Rallsy

Fair play to the lad, we have one of the most gifted young midfielders in the Championship and I believe he will become a future captain.

I still think we're yet to see the best of Joe.

Agreed.

[quote="Wolfpac"]Fair play to the lad, we have one of the most gifted young midfielders in the Championship and I believe he will become a future captain.

I still think we're yet to see the best of Joe.[/quote

Totally agree! The young man shows a lot of composure on the ball, the mental strength and self-confidence to accept the ball under pressure and to take responsibility for retaining possession. These are key attibutes for a central midfield player in the modern game. He is tenacious, resolute in the tackle and he understands that closing opposition players down quickly is the key to preventing teams maintaining and dominating possession. He is also able to attack space and make defenders unsure of whether they should come to him or stay with potential forward runners.

He has linked very effectively with Tony Watt in their first two games together, they appear to understand that high tempo football is the key to unlocking defences. His set piece delivery is also very effective.

I would like him to be a little more circumspect with his distribution at times, he has a tendency to try to play the worldy pass when a simple, quick forward pass might be more effective.

I think he has a lot of potential and he has a good football brain, with the right experience and the boost of success, he will develop into a really classy player.

I agree

It's a shame that it has taken so long for the whole of the management team to realise this.
Nearly everyone has been calling this for the last 12 months at least.
Far better than the last Joe in central midfield.

Good player although we should have brought him through sooner. 21 is not very young in football anymore

Good player although we should have brought him through sooner. 21 is not very young in football anymore

You may possibly be correct about the the rate at which Ralls has matured into a regular first team player at the CCS. However, I believe there are a number of factors that need to be considered when considering the context of his development. He does not possess explosive pace, extreme athleticism or audacious technical skills, most teenage protegies that have burst on the scene in recent years have possessed at least one or a combination of these attributes.

Also, many of these early developers have found it difficult to sustain the meteoric ascent they promised. Ralls also plays in a crucial position, where misjudgements and error are a focus of attention for supporters and opponents, which may hinder development.

A number of current top players have taken time to develop their true talent, many have benefited from loan spells at clubs where the attention is less public. I am thinking of players like, Kane, Mason, Barklay and Cleverley.

I truly believe our promotion to the Premier league hindered the development of Ralls into a player worthy of first team selection.

Good player although we should have brought him through sooner. 21 is not very young in football anymore

You may possibly be correct about the the rate at which Ralls has matured into a regular first team player at the CCS. However, I believe there are a number of factors that need to be considered when considering the context of his development. He does not possess explosive pace, extreme athleticism or audacious technical skills, most teenage protegies that have burst on the scene in recent years have possessed at least one or a combination of these attributes.

Also, many of these early developers have found it difficult to sustain the meteoric ascent they promised. Ralls also plays in a crucial position, where misjudgements and error are a focus of attention for supporters and opponents, which may hinder development.

A number of current top players have taken time to develop their true talent, many have benefited from loan spells at clubs where the attention is less public. I am thinking of players like, Kane, Mason, Barklay and Cleverley.

I truly believe our promotion to the Premier league hindered the development of Ralls into a player worthy of first team selection.

I agree, if he was given a chance at 18/19 instead of being shipped to Yeovil he would be a more rounded player now but at the time the club had to focus on the present and not the future.

He wasn't just 'shipped' to Yeovil, he was sent to gain first team football experience at a decent level when he wasn't currently good enough to get in our team, and I have no doubt it helped him develop into the player he is just now.

I clearly remember Ralls getting heavily slagged off on this forum for not being anywhere good enough in the earlier stages of last season, so considering he's one of our key players now, it goes to show that time and patience can make all the difference. This is a viewpoint unfortunately lacking in most football fans though, particularly the majority on this forum.

He wasn't just 'shipped' to Yeovil, he was sent to gain first team football experience at a decent level when he wasn't currently good enough to get in our team, and I have no doubt it helped him develop into the player he is just now.

I clearly remember Ralls getting heavily slagged off on this forum for not being anywhere good enough in the earlier stages of last season, so considering he's one of our key players now, it goes to show that time and patience can make all the difference. This is a viewpoint unfortunately lacking in most football fans though, particularly the majority on this forum.

I totally agree, it was a point I was trying to make, perhaps badly.

He wasn't just 'shipped' to Yeovil, he was sent to gain first team football experience at a decent level when he wasn't currently good enough to get in our team, and I have no doubt it helped him develop into the player he is just now.

I clearly remember Ralls getting heavily slagged off on this forum for not being anywhere good enough in the earlier stages of last season, so considering he's one of our key players now, it goes to show that time and patience can make all the difference. This is a viewpoint unfortunately lacking in most football fans though, particularly the majority on this forum.

My point was that the club had to focus on the Premier League and not his development. If we were in the championship he wouldn't have needed to go to Yeovil.