| Nick ......and Jack Stephens.... 06:44 - Jul 21 with 1916 views | underweststand |
to NICK : A well-written article on Sam McQueen, which many of us whole-heartedly agreed with, but as another contributor noted, was sadly tainted by yet another side-swipe at Jack Stephens.
We all have our favourite players (I 've had many over the last 60 years) but clearly Jack doesn't rate highly on your list. You were always clear about your feelings over Maya Yoshida but now it's Jack's turn.
Given the players we have on staff, Jack wouldn't be first choice and he isn't faultless either, but perhaps he isn't as bad as you appear to paint him. Looking back on his Saints career - he is the longest-serving pro. still on the Saints books - he had different roles in his time at the Academy / U23 , but on occasions he has been a stand-out performer and
to my mind has a better role as DM rather than CB, but he is still well-worth his place in the squad.
Maybe you could write an article on Jack (?), and see how many fans agree / disagree with your assessment of his worth.
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| Nick ......and Jack Stephens.... on 07:36 - Jul 21 with 1864 views | City_boy |
Stephens is at best a squad player - no more. I don’t doubt his commitment and effort to the club, but sentiment is not enough. His ability to read the game and defensive situations, together with a lack of pace and ariel ability means he often struggles and gets caught out at this level.
He was loaned out and failed to make an impression at lower clubs, often not even getting a regular game.
At the time he was offered a 5 year contract, I thought it was over generous and he hadn’t really done much to justify such a lucrative deal. He wasn’t a player we had to tie down on such on long / lucrative deal in fear of other clubs chasing him. It seemed like a knee jerk reaction by Saints and he has been lucky that Saints haven’t been able to address the Centre Back defensive issues for a while. | | | |
| Nick ......and Jack Stephens.... on 08:29 - Jul 21 with 1803 views | Sadoldgit |
Totally agree. Stephens is a squad player and has served us well but wouldn’t get a starting place in any Prem side as he has too many flaws in his game at this level. It’s not the end of the world that he has no pace, but you have to have good spacial awareness to make up for it and that he doesn’t have. Happy for him to be on the bench but not to start regularly. |  | | |
| Nick ......and Jack Stephens.... on 08:49 - Jul 21 with 1792 views | SaintNick |
Im not sure this is a swipe at Jack Stephens, my only mention of Jack in this article was one short sentence
"at best he would have been in the mode of Jack Stephens, a reasonable back up to have but not up to being a Premier League regular"
That is hardly a swipe, you say I was clear in my feelings about Yoshida, at the same time I was clear about where I thought Jack Stephens role laid with Saints and I think it is clearly as a back up player.
He is perhaps the joint longest serving professional on the books joining Saints in the summer of 2011 along with James Ward Prowse who also joined the clubs full time staff in that year although JWP had been on the books longer than that as a kid.
You are right at times Jack has put in some good performances but he doesnt have the concentration and reading of the game to do it week in week out for a long period of time.
I thought that he might be better suited to DM, but last season we did play him there in one game and he looked out of his depth, i cant remember what game it was .
You are right he is worth a place in the squad and last season was an able deputy is some games, but did I not actually say that in my one sentence "a reasonable back up to have"
If I'm honest I judge a player on whether he would get into any other Premier League team in his position, most of our squad would get into some club or another's team, I can't honestly think of one for Jack.
I have written many articles and most of them throughout the years have been consistent, I say he is a good squad player but not good enough for a regular place and that I feel he has a role to play at the club, I don't slag him off or call him names, I just give my honest opinion based on what I see.
For me he is neither fish nor foul, he is not big enough to be a man marker and he can't read the game well enough to be the holding central defender , perhaps he has been in the wrong place at the wrong time, if he had been partnered with someone like Jose Fonte or Claus Lundekvam or even Virgil Van Dyke, players who organise the defence then he could well have got a good grounding, but he was alongside players who were not organisers and that didn't help him.
Football is all about opinions, some will agree disagree with what I say, but it did amaze me over the past few years how many fans will berate me for suggesting Jack is a squad player and then berate the club for showing no ambition in the transfer market to sign quality players |  |
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| Nick ......and Jack Stephens.... on 09:55 - Jul 21 with 1750 views | saints__fan__73 |
I think we're all missing the obvious. Stephens has been here since 2011 which means he is the last remaining player who was brought to the club in the era of Nick's nemesis Nicola Cortese. So it's not really a surprise at all that he hates him!! He just can't look at Stephens without seeing Cortese's face.
Nick will only sleep easy (in his Liverpool duvet) once this last reminder of a time when the club was actually doing well is finally removed.  |  |
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| Nick ......and Jack Stephens.... on 10:05 - Jul 21 with 1742 views | SaintNick |
| Nick ......and Jack Stephens.... on 09:55 - Jul 21 by saints__fan__73 |
I think we're all missing the obvious. Stephens has been here since 2011 which means he is the last remaining player who was brought to the club in the era of Nick's nemesis Nicola Cortese. So it's not really a surprise at all that he hates him!! He just can't look at Stephens without seeing Cortese's face.
Nick will only sleep easy (in his Liverpool duvet) once this last reminder of a time when the club was actually doing well is finally removed. |
You know me so well, I havent had a cup of tea at St Mary's since 2009 due to the counter assistant at the tea bar under the Kingsland being appointed to her job in the 2013/14 season.
Likewise I can only get to St Mary's using roads that have been re-sufaced since that glorious day in 2014 when Cortese left these shores never to return to the football club that was so ingrained in his heart and he loved so much. | |
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| Nick ......and Jack Stephens.... on 10:16 - Jul 21 with 1729 views | saints__fan__73 |
| Nick ......and Jack Stephens.... on 10:05 - Jul 21 by SaintNick |
You know me so well, I havent had a cup of tea at St Mary's since 2009 due to the counter assistant at the tea bar under the Kingsland being appointed to her job in the 2013/14 season.
Likewise I can only get to St Mary's using roads that have been re-sufaced since that glorious day in 2014 when Cortese left these shores never to return to the football club that was so ingrained in his heart and he loved so much. |
Nicholas, I would be shocked if anyone serving food and drinks at SMS in 2013 is still doing the job now!!!!!! | |
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| Nick ......and Jack Stephens.... on 10:54 - Jul 21 with 1697 views | VeloSaint |
| Nick ......and Jack Stephens.... on 07:36 - Jul 21 by City_boy |
Stephens is at best a squad player - no more. I don’t doubt his commitment and effort to the club, but sentiment is not enough. His ability to read the game and defensive situations, together with a lack of pace and ariel ability means he often struggles and gets caught out at this level.
He was loaned out and failed to make an impression at lower clubs, often not even getting a regular game.
At the time he was offered a 5 year contract, I thought it was over generous and he hadn’t really done much to justify such a lucrative deal. He wasn’t a player we had to tie down on such on long / lucrative deal in fear of other clubs chasing him. It seemed like a knee jerk reaction by Saints and he has been lucky that Saints haven’t been able to address the Centre Back defensive issues for a while. |
Had we not had an injury crisis he would never have got that 5 year deal and would be playing in a lower league by now. That said he has come in and played well at times but should never be a regular starter. He's another with a contract expiring next year and we surely can upgrade even shopping in the bargain aisle of the market as we seem to be. |  | | |
| Nick ......and Jack Stephens.... on 19:36 - Jul 21 with 1564 views | stmichael |
A squad player that probably knows and accepts that too.
Doesn't every team need a squad?
We all know Jack will come in and do a job for a short period of time.
Over several games there are better players for sure.
But Jack seems to know his place and we should all be happy and accepting of it.
Southampton FC will not be able to attract a better back up because that back up will feel he should be starting.
Maya was similar and he left the club on great terms and is much loved to this day.
Jack is travelling the same path.. | |
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| Nick ......and Jack Stephens.... on 20:14 - Jul 21 with 1554 views | City_boy |
| Nick ......and Jack Stephens.... on 19:36 - Jul 21 by stmichael |
A squad player that probably knows and accepts that too.
Doesn't every team need a squad?
We all know Jack will come in and do a job for a short period of time.
Over several games there are better players for sure.
But Jack seems to know his place and we should all be happy and accepting of it.
Southampton FC will not be able to attract a better back up because that back up will feel he should be starting.
Maya was similar and he left the club on great terms and is much loved to this day.
Jack is travelling the same path.. |
I agree with most of this, but at £48k per week I was expecting more. He is one of our highest paid players.
I believe that when average players get long, lucrative contracts they often lose the hunger and ambition.
Sadly that is indicative of the Premier League and the ludicrous amounts of money swashing around. | | | |
| Nick ......and Jack Stephens.... on 20:47 - Jul 21 with 1532 views | SaintNick |
| Nick ......and Jack Stephens.... on 19:36 - Jul 21 by stmichael |
A squad player that probably knows and accepts that too.
Doesn't every team need a squad?
We all know Jack will come in and do a job for a short period of time.
Over several games there are better players for sure.
But Jack seems to know his place and we should all be happy and accepting of it.
Southampton FC will not be able to attract a better back up because that back up will feel he should be starting.
Maya was similar and he left the club on great terms and is much loved to this day.
Jack is travelling the same path.. |
Funny how the likes of Yoshida and Stephens are revered for being back up players whilst the likes of Pelle, Mane, Shane Long & even Nathan Redmond, players who have truly contributed more to the club were/are abused far more. | |
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| Nick ......and Jack Stephens.... on 09:36 - Jul 22 with 1423 views | barry_sanchez |
He is the racehorse player we English churn out of the academy, could run all day but at the end of said day he's still poor and not what we want nor need. |  |
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