Sunderland midfielder Dan Neil has been at the centre of a debate among supporters this week.
Dan Neil remains a very popular and impressive member of the Sunderland first-team squad.
But Neil may be the first to admit that he’s not been at his best this season, with fans heavily criticising Neil for his performance last weekend against Watford.
The 22-year-old gave away a penalty that led to Watford’s eventual winner on the day; it’s only a few weeks ago that Neil was shown a silly red card during the win against Burnley.
Sunderland made Neil captain going into this new season under Regis Le Bris. But many feel that the Sunderland academy man hasn’t been up to scratch.
There was a lot of eyes on Neil going into the game against Derby County on Tuesday night, with Neil keeping his place in the XI as the Black Cats claimed an eventual 2-0 win.
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Phil Smith gives Dan Neil verdict after Sunderland 2-0 Derby County
Neil kept his place in the centre of midfield. He recorded 60 touches of the ball and completed 37 passes (third-most of any player on the pitch), with a pass accuracy of 82%.
He also put himself about well, winning six of his eight duels on the night, with six defensive actions to his name including three tackles (joint-third most of anyone).
Giving his thoughts on Neil’s performance, journalist Phil Smith said on On The Whistle: “A word for Dan Neil; we spoke at length about him after the Watford game, when he made a daft error.
“We said he can be really good in that role that the team plays well. Stick with him. Be patient. I thought he was excellent tonight.
“I thought he won his duels for the most part. Kept the ball ticking. Was involved in some really nice triangles.”
Dan Neil must build on steady Derby County performance
Football fans can often jump on a player after a bad run of form, and forget how much quality he actually possesses.
For Neil to put in the decent performance that he did against Derby; a difficult game with all the eyes centred on him, shows the experience and class that he has at his young age.
Le Bris knows he has a top Championship midfielder in Neil. But Neil has to get back to his best and then build a level of consistency.
If Neil can show his class then Sunderland will become an even better team than they are now.
Up next for the Black Cats is a home game against Leeds United on Friday night.