25 Jul 2023 17:38:15
Putting 2 and 2 together and getting 7 but it wouldn't surprise me if we end up with a cash plus Ings deal for JWP. If that happens I'd be quite happy. When he is fit Danny Ings is one of the best in front of goal.

1.) 25 Jul 2023
25 Jul 2023 18:37:50
Love him back but we can’t afford his wages.

2.) 27 Jul 2023
27 Jul 2023 13:09:39
I would be happy for that to happen but can't see how we would get past his wages unless we loaned him for the season. That could work

3.) 29 Jul 2023
29 Jul 2023 03:52:31
Whilst Ward-Prowse deserves his desired move to an EPL club particularly for his service to our Club, it would be an ideal opportunity to replace him with a.quicker dynamic Midfielder who could improve our style of play and potentially assume the captaincy with stronger leadership and possible savings in wages to boot.!

4.) 30 Jul 2023
30 Jul 2023 01:07:05
St John
I believe you are the person who played football at a high level… explain to me why so many fans think JWP is this wonderful, amazing player? I get chastised and mocked for saying exactly what you have said.
At the heart of all great teams is a midfield general, a midfield maestro, dynamic, quick thinking, the engine room .
I was trying to think of the last midfielder we had that really ran the show . Morgan S?
Jack Cork? I don’t know . for sure there’s been an awful lot of average players . Ely, Diallo etc
Players like Harrison Reed is a superb player, controls the pace, superb distribution. Cork another .

What about us? Imagine Saints with Stuart Armstrong running the midfield!

JWP is totally overrated and that’s obvious by the lack of top teams after him. An ever present that I think has hugely contributed to the awful, slow, predictable play that has been our trademark.

Captain for a few seasons, playing awful football and relegated . we need to change our game plan and selling JWP should be the start of the rebuild

5.) 30 Jul 2023
30 Jul 2023 07:17:07
Heh south hants rich, support your post 100% (and many in the past) .Judging by Russ Martin’s early indications I would guess that he sees clearly through the smokescreen and should JWP remain at the Club it’s quite probable that a cosy predictable automatic inclusion will come to an end. I totally agree with your summary this particular position needs a quality player with all the attributes you mentioned in order to navigate a successful path to the EPL.Do not miss this Godsend opportunity SFC!

6.) 30 Jul 2023
30 Jul 2023 13:13:09
Heh South Hants Rich and St John,

I’ve swerved posting for a while because I felt I was a lone voice in blaming JWP as one of the main reasons for relegation. Having read your posts I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to whole heartedly agree with you.

All season he set the tempo - and all season we were slow and predictable. He is not attacking minded and all too often passes the responsibility rather than the ball. Take away his set pieces and he’s fair to average. It’s tragic really because he could have been far more of a footballer. Look at Declan Rice - ridiculously over priced IMO but streets ahead of JWP in controlling the midfield and offering offensive options.

JWP is not a box to box player - but should have been. He spends very little time in the last third except for taking corners. Southgate gave him a chance at England level but was unimpressed.

Different tack now but I haven’t got a clue what the strongest starting line up is - not even close to being able to pick a team!

Enjoy what’s left before it all starts over …

7.) 30 Jul 2023
30 Jul 2023 21:15:50
JWP would have been told where to play and what was required by the managers in charge. Maybe you’re all forgetting how good he looked under Jones in the number 10 role. You don’t win lots of caps at u21 and 11 at full international level if you’re a poor player. Often the reason he held onto the ball or played sidewards/ backwards is that none of our forwards, since Ings, knew how to create space or run in behind. Top scorer in the last 2 seasons, 1 free kick goal away from the all time premier league record, ?. To blame him for our relegation is ridiculous! To many showboaters, too many mercenaries and not enough players who wear there hearts on their sleeves coupled with 3 very poor recruitment years where it appears players characters and motivation meant nothing.

8.) 31 Jul 2023
31 Jul 2023 01:01:36
2408 . I will beg to differ with you re JWP
You can quote his free kick / goal scoring stats, but there is a huge missing part in your thinking . how many more would we have scored if he wasn’t playing keep ball among the centre backs?

I fully understand your logic re no one making space etc but it’s not true. Adams is one of the most intelligent players we’ve had . always starting to make a run . look at his recent goal for Scotland, held the line, waited and ran in on goal.

I know you feel JWP has been shackled by the management, but have a really serious think about ANY remotely long or longish balls you’ve seen JWP play? I even include wing to wing. It’s bizarre, his accuracy with a dead ball is unbelievable when in front of goal. so why? Why does he never perform pin point accurate crosses outside, over the top and so on? He never attempts to use the ball like he can from dead balls .!
I’ll give you a perfect example . Vestergaard .
On the training ground used to practise landing the ball anywhere he wanted! We saw him play unbelievable long passes to the wings and to the front man! Cue JWP . stands 10 ft from CBs calls for the ball . looks around . then passes it back .

JWP has stifled southampton football club!
He has Amazing’s passing stats . why? Because he constantly calls for the ball, demands the ball . and then does F**k all with it . (sorry to swear Ed’s) .

The comment that it’s the management that has told him to sit back and play negative just doesn’t wash.
As the captain he would have the ear of the managers, the respect of the managers . and to believe all of our recent managers have said, JWP don’t pass forward, don’t run with the ball. is fantasy!

I’m not sure JWP has ever run past an opponent!

Trouble is the EPL improved at a very quick rate. Also rans like bournemouth etc suddenly have a team of internationals, teams that made up the numbers are playing high pressing, high tempo, tactically excellent exciting football .

And saints? We’ve stood still for seasons . slo predictable football, not scoring, conceding in huge amounts . JWP went from a good EPL player to behind the times .
Quite simply not quick enough, not dynamic enough. and I honestly believe he’s known that for a couple of seasons. So he’s hidden among the CBs .

2nd minute or 88th minute, you’ll find him passing back, I call it hiding …

Being a top scorer for saints based on his free kicks, is not praising JWP, it’s an indictment of how bad saints have been.

The football we have played for several seasons has been dire. Awful and predictable.
let the game be controlled by a Lavia style player .
.
We have in Tella a superb proven goals scorer. he wants the ball, he can’t score while the ball is being held up by JWP!

We have some superb players that should pull the championship apart .

Come on you reds

9.) 31 Jul 2023
31 Jul 2023 05:22:37
south hants Rich that was a very accurate and relevant response re.JWP but however as we live in a democracy (at the moment) we will always encounter opposing views-I only hope WHU spies don’t get to.read OUR accounts as we could kill a prospective sale! .With regards to your mention of Harrison Reed -sometime ago I likened him to a budding Paul Scholes (Man Utd) but was ridiculed at the time referencing his red hair was the only similarity.However his pathway to progress was always impeded at SFC because JWP would never be dropped.Since moving to Fulham fc he has flourished into the fine young Mid.you mention.With regards Stuart Armstrong becoming a Mid.driving force could hold some merit as it replicates. shades of Steven Davis.Finally just to turn the clock back although SFC could never compete with the calibre of Mids such as Billy BREMNER, NOBBY STILES, JOHN HOLLINS GRAEME SOUNESS and STEVEN GERRARD our own JIMMY GABRIEL, STEVE WILLIAMS and BRIAN O’NEILL were all excellent midfielders of yesteryear. Great to hear from you Millertime! . I’m sure after the Window closes ( and the Dealins Done) SFC will have a much more positive direction re team selection and RM’s nightmare scenario will subside.

10.) 31 Jul 2023
31 Jul 2023 07:07:31
south hants rich kudos for an accurate and relevant response re the JWP saga but as we are a democracy (for the time being at least) we will always encounter opposing views-I only hope no WHU Board Member Spies don’t get to read our 3 posts because we might “Kill A Potential Sale”.With regards to Stuart Armstrong perhaps he could play a similar role to Steven Davis? Great to hear from you Millertime! .I’m sure after the window closes (AND THE DEALIN’S DONE) SFC will have much more direction towards Team selection whilst RM recovers with a lie down following this nightmare scenario period and we can all strap ourselves in for an exciting ride ahead this season! AllThe Very Best to you and SHR.

11.) 31 Jul 2023
31 Jul 2023 09:25:11
Thank you Millertime, St John and 2408

We do have some cracking players in the team.
come on saints, bring back the fast flowing, dynamic, goal scoring football .
Get it out wide, get in behind the opponents, run at them, run past them, crosses, through balls, switch play .
get us fans off our seats again.

12.) 31 Jul 2023
31 Jul 2023 20:58:20
Agree with you all re. JWP. A few weeks ago we were being told of countless teams coming for him at £40 million +. Where are they now. I think that premier league managers have a similar view to us over his way of playing during the last couple of years. I wouldn't be surprised if nobody puts in a bid for him. Jimmy Gabriel was a great player. I watched him a lot in the late 60s/ early 70s.

13.) 31 Jul 2023
31 Jul 2023 22:23:42
Time will tell gents, maybe we can review our comments in 9 months. In the meantime, I have serious reservations about RM playing style and scoring goals. It reminds me of Claude Puels system, efficient but not exciting. I really hope I’m wrong.

14.) 01 Aug 2023
01 Aug 2023 01:56:55
2408 . sad thing is, we have the players to play a much more dynamic and fluid football style. In Tella we have a perfect way of judging our playing style. This guy scored for fun with Burnley, he ran at defenders, ran round them, over them . scored some great goals and played some great football .
let’s see if he’s stifled under RM’s playing style.
Also, there’s playing out from the back and there’s playing out from the back . what we are doing is bordering on amateurish!
Get the ball up the pitch as fast as you can! We want to win games!
No more if this playing 5 at the back regardless of whether we are playing top or bottom!
Get the ball to midfield, get the ball up the pitch .

15.) 01 Aug 2023
01 Aug 2023 09:59:36
Our attacking options should terrify championship defences but I don’t think RM will use their pace and guile. I think he wants to walk the ball into the net, Adams Mara Sulemana Tella Edozie will be wasted, Alcaraz will become our major goal threat from in and around the 18 yard line. Onaucha would be ideal for the championship but it’s obvious he’s not going to get a look in, big centre forwards always score in the championship. ( Stewart Pirloe Keane Gyokeres Evans Morris etc etc) Anyway, enough from me, let’s see how it pans out ?

16.) 01 Aug 2023
01 Aug 2023 11:04:09
Our attacking options should not only terrify, but destroy championship defences .
imagine all these guys on the pitch, making runs, taking up great positions, creating space out wide.
meanwhile .
saints are playing pitsy patsy football around the 18 yard box …

17.) 02 Aug 2023
02 Aug 2023 01:56:40
Well that’s our great hopes for fast flowing football down the pan!
Whu have pulled out do the JWP deal!
So many saints fans on so many forums cheering loudly!
Ok so we’ve hardly scored for multiple seasons, we conceded in huge numbers .
The football has been dire, predictable, one dimensional .
we’ve played backwards and sidewards .
and fans are delighted at JWP staying .?

He needs to be dropped, he needs to be benched . i want to see Saints with JWP .
an ever present while we slump and get relegated .
Common denominator … JWP