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Dom Ballard

washsaint

By washsaint,
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washsaint

washsaint

Posted
Posted

Scored twice for Reading tonight + 2 assists.

Yet we persist with strikers who could not score in a brothel and are bereft of talent.

Yet another shameful decision by the club - why would any youngster stay at Saints when crap like tonight are always played?

Mind you, with this clown in charge he'd probably play Dom at CB

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Saint86

Saint86

Posted
Posted
29 minutes ago, washsaint said:

Scored twice for Reading tonight + 2 assists.

Yet we persist with strikers who could not score in a brothel and are bereft of talent.

Yet another shameful decision by the club - why would any youngster stay at Saints when crap like tonight are always played?

Mind you, with this clown in charge he'd probably play Dom at CB

As has been said in another thread. I've also mused for a while that it's like we're run by a pompey fan... 

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qwertyell

qwertyell

Posted
Posted (edited)
1 hour ago, washsaint said:

Scored twice for Reading tonight + 2 assists.

Yet we persist with strikers who could not score in a brothel and are bereft of talent.

Yet another shameful decision by the club - why would any youngster stay at Saints when crap like tonight are always played?

Mind you, with this clown in charge he'd probably play Dom at CB

To be fair, the EFL trophy is basically u21 football - and we already know Ballard is good at that level.

He was sent to Reading to get experience in men's football. I didn't notice anyone starting a thread about him after the weekend in the senior side where he didn't get a kick for 50 minutes before being subbed.

Let him develop away from this shit show. Frankly, everyone's already gotten worse since the beginning of the season - he's better off out of it. 

Edited by qwertyell
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Lighthouse

Lighthouse

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2 hours ago, Pilchards said:

Like we sent Tella away for game experience. That went well as he returned and wanted out.

Ballard is probably thinking I’m not good enough to get in a team of misfiring shit prima donnas then fuck you!

Right, because if we hadn’t loaned him to Burnley, he never would have wanted to leave the Championship for Bauer Leverkusen? The Tella loan worked out great for us, a player who was basically useless and going nowhere became an in demand £20m asset in the space of one season.

As for Ballard, he scored against Exeter in a 9-0 win in the EFL trophy. That in no way equates to him being good enough to play Championship football.

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Sussex_saint

Sussex_saint

Posted
Posted
9 hours ago, Pilchards said:

Like we sent Tella away for game experience. That went well as he returned and wanted out.

Ballard is probably thinking I’m not good enough to get in a team of misfiring shit prima donnas then fuck you!

To be fair, he did say in a daily echo interview he would want to stay at Southampton rather than go on loan. Maybe his position has changed over the last few weeks though

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SNSUN

SNSUN

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Posted

Signing Stewart and keeping Mara and Adams did mean loaning out Ballard was a decent decision in the end but for a while I was definitely annoyed by this decision. I think our attack will click at some point. More worrying is midfield for me.

If we have another season at this level which currently looks possible then hopefully Ballard can be a part of that with senior football behind him.

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  • 1 month later...
spyinthesky

spyinthesky

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Posted

It was a good decision to send Dom Ballard out on loan to Reading but for those arguing that Dom should have found a starting place in our first team, it seems even playing in League One is a challenge.
It seems he has been mainly used as a sub and has yet to score.
Despite this it is hoped the experience will really help his development and allow him to return as a more rounded player and become an integral part of the 1st team squad in the future.

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EBS1980

EBS1980

Posted
Posted
9 minutes ago, spyinthesky said:

It was a good decision to send Dom Ballard out on loan to Reading but for those arguing that Dom should have found a starting place in our first team, it seems even playing in League One is a challenge.
It seems he has been mainly used as a sub and has yet to score.
Despite this it is hoped the experience will really help his development and allow him to return as a more rounded player and become an integral part of the 1st team squad in the future.

He has scored twice in the league and twice in the Cup for Reading.

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Saint86

Saint86

Posted
Posted (edited)
29 minutes ago, spyinthesky said:

It was a good decision to send Dom Ballard out on loan to Reading but for those arguing that Dom should have found a starting place in our first team, it seems even playing in League One is a challenge.
It seems he has been mainly used as a sub and has yet to score.
Despite this it is hoped the experience will really help his development and allow him to return as a more rounded player and become an integral part of the 1st team squad in the future.

Are you trolling - and why this post right now?

In all seriousness, firstly get your stats right, he is their 3rd highest scorer this year (https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/fc-reading/leistungsdaten/verein/1032) and a 10second google would have revealed that. He's done that from circa 400minutes and scored 1 less than Harvey Knibbs who basically has 3 times as many minutes. I think people also forget that Ballard suffered an ACL injury a year ago....

There is absolutely no reason why he couldn't have done a job for saints as an impact sub this year. Especially compared to the complete lack of impact Mara has had! We dominate possession and create lots of chances - what we've needed is someone with good movement in the box and decent finishing ability - which is 100% dom's skillset. 

Plus, lets not forget that he's playing in an awful reading side struggling under financial debts, points deductions(?) and recent transfer embargoes.

I don't have an issue loaning him out if its good for him and he develops (maybe the club decided it was a safe bet as well post ACL). But lets not for one second ignore the fact that we've got an interest in recouping some money on the likes of Mara and Adams (amongst others), and that combined bloat is 100% blocking pathways for our academy players. Dom should have been featuring for saints this season (I suspect he would have had without the ACL hanging over him) - He was the top scorer and one of the best players in one of the best u18s sides in the country and had plenty of suitors. And people can say what they want, but the club has lost its identity on the academy front - all this, "we've got a great crop of players" PR guff is exactly that if we don't give them their chance at this level.

 

 

Edited by Saint86
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SNSUN

SNSUN

Posted
Posted
2 minutes ago, Saint86 said:

Are you trolling?

In all seriousness, firstly get your stats right, he is their 3rd highest scorer this year (https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/fc-reading/leistungsdaten/verein/1032) and a 10second google would have revealed that.

He's playing in an awful reading side struggling under financial debts, points deductions and recent transfer embargoes.

 

 

This. They are poor under Selles bar one big result in the EFL trophy and even with their points deduction they'd be adrift of safety. They may very well be in League Two next year, even if they do find a buyer. Their owner has Royally screwed them. I hope Ballard comes back a better player - we may need him next season if we don't go up.

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SaintNewForest

SaintNewForest

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Posted
48 minutes ago, Saint86 said:

Are you trolling - and why this post right now?

In all seriousness, firstly get your stats right, he is their 3rd highest scorer this year (https://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/fc-reading/leistungsdaten/verein/1032) and a 10second google would have revealed that. He's done that from circa 400minutes and scored 1 less than Harvey Knibbs who basically has 3 times as many minutes. I think people also forget that Ballard suffered an ACL injury a year ago....

There is absolutely no reason why he couldn't have done a job for saints as an impact sub this year. Especially compared to the complete lack of impact Mara has had! We dominate possession and create lots of chances - what we've needed is someone with good movement in the box and decent finishing ability - which is 100% dom's skillset. 

Plus, lets not forget that he's playing in an awful reading side struggling under financial debts, points deductions(?) and recent transfer embargoes.

I don't have an issue loaning him out if its good for him and he develops (maybe the club decided it was a safe bet as well post ACL). But lets not for one second ignore the fact that we've got an interest in recouping some money on the likes of Mara and Adams (amongst others), and that combined bloat is 100% blocking pathways for our academy players. Dom should have been featuring for saints this season (I suspect he would have had without the ACL hanging over him) - He was the top scorer and one of the best players in one of the best u18s sides in the country and had plenty of suitors. And people can say what they want, but the club has lost its identity on the academy front - all this, "we've got a great crop of players" PR guff is exactly that if we don't give them their chance at this level.

 

 

Think you're confusing Diamond Edwards with Dom Ballard.

 

Ballard was fit for all of last season and made a handful of 1st team appearances sprinkled throughout the season, Edwards did his ACL shortly after his first team debut At the start of last season and has barely been seen since.

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saintant

saintant

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Posted
On 19/09/2023 at 21:48, benali-shorts said:

It’s completely ridiculous that he’s not involved in our squad, given how utterly shit our strikers are. He’d be like a breath of fresh air compared to Che, Adam Armstrong, Mara. Terrible decision to not at least give him until Xmas here. 

You do realise how many goals and assists Adam Armstrong has this season don't you?

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Saint86

Saint86

Posted
Posted (edited)
14 hours ago, SaintNewForest said:

Think you're confusing Diamond Edwards with Dom Ballard.

 

Ballard was fit for all of last season and made a handful of 1st team appearances sprinkled throughout the season, Edwards did his ACL shortly after his first team debut At the start of last season and has barely been seen since.

Ah yes, you're right on that front. I remember Ballard had knee injuries in pre season and equated the two (he missed the turkey trip for example because of this). I think the point i was making stays the same. He was out injured over the summer, and the club have preferred to send him out on loan rather than taking a chance on him being fit and settling into the first team - which given Che and Mara's performances is disappointing.

Edited by Saint86
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Dusic

Dusic

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Posted (edited)

The gap between U21 star and pro mens football is massive and I don't think he would have got many minutes here given the pressure to win and the fact we went out the EFL Cup so early.

Sure this loan will do him plenty of good and hopefully for him he will have a long pro career and not end up as another Seager, Hesketh etc who were excellent at youth level and couldn't translate it to the senior game.

He definitely has something about him and seems mentally strong.

Edited by Dusic
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notnowcato

notnowcato

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Posted
4 hours ago, Saint86 said:

Ah yes, you're right on that front. I remember Ballard had knee injuries in pre season and equated the two (he missed the turkey trip for example because of this). I think the point i was making stays the same. He was out injured over the summer, and the club have preferred to send him out on loan rather than taking a chance on him being fit and settling into the first team - which given Che and Mara's performances is disappointing.

The decision to send Dom on loan was before Che's form bombed.  He's probably getting more minutes on loan than he would with us.

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  • 9 months later...
CSA96

CSA96

Posted
Posted
31 minutes ago, BotleySaint said:

I must have missed it earlier, but I see Dom is back playing and on loan to Blackpool. 1 goal in 3 appearances so far.

Hopefully the change of manager (Neil Critchley out; Steve Bruce in) doesn't affect him negatively...

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Saint Fan CaM

Saint Fan CaM

Posted
Posted (edited)
2 hours ago, Bob60 said:

Looks like the poor lad is out injured again and might need shoulder surgery.

Yeah mentioned by Russ in the Bournemouth presser. They’re making a decision on whether he returns to Saints for rehab or stays at Blackburn. I’m probably wrong, but it seems players we loan out get injured all too easily and I wonder if that’s because of their conditioning (or lack of it) when at Saints. Hope Dom gets back fit asap…best of luck to the lad.

Edited by Saint Fan CaM
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david in sweden

david in sweden

Posted
Posted
1 hour ago, Saint Fan CaM said:

Yeah mentioned by Russ in the Bournemouth presser. They’re making a decision on whether he returns to Saints for rehab or stays at Blackburn.

I’m probably wrong, but it seems players we loan out get injured all too easily and I wonder if that’s because of their conditioning (or lack of it) when at Saints.

Hope Dom gets back fit asap…best of luck to the lad.

1) I think that he should  return for surgery and rehab. He is our player and been with the club for some years.  For a teenager to sit out a long rehab. period  

before getting back to fitness is bad enough, but doing so whilst around a lot of (albeit) "friendly strangers"  at  Blackpool might be psychologically stressful.

Our medical staff have a good reputation and being surrounded by familiar faces and clubmates would surely make a positive contribution to his recovery. 

2) Loan players getting injured. This is an ongoing problem for many clubs. Nowadays many teenagers at Academy level have just stepped up from

schoolboy football and games are deliberately " low key " compared to the "men's game".  Loan-outs are good experience - if they survive the season. 

Down in L1 / L2  they meet former top pro's, a few "has-beens" and a bunch of young local "wannabees".  I'm not sure  if his injury was from a foul, or

just bad luck (?), but he was similarly injured when at Reading after a freak accident. Young bodies need to be toughed up quickly, but any lad

who hasn't made his mark by (say) 21 , (or at least got some senior game time)  may well have one foot out of the door when his contract runs out. 

 

At the end of the day, footballing success at a young age counts for little when players have to move up to the big league and don't get the lucky breaks.

Personal note: in the early 1970's I met ..Terry Spinner - an apprentice with Saints who broke all age-related records by scoring 150 goals in a season

at schoolboy level, and whilst playing for England Schoolboys, scored a hat-trick in an international (in Germany)... in front of 60,000 people. 

He debuted for Saints Reserves at the age of 16, alongside some senior players of the time and scored over 50 goals in the following 4 seasons .

Terry did eventually get a couple of outings for the first team, in part because our regular CF at the time was (one ) Ron Davies.

Sadly at the age of 20, his time had come ..and gone.   Mick Channon was in full flight as a goalscorer, and the young Bobby Stokes had by now

become a first team regular, and additionally manager Lawrie McMenemy had signed... a seasoned striker ...by the name of ....Peter Osgood. 

Terry was released before moving on to Walsall where his luck in the pro-game finally ran out, and he played out his career in non-league football.

 

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