James Ward-Prowse

[bpsaint]

11 hours ago, Chez said:

Smallbone was the most passive central midfielder I've seen at Saints, so it worries me that we are going to rely on him. He seems to have had a good season at Stoke, so that is encouraging, but we re going to need some more pace, power, aggression and dynamism to complement whatever it is he offers now.

Glad someone else feels the same way about Smallbone, he was such a nothing player for us previously now all of a sudden a half decent run at mid table Stoke and fans think he’s going to be running the midfield for us. It’s easy to stand out in a side primed for obscurity in the championship,but if we’re serious about bouncing straight back up we’re going to need someone with a bit more about themselves IMO.

Back to the subject of JWP, out of curiosity how many sides actually came in for him over the past 11 years? Always found it interesting that through the narrative of our fans he’s been highlighted as loyal player when everyone else seemed to move on, however I can’t recall any top 10 level side coming in with a bid that would have turned his head. 

[SotonianWill]

19 minutes ago, bpsaint said:

Glad someone else feels the same way about Smallbone, he was such a nothing player for us previously now all of a sudden a half decent run at mid table Stoke and fans think he’s going to be running the midfield for us. It’s easy to stand out in a side primed for obscurity in the championship,but if we’re serious about bouncing straight back up we’re going to need someone with a bit more about themselves IMO.

I understand what you mean. From the clips he looks like the championships answer to Kevin DeBruyne. For saints he was terrible when I seem to remember him being put on the right wing? but when in the middle, like against villa, he can switch a ball well. If we get Martin he could be very useful.

Edited 29 May, 2023 by SotonianWill

[Saint_Ash]

He's obviously off. Hopefully he'll go to a champs league team and the only one I can see him going to is Newcastle. Let's hope it pushes him on further and can get back into the England squad. 

[Nemi]

I think it's fair to say he's somewhat like Marcos Alonso - unbelievable technique, has decent stats, gets a decent amount of goals and assists, but ultimately has some serious deficiencies for the position he plays. 

Stats show he has by far the best-end product of his team, and I won't ever criticise him for that but I will criticise his positioning, how quickly he passes the ball, how well he controls a game - the bits the stats can't measure. Some of the best midfielders in the league probably have worse stats than JWP, but they are able to dominate the game in a way Southampton haven't since the end of the 2020. I've been saying for years he can't control the midfield, he doesn't have the composure, he doesn't have the ability to get the ball on the half-turn, as mentioned he isn't press resistant, and his passing is penetrative enough.  

He was good yesterday, and he'll be a decent squad player for the right type of PL team ( I'm happy to come back to this, he definitely won't be pulling up any trees). But I'm happy that we will be cashing in on him now and hopefully we'll spend the funds wisely to improve the end product in positions higher up the pitch, and bring in someone who I'm sure will be nowhere near him in terms of free-kick ability and the goals and assists it gets, but someone who is better at the bits that really matter for a DM and hopefully we'll be able to regain a bit of control in the centre of the park, because I can't remember the last time we have been truly comfortable in a match. 

[Daft Kerplunk]

Gutted that JWP will leave. Had we actually constructed a decent side that played to his, and indeed other players strengths then things could’ve been different. The way Selles played most of his games meant that we couldn’t win free kicks in advance positions to allow him to break Beckham’s record whilst in a Saints shirt. 

Sad times but good luck to him, and hope he goes to a club that will give him an opportunity to play with better players, or players who are actually ready for the Premier League. 

 

[Sergei Gotsmanov]

22 minutes ago, Nemi said:

I think it's fair to say he's somewhat like Marcos Alonso - unbelievable technique, has decent stats, gets a decent amount of goals and assists, but ultimately has some serious deficiencies for the position he plays. 

Stats show he has by far the best-end product of his team, and I won't ever criticise him for that but I will criticise his positioning, how quickly he passes the ball, how well he controls a game - the bits the stats can't measure. Some of the best midfielders in the league probably have worse stats than JWP, but they are able to dominate the game in a way Southampton haven't since the end of the 2020. I've been saying for years he can't control the midfield, he doesn't have the composure, he doesn't have the ability to get the ball on the half-turn, as mentioned he isn't press resistant, and his passing is penetrative enough.  

He was good yesterday, and he'll be a decent squad player for the right type of PL team ( I'm happy to come back to this, he definitely won't be pulling up any trees). But I'm happy that we will be cashing in on him now and hopefully we'll spend the funds wisely to improve the end product in positions higher up the pitch, and bring in someone who I'm sure will be nowhere near him in terms of free-kick ability and the goals and assists it gets, but someone who is better at the bits that really matter for a DM and hopefully we'll be able to regain a bit of control in the centre of the park, because I can't remember the last time we have been truly comfortable in a match. 

I think you think we are Real Madrid Nemi. What should we do? Go and sign another money grabbing mercenary with no loyalty to our club?

[S-Clarke]

9 minutes ago, Sergei Gotsmanov said:

I think you think we are Real Madrid Nemi. What should we do? Go and sign another money grabbing mercenary with no loyalty to our club?

I don't think he's saying that at all, I get where he is coming from. Both are good players and capable of playing at the highest level, but they are missing attributes which will always hold them back from breaking into that 'elite' level in my opinion.

What I would say is that JWP has, at times, been able to control a game for us against lesser opposition - but he struggles against power and pace, not through a lack of effort or trying, he's just limited physically with his pace and strength which does mean he gets gobbled up in CM at times. I do prefer him further up and playing from the right in an attacking role, picking up pockets of space to thread a ball through (which he's good at doing). The timing of his runs into the box are decent as well, as is his touch and manipulation of the ball - but we will always go back to his lack of pace and physicality which have truly held him back from being one of 'elite' products.

Edited 29 May, 2023 by S-Clarke

[stevy777_x]

15 hours ago, Dusic said:

Essentially all four of our CM options will leave (Lavia, JWP, Diallo, AMN) so I would say its the key position for recruitment as even with Smallbone back will need to sign 3 before the start of the season.

Don't think there are any genuine academy prospects in the #6 type position either so recruitment here will be massive.

Our midfield contained 2 good players this season, and yet our side has never looked so unbalanced with huge gaps in midfield which makes you wonder whether JWP and Lavia are overated or they just don t work well as a pair 

[Sergei Gotsmanov]

2 minutes ago, S-Clarke said:

I don't think he's saying that at all, I get where he is coming from. Both are good players and capable of playing at the highest level, but they are missing attributes which will always hold them back from breaking into that 'elite' level in my opinion.

What I would say is that JWP has, at times, been able to control a game for us against lesser opposition - but he struggles against power and pace, not through a lack of effort or trying, he's just limited physically with his pace and strength which does mean he gets gobbled up in CM at times. I do prefer him further up and playing from the right in an attacking role, picking up pockets of space to thread a ball through (which he's good at doing). The timing of his runs into the box are decent as well, as is his touch and manipulation of the ball - but we will always go back to his lack of pace and physicality which have truly held him back from being one of 'elite' products.

We are Southampton and players of his ability are normally long gone. I celebrate his loyalty, his free kicks and his engine on the field and will always be grateful to him. Players like him make me want to support our club, not the likes of Lallana, Van Dyke, Lovgron, Vestegarde Bertrand etc

[Nemi]

29 minutes ago, Sergei Gotsmanov said:

I think you think we are Real Madrid Nemi. What should we do? Go and sign another money grabbing mercenary with no loyalty to our club?

I mean you have just ignored everything I've said and just invented something yourself. Like I said, I'm happy to give up on his ability to get goals and assists from free-kicks and get someone with a better control of the game - if we got both unbelievable, but as you have so smartly pointed out we are Southampton and getting both is extremely unlikely. I would just prefer someone who has better control in midfield but I'm very aware that means we'd in-turn lose JWP's stand out abilities.

[Sergei Gotsmanov]

4 minutes ago, Nemi said:

I mean you have just ignored everything I've said and just invented something yourself. Like I said, I'm happy to give up on his ability to get goals and assists from free-kicks and get someone with a better control of the game - if we got both unbelievable, but as you have so smartly pointed out we are Southampton and getting both is extremely unlikely. I would just prefer someone who has better control in midfield but I'm very aware that means we'd in-turn lose JWP's stand out abilities.

What I have tried to stay albeit probably not very articulately is that JWP's contribution to our club stretch well beyond the field. He sets standards and his loyalty and stature has provided stability in turbulent times. Your new midfielder is unlikely to make such an all round contribution. You may be happy that we are cashing in on him but I am just saying you have not factored in his true value to our club.

[Lord Duckhunter]

49 minutes ago, Sergei Gotsmanov said:

I think you think we are Real Madrid Nemi. What should we do? Go and sign another money grabbing mercenary with no loyalty to our club?

There’s no fucking loyalty in football. If there was the twats who got us relegated (including blue eyed boys Lavia & Prowse) would stay and sort it out.

If Liverpool wanted Prowse instead of Thiago a couple of years back, he’d have been as quick with the pen as lallana was.
 

Loyalty, my fucking arse. They’re as loyal as the bloke we’ll pinch off another club to replace him. 

[Saint Billy]

I cannot argue the fact that he has been a great servant, a nice bloke, dead ball specialist etc, but now is the time for him and saints to move on.

 

[Sergei Gotsmanov]

34 minutes ago, Lord Duckhunter said:

There’s no fucking loyalty in football. If there was the twats who got us relegated (including blue eyed boys Lavia & Prowse) would stay and sort it out.

If Liverpool wanted Prowse instead of Thiago a couple of years back, he’d have been as quick with the pen as lallana was.
 

Loyalty, my fucking arse. They’re as loyal as the bloke we’ll pinch off another club to replace him. 

I would argue that JWP has been more loyal than most and has not appeared to manipulate a move. I will of course concede that he would be at Liverpool if they had wanted him but he would have conducted himself better whilst doing it.

 

Edited 29 May, 2023 by Sergei Gotsmanov

[Tamesaint]

2 hours ago, Lord Duckhunter said:

There’s no fucking loyalty in football. If there was the twats who got us relegated (including blue eyed boys Lavia & Prowse) would stay and sort it out.

If Liverpool wanted Prowse instead of Thiago a couple of years back, he’d have been as quick with the pen as lallana was.
 

Loyalty, my fucking arse. They’re as loyal as the bloke we’ll pinch off another club to replace him.

 

... Of course you would stay loyal to your current employer if someone came to you  and offered to double / triple your money and to work in a much more prestigious establishment. 

I think you are a hypocrite. 

 

[Lighthouse]

2 minutes ago, Tamesaint said:

... Of course you would stay loyal to your current employer if someone came to you  and offered to double / triple your money and to work in a much more prestigious establishment. 

I think you are a hypocrite. 

I don’t think he’s suggesting players SHOUlD stay loyal, simply pointing out that they don’t and TBH he’s got a point. Tiss was one of the few players who was genuinely loyal to us as he had serious offers to go elsewhere and earn more. I find it somewhat bemusing when people talk about the likes of Benali and Long being loyal.

JWP has stayed with us because he’s a lower mid-table standard player, or a reasonable squad option for a European competitor and up until now, we’ve managed to provide him with the former platform.

[david in sweden]

There is a... " what if "...  here to consider.    We all seem to agree that Prowsey deserves to stay in the Prem. perhaps more than anyone else, 

but it also represents 20 years of his life and he may be reluctant to move away for 3 or 4 years especially as he is Hampshire born and bred. 

Certainly for someone already on 100K /week , (not a bad salary by anyone's reckoning) there will be a number of the "big money " clubs who see 

him as a "cheap buy"  compared with some of the huge fees they normally pay out, (but it would have to be at a fee that Saints are willing to accept).

 

JWP  is unlikely to uproot himself /and family just for another 10K a week, and Saints will want to  get a good fee if / when he does move

- or even if he doesn't want to move to a part of the country where they don't speak " English" , or to a club who he just " doesn't fancy ".

 

The " what if "  (in my estimation) is that unless he and the club get offers that can't be refused,  is that he stays on  until the New Year,

by which time ....IF  Saints are leading the Championship by 6 points, he would stay on and see us get promoted back up to the Prem.

Plan  B ...is ....if we are " treading water " in mid-table, or worse...one of the big  Prem. sides who are struggling to meet their own expectations

of  success and glory would likely come in for him, and he would move anyway. 

This may sound a bit strange, but he must be a good poker player because - at the moment - he just doesn't seem to want to move away......

 

  

Edited 29 May, 2023 by david in sweden

[AlexLaw76]

3 minutes ago, david in sweden said:

There is a... " what if "...  here to consider.    We all seem to agree that Prowsey deserves to stay in the Prem. perhaps more than anyone else, 

but it also represents 20 years of his life and he may be reluctant to move away for 3 or 4 years especially as he is Hampshire born and bred. 

Certainly for someone already on 100K /week , (not a bad salary by anyone's reckoning) there will be a number of the "big money " clubs who see 

him as a "cheap buy"  compared with some of the huge fees they normally pay out, (but it would have to be at a fee that Saints are willing to accept).

 

JWP  is unlikely to uproot himself /and family just for another 10K a week, and Saints will want to  get a good fee if / when he does move

- or even if he doesn't want to move to a part of the country where they don't speak " English" , or to a club who he just " doesn't fancy ".

 

The " what if "  (in my estimation) is that unless he and the club get offers that can't be refused,  is that he stays on  until the New Year,

by which time ....IF  Saints are leading the Championship by 6 points, he would stay on and see us get promoted back up top the Prem.

Plan  B ...is ....if we are " treading water " in mid-table, or worse...one of the big  Prem. sides who are struggling to meet their own expectations

of  success and glory would likely come in for him, and he would move anyway. 

This may sound a bit strange, but he must be a good poker player because - at the moment - he just doesn't seem to want to move away......

 

  

he aint staying

[Tamesaint]

48 minutes ago, Lighthouse said:

I don’t think he’s suggesting players SHOUlD stay loyal, simply pointing out that they don’t and TBH he’s got a point. Tiss was one of the few players who was genuinely loyal to us as he had serious offers to go elsewhere and earn more. I find it somewhat bemusing when people talk about the likes of Benali and Long being loyal.

JWP has stayed with us because he’s a lower mid-table standard player, or a reasonable squad option for a European competitor and up until now, we’ve managed to provide him with the former platform.

Footballers don't stay loyal but why should they when 99% of the population would happily change their employer if offered much more money and a job in a better environment?  To expect young men to behave differently is unrealistic. 

[sledger]

been a great servant to saints but oh how i wish the up tempo all action ward prowse we saw yesterday had popped up 3 months ago then he and saints might not be getting relegated

[Badger]

1 hour ago, sledger said:

been a great servant to saints but oh how i wish the up tempo all action ward prowse we saw yesterday had popped up 3 months ago then he and saints might not be getting relegated

Toothless attack in front of him, piss poor defence behind him. Don’t think a  full season turbocharged JWP would make up for that. 

[qwertyell]

20 hours ago, Chez said:

Smallbone was the most passive central midfielder I've seen at Saints, so it worries me that we are going to rely on him. He seems to have had a good season at Stoke, so that is encouraging, but we re going to need some more pace, power, aggression and dynamism to complement whatever it is he offers now.

 

19 hours ago, EBS1980 said:

3 goals in 46 for Stoke, he’ll fit in perfectly then.

 

8 hours ago, bpsaint said:

Glad someone else feels the same way about Smallbone, he was such a nothing player for us previously now all of a sudden a half decent run at mid table Stoke and fans think he’s going to be running the midfield for us. It’s easy to stand out in a side primed for obscurity in the championship,but if we’re serious about bouncing straight back up we’re going to need someone with a bit more about themselves IMO.

Stoke forums I've read were thoroughly underwhelmed with Smallbone. The consensus was that he had barely a handful of good games and was otherwise an anonymous backwards and sideways passer who drifts through long runs of fixtures without making any impression at all.

Apparently took all their free kicks and corners - and they were nothing special either. 

Maybe a decent squad option for us, but shouldn't be starting. 

Seems like he at least wants to play for us, though. Which is something unique, I guess.

[ally_uk]

You must be deluded to think Prowse is staying... bet the deal was done weeks ago 

[david in sweden]

2 hours ago, Tamesaint said:

Footballers don't stay loyal but why should they when 99% of the population would happily change their employer if offered much more money and a job in a better environment?  To expect young men to behave differently is unrealistic. 

A good point to note.    If we employed a manager who said he's wasn't ambitious to succeed - we'd sack him on the spot,

but when it's a player who improves above and beyond his teammates and leaves, then he is criticised and abused by fans on line.

Clearly, Adam Lallana improved out of sight in his final season with us, yet drew horrendous responses from some " fans" after he moved.

 

I recall that some others were upset when Graziano Pelle left us ....after he was offered  300,000  a week  to play in China. 

A certain lack of perspective there, I think. 

[Chez]

26 minutes ago, qwertyell said:

 

 

Stoke forums I've read were thoroughly underwhelmed with Smallbone. The consensus was that he had barely a handful of good games and was otherwise an anonymous backwards and sideways passer who drifts through long runs of fixtures without making any impression at all.

Apparently took all their free kicks and corners - and they were nothing special either. 

Maybe a decent squad option for us, but shouldn't be starting. 

Seems like he at least wants to play for us, though. Which is something unique, I guess.

I read that he had a pretty decent season for them and was one of their better players. Not sure that means much. I've been underwhelmed by him in a Saints shirt. We've got Alcaraz, SArmstrong, Aribo and Amo-Ameyaw who can play in the hole. He'll have to fight for his place.

[Lord Duckhunter]

3 hours ago, Tamesaint said:

 

... Of course you would stay loyal to your current employer if someone came to you  and offered to double / triple your money and to work in a much more prestigious establishment. 

I think you are a hypocrite. 

 

Of course I would fucking go, why does that make me hypercritical. I’m not digging Prowse out for being disloyal, I’m digging the 🤡posting about his “loyalty”. It’s easy to be loyal when nobody decent wants to buy you. Real loyalty would be staying when we’re down. That’s loyalty.

[saintquin]

3 hours ago, Lighthouse said:

I don’t think he’s suggesting players SHOUlD stay loyal, simply pointing out that they don’t and TBH he’s got a point. Tiss was one of the few players who was genuinely loyal to us as he had serious offers to go elsewhere and earn more. I find it somewhat bemusing when people talk about the likes of Benali and Long being loyal.

JWP has stayed with us because he’s a lower mid-table standard player, or a reasonable squad option for a European competitor and up until now, we’ve managed to provide him with the former platform.

And even he probably would have gone if Saints didn't match that offer!

[Nemi]

4 hours ago, sledger said:

been a great servant to saints but oh how i wish the up tempo all action ward prowse we saw yesterday had popped up 3 months ago then he and saints might not be getting relegated

The openness of that game suited him quite well. As soon as we come up against a team who sit back and hit on the counter he doesn’t have the ability to break them down and boy does it show in the number of times we’ve been a goal down at home and we’re just knocking along the backline.

 

We’re really going to need a penetrative passer in that role next season because 3/4 of the league will be coming to St Mary’s to sit back and maybe nick a goal on the break.

[pimpin4rizeal]

We want 40m apparently..

it’s really hard to weigh up his value tbh.. as a free kick taker he’s probably best in the world it’s a world class attribute that can win you games..

As a in play cm he’s not fast and dynamic enough to be the best n that position but he’s probably solid enough and puts a shift in especially if he was surrounded by other players who can do the things he can’t..

I mean beckham wasn’t the greatest winger that could beat people for fun but like jwp had the delivery and in the right team could make him a match winner 

[STEVEADAMS]

On 29/05/2023 at 04:52, FarehamSaintJames said:

Christ sake, the bloke hasn’t even left yet.

Still don’t think he will. 👍🏻

I’ll actually be heartbroken if he goes, he’s Southampton through and through like Matt was. He’s a great player and has deserved better from the club, it’s been a shambles we all know that. This one will hurt the most, he’s carried this club for long  enough we’d have been down a lot earlier if it wasn’t for his goals and some of the comments here are ridiculous 

Edited 30 May, 2023 by STEVEADAMS

[Sussex_saint]

 

5 hours ago, STEVEADAMS said:

I’ll actually be heartbroken if he goes, he’s Southampton through and through like Matt was. He’s a great player and has deserved better from the club, it’s been a shambles we all know that. This one will hurt the most, he’s carried this club for long  enough we’d have been down a lot earlier if it wasn’t for his goals and some of the comments here are ridiculous 

yep - I did feel a bit emotional the other day seeing him clapped off. some guy created a great compilation of him on twitter, starting of that clip of him when he was 12/13 or something, all the way through to this season. People saying "oh we could do without him" and even the idiots who say "tbh i'll rather see him go", just look to how we performed in the grimbsy game. even look at how we performed when he came off vs Liverpool! If hes gone, hes gone, and you never know - wouldn't be surprised to see him in a managerial role a few years down the line back here ( hopefully not in Lampard style!)

 

[Dellman]

8 minutes ago, Sussex_saint said:

 

yep - I did feel a bit emotional the other day seeing him clapped off. some guy created a great compilation of him on twitter, starting of that clip of him when he was 12/13 or something, all the way through to this season. People saying "oh we could do without him" and even the idiots who say "tbh i'll rather see him go", just look to how we performed in the grimbsy game. even look at how we performed when he came off vs Liverpool! If hes gone, hes gone, and you never know - wouldn't be surprised to see him in a managerial role a few years down the line back here ( hopefully not in Lampard style!)

 

He deserves better supporters, he deserves  better Club but i hope stays

[Lighthouse]

3 minutes ago, Dellman said:

He deserves better supporters, he deserves  better Club but i hope stays

No he doesn’t. Nobody in this squad deserves better than the people who pay hundreds or even thousands of pounds, during a cost of living crisis, to watch the absolute dross we’ve just been served. 

[SotonianWill]

17 minutes ago, Dellman said:

He deserves better supporters, he deserves  better Club but i hope stays

See this is the mentality that made me comment on this thread about the fans who think he's bigger than the club, the "we've let him down" thesis. Load of rubbish.

Edited 30 May, 2023 by SotonianWill

[Give it to Ron]

53 minutes ago, Lighthouse said:

No he doesn’t. Nobody in this squad deserves better than the people who pay hundreds or even thousands of pounds, during a cost of living crisis, to watch the absolute dross we’ve just been served. 

Great post sick of reading twitter and forum posts slagging off fans who have paid a fortune for that dross of a season.

How is it fans fault we kept Ralph?

How is it fans fault we didn’t buy a striker to replace Ings and started without one?

Did the fans appoint Jones?

Did the fans appoint Selles?

Did the fans not pick a striker in games we needed to win?

Did the fans keep picking Ely useless so we had 10 players on pitch with tactics to stop goals rather than score - that went well?

Fans kept turning up to be served up half arsed performances and 5k halibut being waved and losing to Grimsby.

We had blocks closed, stewards searching us yet let in aways with flares, drums and seats in home ends . Told we were lucky to be in the Prem, poor chap had to leave his family and get a free seat and transport.

The one thing isn’t to blame this season is the fans!

 

Edited 30 May, 2023 by Give it to Ron

[Whitey Grandad]

2 minutes ago, Give it to Ron said:

Great post sick of reading twitter and forum posts slagging off fans who have paid a fortune for that dross of a season.

How is it fans fault we kept Ralph?

How is it fans fault we didn’t buy a striker to replace Ings and started without one?

Did the fans appoint Jones?

Did the fans appoint Selles?

Did the fans not pick a striker in games we needed to win?

Did the fans keep picking Ely useless so we had 10 players on pitch with tactics to stop goals rather than score - that went well?

Fans kept turning up to be served up half arsed performances and 5k halibut being waved and losing to Grimsby.

We had blocks closed, stewards searching us yet let in aways with flares, drums and seats in home ends . Told we were lucky to be in the Prem, poor chap had to leave his family and get a free seat and transport.

The one thing isn’t to blame this season is the fans!

 

Well said.

[farawaysaint]

I mean our fans are in fact shocking, this can be said independently of comments on how crap the team are. When you compare the graveyard of St Mary’s with some of the other teams who were relegation threatened this year it’s actually quite embarrassing. 

[St Louis]

20 hours ago, Lighthouse said:

Tiss was one of the few players who was genuinely loyal to us as he had serious offers to go elsewhere and earn more. I find it somewhat bemusing when people talk about the likes of Benali and Long being loyal.

JWP has stayed with us because he’s a lower mid-table standard player, or a reasonable squad option for a European competitor and up until now, we’ve managed to provide him with the former platform.

It is a completely different landscape now though. If you read Le Tiss's book, he says the best wage he earned here was something like £5,700 a week, and that Chelsea and Spurs were offering something like £6,300 a week (I cant recall the exact figures, but it was along those lines) and he says that he enjoyed it at Saints so much that an extra £600 a week wasnt enough to tempt him. But he does say that in the modern era if he had been on £50,000 a week at Saints and one of the big guns had come along and offered £150,000 a week, it would have made it impossible to stay. The chasm is bigger than its ever been between the 'big' clubs and us.

Personally I think JWP will leave, he will at least want a shot at making the Euro's squad next summer, and he knows he needs to be playing regularly in the Prem to even have a small chance. But us paying him well already (£100k a week) might give us a very slim chance of keeping him, as I cant see him being paid huge amounts more elsewhere.

[Lee On Solent Saint]

12 minutes ago, farawaysaint said:

I mean our fans are in fact shocking, this can be said independently of comments on how crap the team are. When you compare the graveyard of St Mary’s with some of the other teams who were relegation threatened this year it’s actually quite embarrassing. 

But the team has been so horrific, its hard to get any atmosphere going when you are watching the same shit week in and week out. 

[farawaysaint]

1 hour ago, Lee On Solent Saint said:

But the team has been so horrific, its hard to get any atmosphere going when you are watching the same shit week in and week out. 

And I fully agree, yet other relegation threatened teams managed it. Why do we have the monopoly on crap atmosphere because the team is doing bad? 

[Chewy]

2 minutes ago, farawaysaint said:

And I fully agree, yet other relegation threatened teams managed it. Why do we have the monopoly on crap atmosphere because the team is doing bad? 

Probably because it’s not just one season, it’s been dreadful in terms of results since Puel left, and the football in Puel’s season was horrible. That’s about 6 or 7 years of utter sh1te I and thousands of others have paid thousands for.

I’m not personally moaning; entirely my own choice. But I think it might explain why the atmosphere is somewhat flat.
 

[waylander]

1 hour ago, Chewy said:

Probably because it’s not just one season, it’s been dreadful in terms of results since Puel left, and the football in Puel’s season was horrible. That’s about 6 or 7 years of utter sh1te I and thousands of others have paid thousands for.

I’m not personally moaning; entirely my own choice. But I think it might explain why the atmosphere is somewhat flat.
 

We were top of the PL at one point under Ralph, or did I dream that?

[SotonianWill]

1 hour ago, farawaysaint said:

And I fully agree, yet other relegation threatened teams managed it. Why do we have the monopoly on crap atmosphere because the team is doing bad? 

because all the teams with good atmosphere at the bottom have just been promoted and are yet to join the “prem is boring” stage. 

[cloggy saint]

8 minutes ago, waylander said:

We were top of the PL at one point under Ralph, or did I dream that?

For about 36 hours.

[Lee On Solent Saint]

2 hours ago, farawaysaint said:

And I fully agree, yet other relegation threatened teams managed it. Why do we have the monopoly on crap atmosphere because the team is doing bad? 

Agree with that too, Everton/Leeds etc all managed to build up a positive atmosphere, but it could be argued that the teams they were watching showed some fight, urgency and determination. All we got were a shrug of the shoulders and a promise of doing better next game. 

[SotonianWill]

33 minutes ago, Lee On Solent Saint said:

Everton/Leeds etc all managed to build up a positive atmosphere

😂😂

[East Kent Saint]

4 hours ago, farawaysaint said:

I mean our fans are in fact shocking, this can be said independently of comments on how crap the team are. When you compare the graveyard of St Mary’s with some of the other teams who were relegation threatened this year it’s actually quite embarrassing. 

Er I think you have forgotten that over several seasons there was little chance of seeing our team actually win at home , what twice this season ? The question is why any fans bother to turn up week after week .

[S-Clarke]

53 minutes ago, Lee On Solent Saint said:

Agree with that too, Everton/Leeds etc all managed to build up a positive atmosphere, but it could be argued that the teams they were watching showed some fight, urgency and determination. All we got were a shrug of the shoulders and a promise of doing better next game. 

Was that before or after they frightened their directors out of the stadium after threats of harm?  

They put on an atmosphere on the final day, but I think it's easy to treat those sort of 'winner takes all' games as one off finals and support them with that mindset. Everton have been proper toxic in the stands all season though.

[Lee On Solent Saint]

18 minutes ago, SotonianWill said:

😂😂

You don't think they didn't? Certainly before relegation was confirmed Leeds fans were pretty decent. I don't agree with what Everton fans have done with threats against their board etc, but they made Goodison noisy. 

[Lee On Solent Saint]

1 minute ago, S-Clarke said:

Was that before or after they frightened their directors out of the stadium after threats of harm?  

They put on an atmosphere on the final day, but I think it's easy to treat those sort of 'winner takes all' games as one off finals and support them with that mindset. Everton have been proper toxic in the stands all season though.

Exactly, I don't agree with what they did and in general I think their fans are awful. But we had several "cup finals" over the past six or seven weeks, and the players couldn't put in a performance to get the fans going. The original point was that we as fans shouldn't be made to blame for a lack of atmosphere when the shit we have been watching is so poor. The team have to provide something on the pitch.