Just mentioned on Sky that Saints have only Davis and Fonte left from our team of two years ago and have pocketed 130 mill in that time. They didn't add that we have continued to do well despite that...our system works. It is noticeable that we took our more recent players on longer contracts....4/5 years will be the norm from now on....keeps a players value up and gives us more security. Reflects well on the club that players will consider such long contracts....perhaps partly due to the fact that we are doing well and partly due to the fact that contracts are not handcuffs.
Stupid trivia time: among the current playing staff, after Fonte, name the player for whom the most time has elapsed since their first-team debut with Saints.
JWP? Made his debut in an cup game in 2011 (I think it was 2011), I was there so remember it being his first game. Only other shout I can think of right now is Isgrove.
Actually, you are right and I'm an idiot. The answer I was looking for was Jack Stephens, who is our (third)-most senior player despite never playing in a league game, but his cup appearance came a couple months after JWP.
Off the top of my head: Fonte (Jan 2010) JWP (Oct 2011) Stephens (Jan 2012) J.Rod (Aug 2012) S.Davis (Aug 2012) Yoshida (Aug 2012) Isgrove (Oct 2012)
Indeed, which was JWP's second appearance, as well. I am bad at trivia; had remembered that Stephens had made his debut in the cups during the Championship season, but not JWP.
Yep, Jack's debut, JWP's second game and he scored his first goal ever that night. I was there then, too! Celebrated in front of the away end after Lallana whipped a ball across from the left and he fired in from close range. Ran across in front of us with his tongue out and it was stained blue because of the Gatorade or whatever it was he was drinking.
I'm really looking forward to the lads returning to do their tests, in the next few days. I'm sure JROD will have been following a training programme, and will have been monitored, over the summer, so I am hoping the extra time will put him in a position to come back stronger than his last run out, where he looked quite weak.
