We are looking for a boost from ANYWHERE at the minute, and a win for the development squad to secure a place in the fourth round would please Gus Poyet.
Ball made 90 appearances for the Clarets between July 2000 and April 2002.
Kevin Ball: “It’s a new competition and a nice one for the players – once that tie ends they’re either in or out of the competition and it’s good that they have to deal with that.
"I like the cup competitions because they add a genuine bit of excitement
“From my point of view it will be nice to go back to Burnley – I’ve been back for games and to represent the club, but it’s the first time I’ve been back as a coach for a competitive match.
“It’s a great club and I’m looking forward to going back.
“I would imagine it will be a tight game and we have no idea what kind of side they’ll be putting out.
“Last time we faced Burnley they played a similar way to how we like to play – passing the ball out from the back.
“The players will have to adjust very quickly which isn’t a bad thing for their development.
“In terms of results, recent games haven’t gone the way we would have liked, but crucially the way we have played has been very good.
“We’ve been missing players which creates opportunities for others to come in and there’s been a little bit of transition in the team.
“We lost to Leeds in our last game which was obviously disappointing, but the way we played and the chances created were superb. We’re sticking to our philosophy.
“In those recent games we’ve been close to achieving both – the philosophy and the win.”
Source: Sunderland-Mad
Source: FOOTYMAD
