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James Ward-Prowse


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Harsh! He's quality and still very Young. Keeper saved a good effort from him. How about support not slag him off.

 

JWP has been Ok but he really needs at least one of the 2 midfield enforcers in the side with him. They dictate play, shore up the defence and take those tasks away from all of the other midfielders. In short Vic and Morgan make us tick, we can get through one game without them both especially against a wimpy side like Newcastle but Palace and to some extent Swansea have just shown us that without both of them we are weak and ineffective when it comes to running midfield.

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He's getting better and better IMO. He's not a spectacular player who is going to score 15 goals a season from midfield, or go on mazy dribbles but his ball retention and use of it was excellent today especially in the first half. Easy to forget he's still a kid who is learning. The goals will come. In a couple of seasons he'll be a much better version of Steven Davis.

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JWP has been Ok but he really needs at least one of the 2 midfield enforcers in the side with him. They dictate play, shore up the defence and take those tasks away from all of the other midfielders. In short Vic and Morgan make us tick, we can get through one game without them both especially against a wimpy side like Newcastle but Palace and to some extent Swansea have just shown us that without both of them we are weak and ineffective when it comes to running midfield.

 

Not entirely true though is it? Reed, Davis and JWP were doing perfectly well up until Mané replaced Reed rather than Elia or preferably Tadic....

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Not entirely true though is it? Reed, Davis and JWP were doing perfectly well up until Mané replaced Reed rather than Elia or preferably Tadic....

 

Not as I saw it no, Reed wasn't moving us forward in any realistic way, neat and tidy apart from the odd stray pass but he wasn't making much impression on the game.

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Good technical player but set piece delivery aside doesn't impact the game.

 

Needs to become more aggressive to really go far.

 

Wouldn't make my first XI when everyone is fit, but a decent option.

 

Apart from his assists you mean ? Such as one against Newcastle ?

 

So yes, apart from setting up goalscoring chances he doesnt effect games.

 

Baffling those that are saying he missed an easy chance today, he didnt, it was a goid save. Anyone thats been in a similar situation on a football pitch will agree

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Strange thread. I thought he was great today. He was always picking up second balls in the final third and was key to most of our attacks. He's getting himself in the right positions. Once he pops his cherry, he'll start banging goals in. He'll be a regular 10-15 goal midfielder in seasons to come.

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Not as I saw it no, Reed wasn't moving us forward in any realistic way, neat and tidy apart from the odd stray pass but he wasn't making much impression on the game.

 

Didnt see how taking Reed off opened the game up for them either... It didnt.. We lost due to not closing down Shelvey on their odd counter attack. Not a specific issue with a lack of Reed, just poor defending really.

 

If anything removing JWP from the front four was worse than the Reed removal. There was no longer a real link between defence and attack in the way that Prowse was acting. Elia, tadic and Mane all operated from wide, meaning Dacis ad Prowse had to push forward to provide support.

 

Not a massive issue as essentially Swansea were easy enough to deal with.

 

It was worth the gamble, we needed to break them down. And extra support pushing forward should have helped to facilitate that.

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Apart from his assists you mean ? Such as one against Newcastle ?

 

So yes, apart from setting up goalscoring chances he doesnt effect games.

 

Baffling those that are saying he missed an easy chance today, he didnt, it was a goid save. Anyone thats been in a similar situation on a football pitch will agree

 

Not a knock but his assist against Newcastle (like Palace) was on the counter and there was plenty of space in behind the defense. It still needed decent execution but was very different from today where he had to unlock a compact defense - and its that kind of impact that will define whether he can make the step up.

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This is odd, I thought he was one of our best players today, behind Elia/Betrand/Clyne. I was much more expecting a petty thread slagging off Pelle or Davis, not JWP.

Davis is always less effective when he has your drop into a defensive role. He needs the freedom to get forward and be creative and we badly need Morgan and Victor back

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Davis is always less effective when he has your drop into a defensive role. He needs the freedom to get forward and be creative and we badly need Morgan and Victor back

Oh, I completely agree. Bit surprised we played that shape at all, I was fully expecting 3-5-2 so Davis/JWP could interchange more.

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Apart from his assists you mean ? Such as one against Newcastle ?

 

So yes, apart from setting up goalscoring chances he doesnt effect games.

 

Baffling those that are saying he missed an easy chance today, he didnt, it was a goid save. Anyone thats been in a similar situation on a football pitch will agree

 

I agree with you on many points with JWP but in the premier league, that was an easy chance.

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He's getting better and better IMO. He's not a spectacular player who is going to score 15 goals a season from midfield, or go on mazy dribbles but his ball retention and use of it was excellent today especially in the first half. Easy to forget he's still a kid who is learning. The goals will come. In a couple of seasons he'll be a much better version of Steven Davis.

No he won't. He will never be a version of Steve Davis, unless he suddenly acquires pace, aggression and an ability to tackle. Even his set plays which he is supposedly renowned for, were **** poor today ( as were Tadic's). His shooting is woeful, straight at the keeper today, and his header was powder puff. No assists today either (which all the apologists say is his greatest asset).

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No he won't. He will never be a version of Steve Davis, unless he suddenly acquires pace, aggression and an ability to tackle. Even his set plays which he is supposedly renowned for, were **** poor today ( as were Tadic's). His shooting is woeful, straight at the keeper today, and his header was powder puff. No assists today either (which all the apologists say is his greatest asset).

 

he has not long turned 20

:lol:

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This is odd, I thought he was one of our best players today, behind Elia/Betrand/Clyne. I was much more expecting a petty thread slagging off Pelle or Davis, not JWP.

He was one of our better players, but he really was not good, just that Pelle, Tadic, Elia and Forster at least were woeful, so that makes him one of the better players.

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I AM MAKING THIS STATEMENT OF MY OWN FREE WILL

 

JAMES WARD-PROWSE IS NOT THE MOST HIDEOUSLY OVERRATED FOOTBALLER WE'VE HAD IN THE PAST DECADE.

 

JAMES WARD-PROWSE HAS ONLY FAILED TO SCORE BECAUSE HE'S UNLUCKY.

 

JAMES WARD-PROWSE WOULD BE RATED JUST AS HIGHLY IF HE WERE BLACK OR FOREIGN

 

JAMES WARD-PROWSE HAS THE BEST DELIVERY IN THE PREMIERSHIP SINCE DAVID BECKHAM

 

JAMES WARD-PROWSE IS A GOOD PLAYER AND A YOUNG ENGLISH PLAYER FROM OUR ACADEMY. THIS HAS NOTHING WHATSOEVER TO DO WITH THE FACT THAT HE'S RATED SO HIGHLY

 

...all joking aside. Three very decent managers in Adkins, Pochettino and Koeman have obviously seen something in him as they've all had faith in him, and I'm more than willing to defer to the fact that they're infinitely more qualified than I am to make that call, but honestly I just don't see it.

 

The guy has absolutely nothing whatsoever in terms of...

 

1) strength and physicality

2) defensive positioning

3) tackling, competitiveness and bite in central-midfield

4) carrying the ball and driving at defences from midfield

5) finding a killer pass

6) beating a player

7) pace

8) winning aerial battles

9) having a left foot

 

Now don't get me wrong, those things are all completely and utterly unimportant in football. Of course.

 

But, with those aspects of his game well and truly out of the equation, the boy better have the most flawless touch in the league, the best set-piece delivery you can imagine and the kind of range of Pirlo-esque range of passing that can single-handedly dominate football matches to even be close to the level he's rated at IMO.

 

But he doesn't. He's just vaguely capable at those aspects of the game but nothing remotely special.

 

He's basically another Tom Cleverly.

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No he won't. He will never be a version of Steve Davis, unless he suddenly acquires pace, aggression and an ability to tackle. Even his set plays which he is supposedly renowned for, were **** poor today ( as were Tadic's). His shooting is woeful, straight at the keeper today, and his header was powder puff. No assists today either (which all the apologists say is his greatest asset).

 

If only we'd kept Tandari Lee and he could pick out his runs. Hey pal.

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Oh Christ, here we go again. He's only 20, he's still young, he makes lots of assists, he is great at set plays.

 

yeah. and probably by next season he will be even better.

not many 20 year olds (english) are coming on like him in his position

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what had Steven Davis achieved at 20? Genuine question! Was he tearing up the league with pace, aggression and an ability to tackle?

Hey Bearsy, not sure if you are serious, but really there is no reason to compare Prowsey with Davis. But if you want some data, then Davis had already won the FA Youth Cup with Villa. He was playing for Villa in the Premier League at 19 (Prowsey was 18 when he played against Man City), and at age 21 he was named "Young Player of the Year", "The Fans Player of the Year" and "Player of the Year" for the 2005–06 season after making 42 appearances during the season. He also made his full international debut at 20. Lets hope Prowsey proves me and lots of others wrong and goes on to be half as successful in the rest of this season. I wish him all the best, and sincerely hope he does, but at the moment rose tinted specs are having a huge effect on the judgement of some people on here.

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Not sure what he does apart from whipping in a few decent crosses. Looks incapable of scoring, no pace, and far too lightweight. He seems like a good kid, but nowhere near good enough for us. We will probably see him in the Championship in the next few years. I think it's a common belief he is a good player just because he has come up through the academy, but there's a reason no one has tried to buy him

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what had Steven Davis achieved at 20? Genuine question! Was he tearing up the league with pace, aggression and an ability to tackle?

 

I cannot remember seeing Davis at 20 - but I've seen Shaw at 18; Chambers at 18, Reed at 19, Targett at 19, Barkley at 19 etc and they all have a immediate quality of class/ability in a defined position. Shaw's speed, strength and touch; Chamber's athleticism; Reed's tenacity and defensive instinct - I don't see any such quality with JWP, and Rasiak-9s assessment is brutal but very close to the mark.

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Hey Bearsy, not sure if you are serious, but really there is no reason to compare Prowsey with Davis. But if you want some data, then Davis had already won the FA Youth Cup with Villa. He was playing for Villa in the Premier League at 19 (Prowsey was 18 when he played against Man City), and at age 21 he was named "Young Player of the Year", "The Fans Player of the Year" and "Player of the Year" for the 2005–06 season after making 42 appearances during the season. He also made his full international debut at 20. Lets hope Prowsey proves me and lots of others wrong and goes on to be half as successful in the rest of this season. I wish him all the best, and sincerely hope he does, but at the moment rose tinted specs are having a huge effect on the judgement of some people on here.

 

:thumbup: I was serious, although I was expecting the answer to be more of a "not much" than ur testimony, cos I remember when he signed for us the villa bros at my work said they remembered him as sort of decent, but no stamina, and couldn't last past 60 minutes which is why they dumped him off to Rangers. That is how the villa bros remember him!

 

That said, I think JWP is great, even compared with Davis or Whoever, and he's going to rub his Self all over your face! In a respectful manner tho of course, cos I appreciate ur comments are opinions not trolls! :thumbup:

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I agree with you on many points with JWP but in the premier league, that was an easy chance.

 

Dunno, I can only go by experience, and by no means am I a premier league player but from experience those sort of chances come at you quickly, you dont get time to pick a corner etc you just need to get good contact, which to be fair to him he did. Keeper got a toe onto it, decebt save

 

His shot later on was weak and woeful, that you can criticise, plus if he would have spooned it etc then maybe the criticism would be fair

 

Thats my personal opinion anyway

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he probably will make way when morgan and wanyama are back

 

He will do, vic, morgan and Davis are our best 3 but Prowsey for me isnt far from Davis in terms of what he brigs to the team. He certainly wasnt rubbish today anyway.

 

And on a bit of a tangent, if I were to pick one of JWP and Reed Id pick JWP

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I cannot remember seeing Davis at 20 - but I've seen Shaw at 18; Chambers at 18, Reed at 19, Targett at 19, Barkley at 19 etc and they all have a immediate quality of class/ability in a defined position. Shaw's speed, strength and touch; Chamber's athleticism; Reed's tenacity and defensive instinct - I don't see any such quality with JWP, and Rasiak-9s assessment is brutal but very close to the mark.

 

I see loads of immediate quality + class, I can only concede that he's a lesser athlete than some of those other bros you mention, but that doesn't bother me at all. It's like when people complain that Pelle isn't very fast, like it devalues the things he is good at.

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Talented player, but as has been said before, he struggles to impact tight games. Lots of sideways, backwards stuff - nice and tidy, but he needs to influence things a lot more from the position he's playing. He started to do this by playing that No.10 role and floating around, but in games like today you see that he's still not quite the finished product. He's got it all in his locker, but just needs to take control of games like today a bit more.

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Talented player, but as has been said before, he struggles to impact tight games. Lots of sideways, backwards stuff - nice and tidy, but he needs to influence things a lot more from the position he's playing. He started to do this by playing that No.10 role and floating around, but in games like today you see that he's still not quite the finished product. He's got it all in his locker, but just needs to take control of games like today a bit more.

 

I agree but all in his locker? No pace, left foot, tackling not great and not great at shooting from open play.

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This is odd, I thought he was one of our best players today, behind Elia/Betrand/Clyne. I was much more expecting a petty thread slagging off Pelle or Davis, not JWP.

 

Couldn't disagree more to be honest.

 

I think every free kick and corner he took today was wasted. I think I counted 4 times at least where he hit the ball into the box and went straight to their keeper.

 

JWP will be a very good player in time and the more he plays the more he gets experience. But even now I am not sure what position he will be. He lacks pace so won't be a winger. His shooting is terrible so won't be a striker. He doesn't have great strength to hussle people off the ball so won't be a defensive midfielder or defender. Which leaves a creative midfielder. To play that role in the PL you have to be pretty damn amazing. Look at other guys who play there for other teams. You got Fabragas, Oscar, Cazorla, Di Maria, Da Silva, Ericksen, Toure and so on. These are top class players. The one attribute these types of players have over JWP is the ability to add in with the goals. For JWP to keep his place in the squad he needs to start scoring goals too. And based on his shooting so far I wonder if he can do that.

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This is exactly what happened with Lambert last season when it was obvious to everyone looking at the matches with their head and not their heart that his legs and strength had long gone, that he wasn't scoring enough goals and that he was becoming a massive weakness.

 

Every time JWP has a bad game (which naturally tends to coincide with the overall team playing poorly) people jump on the total non-sequitur that there were other, worse players on the pitch that day.

 

I mean, I do feel a little cruel spelling out the footballing weaknesses of a 20-year-old but I'm just really struggling to see what people anticipate him developing into.

 

A Pirlo/Xavi-type player I assume? Because he's evidently never going to be a Lampard/Scholes/Gerrard who can chip in with double-figures worth of goals every season, or a tough-tackling Makelele/Schneiderlin/Matic protecting the back four, or a Cazorla/Silva picking the ball up, beating players and dancing his way into the box to create chances.

 

I'm just bemused as to what kind of player he's supposed to eventually become, because he has enough inherent weaknesses (physically weak, flimsy tackler, no pace) which just aren't ever going to go away.

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Davis has missed just as many sitters this season, if not more - which single out JWP? He's provided a couple of assists at least. That said, I've thought for some time that we need better than either of them in attacking midfield to give us options when setting the ball out wide isn't working.

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  • Jimmy_D changed the title to Interest in JWP - Signs new 5 year contract
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