Best Sunderland defensive partnerships: How do Dan Ballard and Danny Batth compare?

Sunderland appear to have found an incredibly promising central defensive partnership, but can they become one of the very best in recent times?

Michael Graham | Feb 12, 2023

Best Sunderland defensive partnerships: How do Dan Ballard and Danny Batth compare? /

It’s just a fact that every good team is built on a quality central defensive partnership. That’s certainly been the case at Sunderland over the years.

Sunderland appear to have the makings of a really good one now too, with Danny Batth and Dan Ballard reunited of late after both have suffered injury this season.

It’s still relatively early days, but it’s exciting to think what it could become and seeing how it could compare to these exceptional Sunderland central defensive partnerships of the past.

Steve Bould and Paul Butler

Sometimes, good things burn brightly then burn out. That was certainly the case for the central defensive partnership of Steve Bould and Paul Butler.

In truth, Bould did a lot of the heavy-lifting in the partnership in terms of quality, leadership and experience. He signed for Sunderland at the very end of his career, but he was exceptional until injury forced his retirement.

It was a partnership that had Sunderland within one win of the top of the Premier League table. That speaks for itself.

Richard Ord and Andy Melville

Considering Sunderland’s top goalscorer in the 1995/96 season was Craig Russell with just 13, clearly they were doing something spectacular from a defensive point of view to win the league.

That something special was a partnership between Richard Ord and Andy Melville that is one of the most underrated I can remember.

They were kept together in the Premier League and, although the season ended in relegation, Sunderland only conceded nine more goals than champions Manchester United. It was a lack of goals at the other end that was the downfall.

John McPhail and Gary Bennett

You never forget your first, right? The first Sunderland central defensive partnership that I can remember seeing was Gary Bennett and John McPhail, and they were great.

McPhail had that grizzled Scottish ‘f-you’ demeanour and the coolest penalties on earth. Gary Bennett made surging runs forward and scored goals too. Both could certainly defend as well.

It was a partnership that took Sunderland all the way from the third tier to the top tier of English football. That’s how good it was.

Nyron Nosworthy and Jonny Evans

If you’d have told any of us that Nyron Nosworthy would be remembered in this kind of company after his first few games for the club, you’d have caused an almighty giggle.

Nosworthy’s Sunderland career was transformed by a switch from full-back to centre-back and the arrival of Jonny Evans on loan. Suddenly, you had the raw brute strength of Nosworthy and the sheer quality of Evans, and it made Sunderland practically unbeatable in the Championship for half a season.

It was reunited in the Premier League the following January, and it kept Sunderland up. More than anything else, though, it was brilliant fun.

John O’Shea and Wes Brown

In terms of genuine pedigree, you’d have to go some to beat the partnership of Wes Brown and John O’Shea. They won the lot during their careers. Not for Sunderland, but still.

Their time at Sunderland was mostly a case of perpetual struggle, although it wasn’t really down to them.

In fact, had Wes Brown managed to play more than just 87 times for Sunderland during his five years at the club, things might have been better. Regardless, when they were together, you could really see their class.

Jody Craddock and Emerson Thome

Maybe it’s my memory, but I can’t actually remember the Jody Craddock and Emerson Thome partnership really being talked about all that much when it was together.

It was one of those that was just quietly appreciated and accepted as quality, and it helped Sunderland finish seventh in the Premier League so it was certainly an exceptionally good partnership.

In fairness, it was very hard for any other partnership to get any limelight back then because Kevin Phillips and Niall Quinn were hogging it spectacularly.

Lamine Kone and Younes Kaboul

This is another of those partnerships that we didn’t see anywhere near enough of. There was only six months between Kone arriving and Kaboul leaving, and what a shame that was.

In terms of quality, though, it was immense. Neither player could be physically dominated, both were dominant in the air and they had a great understanding too.

I’d go as far as saying that had Kaboul not left when he did, even David Moyes might have been able to keep Sunderland up and build something.