Sunderland ‘can sanction’ Dan Neil exit after what he did v Oxford United
Sunderland seriously need to get a result against QPR on the final day of the season to boost their play-off hopes.
The Black Cats have had a strong season and have had their place in the play-offs confirmed for quite some time.
However, this has seemingly worked against Sunderland who, with nothing to play for, have seen their form dip and haven’t won in their last five games.
It was another defeat for Regis Le Bris’ side on Saturday (26 April) at the hands of Oxford United, who secured their Championship safety with a 2-0 victory.
Dan Neil linked with Sunderland exit
Sunderland are facing plenty of threats ahead of the summer transfer window, with numerous players linked with exits from the Stadium of Light.
Chris Rigg, Dan Ballard and Jobe Bellingham are all being admired in anticipation of the summer window, while Tommy Watson has already agreed a deal to join Brighton.
Dan Neil is the latest man to be linked with a move away [Sunday Mirror, 27 April, page 65], with Everton interested in a move, taking the Sunderland captain to the Premier League.
Neil has been a constant in the Sunderland side, making 43 Championship appearances this term, certainly having had his part to play in the push for promotion.
However, the 23-year-old sees his contract with the Black Cats expire next summer, meaning the coming transfer window could be Sunderland’s last chance to cash in, leaving a choice to be made.
Neil failed against Oxford United
It was a poor performance from everyone in Le Bris’ side on Saturday and Neil played 79 minutes before being substituted off the pitch.
The club captain, however, was certainly not at his best and received a FotMob rating of 5.9 for his performance.
The midfielder had a 0% success rate for accurate crosses and a 33% success rate for accurate long balls, not particularly helping his side’s efforts going forward.
Defensively, Neil was also poor, losing nine of his 12 duels, the most duels lost by any player on the pitch on Saturday.
| Neil v Oxford United | |
| Minutes played | 79 |
| Accurate crosses | 0% |
| Accurate long balls | 33% |
| Ground duels won | 33% |
| Aerial duels won | 0% |
There is no doubt that the Black Cat’s number four has had his part to play throughout the campaign, but Sunderland need to be prepared to make some big decisions this summer.
If Neil’s standards are going to deliver this level of performance, it could be the time to sanction the move and cash in while he is being admired by a Premier League club, in the hope of replacing him with someone stronger.