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VVD back in training!

conaero

By conaero,
in The Saints

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the saint in winchester

the saint in winchester

Posted
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Great news. And interesting how it has changed my prediction of the game dramatically - now think we will win easily (if he plays). Beforehand thought we might struggle.

 

Why is that? He plays in central defence, where we have only conceded two (in EPL), only one player has scored against us. Unless we are playing him up front, can't see adding VVD turns this, or any other game, into "an easy win". Indeed, if we are looking for a goal, maybe he SHOULD be pushed up front for the final 10 minutes.

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Shroppie

Shroppie

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Like the way the club did it with no fuss. Can't prevent the media making a story of it but must be best for all if it's kept low key.
The media won't be interested in making a story of it as it doesn't match their agenda of the "big clubs" signing players.

 

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Mr X

Mr X

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Will accept him back but still annoyed, his ridiculous tantrums have basically dominated our whole pre season & the media, there's no way it can't have effected the team at all, regardless of what the club says.

 

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manji

manji

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Will accept him back but still annoyed, his ridiculous tantrums have basically dominated our whole pre season & the media, there's no way it can't have effected the team at all, regardless of what the club says.

 

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what ridiculous tantrums ? Based on what ?
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Ewell

Ewell

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VVD back in training with the 1st team...............maybe a VVD/Hoedt pairing on Saturday?

 

 

He has been injured since January and not played a game in the entire pre-season, I would be stunned even if he made the bench, I give it a 1% chance which could become slightly higher if another CB got injured. I'd also add we have kept 2 clean sheets in 3 league games this season so its clear that defending isn't the main issue.

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Mr X

Mr X

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what ridiculous tantrums ? Based on what ?
His slanderous statement & actions leading up to it, making himself available for training (so he still gets paid) but refusing to make himself available for the first team & his slyly cryptic Twitter messages against the club & generally acting like the victim in all of this.

 

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Dalek2003

Dalek2003

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He has been injured since January and not played a game in the entire pre-season, I would be stunned even if he made the bench, I give it a 1% chance which could become slightly higher if another CB got injured. I'd also add we have kept 2 clean sheets in 3 league games this season so its clear that defending isn't the main issue.

 

Is he any good up front?

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The9

The9

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Why is that? He plays in central defence, where we have only conceded two (in EPL), only one player has scored against us. Unless we are playing him up front, can't see adding VVD turns this, or any other game, into "an easy win". Indeed, if we are looking for a goal, maybe he SHOULD be pushed up front for the final 10 minutes.

 

To be fair we have still looked pretty bad defensively whilst only conceding two... Swansea were never going to score no matter who they were playing.

 

I wouldn't start him either, but I'd have him on the bench to show signs of reintegration and allow a few people to get it out of their system during the sub warm up...

 

Of course the problem we have now is 5 decent centre-backs we want to give game time to and only 3 slots. I guess Stephens could cover DM and RB...

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Saint Benali

Saint Benali

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Shouldn't be playing at all. Doesn't send a good message to Yoshi or Stephens if he waltzes in and takes on of their spots having not played for 9 months. He is a great defender but his actions have been unprofessional and thus rewarding him with a place at the expense of someone who has given it their all is wrong imo. If he comes out and apologises to the fans and players then fair enough.

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captainchris

captainchris

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Shouldn't be playing at all. Doesn't send a good message to Yoshi or Stephens if he waltzes in and takes on of their spots having not played for 9 months. He is a great defender but his actions have been unprofessional and thus rewarding him with a place at the expense of someone who has given it their all is wrong imo. If he comes out and apologises to the fans and players then fair enough.

 

I do find a certain empathy with this thought.....

He really should apologise at least to his team mates..... Maybe he has.....

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DT

DT

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Why is that? He plays in central defence, where we have only conceded two (in EPL), only one player has scored against us. Unless we are playing him up front, can't see adding VVD turns this, or any other game, into "an easy win". Indeed, if we are looking for a goal, maybe he SHOULD be pushed up front for the final 10 minutes.

 

He adds a lot more than mere statistics

 

 

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Professor

Professor

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To be fair we have still looked pretty bad defensively whilst only conceding two... Swansea were never going to score no matter who they were playing.

I wouldn't start him either, but I'd have him on the bench to show signs of reintegration and allow a few people to get it out of their system during the sub warm up......

Understand the suggestion about demonstrating integration but I don't think the manager will use his subs bench in that way. All the subs must be ready to play and possibly, even from the first 5 minutes in the event of an injury. On the other hand, Pellegrino will be aware of the potential for a hostile crowd reaction to Van Dijk, which could affect the player's performance so he may want to take that into account.

 

Although it would have been far better if this situation had never arisen it is now an interesting problem to have. We have the former young England CB in Jack Stephens, who performed extremely well stepping into the breach since January and we have a choice of 3 full international CBs just back from world-level competition. It's now as if we have acquired a top CB from the market for £50m or more, a figure that would have broken our transfer record by a multiple of at least three. As soon as he's match fit, the pressure will be to shift the others around in order to accommodate him. Maybe this is why football managers are also paid high salaries.

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scotty

scotty

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Why all the drama he is our best player wasted doing anything else get him on the pitch....... Move on.

 

Absolutely. I'm as annoyed as the next man by his antics, but unless he's going to play for us wtf was the point of going to the lengths we have to keep hold of him?

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alpine_saint

alpine_saint

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Absolutely. I'm as annoyed as the next man by his antics, but unless he's going to play for us wtf was the point of going to the lengths we have to keep hold of him?

 

He still has to win his place back by showing his drive and fitness.

 

What message does it send to Stephens otherwise ? He hasnt done much wrong.

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Dan Johnson

Dan Johnson

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What message does it send to Stephens otherwise ?

 

I agree to an extent but Stephens is a professional and should accept the decision he's been dropped for a better player, you play your best players in football, I'd say we'd be close to having the best back 4 in the league as a unit if we have Cedric, Bertrand, VVD & Hoedt

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washsaint

washsaint

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Some proper mentalists thinking he might play/be on the bench Saturday. He hasn't played in nearly 9 months. Plus we have 2 clean sheets in 3 games. Does anyone know if he will play or is still just training?

 

Does Tom28 have any updates - whatever happened to him?

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max_saints

max_saints

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I agree to an extent but Stephens is a professional and should accept the decision he's been dropped for a better player, you play your best players in football, I'd say we'd be close to having the best back 4 in the league as a unit if we have Cedric, Bertrand, VVD & Hoedt

 

That is poor man management in my opinion, VVD will continue his billy big balls attitude and the likes of JS will be thinking why bother?

 

Make VVD fight for his place, continue to let him know he is not bigger than the club. JS & Yoshi will play out of their skins to keep their place in the team. Also, any backlash from the fans won't be as damaging as I believe with time, the fans won't feel as strongly as they do now directly after his transfer window farce.

 

Of course I accept that there will be many opinions re: this topic and won't claim to know best how to deal with this situation. Will be interesting to see how Pellegrino handles this test of his man management ability

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Manuel

Manuel

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Posted
Some proper mentalists thinking he might play/be on the bench Saturday. He hasn't played in nearly 9 months. Plus we have 2 clean sheets in 3 games. Does anyone know if he will play or is still just training?

Fair enough, but the minute we concede from a header in the box, people will be looking towards that bench.

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the saint in winchester

the saint in winchester

Posted
Posted

15:57

 

 

'VAN DIJK NOT READY TO RETURN'

Southampton boss Mauricio Pellegrino says Virgil van Dijk needs to build up his fitness before he is considered for selection.

 

"[Van Dijk] is training with the team again," confirmed Pellegrino. "How long before we see him in a first-team match? It depends on the player.

"We know he is coming from a long period of time without playing a game. He needs to train and play games. I will decide in the future.

"As a player you have to show on the pitch how ready you are but for us and Virgil everything is now normal."

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sammysaint

sammysaint

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Stephens has to accept he is not good enough to start for a team who's aim is top 8, Van Dijk is a world class player and I am playing him over Stephens every day of the week, Stephens proved he's a good CB but he's not in the same class as others at the club, he was awful vs Wolves ( as was many), he was not that great vs Swansea or West Ham either both him and Yoshida yet again marking no one when Abrahams had a free header, reactions to the 2nd goal vs West Ham was slow.

 

I could be a tad harsh but Fonte, Toby and Van Dijk has given me high standards to expect from my CBs.

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Shroppie

Shroppie

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Stephens has to accept he is not good enough to start for a team who's aim is top 8, Van Dijk is a world class player and I am playing him over Stephens every day of the week, Stephens proved he's a good CB but he's not in the same class as others at the club, he was awful vs Wolves ( as was many), he was not that great vs Swansea or West Ham either both him and Yoshida yet again marking no one when Abrahams had a free header, reactions to the 2nd goal vs West Ham was slow.

 

I could be a tad harsh but Fonte, Toby and Van Dijk has given me high standards to expect from my CBs.

He isn't all bad. His intercepting and tackling are strengths, but he does get caught out positionally and is relatively weak in the air.

 

But he's still developing, and any time he can get alongside Van Dijk or Hoedt will help him. When VVD goes, he will be a strong contender to start.

 

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angelman

angelman

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I think that's a little harsh on JS. Of course he is behind vD and probably Hoedt, so his job now is to learn from the better players, so that when they leave, he will be able to step up much improved. Hard on him, esp given that he has had the taste of the PL, but that's the way it is. Having said that, I like watching him and am happy enough for him to take his place in the starting line up. Is he better than Yoshida?? That's the main question. And a lesser question is what happens to Gardos. You might also ask whether, given the disaster that the Wolves game was, is JS also being groomed to play as DM?

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