You don’t understand. Teams at Southampton are not picked simply because of talent. They are also picked because of player status and power. The players who are internationals with the threat of play me or else I will get my agent to move me get picked unless they have been really crap for a while. Then there are also manager favourites. No manager at Southampton level is going naff off players that have clout. I suspect Puel tried and the ‘powerful’ players got him removed. An international with an attitude has to play really crap before they are dropped. Internationals that are ‘nice’ get dropped first. All IMHO of course.
When any of those young guns you mention have played in premiership games, how many have let the side down and been at fault for goals against it looked out of place more than the regulars that get blasted on here every week? Seriously many of you on here have no idea if the ‘politics’ in player management and picking a team gat happens at this level.