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James Ward-Prowse


Lallana's Left Peg

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His future role will be number 10 I think, people seem to over look hes got great feet and is comfortable with the ball on either foot, he's darted into the box a few times and quickly shifted direction to fool defenders.

 

If he adds some goals I think he'll get that position regularly but his versatility is playing in his favour at the moment.

 

He also told us pre-season that he wasn't going to settle for a place on the bench and hes certainly true to his word hes pushed hard for a first team spot and earnt it.

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Two things I thought of while watching from the comfort of NBC on Saturday:

1. He was much deeper than I expected, really another one alongside Morgan and Wanyama in that line, and covered very frequently for Clyne, esp in second half - he was almost playing right-back at some times. But he was perfectly good there.

2. We don't have anyone else quite like him. He has excellent delivery (yes even better than Fox), doesn't dribble/run too much, really good at short/long passes and always seems to have a lot of space around him (which the best passers often do). There's not really anyone else in the squad like that, or at least as good as that.

 

I'd say fatten him up and turn him into Jan Molby.

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His future role will be number 10 I think, people seem to over look hes got great feet and is comfortable with the ball on either foot, he's darted into the box a few times and quickly shifted direction to fool defenders.

 

If he adds some goals I think he'll get that position regularly but his versatility is playing in his favour at the moment.

 

He also told us pre-season that he wasn't going to settle for a place on the bench and hes certainly true to his word hes pushed hard for a first team spot and earnt it.

 

Kind of agree, but to really excel in that position he will need to be able to beat a man in the way that a Lallana, Cazorla, Silva, Barkley type player can.

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Two things I thought of while watching from the comfort of NBC on Saturday:

1. He was much deeper than I expected, really another one alongside Morgan and Wanyama in that line, and covered very frequently for Clyne, esp in second half - he was almost playing right-back at some times. But he was perfectly good there.

2. We don't have anyone else quite like him. He has excellent delivery (yes even better than Fox), doesn't dribble/run too much, really good at short/long passes and always seems to have a lot of space around him (which the best passers often do). There's not really anyone else in the squad like that, or at least as good as that.

 

I'd say fatten him up and turn him into Jan Molby.

 

I agree - would still like to see much more from in an attacking sense, though his set pieces justify and crosses from deep justify his inclusion alone.

 

Moreover, he allows Clyne to play virtually as a winger, something which didn't work when he played in the same position against West Brom, Sunderland and Norwich when Clyne was injured and Chambers was unwilling to take advantage of the cover/protection JWP had given him.

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Agree - think he does a very similar job to Davis, but JWP has a better delivery. If both are fit, I see no reason to play Davis as much as a good job hes done for us.

 

Not really- Davis gets further forward and has played more centrally. When he was shunted out to the right e.g. against Swansea, he struggled, forcing MP to bring JWP on and move Davis inside where he was much more effective. JWP has largely played on the right and been more of a backstop for the fullback to bomb on - a ploy which works when Clyne is in but not Chambers.

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Two things I thought of while watching from the comfort of NBC on Saturday:

1. He was much deeper than I expected, really another one alongside Morgan and Wanyama in that line, and covered very frequently for Clyne, esp in second half - he was almost playing right-back at some times. But he was perfectly good there.

2. We don't have anyone else quite like him. He has excellent delivery (yes even better than Fox), doesn't dribble/run too much, really good at short/long passes and always seems to have a lot of space around him (which the best passers often do). There's not really anyone else in the squad like that, or at least as good as that.

 

I'd say fatten him up and turn him into Jan Molby.

 

These criticism were levelled at one D Beckham. He didn't turn out to be half bad. And he could deliver a good set piece.

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Part of the reason Clyne bombed on against Fulham was to create space behind him for the ball to be played back to JWP so he could whip in his crosses from deep. Not the most subtle of tactics, but it has it's place and difficult to stop.

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personally he was my MOM saturday, one thing i found really interesting was about 10mins in to the second half him and morgan swapped places with Clyne and Shaw. I'm guessing MP saw how slow their defence was and just let us rip at them for a 15 minute spell to scare the life out of them.

 

It's those clever little tactical things that make me rate him so highly as a manger, i can't help but think we've got seriously, seriously lucky there. All i'm worried about for the minute is United coming in for MP and him coming back for Ward Prowse, Shaw and Clyne!

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  • 2 weeks later...

Thought I'd bring this thread back to the top (the one about his set-pieces wasn't quite appropriate), because yesterday demonstrated JWP's versatility IMO.

 

Whilst his primary starting role was on the right of the supporting 3, and he often allowed Clyne to overlap and tucked in behind, when Wanyama went off, it was JWP who actually moved back into the holding role alongside Morgan, with Davis further forward.

 

It showed to me another reason why JWP is so in favour at present (aside from being a technically excellent footballer and in great form)... he can actually play in any of the 5 'midfield' positions... either the holding role, or one of the supporting 3. And he is equally adept in ANY of those positions. Add in his set-piece delivery and I would actually suggest that his contribution to the team is more significant that he is perhaps given credit for. He cannot be dropped at present.

 

Naturally, he won't win as much in the air as Wanyama, or be quite as strong in the tackle, BUT his mobility and unending running mean he often nicks the ball away from the opposition without needing a solid tackle or header... he is just quicker and sharper than most and is rarely shaken off by any player who is marking/shadowing.

 

He is a truly great player in the making, IMO.

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Thought I'd bring this thread back to the top (the one about his set-pieces wasn't quite appropriate), because yesterday demonstrated JWP's versatility IMO.

 

Whilst his primary starting role was on the right of the supporting 3, and he often allowed Clyne to overlap and tucked in behind, when Wanyama went off, it was JWP who actually moved back into the holding role alongside Morgan, with Davis further forward.

 

It showed to me another reason why JWP is so in favour at present (aside from being a technically excellent footballer and in great form)... he can actually play in any of the 5 'midfield' positions... either the holding role, or one of the supporting 3. And he is equally adept in ANY of those positions. Add in his set-piece delivery and I would actually suggest that his contribution to the team is more significant that he is perhaps given credit for. He cannot be dropped at present.

 

Naturally, he won't win as much in the air as Wanyama, or be quite as strong in the tackle, BUT his mobility and unending running mean he often nicks the ball away from the opposition without needing a solid tackle or header... he is just quicker and sharper than most and is rarely shaken off by any player who is marking/shadowing.

 

He is a truly great player in the making, IMO.

 

Bravo. That's my opinion too. We're so lucky to have him.

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  • 2 months later...

He does have a great future, but at present there is no obvious place to play him. He isn't a Schneiderlin, or a Jack Cork-type and Lallana has a " roaming role " all over the pitch.

 

For any 19 year old to already have had his experience in this divison is something quite exceptional.

 

IMHO.....It's no cause for concern at present, he'll be there-or-there abouts for a while, before becoming a permanent fixture...in a year or two..

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Not been overly impressed with him, understandably he's no longer in the starting 11. I think we'd all like to think he is one for the future, but I'm not convinced. His dead ball delivery is good, but how many goals and assists does he have? He was very poor against Burnley, although in fairness to him he was playing on the right which doesn't seem to be his best position. Think he will end up in the Championship

 

Sent from my HTC One S using Tapatalk

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He's struggled to operate at full potential in the last few months but that's more a reflection of his age and playing loads of games in a high intensity position. He needs a rest now and will come back better than before. Lallana had several years at a much lower level to hone his game, we need to be patient with JWP and it WILL pay dividends.

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All fair points about his development but I still don't think it is evident as to what his best position is.

 

At his age group (and in playing for England U21's) he looks like a very good holding midfielder in the middle, but I just don't think Pochettino fancies him there.

 

And there are other things to his game I think he needs to develop when playing further forward. There is no natural position for him at the moment based on the way we play, but he is on his way to being a very good player anyhow.

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All fair points about his development but I still don't think it is evident as to what his best position is.

 

At his age group (and in playing for England U21's) he looks like a very good holding midfielder in the middle, but I just don't think Pochettino fancies him there.

 

And there are other things to his game I think he needs to develop when playing further forward. There is no natural position for him at the moment based on the way we play, but he is on his way to being a very good player anyhow.

 

He is a good option in a 433 but struggles to fit in a little in a 4231. Technically excellent player though, He can learn alot from Steve Davis who you think wouldn't work in our formation either but is a class act.

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  • 3 months later...

I wish I could see the exciting future for JWP that many on this forum believe. Neat and tidy player with a much improved dead ball and crossing set of skills. After nearly two seasons at Prem level and turning 20 in November, I can't see the predicted glittering career being fulfilled.

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I wish I could see the exciting future for JWP that many on this forum believe. Neat and tidy player with a much improved dead ball and crossing set of skills. After nearly two seasons at Prem level and turning 20 in November, I can't see the predicted glittering career being fulfilled.

 

Same, can see him being a solid top flight player, in the same vein as someone like Davis or Jonathan Walters but not one to set the world alight and become a top top player.

 

I hope to be proven wrong of course.

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Have to agree, in the away games when VW was out when we fell apart second half (Spurs, Sunderland, Chelsea etc) he was outmuscled and out of position - think he needs to bulk up and and a bit of bite/strength if he really wants to be a PL CM

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Have to agree, in the away games when VW was out when we fell apart second half (Spurs, Sunderland, Chelsea etc) he was outmuscled and out of position - think he needs to bulk up and and a bit of bite/strength if he really wants to be a PL CM

 

Where was Lallana 5 years ago. Would say Ward-Prowse is arguably a better player now than Adam was at his age. Still has time on his side IMO.

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