austsaint

I meant Dele Alli, not "Dia".

Prowsey will never be as good or as influential as Barkley, Dia, Dier etc - he just hasn't got the attributes that many other young English players do - I think that's the point of this whole thread.

What are we going to be like when/if/when Sadio departs. He's the one attacking creative spark we have along with occasional flashes from Tadic and the odd cross from Bertrand.

WE certainly seem to overdo the cross and the high ball - not much on the deck in-side the box.

Agreed; he's not a token value of the academy being forced upon Koeman; he's a better player than that. Just the same, the aura built up by the Club's PR and marketing department along with sections of the national press seem to have created this mindset about how good he is and how good his future is going to be, and as long as the perception of him remains so distorted I think we're going to be disappointed.

As I remember it, Poch used to haul JWP off the park regularly or send him on as a sub late in the game - and his performances were remarkably similar to the present time. I'm happy to be corrected on that. I think most would agree that JWP has been the hopeful next star from the production line of the academy, and it hasn't worked out.

If he was seen in this light I'd be happy enough because I think you've summed up his current status after 100 or so appearances. The trouble is the hype and publicity about him has always been bugled as the next big thing, while if you watch the guy week in, week out, he's just a plodder with a few technical skills, akin to a Rugby player who can kick penalties from all over the park but not much else. If the hype levels abated and the evaluation of JWP's capabilities were more realistic then we have a tremendously versatile squad player able to fill in and play a role for years into the future.

When Toby (who could have covered for Cedric at RB) wandered off to North London we needed to get a Trippier/Ward (Palace) type in.

I think this is the context for Vic's dip in performance, not a lack of motivation but a flimsy set of midfielder around him, especially with Clasie absent.

Poor old Yoshi has had a shocker - on a positive not Caulker has been solid since replacing the ©.

Indeed, but you can put their third down to JWP turning it over.

Apart from Mane we don't look to be posing any attacking threat though.

He's a future England captain according to many.

Long has to be replaced.

Along with Wanyama, Clasie looked our best player - it's out wide on the counter we are being mullered.

Clasie the really good thing to come out of the first half.

Long right off the pace - the sting goes out of our attack without Mane.

My take on Mane is that his brilliant, quite unique skills would take a lot of replacing, even if some Club like Man U coughed up 40k plus pounds. I see his role and value at Saints equal to that of Suarez when at Liverpool and even Bale when at Spurs. I can't think of an attacking player in the Prem I'd swap him for......Hazard, Stirling, Martial, Aguero, Benteke, Vardy, Kane? No thanks. I know he will go eventually, but I'd like the Club to dig in and keep him for as long as possible, including an extension of contract, because when he goes, even for big money, it will leave a big gap in our style and efficiency.

Inspector Gadget would have not been able to reach the Willian goal; it was freakishly placed and unstoppable.

If you judge purely on form and performance, and trust what you see rather than just rely on statistics, FF should have a battle on his hands to regain his spot when fit.

Could be a dead man drowning, in Swan Lake.

Yes, in a way, Sam's hoof ball style took the pressure of our mid-field (none of whom played badly) and allowed us to marvel at VVD's command of the high ball.

He really has been. Davo and JWP much better 2nd half

There's a bit of prima donna in Pelle.

Clasie very good today and better second half from Ward Prowse.