

He’s not particularly quick or strong. He’s great on tight spaces and has a good shot on him,

I’ve not seen enough to see what his defensive play is like, but it hasn’t stood out at SU or his fleeting minutes here.
Click to expand...
Too early to say whether he stays with us but young James really needs to impress Pep when he next gets on the pitch which can't be easy for him being scrutinised by the world's best manager, especially when he's not been able to get a run of games.

Pep brought him back for a reason and has praised him, but it's baffling why he brought him back and won't play him. Now is a good time to see what he can do and whether he has a future for us, otherwise he'll be playing in the shop window for other clubs to take interest in him.
 
BlueMoonRisin’ said:
Too early to say whether he stays with us but young James really needs to impress Pep when he next gets on the pitch which can't be easy for him being scrutinised by the world's best manager, especially when he's not been able to get a run of games.

Pep brought him back for a reason and has praised him, but it's baffling why he brought him back and won't play him. Now is a good time to see what he can do and whether he has a future for us, otherwise he'll be playing in the shop window for other clubs to take interest in him.
Click to expand...
Feyenoord for sure, maybe not at Klanfield.
 
Feel really sorry for him. There's players who are completely burnt out in front of him - that's supposed to be the time when the younger players get a chance, but he's left kicking his heels
 
Alan Harper's Tash said:
I really hope he takes his chance. He was superb in the EDS.

I just don’t see him as the guy to wrestle back control.
Click to expand...
We've had plenty of kids who've been superb in EDS, mate, but very few will establish themselves in our first team. He surely must start Tuesday night. He can't be any worse than Lewis or Foden right now.
 
BlueMoonRisin’ said:
We've had plenty of kids who've been superb in EDS, mate, but very few will establish themselves in our first team. He surely must start Tuesday night. He can't be any worse than Lewis or Foden right now.
Click to expand...
My point though is, is that he’d take one of the wide forward spots if he played as Pep obviously doesn’t trust him in the middle.

Those playing there haven’t been great either though.
 
Alan Harper's Tash said:
My point though is, is that he’d take one of the wide forward spots if he played as Pep obviously doesn’t trust him in the middle.

Those playing there haven’t been great either though.
Click to expand...
I think Pep will get things right in the future but I think our dominance is over for several reasons. Not sure what position McAtee is best suited to but he sure needs Pep's trust to start certain games. And if he gets to start he needs to make an impact like I said earlier.
 
Put him on the right and have Grealish on the left. We need to go back to having control of the ball and control of games and, for now, forget about having the harem-scared wingers and playing frantic football. It may well create plenty of chances for Haaland, but if he can’t do his job and there is no replacement, then we need to find another way.
 
Clearly no future here. If he’s not trusted enough for a few minutes here and there, when others are struggling badly, why did we recall him and blow smoke up his arse?

Pep and Txiki have proved themselves great judges of players most of the time but their treatment of young prospects is sometimes puzzling.
 
sir baconface said:
Clearly no future here. If he’s not trusted enough for a few minutes here and there, when others are struggling badly, why did we recall him and blow smoke up his arse?

Pep and Txiki have proved themselves great judges of players most of the time but their treatment of young prospects is sometimes puzzling.
Click to expand...
I agree. You look at some of the youngsters we’ve sold and a lot of them weren’t given a chance at all. We keep picking the ready made, expensive option instead - they often end up not being as good.
 
You don't play the kids, in difficult circumstances. Not unless you want to destroy their confidence.
You put them in when there is great confidence, momentum and form.
McAtee is a confidence player, Pep knows that and he will ease him and others into the side when the main issues are resolved. Solving those issues is the priority right now, not playing McAtee.
 
This guy should definitely get the chance to start against Feyenoord. Not even the manager can deny that the opposition should be manageable even for him. None of the players in the starting eleven against Spurs deserve to start the next game anyway.
 
I think that James McAtee is a good player. I would have said he was above the level of Morgan Rogers when he was here. He is good on the ball, very tidy in possession, and has good vision for a pass. IMO, he would perform at least as well as Gundogan or Bernardo at this moment in time. I see no danger in playing him, unless you consider that now is not the time to put a young player into the first team.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Unread Posts

Don't have an account? Register now and see fewer ads!

SIGN UP
Back
Top