James McAtee

[mattcity5]

A poor decision, with hindsight, does not make a young footballer a clown. Hopefully, he will rise again and become the player his talent could allow him to be.

To be fair, many called it out at the time, it's not just hindsight.

 

[mattcity5]

I doubt anyone envisaged Sheff utd being this bad.
He may have made a mistake in staying with Sheffield utd but might have wanted premier league exposure.
He took a gamble and it doesn't look like working out.
I think Kompany made a mistake in buying Trafford and should have invested that money I Harwood Bellis.
Muric would have done the job for him whilst strengthening his team with an outfield player.
We have 3 players on loan at Premier league clubs. Tommy Doyle is the only one that seems relatively successful.
Maybe loaning these younger players to premier league clubs is not the best option.

Fair points. Remember when many wanted Foden out on loan? Imagine if he'd gone to Sheff U? Or their equivalent back then.

He probably wouldn't look great, but it wouldn't mean he hasn't ability.

It does show why we tend to keep the absolute best in house and teach them to play football our way. Little to be gained in a lower Prem loan from a footballing perspective.

 

[mattcity5]

To everybody calling the lad out on going back there or about his loan being a bad one calm thine titties down, what you people don't seem to understand about a Leicester loan is next season he'd still have proved nothing in the top flight. Think about that so by default if he went Leicester he'd almost certainly need another loan in the top flight next year, as another championship season would be the excuse not to play him next year, this would be justified with the fact that he'd lack any top flight experience.

I don't pretend to know whether or not James will make it here but I've always liked him this Prem loan is definitely better, he needs the rough and tough of this loan he knows how to play pretty football he needs to be out of his comfort zone, somebody in the last few pages actually called going back there returning to his comfort zone but respectfully what a load of bollocks.
He's gone there to fight in probably the only team that has actually come up in the last decade weaker than the side they've promoted with, he has probably learnt more from the adversity he's faced in this loan move than he could've at Leicester, he needs a tough loan move to show his minerals and how much fight he has in his belly to show it isn't going to faze him or stop him impressing, it never hurt David Silva having a Segunda loan then playing for a poor top flight team (at the time) in Celta Vigo.

McAtee needs this Prem loan to challenge him and when the going has got tough he's acted like he's their main man, it's not his fault that this hasn't paid off due to inferior teammates he's grown from this move, he's grown more than he would've from coasting the title at Leicester in a league he's already demonstrated he can dominate.
If he's good enough this loan won't have damaged his chances here but a different loan at a lower level this year wouldn't make a difference, if he's not gonna make it here then this season is still going to be a great experience to build on for the rest of his career that he can bank.
Hopefully he can still make it here but we could find James is still a very good player that isn't quite up to the level for us, personally whatever happens I don't think this loan or the way his team has fared will be the deciding factor in whether he makes it here.

If you actually think that's the case and that a move to Leicester in the championship would change our minds, then you need to give your head a shake you are very wrong and you're living in a fantasy world. If James does go this summer he was never ever going to make it here at all, it's still likely he'll be loaned out again and if that's not the case then we never had plans to keep him even at the start of this season.

I think a Leicester loan would have prepared him more for playing for City.

I think the Sheff United loan prepares him more for joining a Premier League team other than City.

 

[oldius]

To be fair, many called it out at the time, it's not just hindsight.

Even if it was a poor decision, without the benefit of hindsight, I would never call a young player of our own a clown. It is a personal thing. When I was 21, despite the presence of good people around me, I still made a bunch of mistakes. He is human, and will make poor decisions. He will also be influenced by others. Growing up is tough.

 

[mattcity5]

Even if it was a poor decision, without the benefit of hindsight, I would never call a young player of our own a clown. It is a personal thing. When I was 21, despite the presence of good people around me, I still made a bunch of mistakes. He is human, and will make poor decisions. He will also be influenced by others. Growing up is tough.

Yeah, fair points, good call.

 

[TonyColemansbagofapples]

What will/has James learn/learnt from his spell this season at Sheffield United? How to defend in depth, how to get beaten heavily, what it feels like to keep getting beaten heavily, how to "get stuck in" and "experience proper mans football". Football wise, from a gifted footballer point of view, he will have gained absolutely zero and gone backwards. His confidence will not be enhanced by playing under a manager like Wilder, that's for sure.

 

[mattcity5]

What will/has James learn/learnt from his spell this season at Sheffield United? How to defend in depth, how to get beaten heavily, what it feels like to keep getting beaten heavily, how to "get stuck in" and "experience proper mans football". Football wise, from a gifted footballer point of view, he will have gained absolutely zero and gone backwards. His confidence will not be enhanced by playing under a manager like Wilder, that's for sure.

Well against Arsenal he learnt that if he's in a rubbish team who are getting stuffed, it's him who'll be sacrificed for more of a workhorse.

I don't know how long after the season ends he returns to City, but he needs to arrive back absolutely desperate to make it at City from day 1.

 

[Kinkladze's crazy skills]

I think a Leicester loan would have prepared him more for playing for City.

I think the Sheff United loan prepares him more for joining a Premier League team other than City.

I don't think that because our academy is what has fully prepared him from a technical standpoint to play for City nothing else, remember early in his loan spell last season when lots were saying he isn't even physically ready for the championship?

He's overcome all that adversity and now he's toughing it out in the Prem too his technical abilities were never in question, they don't need refining they're already there he's been really toughened up at Sheffield United what was most needed right now.
If that's not the case then all I can say is he never had the mental strength required for the very top it's as simple as that, it's dog eat dog world if he lets a rough and tough loan spell get to him then that'd be a pisspoor excuse not to make it here.

He doesn't need to play pretty football at Leicester to catch the eye to impress us, as he knows all he needs to know and we know him inside out he'd have been less tested on the harsh realities of football there, he'd have been Mollycoddled at Leicester to the point they may have already more or less wrapped the league up with him.

The adversity he's faced this season is now nearly out of the way and should make him a much better player physically/mentally, whereas had he gone to Leicester enjoyed a confidence filled season then he'd be totally unprepared for the harsh realities of the Prem.

This loan has fully prepared James McAtee for the next step in his career whatever that is and it hasn't taken anything off his transfer value either, it has toughened him for the harsh realities of Prem football when even early last season he struggled to cope with the physicality of championship football.
His technical qualities are already there so this loan should make him a far better far more determined player to overcome any obstacles he faces, in that respect it's been absolutely perfect and he'll demonstrate that next season when he joins a mid table Prem team or maybe even Leicester if they remain interested.

 

[mattcity5]

We'll have to wait and see I guess, but nobody who's gone out on loan yet has come back and made it with us. Possibly that's because none of them have been as good technically as James, but as far as I can see, the best get kept and learn how to play how Pep wants.

What other teams want doesn't help the player make it at City, and "toughening up" just helps a player get ready for a career elsewhere.

 

[jamesha]

It is not so long ago that many of our youngsters had crap loans where they barely played and genuinely learnt nothing. Things have progressed and McAtee's loan experience this season is something we would have been delighted with back then. He is there for the rest of the season and must know that his team are doomed but he still seems to be trying his best.
He may need qualities more associated with Andy Morrison than David Silva for the rest of his time with The Blades> If he shows them that's good enough for me.

 

[Josh_D]

I doubt anyone envisaged Sheff utd being this bad.
He may have made a mistake in staying with Sheffield utd but might have wanted premier league exposure.
He took a gamble and it doesn't look like working out.
I think Kompany made a mistake in buying Trafford and should have invested that money I Harwood Bellis.
Muric would have done the job for him whilst strengthening his team with an outfield player.
We have 3 players on loan at Premier league clubs. Tommy Doyle is the only one that seems relatively successful.
Maybe loaning these younger players to premier league clubs is not the best option.

Personally think plying their trade in Italy or with the Dutch could work, or in the championship. Loans to PL clubs, especially to clubs that may struggle, isn’t always ideal. However, it’s always hard to know or foresee but anyone going to a newly promoted team is always taking a gamble. Plus, every loan is a gamble anyway.

 

[BlueInsomniac]

 

[Tevez City]

1654 minutes in the PL so far

 

[Gabriel]

1654 minutes in the PL so far

There are parts of McAtee’s game that are remarkably similar to that of Grealish. He has that ability to draw players toward him, protect the ball, and then the quick feet to get away. If we could keep him in the squad next season, he could learn to play the exact same role as Grealish but on the right. That would mean we could then rotate Doku to play on either wing but always have someone who could play that ‘pausing‘ role.

 

[Delphinho]

There are parts of McAtee’s game that are remarkably similar to that of Grealish. He has that ability to draw players toward him, protect the ball, and then the quick feet to get away. If we could keep him in the squad next season, he could learn to play the exact same role as Grealish but on the right. That would mean we could then rotate Doku to play on either wing but always have someone who could play that ‘pausing‘ role.

Might be too early for Savio next season, would love to keep McAtee around as a RW/AM option, but I’m afraid he’ll be gone. I rated him above Palmer and I think he wasn’t too far off Phil’s level in the academy. Will be incredibly sad to see him go

 

[Gabriel]

Might be too early for Savio next season, would love to keep McAtee around as a RW/AM option, but I’m afraid he’ll be gone. I rated him above Palmer and I think he wasn’t too far off Phil’s level in the academy. Will be incredibly sad to see him go

If we brought Savio, it would take a season for him to settle into the country/league/role, and I’m less convinced that we need another someone ‘unorthodox’ on the right/left. A combination of Doku/Savio would certainly be exciting, but it would see the ball turned over and a whole lot of basketball/football. That’s not our forte.

We couldn’t have foreseen Grealish having such problems, but his absence and return should make us appreciate the importance of having someone on either wing who can protect the ball and pause the game. They don’t need to play together, of course, but there should always be the option for such a player. Without such this season, Foden and Bernardo have had to play out there when perhaps their abilities could have been better utilised more centrally.

People have been critical of the club for allowing Palmer to leave, but I would suggest that the bigger mistake was allowing both he and McAtee to leave at the same time. One should have been retained for such a role, but then again hindsight is a marvellous thing. Will McAtee be kept? I don’t know. I’d hate to see him sold for a comparatively low fee, however, especially if that money is then used to fund just another squad filler. If we can keep him for a season, we’ll be able to determine whether he can cut the mustard, or at the very least add more to his valuation.

 

[domalino]

If we brought Savio, it would take a season for him to settle into the country/league/role, and I’m less convinced that we need another someone ‘unorthodox’ on the right/left. A combination of Doku/Savio would certainly be exciting, but it would see the ball turned over and a whole lot of basketball/football. That’s not our forte.

We couldn’t have foreseen Grealish having such problems, but his absence and return should make us appreciate the importance of having someone on either wing who can protect the ball and pause the game. They don’t need to play together, of course, but there should always be the option for such a player. Without such this season, Foden and Bernardo have had to play out there when perhaps their abilities could have been better utilised more centrally.

People have been critical of the club for allowing Palmer to leave, but I would suggest that the bigger mistake was allowing both he and McAtee to leave at the same time. One should have been retained for such a role, but then again hindsight is a marvellous thing. Will McAtee be kept? I don’t know. I’d hate to see him sold for a comparatively low fee, however, especially if that money is then used to fund just another squad filler. If we can keep him for a season, we’ll be able to determine whether he can cut the mustard, or at the very least add more to his valuation.

The club didn’t want to loan McAtee out on the basis that they keep academy kids who could help around the team, like Palmer last season.

McAtee insisted on going on loan.

I think the loan will have been really good for him but I always think it’s very hard for a player to go back to the bench after a year or two of starting.

 

[Gabriel]

The club didn’t want to loan McAtee out on the basis that they keep academy kids who could help around the team, like Palmer last season.

McAtee insisted on going on loan.

I think the loan will have been really good for him but I always think it’s very hard for a player to go back to the bench after a year or two of starting.

I agree that there may be a temptation for him to go elsewhere now and get game time. However, he has now tasted the high of promotion and the (likely) low of relegation, and if he prefers the former, then he should be looking at Foden and Lewis and thinking that there is a place for him here. He’s a very good player and with a bit of encouragement he should see that there is still a pathway at the club.

 

[Gaz (FMwkdsoul)]

I agree that there may be a temptation for him to go elsewhere now and get game time. However, he has now tasted the high of promotion and the (likely) low of relegation, and if he prefers the former, then he should be looking at Foden and Lewis and thinking that there is a place for him here. He’s a very good player and with a bit of encouragement he should see that there is still a pathway at the club.

Is there for him though, look at who we are targeting, he'll barely see the bench.

 

[Gabriel]

Is there for him though, look at who we are targeting, he'll barely see the bench.

Each window we're linked with every man and his dog, but they never all turn up. There will also be more games and different challenges next season, and with little break over the summer more injuries.

I still think a lot will depend on how this season unfolds, the transfers done, and those who decide to leave. McAtee is just a touch younger than Doku but has collected more League minutes this season, and he has a skill set that we could do with next season. If Bernardo leaves and Foden continues in midfield, we only have Doku who can play wide right, and his inclination is to attack rather than play that pausing role. Bobb could also play there, of course, but his skills are better suited for between the lines.