ALS: SAFC Fanzine BALLARD COMPETING TO START Due to the impressive partnership of Luke O'Nien and Chris Mepham, we haven't seen a lot of Dan Ballard recently. In fact, he hasn't started a Championship game since mid-December. However, Regis Le Bris is considering bringing the Northern Ireland international back into the side to help our defence deal with the physical presence Luton are sure to bring tonight. COMPETITION ALWAYS GOOD "It’s a nice problem for the coach. Dan Ballard is in a very good place. He didn’t play a lot but is still involved and that’s very important for the team spirit. We need competition and if one player is struggling we have a replacement. At the same time, if one player is struggling a little bit we have another one ready to play. I have a good question to solve and it's good for the performance of the team." ARE SELECTION CONVERSATIONS DIFFICULT? “Not really. (The players) are smart. They have a shared goal, it’s not an individual goal. It’s a shared goal and you need maturity to understand that and you can have that at 17. In the dressing room the ideas are very clear and they can understand my way of working.” Will Ballard be starting tonight and if so, who makes way?
It doesn’t take much for the doom and gloom to set in again does it? Hopefully Jobe takes some inspiration from his brother last night. I’m sure that he’ll have an extra bounce tonight because of that. And LON has a good brain and two good feet. A huge asset to the team. So lets start the winning streak tonight.
I wonder if we consider starting O'Nien at full back and resting Cirkin (or Hume) to get that extra bit of defensive solidity.
Luton haven't won since 20th December, 2-1 at home to Derby, and haven't won away from home since 14th September, 0-1 at Millwall. Got to be winning these games.
Ye know what usually happens in this scenario!! We are SAFC after all. Starting to nail bite already. Bart
Hopefully, their keeper will have backache from picking the ball out of his net too many times as well.
On the bright side, we lost away to both Plymouth and Watford. We beat Luton on their own patch earlier this season. We will again tonight. KTF!
Following on from my nephews correct prediction of the Man City V Real Madrid game being 3-2 Madrid he said Sunderland will win against Luton 6-0 Wilson hat trick ( not just any hat trick- a perfect hat trick) Jobe brace and Le Fee
It’s like when the commentators say, just before the opposition take a corner, “They haven’t scored from a corner all season” or “They never score from corners”
Careful mate. I made a similar suggestion to someone who’d obviously come on the transfer window thread specifically to have a pop at KLD and Speakman. I was properly slagged off by half a dozen posters. The following day he dropped the innocent act and started to put the boot in. Sure enough, now other people had a go at him. He vanished, as I absolutely knew he would, and has never been seen again
Some people simply don’t like him there because of his stature - doesn’t look like an 80’s centre back 6.3 with a wonky nose. He owns a lot of ball - intervention, tackle and header and uses the ball well and sets up attacks. Definitely a leader. Scores occasionally. Some who don’t like his stature like Hume as one of the centre backs ffs.
I would personally go with Mepham and Ballard tonight. Think Morris would cause O'Nien problems and Ballard is better equipped for that particular challenge. Could definitely see O'Nien shifting to one of the fullback spots though. But to say O'Nien has been poor this season is just a flat out lie. Horses for courses.
As Luton only had around 30% possession and one effort on goal, in their last away game at Sheff Wed, I'm really hoping our defence isn’t our main concern. We're at home, need to win and you only do that by scoring goals … … Ha’way Sunderland, no caution in this game, just start like the last ten minutes against Watford and don’t give them time to breathe.
I’ve got a sneaky sneaky feeling we’re gonna batter somebody soon and it’ll start a winning run. Been thinking it for a while but never thought it would start. But my gut tells me it’s tonight. Haway the lads
O’nien has been good this season but if we go with Ballard and mepham I don’t see why we drop a full back sure Reggie will make the correct call
Want to see us press from the off tonight, feel like we haven’t done it much lately. Can’t let these settle down, the first 10 minutes at the weekend let Watford get comfortable and dictate things, similar with Plymouth. 3 points required however we get them. HTL
