This summer’s midfield arrivals have given Dan Neil a new challenge, but hopefully it’s something he’ll relish!
From his position on the bench during the opening exchanges of Saturday’s league opener against West Ham, Dan Neil had a front seat view of the realities of Premier League midfield play, as well as the battles and passages of play that unfolded all over the pitch, and it would’ve been a fascinating if slightly bittersweet experience.
Tasked with providing drive, passing range and physical presence in the middle of the park, the Lads’ new trio of Granit Xhaka, Habib Diarra and Noah Sadiki turned in a display that was frankly remarkable, covering ground like nobody’s business, keeping the play moving efficiently and suggesting that our transfer business in this particular area of the field is already starting to bear fruit.
As we all know, Xhaka was recently appointed as the new club captain and not unfairly so, having been presented with the armband following his move from Bayer Leverkusen.
As a longtime fan of Neil’s, it was an understandable if ruthless decision to appoint a new skipper following last season’s promotion, but one could argue that it’s also provided more clarity regarding Neil’s position at the club and his role within the squad, on the proviso that he remains a Sunderland player beyond the summer transfer window.
Simply put, if Neil wants to continue his progress, make the step up and become a bona-fide Premier League-class midfielder, he needs to take some major learnings from what he witnessed on Saturday and put them into practice without delay.
Where he often excelled in the Championship — getting on the ball, considering his options and picking passes or striding forward at his own pace — won’t necessarily work at this level, so frenetic and relentless is the pace of the top flight.
The alertness and speed of thought exhibited by our midfield trio on Saturday was remarkable at times, and the nous of Xhaka was complimented beautifully by the vision and dynamism of Diarra and Sadiki, a midfield trio the likes of which we probably haven’t seen in these parts for a long time, if ever.
When reflecting on Saturday’s performance, it would be tempting to say things like “We don’t miss Jobe at all” or “Neil’s got no chance of getting back into the team”, but I’m not so sure, not least because I’m never fond of airbrushing key players from our history and the prospect of long and brutal season will doubtless lead to opportunities for others.
Financially, Jobe’s transfer to Dortmund made sense and allowed us to complete some impressive transfer business, and it’s also true that the presence of Enzo Le Fée will give Régis Le Bris yet another option, but in Neil’s case, we’re not talking about an over-the-hill veteran with little in the way of future prospects, and it’s important to bear that in mind.
Of course, whether no longer carrying the burden of captaincy can liberate Neil and allow him to develop even further is something only he knows.
It’s true that he wasn’t what you might call a ‘natural’ leader; a chest-beating, rabble-rousing warrior (such players have often been rarer than hen’s teeth in Sunderland circles over the years) but he did a fine job last season once he got over some early wobbles and got to grips with the demands of the captaincy.
It would doubtless have pained him to lose the role that he cherished, and nobody can ever take that day at Wembley away from him, but the positive thing here is that he can control how he continues to respond, and hopefully that’ll be by applying himself diligently and showing a good attitude on the training ground and in the dressing room.
Le Bris will doubtless be keeping a keen eye on this and I remain convinced that if the club resists the temptation to ‘cash in’ on Neil and a new contract can be thrashed out, he can begin to fulfil that potential and earn the right to call himself a top flight footballer. He has his critics, but I’ll never stop banging the drum for a lad who’s given his all to help his club get back to where it should always strive to be.
Based on Saturday’s evidence, the red and white engine room looks to have been given a major injection of horsepower over the summer, but like any powerplant, it’ll only run smoothly if it’s maintained and refreshed from time to time — and that’s where a player like Neil could be worth his weight in gold during 2025/2026.
Category: General Sports
