The big question for Mauricio Pochettino on Saturday will be who to play in the centre of midfield, Jack Cork or Wanyama ?

Last season Jack Cork was a close runner up to Morgan Schneiderlin for player of the year, in fact most Saints fans would have concurred that their central pairing was as good as most in the Premier league outside of the top four and that it was perhaps the biggest single reason why we survived.

Therefore it was a shock that Victor Wanyama was signed, in that there were plenty of other areas that needed strengthening in the team before this one.

A bigger shock though was how Jack Cork was ostracised from first team duty, he usually sat on the bench, but up to Wanyama's injury at Chelsea in the 13th Premier League game of the season, Cork had got off that bench for only 9 minutes Premier League football, less than every other genuine first team squad member, including Guly.

This struck me as very strange I could understand why Wanyama got in the team ahead of Cork, don't get me wrong I rate Wanyama as a player, but I could not understand why Cork was not used more as a sub given his ability to play in several other positions, indeed even when Wanyama was off form and substituted it was not the obvious replacement of Cork that was used, up until that Injury to Wanyama, Cork had yet to start a game and had only come off the bench 4 times, playing a minute against West Brom, Liverpool & Fulham to run the clock down, with his only meaningful contribution being 6 minutes against Hull City, made even more strange in that Wanyama himself in that game had been subbed off as he was having a bad game on the hour mark, but it wasnt Cork brought on but Steven Davis.

Make no bones about it Jack Cork was out in the cold at St Mary's for no reason that could be seen.

But there was no moaning in the press from Cork, he just got on with it, till his chance came, since then he has been probably one of our best players in what has been a very difficult period culminating in a great display against Arsenal last Tuesday where he and Schneiderlin showed why they were one of the best midfield pairings last season, Cork got the man of the match awards but his reward would be to be dropped for the following game at Fulham.

This was a strange decision by the manager on several points, firstly there was the fact that he had dropped a player who had been the star turn in the last game, secondly Wanyama was clearly not match fit, it was a strange decision and one that could have cost us dearly, thankfully he rectified it and made the swap at half time, with Cork again putting in a tremendous performance to help turn the game in Saints favour.

So what now does Mauricio Pochettino do on Saturday for the visit of Stoke City, clearly he wants to play Wanyama ahead of Cork in any given situation, but after what happened up at Fulham surely he has to have a re think, firstly a manager has to send out the right signals to his team, players want to know that if they play well they keep their places, this is important not just for the regular first teamers but also the squad players, who have to have the motivation to get into the first team knowing that if they play well they will keep their place and not be dropped whatever.

In the first half of the season we just didnt do that, up till that Chelsea game we played the same players to distraction, there was rarely any variation unless in a position where there was no choice ie Full Back or central defence, other than that we were predictable both in team line up and substitutions made.

This was not good for team spirit and not good as we found out in that players were played too much and not nurtured and this made them more susceptible to injuries and when they got those injuries we were having to throw players in that had barely played all season.

But the situation with Cork was all the stranger even despite that and cannot even be covered up by the old excuse about not showing it in training, Cork is an action player and as he has proved he doesn't have many bad games.

The only reason I can think for his ostracising is that having paid £12 million for Wanyama they wanted to give him a free run to show his talents, they didn't want the fans on his back and the embarrasment if he should be outplayed by Cork, I could see why they might do that, but firstly if you need to coccoon a player like that then why pay big money for him and secondly the Cork Wanyama situation is the exact opposite of the Osvaldo/Lambert one, in the former the Manager appears to make a tough decision, in the latter he seems unable to decide who is his number 1 striker an we have a situation develope as we have seen.

So what happens on Saturday, if Jack Cork is dropped again for Wanyama he might as well start talking to other clubs now, clearly whatever he does Wanyama is going to play before him in every circumstance, I worry what messages this might send out to the rest of the squad, several of whom made clear points after the game on Saturday to the press about the role that Cork played.

It would be nice to see firstly the manager pick the player who is in on merit and there are games where you would perhaps prefer one to the other as although they both play the same position as such, they play it in a different manner, but secondly surely there has to be a way to have both in the side at times, given our problems in the centre of defence at the moment and Wanyama can play there and did do for Celtic, surely we could utilise him there till Lovren returns, this would make us a stronger team in the short term and enable Wanyama to get games under his belt ready for the time when the manager has to make a decision again.

We have a good team spirit which seems to be strengthened by what has gone on lately, we dont want to see that broken up, I don't want this article to be seen as a pro Jack Cork article either, as i said I rate Wanyama, this is about the situation not the individuals, there has been much talk about the relative lack of depth in the squad, but supporters can't complain about having to use Guly in Premier league games when a player of the quality of Cork has been left on the bench

Photo: Action Images

saint22 added 10:19 - Feb 4 cork for me
1

slynch added 10:46 - Feb 4 I seem to remember Cork being interviewed by the press and complaining about his lack of game time and saying he was considering his future, just before Wanyama getting injured, which you seemed to have missed. Anyway, Poch has got to get Wanyama match fit regardless of who is better than who, they are all needed equally as has just been proved by Cork's recent game time. May be he'll try Cork and Wanyama together for a half and give Spiderman some bench rest who needs it if anyone does. Building up to full game in the Cup v Sunderland. Additionally, he had a knock in the last match and may not be match fit in time.

1

Scummer added 10:49 - Feb 4 Another blog on the same topic: http://espnfc.com/blog/_/name/southampton/id/1175?&cc=5739. I agree with Chris - Cork to start, and if the game is looking solid then take off either Cork or Spider to remove some of Wanyama's rustiness. (Was MoPo looking to give him some game time against a softer side than Arsenal and identified Fulham as that side?) So, do you rotate to keep everyone relatively happy and relatively match fit, or do you base it on "if you played well, you play again". IF the team keeps playing well (like we did) then the natural result is the names in the team remain static. I think that is a really tough question and there are arguments for and against both. Pochettino sees the players regularly and blatantly has a strong relationship with the squad and has their respect if the photos and videos are anything to go by. He is in the right place to assess their ability, form and state of mind and I trust him to make the decisions. They might not always be the right ones in hindsight, as he is learning too, but he is showing that he can make the big decisions and is capable of learning from his mistakes.

1

LondonSaint added 10:50 - Feb 4 Cork for me too. Wanyama is a bit of an enigma to me... a total beast but what he brings with physicality/defence seems to be lost with his passing, mistakes and lack of contribution to attack. I suppose MP thinks that with Cork we are too open/vulnerable but I'm not sure I quite get it. Anyone care to enlighten me?! Also want to give a mention to Steven Davis, what a fantastic player he's been for us recently. He's not the most exciting but (much like Cork) will make few mistakes, keep the ball moving and give it to the creative and forward players.

4

TeamCortese added 11:07 - Feb 4 I personally don't see the relevance of this article. It feels like we've discussed this enough and you're just belabouring the point. However, I disagree with you on Cork being a better midfield option. Until Cork has played in the Champions League and represented his country I think comparison is not warranted. I definitely see more potential in Wanyama as a longer term investment. Another thing is you are quick to forget that it was only a few weeks back when we were losing matches against Chelsea and other clubs that people were calling for Wanyama (and Boruc) to come back from injury. Also what about players like Steve Davis and Schneiderlin? Are they not worth replacing with Jack Cork or Wanyama. Look I like both players very much but I think we should not be looking at who's the better player because both can add value to Southampton. What we should be focusing on is MP's tactical decision making. Clearly not all of them are made for footballing reasons.

0

Jesus_02 added 11:11 - Feb 4 Good debate...Isnt it great to have too many good players. Peresonally I think things worked out great against Fulham so I would be tempted to start withb Vic with thhe intention of bringing on Jack For me Wanyama needs game time.. Both to keep him happy and to get him up to match speed... the question might be when. For me Its not just about Wanyama or Cork its about having anothe match fit midfielder. What if Morgan or Davis gets injuered. Personally I think Jack has a great attitude as illustrated in his interview with Sky Sports at the begining of December " I haven't played that much, so it's going to cross anyone's head to think 'what use am I going to be in the squad?" "I'm always happy to be part of the squad and play whenever I'm trusted."

1

IanRC added 11:56 - Feb 4 Cork for me too. I think we are blessed with some great midfielders, Schneiderlin, Cork, Davies, Ward Prowse and yes Wanyama. I don't agree that Wanyama is a better prospect than Cork, far from it unless he improves his distribution. Start with Cork and Spider and then give Wanyama game time in the second half if we are well ahead.
1

arthurfane added 12:02 - Feb 4 I'd accommodate all three of them. Steve Davis has been great this season, but I'd still drop him, and play Cork and Wanyama in the DM role, with Schneiderlin playing more advanced where Davis has been playing. Schneiderlin showed last season that he has got some good attacking instinct and I feel he could really play well there - THAT would be a hugely strong midfield. I'd also want to try and find a way for JWP to fit into the starting line-up as I think he's very talented, we could use his excellent set pieces, and I love his work rate!! COYS

1

tiptop added 12:19 - Feb 4 Cork to start for me too. I think judging by Lallana's post match comments on how Cork was the game changer suggest the players would choose him too. Its obvious isn't it?! Cork has prob improved 10% as a result of VW's challenge. I agree with Nic this should be recognised by the manager and rewarded. Question is though when is best for Wanyama to come on because (unless MoPo has changed his mind) that seems certain. Wanyama was clearly way off the pace against Fulham, a side out of form and low on confidence.. There was sense in giving VW a run at the Cottage to help get him back up to his own impressive enforcing best..but as we all saw he was a terrible in the first half. RE SRL Poch understood how highly regarded SRL was/is to the fans and knew replacing him would not be easy. The decision has now been taken away from Poch now and SRl remains No.1. Again judging by Lallana's post match comments the squad are delighted SRL is still the main man. Its as if the adversity of the Jan episode(s) have strengthened the team spirit further rather than diluted it. But this C/W decision is only going one way by the looks. If Cork starts I will be (pleasantly)suprised. But I wouldn't expect it to last. MoPo should learn from the Jan episodes and see that the strength of the team spirit should be respected At leaste bring Wanyama back gradually - from the bench. He will be needed - but give Cork the respect he has earned.

0

codge added 12:43 - Feb 4 Cork for sure......
-2

StEdmund added 12:50 - Feb 4 Surely, the whole crux of the matter is the change from an eleven a-side team to a squad team (as Jack himself referred). How is the squad managed so it performs at its peak, sometimes depending on the opposition, but also keeping each player motivated. A challenge for any manager. Saints need BOTH Wanyama and Jack Cork if they are to progress further in the EPL
0

Toussaint added 12:54 - Feb 4 Boruc had to bail Yoshida out a couple of times in the first half,based on that i would play Wanyama at centre-half and stick with Cork in center -mid
0

saintstuinoz added 13:06 - Feb 4 arthurfane - I don't see us dropping Davis to accomodate a Cork/Wanyama/Spider trio, unless we need a very defensive set up. Davis has been excellent for us, and offers more movement and creativity than any of the other 3 (only SRL and Lallana have more assists for us this year). With 3 games in the next week Poch should start Wanyama against Stoke, then Cork again against Hull, then pick the best to start the cup match. I'd also give JWP a run out, and rest Davis, for one of the two matches too.

0

slynch added 14:24 - Feb 4 Of any use? http://www.standard.co.uk/sport/interviews/we-kenyans-have-a-lot-of-talent--trai
0

ExiledSupporter added 14:55 - Feb 4 If Cork had played more matches then I think he would have been considered as our 4th England prospect and would have likely made his debut along with the other three. Surely he has played as well in his position as any of the other three in their more high profile 'glamour' positions? I agree with every point you make, Nick. But also think there is much to be said for arthurfane's suggestion of pushing MS higher up the field (in GR's absence) and pairing Cork and Wanyama in front of the defence. After all MS has something of a goalscoring record, unlike the other too. For the present that would allow us to retain the very deserving Steve Davis as well (I suggested this several times a couple of weeks ago)

0

thegeneral added 19:05 - Feb 4 I agree with exiled supporter Jack Cork could be a very good addition to the England squad. Not so long ago a team selection would be based on the opposition, for example a specific midfielder would be picked to man mark the opponents key man, somebody like Messi in an attempt to stifle one's opponent, but with good players being more versatile these days, such as not only being a good tackler, but also a good distributor of the ball this practice has disappeared from the game. So i ask myself the question of the two which one has the most strings to their bow? and is a more rounded player? for me the answer is Jack Cork, tackling, energy rate, passing, reading the game whereas VW wins the ball (and there's no doubt he's good at that) but can only knock it sideways or backwards, he also has a nasty habit of turning to face his own goal with the ball at his feet inviting a challenge in a dangerous area. It was very noticeable in the first half on Saturday that the defenders knocked it wide rather than to Wanyama but with JC on the pitch he finds the space to collect the ball and distribute, a huge percentage of our forward movement starts with him. Where VW would be useful is to bring him on to defend a lead and there's certainly a place for him in the squad, midfielders pick up a lot of cards and get injured, but his price tag should not give him automatic qualification over JC which is the impression i get from MP. Clyne came on Saturday and was superb and has probably one his place back, Wanyama was awful and did nothing to deserve selection in the starting 11.

1

welhamdowed added 20:33 - Feb 4 Bottom line, do we care as long as the team gets the result? Sum of the parts is far more important . We do seem to score more goals with Cork in the side, but we concede more. If going on a run like we did at the start of the season means it's Vic in the side, then that's fine by me. For a period we were the 2nd best defence in Europe and Vic played a massive part in the that record, lest we forget. Certain Saints fans seem to exaggerate Victors mistakes more than when Cork has a poor game and makes mistakes. Which I really don't understand? Cork has played well in games so give him credit but he didn't come back into the team and hit the floor running so give Vic a chance. Cork, for a player that can pass well and get about the park really doesn't score, create or assist enough goals and unless this side of his game improves I see Poch going with Vic in the long term.

-1

Blogs 31 bloggers

Southampton Polls