Rules:
Figures in brackets denote the first and second half of the season.
If you wan’t to slag off the ratings without giving me a reason – go **** yourself.
McCarthy 6 (7 & 5)
First choice at the start of the season and a solid first
half of the campaign but it all seem to go to shit around the old Trafford
annihilation and since then has not been the same. The alternating between him
and Fraser has not done him any favours because the comparison is there for all
to see and Fraser has been the more reliable looking goalkeeper during the last
few weeks of the season. Alex is clearly a very laid-back personality and that
calmness it’s good at times but sometimes this season, he has been so calm but
he seems to virtually fallen asleep and done something ridiculously
lackadaisical. I can certainly see Alex starting on the bench next season.
Forster 7
His comeback from injury, a catastrophic loss of form and
depression is great story but it wouldn’t be a great story without him
performing well between the sticks. Initially he was called upon in cup games
this season but as the season wore on, Ralph realised that Fraser was probably
worthy of the number one Jersey as much as Alex McCarthy and so he got his
chance and in the main has performed really well. A lot more confident coming
off his line now and the change from watching him being stationed directly
under the crossbar to being quite comfortable with the sweeper keeper demands
of the modern game, is a tribute to the new goalkeeping coach and makes you
wonder what the hell the last one was doing for all those years. Fraser at his
best is certainly better than Alex at his best and then it comes down to
consistency. I fully expect Fraser to be another one keeper in the new season.
Walker Peters 8 (8 & 8)
What a signing this bloke has been. Solid defensively and a
wonderful attacking outlet has provided so much spark to the team virtually all
season. It’s quite something to be solid defensively and still provide a vast
majority of our attacking threat in some games. If it wasn’t for the ridiculous
proliferation of good right backs for qualified to play for England, he would
certainly be in the conversation for the full international side but all we can
hope for this summer is that none of the big boys have got their eye on him because
he’s an absolutely top player there was proved once again, that you can hang
around at the big clubs for far too long. Lost form for a month or so due to being
over-played when just back from injury but the reason for that will become
clear in a bit…
Valery n/a
There is a player in there somewhere but he doesn’t seem to
have a brain between his ears and has not improved at all this season. He
should be the ideal back up to KWP but he just isn’t and even when we had no
alternative, we preferred to get him out on-loan to a Championship club, where
he has singularly failed to perform in quite spectacular fashion. It is
certainly time to move him on in the summer and it’s just a shame it’s come to
this for a player who scored an absolute worldie at Old Trafford a couple years
ago. Strong Instagram Game, drawing unavoidable comparisons with Mario Lemina.
Bertrand 6 (7 & 5)
What turned out to be the last season for Ryan Bertrand has
been a bit of a disappointing one by his very high standards. If you put his
seven seasons in order of performance, this one would most definitely be
seventh. Seems to have lost the drive to get forward and doesn’t appear to have
been as solid defensively. Still a very good player with a lot to offer and a
new challenge will probably bring the best out of him next season. Sorry to see
him go but time waits for no one and after the Shane Long contract extension
fiasco of last summer, I don’t believe the club would be willing to give
another longish term contract to a player who is over 30 and showing signs of
going downhill. A great servant to the club and I wish him all the best.
Vokins n/a
He’s got about five years left on his contract but I fail to
see how the academy coaches of the club can think that this guy is ever going
to make it as a Premier League fullback as he appears to have no defensive nous
at all. When you can’t tackle and have
no idea where to position yourself as a defender, it’s a bit of a problem. Has
been loaned out to Sunderland this year in League 1 and has not been getting a
game so how on earth was he the back up for Ryan Bertrand at the start of the
season. His failure to develop has left us in a spot of bother because in an
ideal world we would recruit a first choice left back and a youngster to be the
backup. Vokins should’ve been that youngster but he just isn’t.
Backs
Vestergaard 7.5 (8 & 7)
Was magnificent at the start of the season, both attacking
and defending and his passing was out of this world. A real feature of the
season as him dropping 60 yard passes on to the top of KWP on the right hand
side. However, his great range of passing and impressive distribution off
either foot can sometimes take attention away from the fact that when he’s not
on his game, his defending is quite poor at times. He has looked knackered the
last few weeks and has not been marking players closely enough but with one
year left on his contract, we either need him to sign a new deal or in the
summer or move him on. Moving him on will mean a bit of a change to the way we
play as a vast majority of our playing out from the back comes through him. A solid season regardless and some real
eye-catching performances and we certainly missed him when he was injured.
Bednarek 6 (7 & 5)
Average season to be honest. Has still been virtually an
ever-present but has made a lot of mistakes that he’s got out of with bloody
mindedness and bravery. Doesn’t seem to have had the consistency of last season and will be under threat for his place from Salisu if he doesn’t improve next
season. I think that he has been over-played this season and should’ve been
taken out of the side after the 9-0 drubbing at Old Trafford. Has also been
hung out to dry being forced to play at right back for a couple of games which didn’t
do his confidence any good either.
Salisu 7
This boy is going to be some player. Rumour has it that the
hierarchy of the club think that he is one that we are going to be selling on
in a couple of years for a big amount of money.
If he can improve his passing and his play going forward then I don’t
see why not. The first thing is that he is a big unit and he can move.
Sometimes he looks a bit cumbersome and slow in his decision making but
increased game time and training should see an improvement there. I have a
feeling he will be a first choice central defender next season regardless of
who the alternatives are. Has done well when filling in at left back but that
is clearly not his position.
Stephens 5.5 (5 & 6)
Same old, same old for Jack. In and out of the team all
season, having two or three decent games and then coughing up an almighty bollock.
It has always been thus. Apparently, he’s doing extra training these days to
try and force himself back into contention and fair enough. I do like his
attitude, like the way he organises people but until he starts being more
aggressive in challenges and cuts out the horrendous lapses in concentration,
he’s never going to be anything more than squad player and this is exactly the
same as has been the case for the last 5 or 6 years.
On you go lad, we’re 7-0 down with 9 men – try and keep it tight.
6’s
Ward Prowse 8.5 (9 & 8)
The machine has played every minute of every game this season
and has been putting in consistently good performances the entire time. He’s all about consistency and anyone who
thinks that he is just about free-kicks and corners is not watching closely
enough. He should be a starter for England in Euro 2020 but I find myself
shaking my head in disbelief as more and more pundits can’t even find a place
for him and a 26 man squad. Has become so much better defensively over the last
couple of years and post-Romeu injury, has had to adapt his game when partnering
Stuart Armstrong and has done so superbly.
Romeu 8
A classic case of realising how good a player is when
he’s not available. When Ori got injured by a combination of a shit tackle and
a shit pitch at Leeds, it robbed us of our midfield linchpin and meant we were
always struggling. The goals per game conceded with and without Romeu must be
quite spectacular in their difference. We have absolutely no one in the squad remotely
capable of replacing him and this for me was a lot of our issues in the second
half of the season. Sped up his game in possession and enjoyed an excellent first half of the season when the spine of the team looked impressive.
Diallo 6.5 (8 & 5)
Had to be patient as expected upon signing but in the main,
has done pretty well whenever called upon. He seem to have a dip after
Christmas, post injury and the partnership with him and JWP didn’t seem to work
for a while. Ralph has mentioned that he did seem to suffer during Ramadan but
there is a promising player in there and it will be interesting to see him
develop next season. Put in some excellent performances pre-injury and it’s hard to believe how young he still is.
Jankewitz n/a
Provided one of the moments of the season, getting himself
sent off after 65 seconds or whatever it was, when he thought a Ninja Drop Kick was a good way to mark his Premier League debut. Ralph has obviously washed his
hands of Alex, as he has not played another minute since. Instead of that we
have given minutes to players who have not deserved them at all. For me, this
is bad man management. He made a
bad mistake and we all make them, especially when you’re a young kid trying
hard to impress. Sadly, I don’t think he’s going to be around next season so we
will probably never see him putting in any decent performances is in a
Southampton shirt.
10’s
Armstrong 8 (7 & 9)
Stuart Armstrong is everything I like about a footballer.
Understated, works hard and more often than not, produces. You always feel like
there’s a chance of an end product when Armstrong has the ball, be it from his
eye to goal or his intelligence in picking out the right player. That’s what
sets him apart, apart from his great hair. He knows what he is
doing, knows what he wants to do and always plays his head up and sees the bigger picture. After we got
buried by Manchester United, I did question whether Stuart could have a play in
central midfield in our system but he prove me wrong towards the end of the
season by forming a great partnership with JWP and it’s certainly an option that
we can use next season when maybe we want to get another attacking player on
the pitch. For me, without the bout of Covid and the after affects for a few
weeks, he would certainly have been in the conversation for player of the
season.
Smallbone n/a
Up and down season that was cut short by an ACL injury. Looks
quite lightweight whenever he played and certainly needs to come back from the
injury more bulked up and more able to withstand the demands of playing
top-flight football. I can certainly see him developing into a Stuart Armstrong
type of wide player.
Walcott 6 (8 & 4)
Considering he left the club 15 years ago, I failed to get
excited by the over-hyping of Theo’s return. That said, he initially did a lot
better than I thought it would be until an injury took about 2 1/2 months out
of a season. When he returned for the last few games, he was decidedly off the
pace but overall, I’m quite happy to have him around for the next two seasons
as he is undoubtedly an asset and a positive influence when he is fit. He clearly
wants to play for us and clearly is happy to put in the work required. When he’s on form, he brings direct running to
the attack and is nearly always positive and not afraid to lose the ball or get
tackled. I’m never 100% sure he knows
what he’s going to do next but overall, it’s been a positive.
Redmond 4 (4 & 4)
One good game against a Championship side in the FA Cup
kept him in and around the starting 11 for the rest of the season. He has been
absolutely woeful overall in the Premier League and often brings next to nothing to the team. A
winger who is frightened of the tackle and therefore spends most of his time
turning away from players and then knocking the easy ball backwards. He is
supposed to add a bit of cut and thrust to the team, and maybe also some goals
and assists but just doesn’t do it. I’m not convinced that he is happy to play
with the intensity that is demanded by Ralph and it is a mystery to me how he
has been rewarded for some pretty catastrophic performances, by being
continually picked in the team. It is of course, frustrating because he has the talent but
doesn’t seem to have the will to use it. Has this incredibly irritating habit
of smiling and laughing when he does something abysmally shit and only seems to
get angry with his own teammates whereas is always happy and jovial with the
opposition. Seems to be stuck in an almighty rut and it would maybe be best for all
parties if he moved on this summer.
Djenepo 4 (5 & 3)
How long are we going to wait? Basically, Moussa is just a
newer version of Sofiane Boufal where you can see that he has some ability but
after two years, you do begin to wonder whether he is ever going to show it on
a consistent basis. To be honest, I can’t see it, as to play with the
physicality required to play in the Premier League, seems to be too much for
him to take and that’s when he becomes made of biscuits and just breaks. Seems
to have an infectious personality and wants to do well and always tries hard
but I just don’t see it happening. If he is still here next year then it’s a
now-or-never season.
Minamino 4
We went to Liverpool to try and sign the full back that we
needed and instead of that, we signed a an average lightweight
winger who we didn’t need. No better than any the other wingers that we have
and apart from scoring a couple of really good goals, didn’t seem to have
anything else to his game that made him any use. He did try and adapt to the
pressing game but just doesn’t have the physicality to do it and I think what
drives me most nuts about him was his total inability to come out on top in any
sort of challenge. If ever there was a player anywhere near him, he just lost
the ball. He didn’t have enough pace and strength to get past anyone but it
didn’t stop him trying which meant that he just kept giving the ball away. You’d have to set the team up a very specific
way to accommodate him as a traditional central No 10 but we’re not going to do
that, so the thought of wasting money signing him permanently, is horrifying.
Tella 7
He’s a lad who has a genuine love of the game and always
brings great energy and enthusiasm. Not a 90 minute player as yet but has the
raw materials and correct attitude to be a success. Should’ve had more minutes
towards the end of the season but we were too busy trying to get as much use as
possible and keep the cost down of Minamino. Nathan is one of the reasons to
look forward to next season to see how he develops. Needs to work on the end
product and of course, having enough in the tank to make a contribution for 90
minutes.
Chauke n/a
Thrown into the first team for the FA Cup game against
Shrewsbury and was okay. At only 17 it’s impossible to tell whether he’s ever
going to make a first-team player but he certainly doesn’t look ready yet. One
for the future.
Watts n/a
Played the same cup game against Shrewsbury and looks to have
a bit of swagger about him, as you normally get from Aussies. Played on the
wing but is primarily a central midfielder. Will certainly have to bulk up to
play in that position in the system we use.
Ings 7.5 (9 and 6)
Has struggled a bit with injuries this term, because of the
condensed season no doubt, but what a player. The guy makes such a huge
difference for Saints when he is playing and fully fit. Without him, would be
in the bottom three without a question. With just one year left on his contract
you do wonder where he’s going to end up. If I was him and I had an offer for a
bigger club, there is no way I would be at Southampton next season given the
way we have been going the last six months but of course, I desperately want
him to stay because we would have to recruit out of the park to finds a striker
as good as him. The injury at the end of the season has been particularly badly
timed because I can see him missing out on the Euro 2021 squad (Update: He did
miss out). The pandemic certainly seems to have conspired against him because
he would’ve definitely been in the squad if the tournament been played at the
time it was supposed to have been played.
Adams 7 (7 & 7)
Is partnership with Danny Ings is one of the main reasons we
have kept our heads above water this season. A definite improvement on last
season with more goals more assists and generally looking like an established
Premier League player. Will only improve next season. Overall, I think he can
look back at this season and think that he’s done a decent job. Needs to score
more of the simple goals and needs to have a bit more luck with referees and
VAR decisions next year because if he’d had that this year, he’d have ended up
with about 15 goals. Needs to work on his composure in front of goal because at
the moment he just belts the living shit out of everything which bring some
spectacular successes (Sheffield United away) but some dreadful misses (Spurs
away).
Obafemi n/a
Was due to go out on loan at Swansea and get some valuable
experience and hopefully play a lot of games but predictably, got injured
before he was supposed to go and spent the time rehabbing instead. Now back fit
again, he looks like a boxer and you do wonder whether he’s ever going to have
the professionalism required to play Premier League football. There is
obviously some talent in the guy and he’s got a bit of swagger about him, which
you need but seems more concerned about how he looks than being able to play
football. As I write, has never strung together two decent performances in a
row, let alone played two lots of 90 minutes. Has to do it next season or I
can’t see it happening at all.
N’Lundulu n/a
In his substitute appearances, he has added a lot of energy
and most of the time does not seem afraid to put himself about. I would ideally
like to have seen him a few more times at the end of the season. Needs to work
on his first touch and there might be a player in there. Needs to go out on
loan next season I feel.
League 1 Minus 10 
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