James Ward-Prowse

Think he's getting close to being our best midfielder.

 

Personally feel he's improving season after season

Absolutely, one of the first names on the team sheet for me....just where he fits in is his biggest issue....!

'Dead ball specialist' is not really a correct description of Ward-Prowse. He is a corner specialist. His free-kicks in front of the oppostion penalty area usually go a yard high and wide of the goal. We really miss not having a real dead ball specialist, like Le Tissier or Lambert, who can score goals from free-kicks. I think Boufal or Gabbiadini would probably be better at taking them than Ward-Prowse.

Correct, although he also takes quite a good free kick from a wide position. Probably because it's similar to taking a corner. Agree on his free kick shooting though.

Having said that, if his corners are so good, why do we never score from them? And if it's because we haven't got good enough players in the air, should we see a 'set piece specialist' as something worth having in the team if it comes at the expense of overall quality?

Absolutely, one of the first names on the team sheet for me....just where he fits in is his biggest issue....!

Before van Dijk, Bertrand, Cedric, Romeu and Gabbiadini?

I can see an argument, even though I wouldn't necessarily agree, that he is currently better than our other non-Romeu central midfielders, but given that none of Clasie, Hojbjerg and Davis look like world beaters (in fact I think most fans would be a little disappointed if they were the extent of our midfield for next season), I'm not sure that's saying much.

I was disappointed to see him go

Go where?

Absolutely, one of the first names on the team sheet for me....just where he fits in is his biggest issue....!

If you're struggling to find a position for him to "fit" he's clearly not the first name on the team sheet, is he.

If he wasn't from our accademy would many really care if he made the first team or not ?

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If you're struggling to find a position for him to "fit" he's clearly not the first name on the team sheet, is he.

He said one of the first names, not the first name.

Get him some protein shakes and some weights tell the lad to get some meat on him.. .

He may indeed make a better boxer than a footballer. Let's hope Pelligrino is strong enough to tell Les to FO if he tries to insist on poster boy being an automatic pick. Clearly Puel couldn't do that.

Really want him to come good this season. He has some decent attributes, just needs to find and nail down a position.

Think his best bet is to develop into a DM alongside Oriel.

Really want him to come good this season. He has some decent attributes, just needs to find and nail down a position.

 

Think his best bet is to develop into a DM alongside Oriel.

Probably about the least likely outcome. Would need to be able to tackle, intercept etc. He has some good attributes, but not those.

Probably about the least likely outcome. Would need to be able to tackle, intercept etc. He has some good attributes, but not those.

Would they be easier to develop than pace, beating a man, creativity and eye for goal? Hard to see him wide right in the modern game.

Really want him to come good this season. He has some decent attributes, just needs to find and nail down a position.

 

Think his best bet is to develop into a DM alongside Oriel.

But he's not going to be able to do that Suhari - he hasn't got the type of game to handle DM. And therein lies the problem with this lad; successive managers try and find a spot to shoehorn him into - the latest being the wide right spot where an overlapping Cedric or the like would tee him up for one of those right-to-left crosses. In so doing the side is unbalanced and either lacks the defensive midfield cover or the speed and movement out wide.

Every team could benefit with a James Milner, Prowsey is ours.

successive managers try and find a spot to shoehorn him into -

Including international managers, it would appear. They should listen to us and drop him..

Would they be easier to develop than pace, beating a man, creativity and eye for goal? Hard to see him wide right in the modern game.

I actually think that his best chance of being first choice for a position is if he improves in attacking midfield. You don't have to be blessed with pace to play there, and while I still think his vision, creativity & passing could be better, there's no doubt he has some ability in that regard. The biggest question mark is whether he can develop that goalscoring touch. I can't see that he can suddenly discover the kind of positioning nous that players like Dele Alli have, but as last season went on he did start showing a bit more purpose in the final third. With a bit more confidence, his 'good striking' of a ball might actually materialise into being able to shoot well from distance/mid-range.

That being said, I wouldn't have him in my strongest eleven at the moment, just that the skills I can see developing could lead to him being suited to a slightly more advanced role.

I actually think that his best chance of being first choice for a position is if he improves in attacking midfield. You don't have to be blessed with pace to play there, and while I still think his vision, creativity & passing could be better, there's no doubt he has some ability in that regard. The biggest question mark is whether he can develop that goalscoring touch. I can't see that he can suddenly discover the kind of positioning nous that players like Dele Alli have, but as last season went on he did start showing a bit more purpose in the final third. With a bit more confidence, his 'good striking' of a ball might actually materialise into being able to shoot well from distance/mid-range.

 

That being said, I wouldn't have him in my strongest eleven at the moment, just that the skills I can see developing could lead to him being suited to a slightly more advanced role.

Yes, that's a good call. Definitely not DM and being posted wide right really stagnates the team's movement. Perhaps that more advanced role Davis has played in the past in front of Vic and Morgan - although to take that role needs a driving, shuttling run game - has he got that capacity?

We've all been saying it for years, but this is the season JWP really needs to start playing well. Hasn't happened yet, and goodness knows how he still gets regular games for a Premier side without ever performing, but he clearly has a little bit of potential so it's vital he steps up to the plate this year.

We've all been saying it for years, but this is the season JWP really needs to start playing well. Hasn't happened yet, and goodness knows how he still gets regular games for a Premier side without ever performing, but he clearly has a little bit of potential so it's vital he steps up to the plate this year.

But was also a regular for England under 21's and captain so its not only those on here who think he is the business.

We'll be saying 'this is year' when he's 31 and captain.

It's a World Cup year. No better incentive to come good

I agree with the sentiment that he is one of the first names on the teamsheet. I believe he came of age last season and we can only dream that players like Hojbjerg follow in his footsteps this season.

I agree with the sentiment that he is one of the first names on the teamsheet. I believe he came of age last season and we can only dream that players like Hojbjerg follow in his footsteps this season.

You certainly are a consistently big wrap for the lad. One of the first names on the teamsheet is a bit of a stretch ie VVD, Gabbiadini, Romeu, Bertrand, Cedric. Hojbjerg is a good player in the making - no need to dream for his future.

I agree with the sentiment that he is one of the first names on the teamsheet. I believe he came of age last season and we can only dream that players like Hojbjerg follow in his footsteps this season.

Except, he really isn't. Unless you're talking about England U21s. At best he "should be starting" for Saints, but even that is questionable.

Although I know you have been a long time advocate of JWP, the bit about Hojbjerg smacks of someone reacting and overcompensating for other people's opinions. If we're going to 'dream' about how good Hojbjerg can become, we'd certainly be aiming higher than JWP's current standard!

When has representing England U-21s become a gold standard? The current side is pretty mediocre and was lucky to get as far as it did in the Euros. Many players who represented England at u-21 level -I dare say the majority- fail to have a career in the Premier League.

Except, he really isn't. Unless you're talking about England U21s. At best he "should be starting" for Saints, but even that is questionable.

 

Although I know you have been a long time advocate of JWP, the bit about Hojbjerg smacks of someone reacting and overcompensating for other people's opinions. If we're going to 'dream' about how good Hojbjerg can become, we'd certainly be aiming higher than JWP's current standard!

I'm just like alot of people hoping Hojbjerg and Ward-Prowse can be our midfield for a few years to come because the potential is there for both of them to get even better. Hojbjerg stalled last season whereas Ward-Prowse kicked on so I'm hoping PEH can follow in the footsteps of "kicking on" as Davis slowly takes more of back seat.

♫ James Ward-Prowse, Ward-Prowse

Was born in a Pompey house

But their club is Mickey Mouse

So he joined the Saints ♫

we hate pompey we hate pompey clap clap clap

A lot of people seem to overlook we had the 2nd youngest squad last season. There is great potential for this squad to grow together, including FEC James Ward-Prowse.

He's done well to fake it in a team that's finished in the top 8 for the last four seasons.....perhaps when he's retired we'll look back at him as one of those unsung hero types.

I like to think that JWP ain't got all his Man Strength yet. Some bros have to wait. Lallana didn't get his till he was like 27, and he was all the better for it. It's not a done deal, for every Rooney who get's his man strength when he's six, there's a Nathan Dyer who never gets it at all, but I don't think we should judge JWP completely till puberty kicks in.

When has representing England U-21s become a gold standard? The current side is pretty mediocre and was lucky to get as far as it did in the Euros. Many players who represented England at u-21 level -I dare say the majority- fail to have a career in the Premier League.

Exactly. Obviously good performances at that level are encouraging, but nothing more than a 'positive sign'.

A sort of related stat, from the 2009 U21 Euro final, 6 of Germany's players that day went on to win the world cup. 5 of England's went on to play for Sunderland.

Please can we never play JWP as a no10 can ever again? He simply hasn't got any of the attributes needed to be good there.

Very often feels like successive Managers have tried to shoehorn him into the side when he doesn't deserve it.

If he isn't being picked wide right then he is a sub for me.

Please can we never play JWP as a no10 can ever again? He simply hasn't got any of the attributes needed to be good there.

 

Very often feels like successive Managers have tried to shoehorn him into the side when he doesn't deserve it.

 

If he isn't being picked wide right then he is a sub for me.

Agree.

Was awful don't rate him

Still stealing a living as a PL footballer....

Please can we never play JWP as a no10 can ever again? He simply hasn't got any of the attributes needed to be good there.

 

Very often feels like successive Managers have tried to shoehorn him into the side when he doesn't deserve it.

 

If he isn't being picked wide right then he is a sub for me.

Absolutely spot on. If you could just bring a player on to take free kicks you might consider him. Failing that don't bother.

Thought he was meant to be a future England captain.

Absolutely spot on. If you could just bring a player on to take free kicks you might consider him. Failing that don't bother.

Really I don't think he's great at those. How many does he score or make? He's hardly matt le tissier.

This time next year, Rodney...

This time next year, Rodney...

He is still young just wait until he is Dele Alli's age JWP will be mustard.....

To some degree I agree but the manager playing him as a number 10 is a joke....the ideal player for that is Boufal .

Yet he is stuck wide and does his best work in our half.

JWP can only play if we have 2 tacklers and then only right side.

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JWP vs Doucoure. It was such a painful mismatch, car crash stuff. Feel a bit sorry for him really, MP was wrong to play him there in this game. Amazed he left it until halftime to change it

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JWP vs Doucoure. It was such a painful mismatch, car crash stuff. Feel a bit sorry for him really, MP was wrong to play him there in this game. Amazed he left it until halftime to change it

 

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One of the commentators yesterday when he realised JWP had been subbed off at half time said that he felt sorry for the lad because he always seemed to be the player who made way despite having a wonderful dead ball delivery and being a terrific player. He seemed to completely overlook that the lad had been completely out of the game and apart from a couple of corners and one free kick touched the ball once or twice. That's the befuddlement for me with JWP - he can have the quietest of games yet the same old cliches of world class delivery come trotting out. I do feel he was thrown to the wolves a bit yesterday being played as a central attacking mid - if he had to start why not wide right with Boufal at 10, at least the he could have attempted a cross or two which seems to be one of his few tricks.

JWP = Mark Noble

Journeyman PL player sticking in 6-7/10 performances every week.

If he was any good we would have sold him by now.

Makes me laugh only reason people think players like JWP are good and is forced to play from Les is because he's from the academy, the managers I believe are told to start 2-3 academy players a week.

Should not be anywhere near our starting 11. Very very average and brings nothing, other than set pieces we don't score from.

Not good enough defensively to play holing midfield, offers nothing going forwards to play AM. Too weak and slow to make it successfully at this level.

I said it last year, I'll say it again, the bloke belongs in the championship.

If it wasn't for the fact he's our poster boy for the Academy then I think that's where he'd probably be.

JWP = Mark Noble

 

Journeyman PL player sticking in 6-7/10 performances every week.

 

If he was any good we would have sold him by now.

Think we'd settle for his performances at 6 or 7 out of 10, at the moment they don't reach that scale.

JWP = Mark Noble

 

Journeyman PL player sticking in 6-7/10 performances every week.

 

If he was any good we would have sold him by now.

Comparing him to Mark Noble is very unfair on Noble. Ward-Prowse is more of a 2-3/10 every week. As we saw in the Wolves and Watford games, he does more to help the opposition than he does for us, by stopping all of our counterattacks and wasting all of our goalscoring opportunities from free-kicks.

But on the plus side at least whilst he is being slagged off it saves the others from the same fate. Matt Oakley used to be in the same position.

But on the plus side at least whilst he is being slagged off it saves the others from the same fate. Matt Oakley used to be in the same position.

Only because Yoshida wasn’t playing pal.

These comments.

Fans are frankly hilarious, pundits, 3 different managers, international manager all clearly rate him and play him, but fans who've never played at any decent level know better.