Back in the summer it looked likely that Kyle Walker Peters would leave Southampton for Tottenham Hotspur, but that deal fizzled out after Spurs played their usual transfer game of offering a derisory fee for a player worth much more, but that now creates problems for Saints.

Southampton have been putting up with Tottenham Hotspur's tactics of making low offers and trying to push deals through by using the players desire to play for them for over 32 years now, meaning that we have to take the low offer with a disgruntled player on our hands.

This started in 1992 when after Spurs having sold Ruddock back to Millwall, Saints subsequently paid £200,000 for the 20 year old with only a dozen League appearances to his name, 3 years later Spurs refused to pay the going rate for a player who had now played 107 Top flight appearances to his name to take him back to White Hart Lane, offering only £250,000 and took the transfer to a tribunal, eventually it being settled at £750,000 a figure that was ludicrously low, Ruddock left after a year to join Liverpool for £2.5 million.

Fast forward 9 years and the North London club employed similar tactics to sign Dean Richards, eventually Saints caved in with the player seemingly refusing to play, despite only having signed a new deal with Southampton only a few months earlier.

Famously Rupert Lowe stated that he would not cave in to a "load of North London Yobbos" he pushed the fee up to £8.1 million, much much more than Spurs had been offering.

Now it seems history is again repeating itself with Kyle Walker Peters, with no one willing to match the fee wanted by Saints and now in the last year of his contract, reports are stating that discussions have broken down, spursweb being one of the Tottenham websites making this claim.

They say that he is not willing to sign a new deal with the suggestion being that Tottenham will come a calling again in January when Southampton will be unable to turn down even a derisory offer for a player whom as a 23 year old had played just 2 games in the Premier League for Spurs and now has 140 League games for Southampton plus a couple of England caps to his name.

So the dilemma for Russell Martin is does he play KWP or not, on Saturday it seems he opted for not, Yuri Sugawara played right back and Charlie Taylor was preferred at left back to Walker Peters.

Most would agree that KWP is the better player than both in either position, but clearly there is something that is going on behind the scenes and it seems that Russell Martin, as he has done before, puts a high price on loyalty, even at the expense of playing the best player for the job.

Whether that is right, depends on what we can't see going on and what his agents are doing, in truth I would say whatever the situation, KWP has never given less than 100% for the club even last season when he surely must have been disappointed not to have been one of those who left to go back to the Premier League.

Players leave clubs all the time, in fact the only thing certain about a player at a football club, is that one day he will play his final game, personally as long as KWP is showing good form and I would say that prior to the Ipswich game, he was better than most around him, we need to play him.

Photo: Action Images

JoeEgg added 19:33 - Sep 23 I very much doubt Nick if KWP has enjoyed adapting to the Martin style of play, and vice-versa, Martin himself sees Taylor as a better fit.
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onetowatch added 19:48 - Sep 23 This really shouldn't need to be a discussion point - no disrespect at all to Sugawara or Taylor, but, as you also stated, he's the best of the 3 in either position - this is just another example of another stubborn stance taken by RM. KWP should be judged on performance, and as, again, mentioned, he never let's us down, over a few seasons now. Personally, I'd like to see Taylor at LB, and KWP at RB. Both have the experience we need currently. Yuri, is definitely a good player, but being in the PL does mean taking tough decisions, and playing your best players without any favourtism or bias is a must for RM now, or he really is in the last furlong...

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DellBoyWally added 20:19 - Sep 23 The stats show Sugawara far ahead of KWP in all aspects and Taylor is a better natural left back. Plus KWP has turned down a new contract. Obvious, drop him. Get what we can for him in January.
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Jesus_02 added 01:21 - Sep 24 KWP has been a favorite of mine for a while. He has been a great servant was great in the Championship despite probably expecting to be sold. Its frustrating that we cant pin him down but you can understand that that he wants regular premiership football and we haven't exactly shown the ambition that inspires belief that he will get that at saints. He is a right back and being continually relegated to second choice RB must be a frustration. Sugawara has been great coming in and as Dell boy said Taylor is and experienced LB. It seems totally sensible process of phasing him out and the two new fullbacks in.

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Colburn added 06:44 - Sep 24 Sugawara is a far better footballer than KWP for me, so I disagree with the idea of playing KWP ahead of him.
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ItchenNorth added 08:00 - Sep 24 Unfortunately, I fear KWP is going to be another one that thinks the grass is greener somewhere else, going for the money and in their head a step up, only to be cast aside. KWP is excellent going forward but at the top level you need to be defensively strong as well. For me, this is why none of the biggest clubs come in for him. This was why Spurs let him go in the first place. For Saints and Martin, we need to weigh up what we need each week against Premier League opposition, a strong defence or attacking treat.

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Saintaxidriver added 08:55 - Sep 24 He's been a good servant but football is football (or shoulfd I say fitbah as I've just moved to Scotland). Each game has to be taken on it's merits and I feel Taylor and Sugawara played well and fit our style of play. Personally I would play Taylor on the left, Sugawara on the right, play KWP right midfield and give Dibbling a free role a bit like LeTiss under Alan Ball. Out on the left I feel it is too easy for Dibling to drift out of the game.

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halftimeorange added 11:14 - Sep 24 I've often thought that KWP's defending is somewhat let down by his height (5' 8"), although his skill on the ball and battling qualities can't be denied however, if he doesn't want to stay at Saints, then Sugawara seems to be a reliable replacement and Charlie Taylor is a robust and natural left-back. If KWP does sign a new contract then, fine play him at right midfield. If he doesn't sign then he should sit and watch until necessity dictates otherwise.

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halftimeorange added 11:14 - Sep 24 I've often thought that KWP's defending is somewhat let down by his height (5' 8"), although his skill on the ball and battling qualities can't be denied however, if he doesn't want to stay at Saints, then Sugawara seems to be a reliable replacement and Charlie Taylor is a robust and natural left-back. If KWP does sign a new contract then, fine play him at right midfield. If he doesn't sign then he should sit and watch until necessity dictates otherwise.

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allsaint54 added 14:54 - Sep 24 Agree totally with DellBoy, Sugawara & Taylor are far better defensively for Pl. Play KWP as an attacking wide option or even as a false 10.
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onetowatch added 16:35 - Sep 24 After so many brilliant performances that KWP has put in over recent seasons in what at times has been at best an average side - often from a FB position, being our most dangerous threat going forward - I just can't believe some of the comments above. Irrespective of his contract situation, even before Jan, we need every point we can get, and you do that by playing your best team, and KWP is definitely part of that...

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