Transfer Rumours Transfer Rumours - Summer 2018

That makes me feel sick!

Really hope we don’t sell him. He started scoring goals last season and making an impact.

 

How many goals did he get last year?

 

3, which is actually less than he scored the season before under Puel.

 

I was thinking I don't remember him getting many... one was at Fulham wasn't it?

 

Think so, I remember he scored both goals away against Watford because I was there but other than that idk.

 

What people always forget is that JWP is nowhere near his peak yet, why would we want to sell a 23 year old homegrown England player that has been around the first team since he was 17, is an England U21 Captain (many times too), is by far our best supplier of opportunities from set pieces and is our biggest threat from direct free kicks, for a pittance?
He is a versatile midfielder who played in a deeper role under Southgate for England U21s, he rarely wastes possession and has a good range of passing, has good energy and has a knack of getting in the box at the right time, his finishing does need to improve though.

 

James has to get more starts for his own development....can't be brought on firefighting all the time. Hardly fair if he gets most game time when we are already struggling. May suit us to keep him as a good back up player, but may be time to move for the sake of his own career. Can see why Saints would try and hold on to him and I want him to stay as well, but this season will be the turning point of his career here. Can see him moving next season if not this one...unless something changes. He has to choose his next team wisely....and he is smarter than most footballers.

 

He's nearly 24, which is the sort of age where your development is not over, but starting to flatline. He's not going to become much better than he is now, and unfortunately he's proven that he's not good enough to play in the middle of the pitch, despite his early promise with England U21's (which is a very long way from PL level). We have better options in the middle. I'd be sad to see him go and I think he's more suited to a wing back role, as he is somewhat a teachers pet player that can follow tactical instructions well. He'd also be a great outlet on the right with his delivery whipping balls in to Austin/Gabbi/Armstrong. I don't see anyone at the club wanting to get rid of him, as you said he's young & home grown, but if he feels its in his best interest to move, I don't see the club standing in his way if the opportunities aren't here for him.

 

I know he's not exactly the second coming of Messi, but I'd be gutted on a personal level to lose JWP, particularly if it's down to a clash with Hughes in terms of personality.

Would be interested to see Welbeck here though. Think it would be the right kind of club and the right level of club for him if he knuckled down. There's double figures of goals there if he's played regularly.

 

Agreed on all points there.

 

Got to be careful about all this talk about not getting on with Hughes....things get added each time the story is retold. It may very well be down to him wanting more game time than Hughes wants to give him. That's a discussion not a flaming row.

 

I think that's the case with with some players, especially those who rely on physical attributes. But for Prowse who doesn't then the main limiter is the amount of game time he gets. Doesn't matter his age, when he gets a full season of starts in an single position he'll improve. If we aren't going to play him I would loan him out as i guarantee if he gets starts he'll come back a much better player.

I think it's insane to say a player who doesn't even know his best position yet has peaked.

 

The fact that he's nearly 24 and doesn't know his best position says a lot about his skill set. If he was good enough he'd have cemented himself in the team.

 

yup, he's very versatile and can cover half the pitch so he's used in a different position depending on what the manager wants. think the only positions he's not been used in is CB, LB and striker.
Great problem to have but it means he's never been allowed to specialise, and if he doesnt specialise he's not going to be the best player we can get in a position. its a catch 22.

 

I would say that most player's peak years are between 25-31 personally.

 

He's versatile yes, but not good enough to be first choice in any of those positions. The club are aware of his versatility, the problem is that he's (apparently) not content with that role in the squad. That was my point, he's not developed in to a proper role at the club despite multiple managers giving him opportunities, he (apparently) wants to move on due to not really having a place in the squad. I'll repeat myself again, I'd be sad to see him go as I think he could be used as a wing back.

 

He was one of our better performers last season in a very poor season, it's not his fault that an incompetent (at PL level) manager failed to see it.

 

Yeah that's their peak for sure, but the bulk of a players development happens between 18-23. Very few players drastically improve beyond that, other than centre backs/keepers.

 

He had a good second half of Puel's season and should've been allowed to kick on last season, but Pellegrino put his faith in the older, senior players for too long.

 

That's just not true, he had a couple of good games but was largely anonymous/poor last season. Koeman, Puel, Pellegrino & now Hughes don't rate him as a starter, they're not all incompetent. Puel made the most effort with him and tried him in a few different attacking roles, mainly wide right or behind the striker but ultimately he never made himself undroppable.