2022/23 Dwight McNeil

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He is one of those players that can break out at any moment- if he can develop that final ball. His close control is really something special and can get him places if he learns how to take advantage of it.
 

ToffeeTim said:
I can think of at least four goals on his left foot which resulted directly from the fact he played off the left on his natural side.

Away to Southampton
Home to Brentford
Both goals away to Brighton
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Then have him play inside left. The issue I have is how wide he played. Whether his starting spot is the left or the right he needs to be in central areas to have an impact. He's not beating people wide left when they can force him toward the corner where he'll never have the pace to turn the corner on them.

I tend to think the right side is better for a left footer who needs to come central because the threat of a shot is always there where on the left he can occasionally come inside and still not really have that option if it opens up based on body position. Also on the left he still sometimes goes into that mode where he drifts wide and hammers bad crosses. The key with McNeil for me is putting him in a position where he's not 1v1 with fullbacks all the time. That version is not a good player.
 
TheBigIguana said:
Then have him play inside left. The issue I have is how wide he played. Whether his starting spot is the left or the right he needs to be in central areas to have an impact. He's not beating people wide left when they can force him toward the corner where he'll never have the pace to turn the corner on them.

I tend to think the right side is better for a left footer who needs to come central because the threat of a shot is always there where on the left he can occasionally come inside and still not really have that option if it opens up based on body position. Also on the left he still sometimes goes into that mode where he drifts wide and hammers bad crosses. The key with McNeil for me is putting him in a position where he's not 1v1 with fullbacks all the time. That version is not a good player.
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That's not true though.

Will he be able to "run past" a player on the wing? Probably not, but then again hardly anybody does that unless there has been a defensive breakdown.

What McNeil can do is gain an inch and whip a cross in with very little space. It's probably his best trait so I'm not sure why we would want to take that away from him.
 
TheBigIguana said:
Then have him play inside left. The issue I have is how wide he played. Whether his starting spot is the left or the right he needs to be in central areas to have an impact. He's not beating people wide left when they can force him toward the corner where he'll never have the pace to turn the corner on them.

I tend to think the right side is better for a left footer who needs to come central because the threat of a shot is always there where on the left he can occasionally come inside and still not really have that option if it opens up based on body position. Also on the left he still sometimes goes into that mode where he drifts wide and hammers bad crosses. The key with McNeil for me is putting him in a position where he's not 1v1 with fullbacks all the time. That version is not a good player.
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A player as one footed as McNeil is going to be neither use nor ornament on the right, because teams aren’t going to just let him walk inside and shoot with his strong foot. Any manager with a brain would just get 3 players to fill the space on the inside of the pitch where he’s going to dribble and he’ll just run into them. If he had the ability to occasionally go on the outside and use his right foot then it makes it so much harder to defend against. You’re going to tell me that Arjen Robben was one footed as well but he wasn’t at all if you ever watched him, he used to go down the right to the byline regularly to mix it up, same with Bale when he played on the right. McNeil is far, far too predictable to be effective on the right, he just isn’t that type of winger at all.
 
Papa Shango said:
That's not true though.

Will he be able to "run past" a player on the wing? Probably not, but then again hardly anybody does that unless there has been a defensive breakdown.

What McNeil can do is gain an inch and whip a cross in with very little space. It's probably his best trait so I'm not sure why we would want to take that away from him.
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I agree assuming we actually have players in the box capable of getting on the end of said crosses. That was the frustration last lesson. It’s a great ball, but no if one is actually there or it’s aimed at 5 foot 5 Maupay, then it’s not. Mcniel had a grand total of 3 assists last season and I don’t recall any of those being from him gaining that in he and whipping one into the box.
 

carolinablue232 said:
I agree assuming we actually have players in the box capable of getting on the end of said crosses. That was the frustration last lesson. It’s a great ball, but no if one is actually there or it’s aimed at 5 foot 5 Maupay, then it’s not. Mcniel had a grand total of 3 assists last season and I don’t recall any of those being from him gaining that in he and whipping one into the box.
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He didn’t score or assist any by cutting in off the right either though.
 
Papa Shango said:
That's not true though.

Will he be able to "run past" a player on the wing? Probably not, but then again hardly anybody does that unless there has been a defensive breakdown.

What McNeil can do is gain an inch and whip a cross in with very little space. It's probably his best trait so I'm not sure why we would want to take that away from him.
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How is it his best trait when he created one goal off of an open play cross all year and it wasn't even beating a man but on the break?

I'd argue trying to gain an inch and cross is the worst thing he tries to do.
 
MikeH72 said:
A player as one footed as McNeil is going to be neither use nor ornament on the right, because teams aren’t going to just let him walk inside and shoot with his strong foot. Any manager with a brain would just get 3 players to fill the space on the inside of the pitch where he’s going to dribble and he’ll just run into them. If he had the ability to occasionally go on the outside and use his right foot then it makes it so much harder to defend against. You’re going to tell me that Arjen Robben was one footed as well but he wasn’t at all if you ever watched him, he used to go down the right to the byline regularly to mix it up, same with Bale when he played on the right. McNeil is far, far too predictable to be effective on the right, he just isn’t that type of winger at all.
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Do you actually not see how having 3 players trying to stop one is super useful?
 
Should be tried on the RW he could shine as long as he can hit the odd cross with his right. He could cut in and hit goals with his left. Hopefully sign Gnonto and put him on LW
 

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