Which Sunderland stalwart will have the biggest impact this season? #onthewhistle

Phil Smith and BBC Radio Newcastle's Nick Barnes discuss at the Sunderland Echo's recent On The Whistle live show - filmed at The Bridge Hotel Vaults

Transcript

00:00Championship squad do you think will shine the most in the Premier League?

00:07Well, brutally honest, I don't think many of them will be in the team.

00:12Ballard and Hulme are the two that you'd look at predominantly

00:15because you know they are going to start.

00:18Meyenda, I agree with you with Meyenda,

00:20and a lot of people have spoken about Meyenda.

00:22I think he'll have a good season.

00:24I think there's a real player there.

00:25I think this might be his time.

00:27He's lost weight, he's quick, he's brave.

00:30He likes to take players on.

00:32Part of the problem with not scoring goals is not getting the service.

00:35If they can get the service sorted, get the ball to him, he will get goals.

00:43Trey Hulme, his character, the way that he's carried himself

00:48over the last year and a half, two years since he arrived,

00:53he is going to go far, I think.

00:56I think the fact that he plays, he's now got the captaincy of the Northern Ireland team

01:01and has walked into international football as though it's something he's been playing for years,

01:07I think that's a very, very good marker for Sunderland,

01:10that Hulme, he'll be OK in the Premier League.

01:13He'll be absolutely fine.

01:14Ballard will be fine because he's a very, very good centre-half.

01:17My only fear with Ballard is this issue with injuries, how long will he last?

01:22I think Ballard's going to be the one this year because the big difference this year,

01:25he's had a full pre-season and I feel like he's always been playing catch-up the last couple of years.

01:30I think if you watch him in pre-season, he looks unbelievable.

01:34I think he's going to shine this year because he's going to be heading a lot of crosses away

01:38and he's going to be making a lot of last-ditch blocks and a lot of last-ditch tackles.

01:42But I also think what's really noticeable over the last six months of the year

01:45is how much he's improved in possession.

01:47I know this was something you spoke with Tony Mowbray about, wasn't it,

01:50in terms of Mowbray really working with Ballard in terms of his composure

01:53and when the ball comes, don't just kick it away, get it down, start an attack.

01:57I think he's improved so much.

01:59I think he's one who we're going to be talking about.

02:01I am quite excited because I think, from what I've seen today,

02:05Hume, Ballard, Aldera and Ray Nildo is...

02:08I think there's just going to be tackles flying absolutely everywhere.

02:11I think VAR is going to go into overdrive.