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Not sure quite how I feel about this.....I feel a bit gutted for him in lots of ways as he really was on the verge of things at the first swamp derby and his injury came at the worst possible time.

Good experience for him and a decent manager to work with but is this the beginning for one of our decent academy prospects of the beginning of the end? I fear the latter




Swindon Town have confirmed they have agreed a deal to sign Manchester City youngster David Ball.

As revealed by skysports.com earlier this month, Swindon had lined up a loan deal for Ball to bolster their attacking options.

Ball is highly rated at City and the club are willing to loan him out so that he can get some valuable first-team action under his belt.

The 20-year-old has joined the Robins on a six-month loan deal and he is set to link up with Swindon for the pre-season tour of Austria.

Ball is Swindon's third signing of the summer following the arrivals of David Prutton and Michael Rose.

For David Ball surely this is a good move and hopefully the beginning of something good and not the beginning of the end.

IF he has got what it takes he will be a success at Swindon and either come back to City and get a chance or get another move ( loan or permanent) to somewhere else and probably a higher standard.The alternative for him is he stays at City and maybe doesn't get any real chances to shine in the first team and basically stagnates.And I don't call getting on the bench and a possible Carling Cup much of a chance.

The only way to see what these guys are really all about is loaning them out or playing them in the first etam and the latter is extremely unlikely.

ant london wrote:Not sure quite how I feel about this.....I feel a bit gutted for him in lots of ways as he really was on the verge of things at the first swamp derby and his injury came at the worst possible time.

He was only on the bench because of an injury crisis. He was nowhere near the verge of thing.

Enjoy keeping an eye out on our loan players. Wish him well.

ross.mcfc wrote:He was only on the bench because of an injury crisis. He was nowhere near the verge of thing.

you know what I mean....I didn't mean that he was on the verge of being a regular, just that he had a chance for some gametime

I am waiting for one of our loan kids to actually do something decent when on loan though....think the only one who did really well (to memory) was actually Ched Evans

Douglas Higginbottom wrote:For David Ball surely this is a good move and hopefully the beginning of something good and not the beginning of the end.

IF he has got what it takes he will be a success at Swindon and either come back to City and get a chance or get another move ( loan or permanent) to somewhere else and probably a higher standard.The alternative for him is he stays at City and maybe doesn't get any real chances to shine in the first team and basically stagnates.And I don't call getting on the bench and a possible Carling Cup much of a chance.

The only way to see what these guys are really all about is loaning them out or playing them in the first etam and the latter is extremely unlikely.

Agree with this. We have to do this as much as possible imo. We're a different club now to the one which could play lots of kids & if we don't give them games we'll ruin them. Only exceptional ones will get a game & even then maybe not enough games to help them improve. We have to treat them fairly or none will come in the future.

If any of these kids are good enough to play for City, then they'll be as impressive for their loan teams as a potential signing would be & make us take notice. If not we can let them get on with their careers as soon as possible rather than waste their time.

20 years old?

If he aint getting near any first team at 20 going on 21 then he isn't going to come back a world-beater, unless Mancini and Hughes are BOTH very poor judges.

I've said it so many times, but those who are going to break through at top level become obvious by age 16 and 17, with few exceptions.

If he was a 17-year old going out for 'development' that's a different matter. As some said if he impresses at Swindon he may get a chance at Championship level.

john@staustell wrote:20 years old?

If he aint getting near any first team at 20 going on 21 then he isn't going to come back a world-beater, unless Mancini and Hughes are BOTH very poor judges.

I've said it so many times, but those who are going to break through at top level become obvious by age 16 and 17, with few exceptions.

If he was a 17-year old going out for 'development' that's a different matter. As some said if he impresses at Swindon he may get a chance at Championship level.

He was out with a long term injury.

john@staustell wrote:20 years old?

If he aint getting near any first team at 20 going on 21 then he isn't going to come back a world-beater, unless Mancini and Hughes are BOTH very poor judges.

I've said it so many times, but those who are going to break through at top level become obvious by age 16 and 17, with few exceptions.

If he was a 17-year old going out for 'development' that's a different matter. As some said if he impresses at Swindon he may get a chance at Championship level.

Absolute bollocks, people develop their bodies at different ages, some don't develop physicaly until 21.

Stephen Ireland made his debut at 19 and it took him til he was 21 to develop his body to cope with the demands of top flight football.

If David Ball is going to make it with us he needs to score a hatful of goals for Swindon, anything less and he wont.

If I were a junior I'd be looking to get the hell away from the club as soon as possible.

For all the talk about maintaining youth development, the academy (in the scheme of the greater club) is not what it once was; we don't need to rely on it to generate players and balance the books. Loan deals are best for everyone involved in the hope that one of them manages to set the world alight elsewhere. I wish him well.

Swindon have an excellent set up. Wilson is a very good manager and he'll hopefully link well with Charlie Austin and form a good striking partnership.

Part of the Henshall deal was that Swindon would have the primary option to loan any of our players that are available. It wouldnt surprise me if another one or 2 went there before the start of the season.

Good move for Ball, apart from Austin, the only other striker they have is Vince Pericard so he'll see some action. Then its up to him.

Esky wrote:If I were a junior I'd be looking to get the hell away from the club as soon as possible.

For all the talk about maintaining youth development, the academy (in the scheme of the greater club) is not what it once was; we don't need to rely on it to generate players and balance the books. Loan deals are best for everyone involved in the hope that one of them manages to set the world alight elsewhere. I wish him well.

I would suggest that you'd have no need to 'get the hell away from the club' as the club seems to be finding deals for the players with sufficient talent; either loans or permanent.

Provided they keep that up then joining City is a no brainer, you get some of the world's best facilities (possibly THE best in the future), the opportunity to train alongside some of the world's best players & if you're good enough a place in one of the world's best squads for some of the world's best wages. If it doesn't work out, they find you a job somewhere else. Not exactly fucking hardship if you ask me.

Grob wrote:Swindon have an excellent set up. Wilson is a very good manager and he'll hopefully link well with Charlie Austin and form a good striking partnership.

Part of the Henshall deal was that Swindon would have the primary option to loan any of our players that are available. It wouldnt surprise me if another one or 2 went there before the start of the season.

Good move for Ball, apart from Austin, the only other striker they have is Vince Pericard so he'll see some action. Then its up to him.

I was pretty impressed with Ball a couple of years back, then he seemed to me to have a bit of a dip in form & of course got injured. I always thought he had a really sharp brain, an eye for goal & a great touch, allied to workrate. Reminded me a bit of Scholes in the days when he played for rags youth as a striker.

Ted Hughes wrote:

Grob wrote:Swindon have an excellent set up. Wilson is a very good manager and he'll hopefully link well with Charlie Austin and form a good striking partnership.

Part of the Henshall deal was that Swindon would have the primary option to loan any of our players that are available. It wouldnt surprise me if another one or 2 went there before the start of the season.

Good move for Ball, apart from Austin, the only other striker they have is Vince Pericard so he'll see some action. Then its up to him.

I was pretty impressed with Ball a couple of years back, then he seemed to me to have a bit of a dip in form & of course got injured. I always thought he had a really sharp brain, an eye for goal & a great touch, allied to workrate. Reminded me a bit of Scholes in the days when he played for rags youth as a striker.

I dont think he has the pace or that top class natural instinct that you need to be an upper premiership calibre attacker. Only watched him a couple of times and nothing he did stood out but he worked hard for his team. Will translate into a league career if he keeps on working.

the_georgian_genius wrote:

john@staustell wrote:20 years old?

If he aint getting near any first team at 20 going on 21 then he isn't going to come back a world-beater, unless Mancini and Hughes are BOTH very poor judges.

I've said it so many times, but those who are going to break through at top level become obvious by age 16 and 17, with few exceptions.

If he was a 17-year old going out for 'development' that's a different matter. As some said if he impresses at Swindon he may get a chance at Championship level.

Absolute bollocks, people develop their bodies at different ages, some don't develop physicaly until 21.

Stephen Ireland made his debut at 19 and it took him til he was 21 to develop his body to cope with the demands of top flight football.

If David Ball is going to make it with us he needs to score a hatful of goals for Swindon, anything less and he wont.

It's not bollox at all my Georgian-enamoured friend. Funny you should quote Ireland who is not now good enough! Players like Owen, Rooney, Micah Richards, Rodwell, Beckham, Joe Cole and a host of others were obviously going to make it at 16/17. When you get around 20/21 like Weiss and Ball, and th manager feels the need to bring in AJ, or promotes Guidetti above you, you ain't made it!

Trust me, at that age, if Ball was going to make it, he'd be on our bench in America, not sent off for a year.

You'll be 'developing' people until they turn 30! I expect you spat feathers when we let the 'future of the club' go in Tyrone Mears, Dickson Etuhu, Ched Evans, Stephen Eliot and Stephen Jordan!!

He well and truly caught my eye in the reserve game I watched when I was there. He's got the tools to be a top player, the rest is up to him.

Good move for him, hope he gets some quality game time. I expect him to impress.

Is Billy Paynter still at Swindon because he would be a good player to pick up some tricks from. Now I know Paynter isn't Prem standard but he's been a formidable striker at the level for years and a consistent scorer. If he's still there not a bad player to develop your trade alongside.

steveo_88 wrote:Is Billy Paynter still at Swindon because he would be a good player to pick up some tricks from. Now I know Paynter isn't Prem standard but he's been a formidable striker at the level for years and a consistent scorer. If he's still there not a bad player to develop your trade alongside.

Paynter has gone to Leeds. Have seen him many times and he's a carthorse who had his RSC season last season in terms of goals. Its never to be repeated.

He'll be playing Championship football next season. He'll flop.

john@staustell wrote:

the_georgian_genius wrote:

john@staustell wrote:20 years old?

If he aint getting near any first team at 20 going on 21 then he isn't going to come back a world-beater, unless Mancini and Hughes are BOTH very poor judges.

I've said it so many times, but those who are going to break through at top level become obvious by age 16 and 17, with few exceptions.

If he was a 17-year old going out for 'development' that's a different matter. As some said if he impresses at Swindon he may get a chance at Championship level.

Absolute bollocks, people develop their bodies at different ages, some don't develop physicaly until 21.

Stephen Ireland made his debut at 19 and it took him til he was 21 to develop his body to cope with the demands of top flight football.

If David Ball is going to make it with us he needs to score a hatful of goals for Swindon, anything less and he wont.

It's not bollox at all my Georgian-enamoured friend. Funny you should quote Ireland who is not now good enough! Players like Owen, Rooney, Micah Richards, Rodwell, Beckham, Joe Cole and a host of others were obviously going to make it at 16/17. When you get around 20/21 like Weiss and Ball, and th manager feels the need to bring in AJ, or promotes Guidetti above you, you ain't made it!

Trust me, at that age, if Ball was going to make it, he'd be on our bench in America, not sent off for a year.

You'll be 'developing' people until they turn 30! I expect you spat feathers when we let the 'future of the club' go in Tyrone Mears, Dickson Etuhu, Ched Evans, Stephen Eliot and Stephen Jordan!!

The players you mentioned there though Rooney, Richards and Rodwell all had body's of grown men at 16 and 17 (Don't know why you mentioned Richards though because he is average and our 3rd right back and is not good enough and never has been) Owen was quick as lightning and Joe Cole was a one off of the outstanding 17 year olds this country has produced in a long time. You mention Beckham but he wasn't getting in the United side regulary until he was 21.

Anyway my point was not about David Ball, i personally don't beleive has the the top class ability for us when you look at the strikers we have plus John Guidetti coming up but more about that if you aren't in the side at 20-21 then you won't make it at the top.

As for Ireland not being good enough, he is good enough for a top premier league side but will never be good enough because of his mental attitude IMO.

Also a final point aswell, i think players like David Ball get comfortable at a top club, they would rather say they play for Manchester City than go out on loan to a League one side at 18, 19 and get experienced. That's why i think Guidetti will make it with us as he wants to improve himself all the time and he won't do that playing now and again in the reserves, you need first team competitive football infront of thousands of people.