That's Dan Harding, Bottom left
FRAZER RICHARDSON started the season superbly and maintained
his form until he got a slight injury around February time. Pre-injury he was bombing forward and getting
some excellent crosses in and was top of the assists chart for a while and it
was like watching the new Ivan Golac.
Post-injury he wasn’t quite the same and couldn’t force Danny
Butterfield from the side at the end of the season. Assuming he gets through pre-season ok then
there’s no reason to think that he won’t be in the starting line-up for next
season, unless a new right back is signed.
He has the pace and the power to do well in the Prem but his defending
will be tested more as will his distribution which can be a bit hit and hope if
he’s not given much time.
DANNY BUTTERFIELD hardly played until March but then got a
run in the side and performed how you knew he was going to – solidly. Before he had played a game this season he
got offered an extension to his contract to include next year which surprised
me I have to say and I would have reservations about him playing too much next
year as he seems very slow at times.
That said, when he’s played this year he’s got up the wing and delivered
some superb crosses – mostly onto the head of Sir Rickie and maybe his
experience will be required next year.
JACK STEPHENS got on at right back in the cup game at
Coventry for about 10 minutes and that was it but is earmarked to have a big
future. I can see him making strides
next season and maybe starting the cup games. Maybe a loan to a League 1 or
League 2 side for some experience (he’s already played for Plymouth’s first
team).
JOSE FONTE started the season a bit shakily, had a really
good spell after Christmas after an injury lay off and then wobbled a bit towards
the end. In the last game though he
showed how good he can be in both boxes.
I get the feeling he finds it all a bit too easy and switches off at
times which he of course, will not be able to do next year. With 100% concentration required at all times,
I see him being a big player for us next year as he has it all in the locker,
the intelligence, the physicality, the
ball playing skills and a bit of pace.
Having said he has intelligence – maybe he needs to be a bit more
streetwise when wrestling with opposition forwards around the edge of the
penalty area.
JOS HOOIVELD was signed on loan when Dan Seaborne got
injured and everybody moaned as no one had heard of him and he’s played in
Finland and other backwater countries and he was seen as a Celtic reject. Not been bad has he? Eight goals from centre back are a bonus and
in the main his defending has been excellent, as has his passing out of
defence. True he’s had a couple of mares
(Blackpool and Cardiff away spring to mind) but for not much money, we’ve
signed a player who made a massive difference this season and is easily capable
of holding down a place in the side next year.
If I was a Celtic fan I’d be seriously questioning how we let this guy
go. Nigel always talks of getting people
in the building with the right personality and Jos seems to have that as anyone
who saw the Twitter ‘Square Head’ competition will verify. The pink jacket wasn’t good though.
AARON MARTIN would have expected to play more games this
season and without the inspired purchase of Jos Hooiveld, no doubt would have
done. He got a run in the side around
January when our form was a bit dodgy but I don’t think this was necessarily
his fault as he did ok. Scored a couple
of goals and never let anyone down when he played. I love the fact that we signed him from a
local non-league club and he’ll be fine as back-up for next season as well.
DAN SEABORNE started the season in the team which was
worrying but all that went out the window when he ended up in hospital with a fractured
skull after being involved in an incident in a club. Happily he’s made a full recovery and got
back to playing football at the end of the season. Even before the incident he wasn’t looking
good enough to play in the Championship so it’s a major stretch to imagine him
being good enough to play in the Premier League. The bottom line is that we as a club have
improved beyond his potential ability so I really can’t see him playing for us
next season.
RADHI JAIDI was injured for the first half of the season and
though he got back to playing for the Under-21’s despite being 36. If he told you he was 21 though, you wouldn’t
argue. He never got near the first team
though and with his contract up, he’ll be leaving in the summer and I really
wish him well in whatever he wants to do.
I’m sure he could still do it at League 1 level and would be a great
signing for someone who needs a train-like ‘first knock’ centre half. Still the best defensive header of a ball at
the club and I’ll always remember his trouncing of Jermaine Beckford when
Beckford looked like he’d been run over.
Importantly, he strikes me as great bloke with a big personality and you
can’t help but like the big guy.
DANNY FOX was a signing that I was surprised we made as I
thought we had two perfectly serviceable left backs. After a couple of games you could see why we
signed him and it’s that left foot which we should have insured for its weight
in gold. I don’t know what the stats are
but the delivery from corners and free-kicks has brought us so many goals that
you can forgive the odd bit of flaky defending or position vacation. Also filled in well as a centre back for a
few games this year when Big Jos was injured and though his defending skills
will be tested more next year, should be up to the task as long as he’s helped
out by the left midfielder. Managed to
pick up one of the most ridiculous sendings off I’ve ever seen in the Snow game
in Birmingham was he got booked for winning the ball and then booked again for
the slightest of shoves. Both offences
were against a player (Chris Burke) who routinely dives about and squeals like
he’s been shot.
DAN HARDING is a player who I didn’t think would be good
enough for the Championship but to be fair, when he’s played he’s not done badly. He seems to be highly thought of by the
manager as manages to get on the bench which is a surprise when you consider
that he can only really play one position.
He’s not bad but he’s just not as good as Danny Fox in any aspect except
maybe positionally. His defending just
seems lightweight to me and the needless corner he gave away at Fratton Park
which led to their goal still grates.
I’d be surprised if he gets near the first team next season and it would
worry me if he did but having said that, he proved me wrong to an extent this
season so who knows.
I thought that RYAN DICKSON was going to be first choice
this season but it was soon apparent that with Dan Harding picked initially and
then Danny Fox being brought in that he was 3rd choice and not going
to get a game. Has been out on loan to
Yeovil and Orient this season and is the answer to the quiz question “Which
Saints player got sent off the most this season?” as he managed to get sent off
twice for Orient at the end of the season.
He has the raw pace that will always give him a chance but as he didn’t
play in the Championship, I can’t see him playing next season and will probably
move on.
LUKE SHAW is seen as the latest ‘boy most likely’ from the
Saints Academy. If we manage to keep him
from the clutches of the Child Catcher Arsene Wenger, then I see him being the
regular back up to Danny Fox and/or Adam Lallana next year. Exciting prospect who we must keep hold of.
No comments:
Post a Comment