Certain players in the Saints squad need to put in some key performances for the team against Aston Villa and indeed in the coming weeks

After the debacle's against Manchester City and Liverpool this week, there are certain members of the Saints squad who for various reasons owe the supporters a decent performance or two.

It bears comparisons with a year ago when after crashing out to Sheffield United after losing away at Burnley questions were being asked about certain players back then, Sadio Mane for one was being heavily criticised as well as other key players.

The first who needs to put in a key performance or two is James Ward Prowse, he has been very vocal in the press in recent weeks about forcing his way into the England side, but to be brutally honest he has not progressed as quickly as he should have over the past couple of years, don't get me wrong he is a competent Premier League quality player, but we should now be lookng to him to take games by the scruff of the neck and dictate them, he is touted as a great deliverer of the ball, yet his assists record is poor and as he approaches 100 league appearances for Saints his one goal remains a penalty.

Cedric Soares is another who has to put in a shift, not because he has played badly, but because he needs to show Ronald Koeman that he is the man for the right back spot, he has to show that he is undroppable, you cannot imagine Nathaniel Clyne being dropped for Yoshida last season and indeed Yoshida in place of Ryan Bertrand this, so Cedric has to get the same status and make himself in the side whoever the opposition.

In the centre of midfield we need Jordy Clasie to put in a display, again I do not think he has played badly, indeed I think he has played well, but there are those in the St Mary's crowd who still bleat on about Schneiderln, Clasie needs to put the ghost of the Frenchman to bed and show Saints fans just why Ronald Koeman rates him so highly.

On a slightl lesser note Steven Caulker has to ignite his Saints career, it would be unfair to judge him on Wenesday nights performance, indeed if you did then you would have to question Virgil Van Dijk's ability as well, Wednsday was a freak game, Caulker needs to show that, he is a Premier League proven central defender, there are those that will point to two relegations, yes he was part of those teams, but he also put in good dispalys for both Spurs and Swansea in the top flight and they werent relegated.

If these and another one or two put in key performances to the levels we know they can, then Saints will have no problems this season, but Saints supporters need to encourage them to do so and not get on their backs and moan about the players who have left being allowed to leave. The fact is that every player who has left wanted to leave because they were being offered more money and a bigger club, there is no sinister other reason.

Photo: Action Images

bstokesaint added 12:48 - Dec 4 You could add Steklenberg to that list too. It'd be nice to see him make a couple of better-than-expected stops. I think Cedric, JWP and Clasie all have the ability to push on. Cedric is useful going forward, but needs to work on his defensive side. JWP is probably his own biggest critic. He knows he has to raise his game. He's been threatening to do so for too long now and it makes me what the commentators know that we don't when they refer to him as a "dead ball specialist". Clasie in my personal opinion has been growing a little in every game. If we give him a chance I'm sure we'll get to see why the Feyenoord fans raved about him. I do not understand the mentality of fans who expect to see a player at his best week in, week out after just a few games in a foreign league. A player coming to our club should feel wanted and not under pressure from their own fans from the word go. Your comparison with Mane Nick at the same point last season is spot on. Again, too many idiots with unrealistic expectations. I'm certainly not going to pretend that I saw him turning it around quite so impressively, but I always hoped he would and gave him that chance. I'm afraid though when it comes to Caulker I don't have the same optimism. I think his career in the English leagues proves he's had a chance to show what he's all about. I'm pretty convinced he'll never make it at the level we want to get to and in all honesty is probably suited to life in the Championship.

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IWOZTHERE added 14:47 - Dec 4 Wanyama too. He's a senior 'mainstay'. I think he gave it everything against L'pool and I know he was moved, but his passing was very careless again. Hang on, that's six players.... Over half the team underperforming. There's a message there somewhere?
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