IN HIS latest column, Robert Sutherland poses the question - is Joel Ward better off at right-back or in the heart of the midfield?
HE'S our best right-back. Pacy, quick-witted, determined and yet incredibly fair. He also spent much of the early season rated as one of the league's most dependable defenders.
Joel Ward really is a great full-back.
Logic would have dictated that Ward would move back into his defensive position once the midfield got over its injury worries. Yet here we are, with O' Keefe, Bannan, Guedioura and co available and champing at the bit, only to see Ward continue in his midfield role.
It's to Ward's credit that he continues to feature alongside Mile Jedinak. The same qualities that make him a great defender are also the ones which make him a highly capable midfielder. Take into account that he's also a very accomplished passer of the ball and that he's actually had a shot or two in recent weeks and you can see why Tony Pulis continues to select him in the position.
Perhaps the question should be whether the midfielders that we have who aren't featuring as a result of Ward's repositioning into the centre should consider whether they're surplus to requirements.
What we have learnt in the last month or so is that Pulis doesn't suffer fools and that he does have very specific requirements about what his players do.
One player currently out of the side is Barry Bannan, who told this newspaper that he wasn't happy not to be involved in matches. Understandably, Bannan could be considered an unlucky victim of Pulis' arrival, especially given the way he performed while Keith Millen was in temporary charge.
The problem for Bannan is one of not suiting Pulis' specific requirements for his midfield players. In essence, he's not Ward.
He has a great eye for a pass, is a considerable attacking presence but lacks aggression and the kind of intensity the former Stoke boss is famed to like. He also doesn't have the pace to fit in as a winger, nor does he have the kind of instinct you need to be a regular goalscorer.
In a more open and relaxed team, Bannan would be the ideal midfield choice. But this is a Pulis midfield.
While Bannan is missing out, Ward's move to the middle has opened up an opportunity for Adrian Mariappa, who hasn't disappointed, and it could in turn give summer signing Jack Hunt a chance once he returns from injury. For every player that sees a door close, another player sees one open.
