Is anyone still defending James Ward-Prowse?

It seems that partnerships very often make a player look better than he is. The obvious one recently seems to be Fonte and Lovren. Svensson/Lundekvam was another. Maybe Romeu and JWP is something that clicks and will work. Still, it's but one game so we'll see what happens.

I did notice Romeu giving him a fatherly pat on the head after he won the ball and started the move for our first goal. Only a few years between them but hopefully he can learn from Romeu.

http://www.saintsfc.co.uk/news/article/20150901-ronald-koeman-on-james-ward-prowse-2661574.aspx

Could be the start of something great, if he plays more like he did on Sunday.

Said last season that I thought JWP could fill Schneiderlins role. Hope Koeman sticks with him there for a run of games.

Said last season that I thought JWP could fill Schneiderlins role. Hope Koeman sticks with him there for a run of games.

If he does then suddenly we've got a huge influx of CDMs in Wanyama (think he's staying), Clasie, Romeu, Reed, and JWP if it works out.

He should certainly not play out wide. His movement forward is just not that of a wide player. In the Europa games he just never came and showed for the ball, giving Targett no easy out ball, he hasn't got the pace for the ball in behind the full back either. Playing in the middle he can get on the ball more and play good balls forward or just keep it. I had thought he should have been dropped for Sunday's game, but playing in the position he did he certainly affected the game more and showed a lot more for the ball. If he keeps playing like he did Sunday he is worth having in the team other than just for dead ball delivery, which everyone knows is top notch.

JWP is nearly exactly 5 years younger than Morgan Schneiderlin, at his age Morgan Schneiderlin was embarking on his second year in the 3rd tier of english football. How would he of fared if he was in the top division at the same age? Impossible to know for sure but I would bet he would nowhere near the level he was the last 3 years for us. JWP being weak in the tackle as so many have put it reminds me of when Morgan first came here and Pardew told him he had to toughen up, hopefully he will improve this area in his game along with other weak areas. Some posters before saturday seemed to forget that 20 years old for a CM (the most demanding postion) in the premier is extremely young, you'd be hard pressed to find a younger player in a premier league team in his position this season. The attitude towards him by some of the posters on here is incredible you'd think he was skate Oh yeah he was!

Also how come they keep saying that Targett is our first Hampshire born player to represent us for 30 years or whatever? Wasn't JWP born in Portsmouth?

If he does then suddenly we've got a huge influx of CDMs in Wanyama (think he's staying), Clasie, Romeu, Reed, and JWP if it works out.

I think Clasie will be more effective in the S.Davis further forward position.

is VW suddenly 4th choice for 2 spaces?

is VW suddenly 4th choice for 2 spaces?

Probably if we carry on winning, although I'd imagine we'd want Big Vic in the 11 against the in form/Bigger teams

I think he played his best position today. Too many times he's been asked to be the advancing attacking midfield player. He's better off sitting back and spraying the ball around the pitch.

Needs to bulk up a little bit for that, though he's already fairly tenacious and he did ok sitting in. Usual thing where he makes a couple of obvious passes in high-profile passages of play or takes a couple of free-kicks and people only notice those, but he was better at sitting than Davis has been, and you can't question his dedication to personal development based on his sudden free-kick skills appearing overnight two years ago, so hopefully he'll take away some pointers and grow into it. Wouldn't hurt for us to be able to sideline Wanyama for a few games.

So he's just been appointed captain of the England u21s - yet still we have people on here writing him off as not good enough.

So he's just been appointed captain of the England u21s - yet still we have people on here writing him off as not good enough.

Don't make me research the careers of the last 40 England U21 captains or something...

So he's just been appointed captain of the England u21s - yet still we have people on here writing him off as not good enough.

I don't get it either. He is still developing and I think he will be a good player for us.

I don't get it either. He is still developing and I think he will be a good player for us.

I think most people were saying that at 80 odd prem games, he hasn't looked close to securing a known position in the team and lacks physicality, speed and aggression which are all hallmarks of how we play in midfield. I think the comments have been more in relation to some of the more outlandish stuff which is written about him in the media such as the comparisons with Beckham, Lampard and the apparent imminent inclusion in the England team.