But he isn't.. He knows as well as we do that he won't be in the 17 every week. I can see why the club have made the decision to give him another year and I agree with it to a certain extent. Next season we will have a relatively new set of players with high expectations, and his experience could be beneficial from a squad point of view. The way he trains, the way he conducts himself, his knowledge of the club and how to deal with certain situations, his experience; these little things aren't a bad thing to have in the squad. Anyone who knows him or has spoken to him will know that if he didn't play at the club he would be watching from the terraces, and although some will take that lightly, that sort of attitude means something to me. He knows what it's like to be successful at Saints and not many of this current side know what that takes. He won't be in the 17 every week as you appear to be assuming, and rightly so, but I honestly think he has something to offer. Others will disagree I'm sure, but that's just my opinion.

Does he? Given how this season went, it seems he has to be in the 17. There were games where he didn't come on until the hour mark, which is an utter waste of a bench spot and there were plenty of games at the back end of the season where we had plenty of options. Wello should be coaching now. As you mention he's got a wealth of experience and is committed to the club and would be a good influence on the younger players. But he has absolutely nothing to offer on the field. He should look at the likes of Cunningham and Sculthorpe. They could have stayed around for longer but chose not to, seeing that their road had ended.

I have to agree with Saddened here. It's as though the coaching staff simply HAVE to accommodate him somehow. At times last season, and I don't mean this disrespectfully, he looked like a desperate old man clinging on to his career.

The captaincy issue is the biggest example of what I'm referring to. Watching him lead the team on to the field and then run back off to take his place on the bench was unbelievably cringeworthy. Starting every game with our captain on the bench is embarrassing.

First and foremost we need a new captain. Someone who will start most games. Wilkin, Roby or Soliola for me.

Secondly Wellens should only be in the 17 when injuries hit. If you look at our squad numbers 1-17 and replace Wellens with Walmsley then there is simply no argument for Wellens replacing any of those players.

Agree and disagree.

The analysis of Wellens is spot on. Absolute lunacy to retain him.

However legends get treated in one of two ways at Saints they are either pampered or ignored.

Cunningham and Sculthorpe have been accommodated and pampered to the nth degree.

Joynt and Long have been largely ignored.

Wellens just wants his place on the Saints gravy train. Can't really blame him as such other than being
a little greedy and self centred.

The club have set a precedent and their lack of backbone and obsession with accommodating him is the issue.

It happens in the more junior ranks as well. Wheeler is excused, pampered and accommodated, Gaskell was hung out to dry , and so was Foster to a degree.

Flash will struggle to make the 17 each week but, barring full back play, he's better at everything than Wello.
Madness if he's getting picked I front if the likes of Flash, Thompson et al.

I think the fact Wellens has lost the number 1 squad number suggests he won't be considered a regular next season. If we'd have been full strength last season (e.g. Perry and Flanagan fit) he may well not have made the bench. I doubt he will next season as the depth of our squad looks to be stronger.

Wellens should be a bit part player next season mainly covering for injury, nothing more.

I agree with you but the trouble is that what SHOULD happen with Wellens isn't always what DOES happen.

I think it just means he's playing from the bench every week, like he did for most of this season. Time will tell.

Again, that certainly isn't the plan at this moment in time. If it was I would agree with you. He isn't a better full back than Lomax, and it isn't fair on Wellens to ask him to play in the back-row; weather that be from the start or off the bench.

Your thoughts towards him next year are based upon the fact that you believe that he will be in the 17 every week, which he won't be.