Bumble wrote: ↑Thu Sep 25, 2025 4:08 pm
The issue with saying 'He didn't cost much' whenever another one of our buys doesn't turn out to be quite what we had hoped for is that eventually these players add up to pretty significant sums of money. Beto, Alcaraz, Patterson, McNeil for example are north of £50m. That's serious money, not the type of funds you can throw about for a punt or two.
At some point you would hope our scouting starts to go up a notch.
True but at least for him, the jury is still out.
McNeil's output in previous seasons justifies his expense.
I agree with your point, but I think in recent years we've had very very limited options.
Still massively weary of him starting. He plays that way whether the game is open or not. You can’t have players in central areas giving the ball away cheaply too often, even if it’s the name of making things happen. Look at how often Beto’s garbage touches spark an opportunity for our opponents. Same theory applies to a player trying to run through a wall of opposing midfielders.
Happy for him to continue to be first man off the bench to brighten things up in the middle. I’m not reading too much into an excellent second half performance against a clearly fatigued Palace side.
I remember when we made the signing permanent one of the main things I was looking forward to was seeing him linking up more with Ndiaye, presuming he was gonna play centrally.
This was obviously way before we signed Grealish.
But if you look at the difference he made playing in the middle.
Wins the ball and always tries to drive forward immediately.
Was unlucky not to score with a good save from Henderson.
The main reason imo. Been crying out for a midfielder to drive through the midfield with the ball. He will probably be back on the wing for the City match.
