I think they are both very similar. They are both fast and direct. They both rely on others making the play for them. They both take on shots from outrageous distances leaving teammates fuming. TBH I think Jay getting 15 for us was more impressive than Sturridge getting 21 (16 alongside Suarez and 5 without.) plus Jay was not playing as a 2 man front line, he was playing as a wide forward. I think they are both about the same i.e. good but not top notch.
Most of this I agree with and it is a fact that Rodriguez benefited from playing alongside the likes of Lambert who was happy to create chances for others. However, Jay is also more than capable of making his own chances. His ability to run at defenders and take them on is one of his strengths. The dichotomy is that it is also his greatest weakness in that he would often try and take on one player too many when an easy pass would have been the more sensible option.
My attitude is now sod 'em as we are bigger than they are. As they say, It's the name on the front of the shirt, not the name on the back that matters. And don't get too fond of the players, though that is very hard to do with Pelle and Tadic. However, I don't see a similar thing happening this summer...just the usual comings and goings.
I didn't think he took too many players on. I don't think Sturridge takes too many people on. They both shoot from 30 yards too often though when neither is the sort you associate with rasping shots bulging the net from distance. Lambert can do that but didn't. Jay can't do that but tried to. Sturridge and Welbeck both do it for England. All 3 are players that are looking for that glory moment and indicitive of youngsters that have been born into the media frenzy that they seem to feel pressured to show they are worth their place which often comes at the detriment of the team and ends up being the reverse. I think Jay, Welbeck and Sturridge are very similar players at very similar levels. Comparing goal tallys or stats is a bit silly because that is swayed by the team they are in and the players they play with. My point was simply that Jay has 1 England cap and was derided for his performance as being out of his depth (even though it wasn't his fault nor a bad performance.) Welbeck went to Arsenal for £16m and is only 23 and is allegedly on 75k Sturridge went to Liverpool for £13.2m and is 25 and is allegedly on 80k There is no way we will get more than £20m for Jay especially with only 1 year left on his contract, and to persuade him to stay we would need to get close to the wages that Welbeck and Sturridge are earning because those players are at an equal level to him. Therefore I think he will be gone and I think we would end up taking £15m to £20m for him next summer.
I think so much depends on where we end up this season. Top four finish and I think they will both want to extend their contracts. Europa might be enough for Jay but realistically they will want Chamions league. and who can blame them What I find quite interesting is the way the club are starting to fight a rearguard action against greedy agent / parents and the Gerrard-like influences at England camps. In all the articles about Saints this season, the hierarchy seem quite relaxed about the players that left but were adamant about holding Morgan to his contract. Their tag line 'we don't take short cuts' is a less than subtle dig at the defectors and the increasing presence of legends like MLT and Frannie is way of emphasising that it's not all about money. It's a physcological battle that most on here consider to be a lost cause but the culture of the club is very much challenging that.
I remember that England game...Jay tracked back and did two good interceptions when England were in trouble (typical of a Southampton player). The problem is that people missed that and judged him on the fact that England played badly.
Mmm. Let's word the counter point differently then .... Sturridge doesn't release the ball anywhere near early enough for most of the time.
Indeed he is selfish and looking fro the limelight and the glory. Its indicitive of most young modern English players. Every time they put a shirt on they play for theirselves and are so desperate to get that glory. The sort of glory that means players like Andros Townsend are treated as 'that something England need' when the truth is he won't pass and one shot out of 50 is going to go in. Exactly. He was derided for being out of his depth when the truth was he was on the left wing in a game where England played through the middle and lost the ball all the time. The tracking back he did very well and that was all he could do in that particular game. I think half the problem with English forwards is quite evident on every football forum (including this one) where people are obsessed with pace. Its been that way ever since Michael Owen burst onto the scene however the best strikers that the PL era have seen are Fowler, Shearer, Drogba, Sheringham. They are not fast, they are just clinical, can score all manner of goals from close and long range. They are strong, powerful and play the team game. Maybe things will move back to that kind of forward in the Prem with Costa and Pelle being in there. I can guarantee though that while a modern speedster forward (thinking Walcott, Welbeck, Sturridge, Rodriguez or similar) will get the pundit line 'He's going through a barren spell and just needs a bit of luck' forwards like Pelle and Lambert (old fashioned CFs) will get the pundit line of He's done well but lacks that yard of pace I think a combination of Mourinho returning to the Prem and Barcelonas 'tiki taka' being beaten we have seen that change last year from a pacy 4-4-2 / 4-3-3 to teams playing 4-2-3-1 revert back already to how it was. powerful CFs that can score proper goals for me all the way (The goals bit rules Altidore out)
Not seen it mentioned on this thread and not been on many other threads but thought I would share something i've heard and that's Jay Rod had to have a second operation on his knee which was carried out a couple of weeks ago. This comes via a friend who's relation works at the local private hospital. Now this could be nothing, it might even be standard procedure for ACL recovery to have a secondary operation, but it doesn't sound good to my layman brain. I think hopes of him returning this year are unlikely if this is correct.
Don't they sometimes have exploratory keyhole ops just to see how the healing process is coming along..? Pretty sure they do.
I sense a bit of antipathy to Jay on this thread, has he hinted that he wants to move or something? He was superb for us last season and players that can score 15 Premier League goals from open play are pretty thin on the ground and I would much rather he was scoring for us instead of one of our rivals. It's not as if we need any more money is it
Yes, we need more money. You always need more money. Having said that, we have the luxury right now of being in the black and can therefore look long term in our investments.
I hope Jay comes back, both for himself and us. We need another striker...doesn't sound like he will be back until the New Year though. I think we all know now that no one is bigger than the club and we can survive, so we either get a player or money. Get well soon, Jay and JWP...tough on players, especially missing our best season.
Has he been offered a new one?....If he is refusing to sign it, then I guess that is a clear indication that he is unsettled here.
