With many thanks to Burnley season ticket holder Olly Woodall, who answers questions on Joe Mills.
With many thanks to Burnley season ticket holder Olly Woodall (@longsideroli), we have asked a few questions about the forgotton man, Joe Mills. He joined Burnley at the start of the season, but only managed to accumulate ten games for the Clarets. Thanks again to Olly for these answers!
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1) When Mills played for us, he primarily used as a left-back although he could be pushed further up, where did he play mainly during his loan spell?
Although he rarely played, when Mills did play he was in the left back position. He wasn’t used further up the pitch because of the arguably better quality of the wingers Ross Wallace, Junior Stanislas and Danny Ings.
2) What strengths (if any) did you see in him during his season-long tenure?
Mills tended to be stronger going forward and at times did impress in an attacking sense. He was used much more under Eddie Howe and at the beginning of the season he looked a rather astute attacking full back.
3) Any noticeable weaknesses that he needs to improve on?
In a word, defending. He seemed good going forward but there were many areas of weakness in a defensive role. He didn’t seem to be particularly good at positioning himself on the field and would often get beaten by wingers. He played more under Eddie Howe, the team that up until November was famed for conceding nigh on 3 goals a game.
4) He will probably be released at the end of the season by us, would you like to see him in a Burnley shirt again?
I feel that we have two left backs at Burnley who are better than Joe Mills. Personally I wouldn’t want to see him back in a Burnley shirt and I don’t think many other clarets would also want him in a Burnley shirt. This view it seems would be shared by Sean Dyche who seems to have put him out of his plans, bar the odd couple of games.
5) Would you classify him as a Championship standard player, or is that being kind?
To me, he is a League 1 player who could perhaps develop into a championship player in time. I have no idea why Burnley signed him at the beginning of the season and I think it would have done a whole lot of good if he had signed for a League 1 team instead.
