Opinion: The no-lose situation that means Dan Neil should be handed a chance for Sunderland this weekend

OPINION: Dan Neil has earned the opportunity to stake his claim for a place in the Sunderland side, and there seems no better opportunity for him to be handed a chance than against Hull City this weekend.
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Phil Parkinson has some tough decisions to make this weekend - but one could be fairly straightforward.

For after his impressive performances thus far in pre-season, Dan Neil deserves the opportunity to start.

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The teenager has been one of the shining lights of Sunderland’s three friendlies with his energy, dynamism and forward-thinking mindset adding a different dimension to the Black Cats’ attacking output.

The no-lose situation that means Dan Neil should be handed a chance for Sunderland this weekendThe no-lose situation that means Dan Neil should be handed a chance for Sunderland this weekend
The no-lose situation that means Dan Neil should be handed a chance for Sunderland this weekend

He’s been hailed by both his manager and teammates having caught the eye both both behind the scenes and in his cameo appearances on the field.

And it’s no surprise that Neil has quickly captured the imagination of the fanbase too. After all, there’s nothing better than a homegrown youngster - particularly one who has progressed entirely through the club’s ranks - making his mark on the first-team.

But the same old debate always arises when youngsters burst onto the scene - when can they be blooded in?

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League games are considered too high-risk, while ties in the EFL Trophy can often be played at a lower intensity and aren’t considered a reliable barometer of whether a player is ready for league action.

So with that in mind, Saturday’s Carabao Cup tie with Hull City seems the perfect opportunity for Neil to be handed an opportunity to shine.

I’m sure it’s not controversial to say that the competition is hardly top of Sunderland’s priority list this season - especially given the introduction of the League One salary cap that makes getting out of the third tier as quickly as possible a near-necessity.

And finances can’t be used as an excuse to name a strong either, given that the FA Cup and EFL Trophy offer a far greater incentive to boost the club’s coffers than the Carabao Cup: a competition in which prize money is only introduced at the semi-final stage.

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So what better chance is there to hand the youngster an opportunity to shine?

Neil has made impacts, albeit fleeting ones, against League Two opposition in Carlisle and Harrogate and now deserves the chance to see if he can make his mark against a League One side who will undoubtedly be in the promotion picture come May - in a game where this is little to nothing at stake.

It will also be interesting to see what kind of impact the teenager can make over a longer period, given his showings in pre-season have been limited to introductions from the bench. And, with no disrespect to Carlisle and Harrogate, it will also be a test of whether Neil can replicate his performance level against a level of opposition more akin to that the Black Cats will be facing week in, week out.

After all, it’s one thing to have a strong half-an-hour spell against a League Two side and another to make a profound mark on a competitive game against League One opposition.

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But Sunderland won’t get a better chance to see if Neil can do that, and to see if he is ready for regular first-team football, than this weekend - and it’s vital they hand him a platform on which to shine sooner rather than later.

The midfielder is on an upward trajectory at the moment, but that could quickly be curtailed if further opportunities aren’t forthcoming.

So why not give him an opportunity against Hull?

The very worst case scenario is that Sunderland would exit the cup competition, but I’m sure few supporters would lose sleep over that.

For Neil and the Black Cats, it seems to be a no-lose scenario.

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