david in sweden

Agreed Vectis.. havíng looked at the replays several times, I think Stu was stretching out for a ball he never quite reached, and Laporte - arriving from the opposite direction - never gets close to the ball, and the following "collision" is unavoidable but hardly malicious. Slo-mo VAR makes everything look bad.

Yes - all the points you make are correct Vectis. Perhaps I didn't make it clear enough that I was referring to " Prowsey's generation " in particular, and the observation that the others I mentioned had " fallen by the wayside ". Most of them had the talent at one stage, but never made the grade because of various factors they had no control over. It really is the luck of the draw. Does the current manager ....see you in "that role ". Harrison Reed never made it past other MF players at the time, and even Prowsey was left on the bench whilst Mark Hughes was in charge (!) With new young talents getting game time whilst still in their teens, those players who are already in their early / mid 20's and not being picked might just as well move on and try their luck elsewhere. Theo Walcott was one of the first Academy successes back in '06, but is now basically a makeweight now. Looking at the short list you wrote (above) ... I can (perhaps) see one... (maybe two of them) making the grade - at Prem. level. (injuries permitting)

There are a number of Prem. clubs who don't even have one of their own Youth players in their squad, let alone as a regular starter. The biggest problem - at this level - is that any good youngster nearing the first team is often "understudying" an established / international player, and when they reach a certain age must choose to move to get regular gametime. Everyone wants to play, not sit on the bench forever. The " big money " clubs continue to buy established names (often from abroad) and frequently ignore their own young talents. Players like; McQueen, Targett, Vokins would have needed to shown up - better than Ryan Bertrand did for us - in his prime. Prowsey has been around the first team since 2012, and so other midfielders in his generation; Reed, Hesketh, Slattery never got a chance of regular game time (nor could they take free-kicks as JWP does).. and now Jack Stephens is the only other ex-Academy player in the squad. "....Many are called..but few are chosen."

Anyway.....back to the City game. Am feeling a bit overwhelmed by all those "nice " comments from Pep about how good WE are. He certainly rates our captain ...(so all those anti-Prowse critics who pop up here periodically need to stand in the other queue). All those " so-called " pundits and ex-players who are raving about JWP, and want him to join Liverpool, WHam, Villa etc, etc, should realise that having Prowsey has been the key to whatever type of success we have had recently, and he's unlikely to move anywhere and given such a situation, our new owner would certainly be willing to match " any offer from elsewhere" in order to keep Prowsey on board. So ..we need another " Prowsey special " to give Pep a good excuse for losing his 12 match winning streak, and a meaningful goal from Adam Armstrong so that .... (as with Che Adams' debut effort v. City a while back), Adam A. can get some goals under his belt and gain more confidence.

Agree - it's nonsense to even consider selling JWP - at almost any price. ..but WHAT price? I'd rate JWP above Grealish .... on all-round ability. Yet the Grealish move showed how an owner's wealth decides the value of a player, and is not based totally on the player's "perceived talent" . Going from one " big club" ( read: rich owner ) we saw Grealish suddenly becoming worth £100 million and going to a genuine " big club " (also with a rich owner). That is seen as "acceptable" as both clubs have a " reputation "...and lots of media coverage but no club would want to be seen paying that sort of money to "lowly" Saints - yet Prowsey's " price " continues to go up another £10 million - every time he sinks another free-kick masterpiece. A lot of people were quick to criticise the £75 million deal for VvD (especially as he ONLY came via Southampton) but right now - that deal looks a " steal " for Liverpool. These type of storylines abound and only help to fill column inches for lazy journalists on a wet day. IF .. a MOMENT 22 situation ever occured with Prowsey, we should recall that now, we also have (a "rich owner " ) who would surely be prepared to match any offer in order to keep Prowsey happy enough to stay with Saints.

Prowsey's best ever free-kick? ..... from that distance - certainly. Absolutely superb. Just minutes before I said to someone that I was worried that his FK placements were getting to be predictable.... (top left every time) , but what a revelation that one was. Agree with Chez (above) Perraud hasn't had a run of games to date, but in the last two outings he's looked a totally different entity. He was very unlucky not to score in the previous game, and this header had the Wolves defence totally baffled. We had enough clear chances to have won, but their goalie made a couple of miraculous saves that made the difference to the scoreline. To be fair, (on their second goal) Forster looked ready to collect a routine incoming kick. but the ball just dropped like a stone to the Wolves player and FF was stuck in no-mans-land. (watch the highlights and see) . Broja looked sadly ineffective. Just 1 of his 5 Prem. goals have been in away games, he just doesn't present the same threat away from SMS. Tella - gets full marks for effort, and ends up "in the wars " in every game. In time, a goal will settle his nerves and encourage him. Refereeing decisions: Ralph commented positively that Ref. let the game flow, (agreed) but why didn't we get a review of our penalty shout?. VAR has the right to intervene on something the ref. may have missed (as we know (historically) to our cost). Prior to the breakaway for their third goal - Lyanco is seen standing on halfway line - holding his throat in pain. The closest player to him... - is the eventual Wolves scorer. Was Lynaco struck in an off-the-ball incident?. The more one looks at the highlights, the more suspicious it becomes. Lyanco then, sinks to his knees and the medics. run onto the field - after goal has been scored. . A typical game at Molyneaux, which we might have drawn - with better luck. Now move on, with City next weekend. Is De Bruyne covid free?

MANAGERS RULE BOOK Rule No. 1 Never change a winning side. ( a no brainer - especially if you've just won 4-1 ) ( If we win - you did the right thing, If we lose - the fans demand to know why you changed a winning formation).

Shows a lot of commitment, though. Players love to come on... and hate to go off. Personally I much prefer those who put everything into 60 minutes and run themselves into the ground rather than those who just wander around for 90 minutes and have little positive effect on the game.

Some of these media sites think they are prophets who can double-guess the club on the next move. If they get it right, they can claim a coup, but look at some of the idiot predications they'e come up with that have no basis in fact. At the start of the season McCarthy was first-choice keeper, but Forster has shown up well in recent games. When EVERYONE has gone OOC, we have a new basis for negotiation .

Agreed, and all things considered it was good results against Man.U, West Ham and Tottenham but if we'd only managed wins from those other drawn games we'd be 6 points better off now. We had the winning of those other matches but sadly let them slip. Hope the recent revival of form continues, we were sadly short of goals upto the Palace game (15th Dec). Looks brighter now.

Prowsey ?.... I'm searching my thesaurus for a few more superlatives.

In parts of Africa, that's probably the equivalent of ; Smith, Smith, Smith , Smith ...and Smith... Oh and another Smith.

Agreed, but sadly those 6 drawn games have also cost us 12 points !

Mmm...that sounds like the criticisms that Ché Adams got in his first season....

.... and those who clearly "dive " in the penalty area, yet don't get booked for it !

What do we do with the extra RB ? ...we play him at left back - as usual.

Good fightback and a worthy result - all things considered. Our game plan went out the window when Valery left the pitch. He tries too hard to impress. Looked good as CB v. Spurs, but was lucky not to get a red card for the first foul. Some good performances. Forster continues to make saves with " all body parts " and really does look better than McCarthy. I noticed the absence of the regular Elyounoussi and Long critics on here, but we should be glad they were there. Good subs. by Ralph. " Captain Courageous " putting in a big shift again, turned up everywhere, and put in a great centre for Long's goal. Nathan Tella providing a great assist for Redmond to comfortably score, but then got crocked several times for his trouble. Tough criticism on Adam Armstrong, who DAJFU (once again) as extra defender. Hard on him for not scoring more, his time will come, but many seem to forget that Che Adams went almost a whole season before scoring his first goal. (Someone suggested that Ralph could get a result if we started with 10 men every game. (haha) Swansea really lost the plot. Having one man extra for 90+ minutes, but they seldom used the one-man advantage effectively. Overall - a very satisfying result, and with luck like, this we might even win ..." The Pot " come May.

I was a fan of Bally's - both as a player and for his one season sojourn at The Dell. I understood that Bally was "lured away" by Francis Lee who, as a City legend and ex-England colleague, wanted AB to go to Maine Road and DAJ for them. In the end, it was a poor decision that adversely affected both clubs. Dave M. had been manager for the Youth sides for more than 10 years, and was virtually working alone without the team of extra coaches we have today. As a loyal employee at the club, he wasn't going to say NO, especially as there were a few of his youth players in what had a become a rapidly-declining squad. (Yes - we survived, but the writing was on the wall when his eventual successor Graham Souness didn't bother to stay longer than one season). Well-deserved recognition for a man who gave good service - and a lot more - for the good of the club. Well done Dave - from one pensioner to another.

Bertrand did little to impress any of the other 4 or 5 clubs who loaned him before he finally signed with Saints. I think his record with us justifies itself and we must admit that he was good value for the money we eventually paid out. Perhaps more a question of us buying... a round peg to fit a round hole. After Shaw moved to Man U. he had a nightmare of a start for the first 2 seasons, and only looks better now because he has survived all the managerial changes they've had since then. He was good with Saints because he was playing with a successful side, alongside experienced professionals (e.g. Fonte) who allowed him the space to go forward in a creative wing-back role. Man. Utd expected him to be a left-back from Day 1 in a side of top internationals.

Having watched Rasmus Ankersen's very interesting Tedx presentation (available on You Tube) ... I began to wonder how do Saints stats. look - just now ? (Those of us who either believe in, or utterly reject Stats. go along with; AntiVaxers, UFO-ers and stolen elections. You either believe in them ...or not. Currently 14th and halfway into the season, we have played 19 games and accrued 21 points. Quite enough to survive in a normal season IF ..we continued in the same form. We've scored 20 goals but conceded 29. Bad news you say, yet only two sides in the bottom half have conceded less. (Burnley is one, but have played 2 games less). Our biggest team weakness is not in defence at all, but in attack - just 20 goals scored - which is one of the lowest goal tallies in the entire Prem. Our worst defeats have all been AWAY ( to 3 of the Top 4 sides; Chelsea, Liverpool and Arsenal), yet we drew at Man. City and even won v. WHam ( now 5th place) We've lost ONLY one home game (0-1 v. Wolves), (which we should have won.....with 57% possession and 18 shots against their 5 ). However, we have (sadly) drawn 6 of the other 8 games. One goal more in each of our 9 home fixtures would have given 13 points more (and a place in the top 6 ). Our shots to goals ratio in the last 8 games is; 100 shots scoring just 10 times, whilst opposition teams have scored 17 times from their (cumulative) 114 shots. Positive outcome is; AT HOME ...we have already played 6 of the top 10 clubs, and against ALL of the top 5 teams in AWAY games. Statistically speaking ...the second half of the season should be "smoother" , and despite a few disappointing results we played better in the first half of season than the results actually show, but without scoring that one extra goal at home that would have made a real difference. Sound simple?......perhaps.... but the real problem is the lack of scoring goals at home, and NOT the overall number of goals conceded, but as the majority of our remaining fixtures (both home and away) are against mid-table and bottom-end sides, we can hopefully look forward to a decent top half finish. IF.. Rasmus' theories are correct, then it should be an interesting question to return to at the end of the season.

You've just released my anger with one post, although I'm glad to see the back of Eric Lamela (for most of the above crimes). but I would add Jack Grealish for pretending to be a footballer .... and Kevin de Bryne because he's such a good one.

Many of these media predictions about transfers involving Saínts are only a combination of Fantasy Football and Fake News. I don't see JWP going to Villa (or anywhere else) likewise Romeu is regular in Ralph's line-up I don't see him being allowed to go, and /or even wanting to leave. Perraud and Lyanco only arrived in Summer and had limited game time, but nevertheless shown up reasonably well. If you look at enough "sites" you'll see Newcastle " bidding " for half the bench players in the Prem. ...('cos they got da' money ). They will need to pay out huge sums for anyone who does sign with the players demanding a release clause - if /when they are relegated. The whole subject is beyond boring. I expect Saints to make one or two buys (despite what Semmens and Hasenhuttl have said). We'll see one of two of the Academy lads out on short-term loans, but the transfer out of any " established player(s) " is highly unlikely unless we get the sort of offer .." we can't refuse ".

People with the most experience are best placed to offer advice to others who are on the way up. (Even if Long and Walcott only play minority roles in any future games, their combined experience may well help others to improve their own game). Of course there are people who think they are so smart they don't need help, or advice from " older heads". YES - As you mentioned, Jankewitz was demanding first team football and he got his 2 minutes of notoriety and condemned us to defeat with only 10 men. Now he is lucky to get off the bench in a club playing in a third rate league in Europe. Whose fault is that ? Not Shane Long's. Obafemi on the other hand should have done better. He finally got a move to a lower division where (to be honest ) he ought to have shown up much more than he has, but instead can hardly get a start in the Swansea side. He's not a kid anymore but does need to grow up and learn " the man's game" Ralph has clearly shown his best / favourite line-up, and so the likes of Tella, Valery and Smallbone haven't had a lot of game time, but have not let the side down. Those players who have gone into print showing appreciation for the help they've had are perhaps a few of many, and in time will surely get their chances. Advice is free for those willing to listen and learn, but (as " Lord Ilsley " might confirm ) ... ...You can lead a horse to water, but ... .... .... .. .....

A recent quote from Yan Valery .." seriously he's the best " ...may have raised a few eyebrows when his comment was referring to.. Shane Long. (a similar comment from other young players was quoted after Walcott's loan contract was made permanent last summer). Long (and Walcott for that matter) are obviously well past their best buy dates and judging by the groans and complaints whenever either name appears on the team sheet, it's clear that their presence on the training ground is proving invaluable to the younger talents in the club, if not appreciated by some fans. Both Long and Walcott have a huge amount of top level experience that amounts to more than 1100 games between them, and over also 130 international apps. (Long 88 caps / Walcott 47). Whilst both are still amongst the highest paid at the club and their future Prem. careers are slowly ebbing away every month, their playing experience would seem to be priceless. No matter how good the coaches we have at Staplewood, there are few who can share even a small proportion of that type of career experience. Maybe they are worth the investment - if they can bring forth such a positive reaction from our younger players?

Whether or not it comes via a new player, or promotion from the B team , we'll need at least one extra body for the first team as - until now - the club still counted Sam McQueen as one of our " Prem. 25 " squad. ** Think we might bring in a teenage talent from a top club "somewhere", who don't have a vision for the lad's future. type: Livramento or Small.