Thread by @TacticalFaculty, Dwight McNeil [A Thread] #TFscout McNeil has excelled on the left for [...]

Dwight McNeil [A Thread] #TFscout

McNeil has excelled on the left for Burnley this season conveying competence in both the attacking and defensive aspects of the game. This has caught the eyes of many who believe he could thrive in an attacking system at the fullback role which is what we will look into today.

Today we will discuss
His crossing
Other aspects of his attacking game
His defensive ability
His transition to FB and potential transfers

Here are some images to convey his profile

One of his standout qualities is his crossing ability. Fullback’s crossing is a prominent feature of the modern game, most notably league leaders Liverpool fullbacks having 450 combined crosses. Mcneil is an excellent crosser hitting 4.59 crosses per90 with a 27.46% success rate.

This conveys his ability to hit accurate crosses consistently. In terms of his technique, he gets a good flight on the ball to ensure that it reaches its location. Another impressive aspect of his technique is the topspin that he creates.

This ensures that the ball travels quickly in the air as well as creating a dip so it can surpass the defender but then drop down to the attacker. Overall his crossing technique is excellent. He hits the ball well so it can reach the defender and create a goalscoring opportunity.

Another aspect of his crossing technique is his superb positioning and body angles. This is a vital skill in the modern era for FBs to have and is done very well by TAA. However, it is generally not recognised by the community so I hope I can spread awareness about this trait.

McNeil places himself in excellent positions and organises the angle of his body very well. When he receives the ball, his excellent positioning ensures that he has plenty of time and space to focus on his target and doesn’t need to rush due to defenders pressuring him.

His body organisation is also vital in his crossing process. He organises his body so that it is angled towards the target. This ensures that he doesn’t have to shift his body or move the ball as he is already facing his target.

These 2 processes that he takes gives him a huge advantage as his only job is to strike the ball. This lets him focus solely on his technique and target and lets him utilise his technique to the maximum capacity.

McNeil also shows prowess in the other attacking parts of the game, his dribbling is excellent completing over half of his 6 attempted dribbles and making two progressive runs per90. He uses his good balance and low centre of gravity to cache his direction before beating the man.

He dribbling style is rather direct with progressive carries measuring at 150m per90. He also has excellent off the ball movement and quick sprint speed. This allows him to make complex overlapping runs and provide danger down the left-hand flank.

The last part of his attacking game is his passing. His passing isn’t bad but it is certainly an area that he could focus on to become a more complete player.

Here are some passing stats.
Passes per 90 26.49
Passes acc. 73.27%
Long passes per 90 2.09
Avg pass length, 20.93m

Avg long pass length, 33.12m
Smart passes per 90 0.33
Key passes per 90 0.76
Deep completed crosses per 90 1.36
Deep completed crosses acc. 85.37%
Progressive passes per 90 4.09

These passing stats depict a player who can pass a ball but doesn’t particularly have anything special. These stats are exaggerated by the setup that Dyche uses which generally has lower passing rates. One stat that does stand out is his passing length of 20.93m.

This distance conveys how he passes with intent. I would advise him to work on his spatial awareness so he doesn’t place his teammates in a difficult predicament. This can be down by showing more patience and understanding when the pass is on.

Overall his attacking abilities excellent. His crossing is the most notable part of his game but he excels in the dribbling and off the ball movement as well. His passing could improve but there is certainly promise if he is able to become more consistent.

McNeil is also a competent defender his positional awareness enables him to sense attackers movements. He tracks overlapping defenders very well displaying his feel for the defensive side of the game. This is depicted in his successful pressure rate stat of 22.8%

Another aspect of his defensive abilities is the impressive engine that he has shown. He can motor up and down the flank with consistent speed, running power and intelligence. This will ensure that the spaces left in zone 4 and 7 when McNeil pushes forward will not be exploited.

One concern about his defensive ability is his 1v1 ability. He often gets beaten when isolated illustrated by his dribblers tackled 33.3%. This is a situation that will occur more frequently playing LB so he must work on this or he may become a weakness in the defence line.

Overall his intelligence makes him a reasonably competent defender. An improvement in 1v1 is imperative but his defensive ability is sufficient to thrive in the modern-day fullback role.

Overall McNeil would be an excellent acquisition for any clubs. In terms of sides that he would fit in tactically, Man Utd, Leicester (If Chilwell leaves), Spurs and Chelsea. He may struggle to adjust to the FB role but does have a small amount of experience.

McNeil will eventually be a candidate for the Premiership’s best FB so I hope a clubs will make a move this summer. He certainly gets TF's seal of approval. Thanks for reading, hope you enjoyed. Like, RT and chuck us follow.

TF

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