Sunderland have a 'really good player' on their hands in Abdoullah Ba - Tony Mowbray

Big things expected from teenage midfield ace.

Sunderland have a ‘really good player’ on their hands in Abdoullah Ba, says Tony Mowbray, although he admits the Frenchman has been hard work.

Ba, 19, joined from French club La Havre in August, and he was handed his second start at Wigan after showing flashes of real quality from the bench in previous games.

Mowbray is clearly impressed with Ba, although he says the impressive performance against Wigan was the result of a lot of work on the training ground.

“He’s a really good player,” the Sunderland boss said of Ba after the 4-1 win at the DW Stadium.

“We’ve been working hard on his discipline to play the position he’s been asked to play because he wants to run everywhere and show us what he can do. Sometimes, he leaves his area of the pitch vacant because he’s run over to the other side.

“It’s about telling him to be more disciplined and play his position – the ball will find you. We’re a team that’s going to become positionally strong, so when the ball’s on the other side of the pitch, don’t go running over there to get a kick.

“He’s starting to pick it up, I think. He’s starting to understand and learn. He’s very talented. You could see his mobility and how tight he is with the ball. He’s a goal threat, and just another good option for us really. In my mind, he’s another attacking option to go with all the others.”

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