If you get close enough to a short arse like Foden or Silva you can knock them of the ball. Players like that have to not get into physical scraps and they have to bring more to the game with speed and technical skill than is lost by lack of physical presence.Their comments seem to change as the season develops and their fate becomes more evident. They can appreciate that he is technically very good; if he comes back to us, he will be surrounded by other technically excellent players.
As for the bit about being knocked off the ball easily, well that only improves once you have developed physically. Foden will be 24 later this month and is still knocked off the ball in the middle of the park, largely because he hasn't fully filled out in terms of his upper body.
I hope the club hierarchy look at how Palmer has shone and just press the pause button. Get McAtee back at the club for the Wembley trip, even sat in the stand, and impress upon him that we want him in over the summer working on his conditioning and that we have a development pathway mapped out.If you get close enough to a short arse like Foden or Silva you can knock them of the ball. Players like that have to not get into physical scraps and they have to bring more to the game with speed and technical skill than is lost by lack of physical presence.
My gut feel is mcatee has a future at the top level but he needs to do what Palmer has done. Find a club that will play him and will play the right style for him. It's easier said than done.
By all accounts we would have preferred him to go back down into the same Championship and play for Leicester City, but I think he made the right move. That would have been a retrograde move whereas he’s challenged himself to play at a higher level. He’s now physically much tougher and mentally sharper for the experience.
I’ll be surprised if Nunes remains and even if we do sign others, there will be game time to go around. I’d like to think that the club will have analysed the injuries we have sustained this season and determined that we simply need extra bodies upon whom we can depend. If we don’t adapt, then we risk meeting Real Madrid and failing at the same stage next season, with players who are already gassed.There’s just no way that we can avoid injuries to key players, especially in midfield, so it would be prudent to have an extra body.
The question is more whether McAtee has the sense and patience to stay at the club for the coming season and push for game time. If he does, he could have a long career at the very top. If, however, he listens to advisors who want an instant cut and chooses immediate game time, then I rather fear he’ll become a journeyman, shuttling between clubs and between tiers.
Although I’ve seen what Bobb can do in the middle, Bernardo is still here and the former can’t get enough game time on the right. I believe he can do it. Also works hard off the ball.It is short, but it can be ten years at the top or ten years at the bottom. For me, at his age, he just needs to be dependable in certain positions, nothing more. Even if we bring in Savio, we still have nobody on the right who can slow the game down in the way Grealish can on the left, and there's no reason why we cannot coach McAtee to perfect that role.
He’d already done that at Sheffield United the season before, so the only difference would have been the shirt colour and a new manager. We also don’t know if the club had an ulterior motive in wanting McAtee at Leicester with Doyle.It was the wrong choice for me if he wants to make it at City.
Loans should be to teams that dominate possession, play good football and often have to try and break down packed defences. He was never going to get any practice at that whatsoever at Sheff U. Leicester would have been perfect, and the natural next move would have been to come back and try and do the same at City.
Not sure what he will have learnt at Sheff U, other than not being suited to a struggling team. Possibly it may have toughened him up a bit I guess, maybe he'll come back with increased motivation.
The problem we have is Palmer’s success might encourage McAtee to try elsewhere. I think that would be a mistake for both parties.Although I’ve seen what Bobb can do in the middle, Bernardo is still here and the former can’t get enough game time on the right. I believe he can do it. Also works hard off the ball.
McAtee would have a lot to learn. Whether he has the patience to do that is another thing. It would be nice for the talented ones to stick around but you can’t begrudge them leaving. Unless an announcement is officially made, Bernardo’s presence doesn’t leave my mind when talking about the team despite the rumours every season.
It's also genuinely insane to go to a team, who in the championship, barely held possession, that isn't his game.Genuinely insane that after spending a season in the Championship and helping a team get promoted whilst eventually being one of their best players, people think he should have gone back to the Championship and done it all again.
That’s my hope re Bobb. Not many watched Bobb transition to the middle in the EDS. Those weighted passes…phew.The problem we have is Palmer’s success might encourage McAtee to try elsewhere. I think that would be a mistake for both parties.
Bernardo can play some games on the right but he’s better when floating and rotating. He also has only two years left, at which point we could have McAtee developed to hold that role. I see Bobb as floating and he’s so good that he’ll ultimately play in the middle closer to Haaland, with Foden just slightly deeper.
He’d already done that at Sheffield United the season before, so the only difference would have been the shirt colour and a new manager. We also don’t know if the club had an ulterior motive in wanting McAtee at Leicester with Doyle.
There’s a huge gulf between the divisions and he’s now played against/at every top flight side other than Everton, Newcastle, and ourselves. He’ll have the bruises to show for it, expanded lung power, too, so if he knuckles down and chooses wisely, he could come back and excel.
Maybe the question of whether we keep him or let him go should be turned around. If he wasn't our player, would we be looking at signing him?
Another way to look at it is that the fact that McAtee hasn’t won accolades at Sheffield United might work in our favour. I’m sure the promoted teams and prospectors like Brighton will fancy their chances, but he’s less likely to attract interest from a top 7 club. A year with us and he’ll still have the attention of the former regardless, but if he does well…That’s my hope re Bobb. Not many watched Bobb transition to the middle in the EDS. Those weighted passes…phew.
Nonetheless, Palmer’s success will set a precedent for the talented ones. Before, could still use the patient Foden angle but with Palmer blowing up, it’ll be tough now. Not that it wasn’t before but the be patient angle is less likely to work now.
Bobb, from the tidbits I’ve seen is just happy to play. He hasn’t spoken of minutes. He seems to understand how it is, for now. I’m unsure McAtee feels that way. As talented as the latter is, I can’t see him getting many minutes if he does return.
Pep really doesn’t sub how we expect. Even the token minutes have reduced. With Arsenal pushing City two season in a row, it’s become harder for the young lads to get a sniff. If McAtee is sold, I’m hoping it’s for a premium. Regardless of what these lads do after, I’ll be happy for them.
I used to be big on any type of youth football. If it was on, I’m watching but I stepped away this season. Not even going to city youth games. I somewhat feel like it was time to detach myself from it. Will always be happy for anyone making from the academy but I don’t have the same fervour for it.
The bulk of games would have been against the same opponents, the same defenders, and in the same circumstances. Teams at that level also don’t defend in anything like the way they do against us. They have neither the mental discipline nor fitness.What Leicester did in the Championship and what Sheff United did in the Championship are two different things.
Playing for a side that dominates possession and plays against packed defences would have been best for his City career. Going to the Prem with Sheff U could have been good for a career outside of City, as it promoted his name. However, they were so shit that he wasn't all that much use to them. It's been a waste of a year and has probably dropped his same value also. Even if he'd been great there, by playing on the counter in a poor team who hardly seen the ball wouldn't have meant anything towards how well he could do for us.
Think he saw the bright lights of the Prem and got a bit too excited when being a but more patient would have been better in the long run.
The bulk of games would have been against the same opponents, the same defenders, and in the same circumstances. Teams at that level also don’t defend in anything like the way they do against us. They have neither the mental discipline nor fitness.
Going to Leicester would have been much like Roberts returning to Celtic to tread the same water. At least with Sheffield United he knew the regime and probably thought he’d get game time. I’ve posted above the minutes McAtee’s played in the top flight and he can now come back with two years still on his contract, tougher and hopefully wiser.
McAtee has been at our club for over a decade and already knows the system, how we play, and how we shift teams around. Those things he could learn. However, what it's like to play at Anfield, the Emirates, Stamford Bridge, White Hart Lane, and their place, well those things can only be experienced and now he has that. He'd now be less fazed if we called upon him to play in these arenas.Well, I do hope you're right. I just fear that loans are difficult for us, because no other teams face what we face game in game out. The closest match really is a division below, and admittedly a lower standard. I'd just prefer our players playing our style while out, against lesser players, rather than playing a different way against better players.
Very unlikely to get a loan in the Prem for a team who play like we do. I'd suggest there'd be a very outside chance of him going to Spurs as a backup for Maddison, which could work well for him, but I can't see them wanting him as a loan. If we could get a buyback clause and first option inserted though, I wouldn't mind seeing that.
The problem we have is Palmer’s success might encourage McAtee to try elsewhere. I think that would be a mistake for both parties
Indeed. As long as we’re winning trophies, the loss appears bearable, but a little more flexibility might see us stronger yet.A bit of pressure to use them or lose them might not be the worst thing to be honest.
Agree with you on that he’ll possibly get a look in at mid-table clubs or the likes of Villa et al who seem to be playing a different type of football…a team to take the gamble. Having seen what Rogers can do at Villa, they wouldn’t turn down an opportunity to sign a McAtee type player.Another way to look at it is that the fact that McAtee hasn’t won accolades at Sheffield United might work in our favour. I’m sure the promoted teams and prospectors like Brighton will fancy their chances, but he’s less likely to attract interest from a top 7 club. A year with us and he’ll still have the attention of the former regardless, but if he does well…
I’m not championing the academy, but I think we’re now at the stage where the football education we’re providing is creating players that are generally ahead of what can be bought on the market.