Charlie McNeill has got his Sheffield Wednesday career well underway after his debut last night.
The striker was brought in as a back-up option to Ike Ugbo, but was named in the starting line-up for their Carabao Cup clash with Hull City yesterday.
McNeill only had three senior goals to his name prior to their trip to the MKM Stadium, but now looks set to catch up with that tally very soon after netting a brace inside ten minutes.
The 20-year-old has been hailed for his ‘stunning’ debut and now looks to have silenced the doubters, with many fans having concerns over whether he was ready to make the step up from Manchester United U21s.
The youngster racked up 65 goal contributions in 95 appearances in academy football before completing a permanent switch to Sheffield Wednesday.
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McNeill admits he needs to be at 110% ‘constantly’
McNeill will have gone through some big changes in making the jump from his time with the Red Devils to the Championship outfit and has now explained one big difference.
When asked for one difference between his time with United’s academy to Wednesday, McNeill told the official club YouTube channel: “‘Well, a lot of high pressing, a lot of high pressing all the time, constantly, you know, not a minutes rest. Obviously I’ve had that before but this is 110% every single minute of every game.”
Sheffield Wednesday’s high pressing has been a revelation
Danny Rohl has made it very clear that he wants his players to constantly press and play high-intensity football, which was easy to see in their win over Plymouth Argyle at the weekend.
But it was even more effective in last night’s win over the Tigers, with both goals coming as a result of Wednesday’s pressing.
Pol Valentin sprinted at the Hull defender and snatched the ball from him before whipping in a ball for Michael Smith to lay off, before McNeill tucked home inside a minute.
McNeill then went onto do it all himself for a second, harassing their goalkeeper before he was able to collect it at his feet and slot it into the back of the net.
The high pressing has really worked for Wednesday and, while McNeill has suggested it is very tough, it is clearly something that has benefitted him in such a short amount of time at the club.
The question is whether they can keep this all up while maintaining fitness and avoiding injuries.
The team are currently bright-eyed and bushy-tailed after pre-season, but once they get into their busy schedule towards the end of the year, they might struggle to keep at the same level.