87 | James McAtee - 2024/25

[Dubciteh]

I think Pep trusted him in pre season and planned on playing him this season but in the games/minutes he played pep for whatever reason isnt happy and now no longer trusts him. Not that he did anything wrong in the game but the feynoord one might have been his last chance. I expect him to leave in Jan/Summer, if he cant get a kick during this run Pep will never play him so whats the point.

 

[Lavinda Past]

Not many will ever going to make the Foden bar but just look at Rico.. he's dependable in the middle and doesn't lose the ball stupidly..

Maybe McAtee just doesn't do enough in practice.. Pep has been very clear.. the kids have to earn it and if Rico can earn a position.. the door isn't close.

What's alarming is with our injury crisis none of the kids have stepped up in midfield.

I'm going to upset a few people, but I think Rico has gone as far as he's going. If we had bought better quality than the likes of Nunes and Phillips, or a replacement for Walker, Rico wouldn't be anywhere near the first team. He'd be out on loan, never to return. Personally, I like Rico a lot, but think Tommy Doyle would have been a far better player to retain.

Whenever I watch our youngsters play, I'm reminded of past lads like Ged Keegan. Touted for the future and good but not quite good enough.

Our shining star, Phil Foden's game appears to have simply 'flattened', possibly for the long term but hopefully not.

Our only other 'diamond' was Cole Palmer.

James McAtee and the rest are a million miles away from that level.

 

[domalino]

if he cant get a kick during this run Pep will never play him so whats the point.

I don't understand why so many people have convinced themselves that Guardiola doesn't rate McAtee because he's not thrown him into an underperforming, tired, demoralised team and told him to sink or swim.

When did it become a thing to introduce young inexperienced players when you're on the worst run of your managerial career and the club's worst in nearly 20 years?

 

[sir baconface]

I don't understand why so many people have convinced themselves that Guardiola doesn't rate McAtee because he's not thrown him into an underperforming, tired, demoralised team and told him to sink or swim.

When did it become a thing to introduce young inexperienced players when you're on the worst run of your managerial career and the club's worst in nearly 20 years?

When you don’t have 11 fit players but are still obliged to play 2 matches a week?

He won’t get full games - I understand that - but there’s quite a bit of ground between 1 minute and 90.

 

[domalino]

When you don’t have 11 fit players but are still obliged to play 2 matches a week?

So not a scenario we've been in yet.

 

[shemnel]

I don't understand why so many people have convinced themselves that Guardiola doesn't rate McAtee because he's not thrown him into an underperforming, tired, demoralised team and told him to sink or swim.

When did it become a thing to introduce young inexperienced players when you're on the worst run of your managerial career and the club's worst in nearly 20 years?

I happen to agree with this, which makes the use of Simpson-Pusey slightly baffling as well. The clamour for youngsters is all well and good but the drop off in experience is evident, every time they play

 

[The Light Was Yellow Sir]

I'm going to upset a few people, but I think Rico has gone as far as he's going. If we had bought better quality than the likes of Nunes and Phillips, or a replacement for Walker, Rico wouldn't be anywhere near the first team. He'd be out on loan, never to return. Personally, I like Rico a lot, but think Tommy Doyle would have been a far better player to retain.

Whenever I watch our youngsters play, I'm reminded of past lads like Ged Keegan. Touted for the future and good but not quite good enough.

Our shining star, Phil Foden's game appears to have simply 'flattened', possibly for the long term but hopefully not.

Our only other 'diamond' was Cole Palmer.

James McAtee and the rest are a million miles away from that level.

All these players we’ve let go aged around 20.
Not saying they’d be regulars by any means but we could possibly be a bit better at identifying some of these lads and possibly using the loan system a bit better?

James Trafford, Jeremiah Frimpong, Tosin Adarabioyo, Harwood Bellis, Romeo Lavia, Michael Olise , Bynoe-Gittens, Jadon Sancho, Morgan Rogers, Douglas Luiz Pedro Porro, Tommy Doyle and Cole Palmer.

 

[Gaz (FMwkdsoul)]

All these players we’ve let go aged around 20.
Not saying they’d be regulars by any means but we could possibly be a bit better at identifying some of these lads and possibly using the loan system a bit better?

James Trafford, Jeremiah Frimpong, Tosin Adarabioyo, Harwood Bellis, Romeo Lavia, Michael Olise , Bynoe-Gittens, Jadon Sancho, Morgan Rogers, Douglas Luiz Pedro Porro, Tommy Doyle and Cole Palmer.

We did identify them all as potentially good players and they usually not better than the starter or the backup when they needed the solid game time to develop. (bar Cole who was told he was ready and left regardless).

You can't hoard them all and screw up development shifting them from loan to loan of the off chance you might need them 3-4 years down the line.

Porro & Frimpong had Walker/Cancelo ahead of them, Rico & Walker when Porro made the Spurs deal, Olise was 15/16 when he left (homesick), Bynoe/Sancho/Tosin all ran down the contracts and left etc. Luiz we couldn't play in the UK. Rogers showed little etc etc

You can only make the decision at the time. The CFA is turning out good/very good footballers, that list will only be getting longer year or year. Looking forward to watching them flourish.

 

[Lavinda Past]

All these players we’ve let go aged around 20.
Not saying they’d be regulars by any means but we could possibly be a bit better at identifying some of these lads and possibly using the loan system a bit better?

James Trafford, Jeremiah Frimpong, Tosin Adarabioyo, Harwood Bellis, Romeo Lavia, Michael Olise , Bynoe-Gittens, Jadon Sancho, Morgan Rogers, Douglas Luiz Pedro Porro, Tommy Doyle and Cole Palmer.

As I see it, we simply hold onto and/or rely on some of our senior players for too long. Pep is probably too loyal to some players... most coaches are.

It's a balancing act but the only 'losers' seem to be the home-grown players.

When I see us signing players like Nunes, Phillips, Savinho, Doku, Gvardiol, etc for £40m+, and having Scott Carson on the bench, I wonder just how much the club actually cares about academy lads beyond making a few millio here and there.

Whatever 'hope' I had left for the City academy producing a stream of City first team players finally died the day we sold our most obvious diamond... Cole Palmer.

 

[decmancity]

All these players we’ve let go aged around 20.
Not saying they’d be regulars by any means but we could possibly be a bit better at identifying some of these lads and possibly using the loan system a bit better?

James Trafford, Jeremiah Frimpong, Tosin Adarabioyo, Harwood Bellis, Romeo Lavia, Michael Olise , Bynoe-Gittens, Jadon Sancho, Morgan Rogers, Douglas Luiz Pedro Porro, Tommy Doyle and Cole Palmer.

City are well aware of how good they are. But these lads aren't robots. They have agents, parents and friends in there ears saying they can go and play every week elsewhere. What is the incentive to keep going on loans.