Ballard

Good defender for the Championship but I think he'd struggle with the pace of the Premier League, thought it was one of his worst games for us last night.
 


I dont think he's good enough for the premier league but good in the championship. I've had that view since he arrived.

He doesn't cover ground fast enough and when you add it the fact that strikers are faster and more technical in league above I think he would really struggle.

He would need to be partnered with someone rapid if we got promoted.
 
Zidane said:
I dont think he's good enough for the premier league but good in the championship. I've had that view since he arrived.

He doesn't cover ground fast enough and when you add it the fact that strikers are faster and more technical in league above I think he would really struggle.

He would need to be partnered with someone rapid if we got promoted.
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What I will add to my own post is that despite the above its still very possible a premier league club fancy him as 3rd or 4th choice for development.

But that wouldnt be at a £15m transfer fee.
 
As You Were said:
What do people make of him? Before xmas I thought after clarke he was the best player at the club and looked like a premier league player but since the mags game to me he just hasn’t looked the same. Hasn’t played as well, his body language to me doesn’t look great etc
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I like him, but I can't really see a Prem club coming in for him.

He'll be here next season.
Zidane said:
What I will add to my own post is that despite the above its still very possible a premier league club fancy him as 3rd or 4th choice for development.

But that wouldnt be at a £15m transfer fee.
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He'll be 25 in September though.

Can't see any club making that kind of outlay to develop a 25 year old.
 
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Chewit said:
He was playing on the edge tonight against a premiership striker,and taking no prisoners -Bamford did not get a sniff, he will quickly learn to get the balance right. But let’s be straight he was main reason we got the draw. To say he was terrible is to say you were not concentrating on the game.
He got a couple of things wrong as you say but don’t judge his whole performance on a couple of impetuous tackles and a marginal handball that wasn’t
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Last 30 minutes he was ok, as we dropped our block and took away the pressing decision for him.

His decision making on when to press the ball etc in the first half was exposed by a mediocre Premier League striker and all of the opportunities to create came from him. His clearances were unusually poor as well, even in second half. And he should have given away a penalty and in the league above I think he might have been sent off before half time.

Terrible is strong, I agree in reflection. But with the possible exception of Bellingham, he was our worst player on the pitch. The worrying thing for him is that he performs worse against better strikers. I think he’s a flat-track bully maybe - dominates the lesser lights in this league, but struggles against quality. It’s a concern for him.

The main reason we got the draw?

Haway. Every other one of the back five outperformed him - Pembele, Styles was their best game for the club. Hume - one of the best this season. Luke was decent too, that moment of madness aside.

Dan Neil was very good defensively and Ekwah showed good tactical disciple. Patterson commanded his area well.

Ultimately, the manager is the main reason, as over two games he has kept the best attacking side in the league down to 0 goals and less than 1 XG in each game. He has a system for them - credit where it’s due.
 
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As You Were said:
What do people make of him? Before xmas I thought after clarke he was the best player at the club and looked like a premier league player but since the mags game to me he just hasn’t looked the same. Hasn’t played as well, his body language to me doesn’t look great etc
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Proper defender, star in the making, great character. Top lad imo.
 
chopsfc007 said:
The booking he got plus the handball which could have been penalty he also got away with one where Leeds player was marginally offside which would have been a pen as well
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We are the best fans in the world for criticising our players for what might have been.
Like I said he was playing on the edge. He wouldn’t get away with those things every week. But then we don’t play Leeds away every week
 
MarcoG said:
He's not good enough for the Premier League. Any striker that tries to run down the side of him then he's lost. No agility, no pace and struggles to turn.

For all the criticism that O'Nien gets I suspect there's a good chance Ballard's made just as many big errors as he has this season.

Anyone thinking he's better than Dan Neil's out of their mind FWIW.
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You were doing well until the Dan Neil comment. Ballard competes and doesn't give up. The basic requirements of a footballer
 
Comeback_Kenwyne said:
Last 30 minutes he was ok, as we dropped our block and took away the pressing decision for him.

His decision making on when to press the ball etc in the first half was exposed by a mediocre Premier League striker and all of the opportunities to create came from him. His clearances were unusually poor as well, even in second half. And he should have given away a penalty and in the league above I think he might have been sent off before half time.

Terrible is strong, I agree in reflection. But with the possible exception of Bellingham, he was our worst player on the pitch. The worrying thing for him is that he performs worse against better strikers. I think he’s a flat-track bully maybe - dominates the lesser lights in this league, but struggles against quality. It’s a concern for him.

The main reason we got the draw?

Haway. Every other one of the back five outperformed him - Pembele, Styles was their best game for the club. Hume - one of the best this season. Luke was decent too, that moment of madness aside.

Dan Neil was very good defensively and Ekwah showed good tactical disciple. Patterson commanded his area well.

Ultimately, the manager is the main reason, as over two games he has kept the best attacking side in the league down to 0 goals and less than 1 XG in each game. He has a system for them - credit where it’s due.
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Every player did well last night and I agree with your view on Dodds.

You can only play the players/team in front of you, and he would soon calm down against better players once he played them week in week out. There is nothing wrong with physically commanding forwards… Iam glad someone in the team does!
 

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