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Dom Ballard - Official: Loaned to Reading

Saint Garrett

By Saint Garrett,
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Polaroid Saint

Polaroid Saint

Posted
Posted

Shame he is off to Reading. 

Be fine to see him getting minutes off the bench and continuing to blaze in the U21...

...I guess I just *fear* Reading is a bit toxic at the moment (and Selles). Although,maybe that's in the past? Quality set up otherwise (stadium, facilities etc) and just up the road. Recall at Christmas if he lights up League 0ne?

But I'd give him a chance here, with better experienced players to support him.

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hypochondriac

hypochondriac

Posted
Posted
35 minutes ago, Polaroid Saint said:

Shame he is off to Reading. 

Be fine to see him getting minutes off the bench and continuing to blaze in the U21...

...I guess I just *fear* Reading is a bit toxic at the moment (and Selles). Although,maybe that's in the past? Quality set up otherwise (stadium, facilities etc) and just up the road. Recall at Christmas if he lights up League 0ne?

But I'd give him a chance here, with better experienced players to support him.

I am a bit sad that he isn't getting a chance here this year. I thought one of the only positives on relegation was being able to give someone like Ballard a chance. 

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SaintNewForest

SaintNewForest

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Just now, hypochondriac said:

I am a bit sad that he isn't getting a chance here this year. I thought one of the only positives on relegation was being able to give someone like Ballard a chance. 

Yep. Exactly this.

If we can't give them a chance now, when will we? The cynic in me would suggest if Ballard was signed from City this summer, he'd be straight in the 1st team ... 

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hypochondriac

hypochondriac

Posted
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6 minutes ago, Saint_Ash said:

He's a young lad doing well with youngsters. The championship is a tough league, it's be risky to just throw him in. Let's see how he does in a professional league in league one first. Great move for him.

I know it's not entirely the same, but if Poch was in charge he'd be giving some of these young guys a chance. Surely we could afford to give someone as talented as Ballard a bit of game time? 

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Saint_Ash

Saint_Ash

Posted
Posted (edited)
15 minutes ago, hypochondriac said:

I know it's not entirely the same, but if Poch was in charge he'd be giving some of these young guys a chance. Surely we could afford to give someone as talented as Ballard a bit of game time? 

If we were still in the league cup then yes I can see it. We can't have it both ways in the league where we are wanting to be promoted so need the best players possible, complaining about the likes of Che leaving, to giving game time to a youth player, however talented, unless he's the next Wayne Rooney or Michael Owen, and I expect the club see that. 

I'm hoping as well as Stewart, we'll bring in another striker if Mara goes. 

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hypochondriac

hypochondriac

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1 minute ago, Saint_Ash said:

If we were still in the league cup then yes I can see it. We can't have it both ways in the league where we are wanting to be promoted so need the best players possible, complaining about the likes of Che leaving, to giving game time to a youth player, however talented, unless he's the next Wayne Rooney or Michael Owen, and I expect the club see that. 

I'm hoping as as Stewart, we'll bring in another striker if Mara goes. 

Yes so striking options could be 

Stewart 

New striker 

Ballard 

In that scenario he'd get plenty of game time off the bench. 

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Saint_Ash

Saint_Ash

Posted
Posted
2 minutes ago, hypochondriac said:

Yes so striking options could be 

Stewart 

New striker 

Ballard 

In that scenario he'd get plenty of game time off the bench. 

I had to remind myself of the lead striker in our win against QPR. We never had one. I'm wondering if we go that way, three pacey players up front. We had AA, Edozie and SA-A with Alcaraz in there as well. Are we planning to attack with pace and mix it up? Obviously not when Stewart is fit. Don't advocate it myself but that's how we looked when we started, probs with AA further forward. 

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John B

John B

Posted
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7 hours ago, SaintNewForest said:

Yep. Exactly this.

If we can't give them a chance now, when will we? The cynic in me would suggest if Ballard was signed from City this summer, he'd be straight in the 1st team ... 

Or perhaps the club do not think he is good enough for the Championshiip as they see him all the time.

 

I will ask my daughter's brother-in-law who used to teach him at school including Football and is still in contact with him what Dom thinks of the move

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qwertyell

qwertyell

Posted
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Selles is playing 4-4-2, so Ballard could form a decent old school little and large partnership with Kelvin Unspellablename (whose younger brother is in our 21s) who has been going well for Reading.

Should be a good set up for him to get some men's football under his belt. I don't really think he can thrive as a lone striker - too small and lightweight as things stand. That's rarely been an effective combination for any striker since football widely abandoned two up in the early 2000s in favour of more physical lone strikers who can do a little bit of everything: hold up play, head, run in behind, get into wrestling matches.

Whether Ballard can buck the trend, time will tell - his career is just starting out. But he'd get swallowed up whole leading the line for us currently. Adam Armstrong barely gets a kick unless deployed in a deeper role. And he's an experienced campaigner at this level. 

 

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Dman

Dman

Posted
Posted
9 hours ago, hypochondriac said:

I know it's not entirely the same, but if Poch was in charge he'd be giving some of these young guys a chance. Surely we could afford to give someone as talented as Ballard a bit of game time? 

Its a bit of a tricky one. It'd be a huge risk to rely on him for any period of time so we need 2 seasoned professionals ahead of him and we only play 1 up top, so he's relying on a long term injury to get some game time realistically. 

I think sending him to Reading (with a recall clause) is sensible for us and him. 

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