I've been thinking about this post since before the miserable defeat this weekend against Everton. Since before James Ward-Prowse was trying to keep warm sitting on the bench for at least one of the England games last week. So it was with some dismay that as the new Total Saints Podcast landed, I saw that they were going to cover the whole 'issue' of JWP as part of the chat.
Ward-Prowse attempts to measure the gaps between the central midfielders in a 4-2-2-2
Thunder stealers that they are...I'm actually glad they did have that discussion, because I largely disagree with what the learned contributors were saying.
Here's the rub...
On TSP (which is excellent, by the way - you should subscribe) the general feeling was that Ward-Prowse has been hampered in his performances this season, certainly since the unfortunate injury to Romeo Lavia, by the lack of a quality midfielder alongside him. He's variously had run-outs with Ibrahima Diallo, Stuart Armstrong (at times) and latterly Ainsley Maitland-Niles. They're all central midfielders, bar possibly Armstrong, and in Maitland-Niles' case, one who may be unfamiliar with Ralph's 4-2-2-2 system. But central midfielders all the same. Granted though, none of them have been much cop in that position this season. In the case of JWP though, the general summation was along the lines of 'it's not me, it's you', and something of an absolution of responsibility. Jacob Tanswell of the Athletic wrote a piece recently about how time is ticking for Prowse on the international scene as well, and the longer the Saints malaise continues, the more he may have to look at whether or not St. Mary's is the right place for him and his international ambitions.
Okay, okay. I get that. But hold on (and please bear in mind, I'm a big fan of James Ward-Prowse. He's as much "Mr. Southampton" as anyone born in Portsmouth could be), he's the captain. He's the captain of an underperforming team. He's the captain that doesn't seem to really rally the troops when heads start to drop. He has responsibilities here, and they are responsibilities that aren't seemingly being taken.
Now, I'm not expecting him to transform himself into a fire-breathing commander, Roy Keane style. He's not that type. But I am expecting our captain to lead by example. To show a never-die attitude. But JWP seems as brow-beaten as the rest of them, so we have to then rely on his game.
Not a face you'll see JWP ever pulling.
Ray Wilkins made a successful career of sideways and backwards passing, to the extent he was nicknamed 'The Crab' by manager Ron Atkinson. In a struggling team though, and one that seems bereft of creative capability, you need your best midfielder to run the show and create chances. There's no doubting his quality with a dead ball (though you'd be hard pressed to be too effusive about his corners currently, regardless of what you hear on commentary), but the immediate thought process of 'safety first' isn't getting any team out of a rut. What is keeping him out the England reckoning isn't Maitland-Niles, it's JWP's instinctive response to shift the ball sideways or backwards over the progressive option. If he needs a good DM (such as Lavia) alongside him, then his job is to make the searching forwards passes. He's not doing his job well enough this season, either as captain or as the key orchestrator in midfield. You're waiting upstairs for a night of passion, and he's telling you that he'll be up once he's put the bins out...
Harsh, yes. Wrong? Well, I don't believe so. I love the guy, and he's been an incredible servant for the club. But he's one step away from being a truly top-grade footballer, and I think that's what Southgate sees. Club captain, yes. Team captain? Not for me if there are other, more forceful options. I could actually see someone like Bella-Kotchap taking that mantle eventually.
Future captain material? Give it a few years...
Can we blame the downturn on the management of the increasingly under pressure Ralph? Partly, yes. Perhaps even largely. Much as I've wanted the project with Ralph to work, I'm leaning more and more toward the need now for a change. He seems to be a dead man walking currently, with yet more questions and criticisms being raised by "sources close to players" via The Athletic. I suspect the club are looking at alternatives (for me, people like Matthias Jaissle at Salzburg are worth a phone call. If we're playing with a squad of kids, we may as well have the youngest manager in the league too), but let's see if there's one more quack in the lame duck left as we face Manchester City at the Etihad. Death by Haaland awaits.
Ralph's Executioners await...
Oh the joy...
COYR!