Although it’s an opinion that definitely exists I don’t think it is exactly a common one. JWP would absolutely eat the Championship and spit it out but I think most are expecting him to go and just want it over with so the team can be ready for the season. What people don’t want to see is JWP leaving the day before the transfer window shuts and as a result we fail to bring in a replacement or make a total rush job signing. And while realistically the club could manage its way around that, we have been burned too many times by Saints poor recruitment strategies over the last few years.
You'd think with a player as pivotal we'd have a time frame he can be sold by. James would surely be told this too, from both parties point of view I doubt would want it to drag on.
I'll own up to being very disappointed with JWP in the last couple of years. Stalwart - yes absolutely. Perfect injury history - unquestionable. Sublime set pieces - probably best in the world at top bins. But only one of those actually influences the game. We needed a player who could hit a moving ball, spot a running player, find dangerous spaces and carry the ball forward and he didn't deliver any of that. He turned into one of those many many players who turned up and played every week but had little to no impact. I love him for his loyalty and freekicks but loathe him for his open play (I don't loathe him, its just an expression). I don't blame him, last couple of seasons he was loaded up with too much responsibility and given a role he wasn't great at. He could be good again if he is freed of the burden of leadership and responsibility but he's not irreplaceable and Lavia amply showed it. In a single pivot system no way would I play him ahead of Lavia. Given both of them are likely gone anyway it's moot but changing JWP isn't going to be the worst thing to happen to the squad going forward.
I just think I watch a different player to most people How can you say he has no impact? He makes countless runs, and moves off the ball, works tirelessly. Every time he passes it to anyone that isn’t Lavia it comes straight back at him. He is quality on the ball and protects it well. He has been utilised as a ball winning midfielder who hasn’t really been asked get forward & be creative, yet he still has the most assists and goals from our midfield. Midfields need different kinds of players, he is not and will never be the Alcaraz creative number 10 type. But he is a fantastic CM for ball winning & retention and bringing other more creative players into the game. Not to mention his outstanding attitude and leadership off the pitch. He will be a huge, huge loss if he goes.
Seems like Willy might have signed a 1 year extension here. Seems a good move to me, particularly if Alcaraz stays. Hopefully we can shift McCarthy. Wonder what will happen with Lis. Seemed a strange one at the time and he's on a long contract here.
I would have thought McCarthy would be ideal as a no fuss English 3rd choice GK at a big club, a backup at the middling clubs and potential starter at bottom half clubs. Just depends whose in need of a GK I guess and whether he'd rather just sit out his high wages here. Agree though, ideal world we sell him and bring in a new no.2/competition for Baz with Willy as 3rd choice/experience/coach/interpreter/bigcharacter.
Couldn't disagree more. This is part of why he is so good. The trouble was the players around him were awful. Put Prowsey in a team of capable players and he will look a different player. There is a reason so many clubs have had a look at him in recent years. He is without doubt a top talent and we would miss him immensely if/when he goes.
Yeah most definitely, I don't think fiances would be much of a issue either really. We would provably only look at asking for a couple of million you would think. Maybe the new promoted clubs could take a punt as a second choice.
Can see his wages being more the problem then what we are willing to accept in terms of fee. Depends which clubs are in for him but I imagine he will have to reduce his wages to move when he could just stay and pick up some easy money here for the next two years.
He was one of the players that had a reduction in wages due to that 40% decrease since relegation which I think comes into effect after today. Also I read his wages dropped last season anyway based on the amount of games he played.
Hard disagree on his effectiveness during open play. The amount of times he would pinch the ball back and play a ball and create space only for the forwards to do precisely nothing with it. I personally believe he does his role reasonably effectively and he is blamed when others cannot do theirs, because he is our star player. It's hardly his fault that our attackers in the past 2 seasons have been complete ****. During the first period in the PL we had Lambert, Pelle and Ings who all contributed to our build up play and scored goals. Lately we have a striker in Adams who needs 5 great chances to score 1 goal and missed countless easy chances our former strikers would have buried with ease. The reason we went down is our shocking finishing in tight games we lost by 1 goal.
