Sheffield United are taking a tough love approach with Manchester City loanee James McAtee - at the request of the youngster himself and his coaches.
McAtee was the Premier League 2 Player of the Year last season, and the 20-year-old scored 23 goals in 28 appearances at youth level, plus adding eight assists. The Salford-born player also made six senior appearances for City, and was wanted by a number of clubs on loan and permanently this summer, with Sheffield United winning the race and snapping him up on a season-long loan.
However, life at Bramall Lane hasn't been straightforward for McAtee, who has made just seven starts for the Blades and is yet to complete 90 minutes. He has found himself as a second half substitute on a few occasions, and has twice been withdrawn at half-time, including in the last outing at home to Norwich.
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Explaining why McAtee hasn't been given more responsibilities for the Championship promotion-chasers, Blades boss Paul Heckingbottom says the attacker still has plenty to learn positionally, and will only get better with a tough-love approach.
Speaking to Yorkshire Live, Heckingbottom said: "It's all part of the learning. You see moments with him where you are seeing what talents he has got and what he's about.
"You see the difference with him and Tommy [Doyle, fellow City loanee], for example. Tommy has had two first-team loans, one in Germany and one in this league last year, which was much better for him. Tommy is aware of this as well, but the league and how it's refereed and what they are letting go and how frantic it is is far more frantic and physical this season than last.
"The difference between the Premier League and the difference between what Macca's been playing in, predominantly top European Youth football and youth Premier League football it could not be further away from that. Every time he experiences it and all the minutes he gets, it is going to be better for him."
"We have used him as a midfielder in a midfield three and things off the ball, the combative nature of this league is where it is totally different to the position when he's played it before for Man City and the way they play it and also the football he has been playing in."
Heckingbottom explained that part of Sheffield United's brief when signing McAtee was to learn the role of midfielder in a competitive environment, while improving without the ball and learning that bad performances will see him dropped from the team.
"That's what he has to do if he wants to be that midfielder, the other one is dislodge one of the front players," the manager continued.
"They're his targets. A big part of what Macca wanted, the people around him wanted was that he has always been told he needs to be better without the ball at certain things. But no one has ever pushed him on it, he's always played.
"So how can that be given that value and importance here? He knows if he is not doing it he can't play, he's not going to perform to the level. It's a big learning opportunity for him this season, a really big one."
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