STURR-ING MUST STOP

FORMER Saints boss Alan Ball fears for Paul Sturrock's future, admitting: "There's a lot of negativity - people seem to have made up their minds already."

Ball is dumbfounded by the air of doom and gloom that seems to have settled on St Mary's in the past week.

National press reports have claimed there is unrest in the dressing room - stories that chairman Rupert Lowe, Sturrock, skipper Jason Dodd and midfielder David Prutton have all vehemently denied.

In addition, top scorer James Beattie looks set to quit St Mary's before the August 31 transfer window closes, and Saints were easily beaten on the opening day of the new season at Aston Villa.

Internet message boards have been rife with postings from disgruntled fans - some of whom have suggested Sturrock is NOT the man to take Saints up to the oft-talked about 'next level'.

Ball, who was in charge of Saints between January 1994 and May 1995, has leapt to Sturrock's defence - insisting the highly-paid playing staff have to shoulder their share of responsibility.

"There was a lot wrong with Saints' performance at Villa, but is it all the fault of someone who's only been in charge for 12 games. Come on!" said Ball.

"Can the manager be held responsible for everything?"

Even though it was only the first match of a 38-game season, Ball admitted he saw signs in the Saints camp that concerned him.

"I saw a team devoid of pace, devoid of strength - is that the fault of the manager?" he asked.

"From the first through ball of the match Vassell gave Claus a four-yard headstart and still won the ball.

"It didn't lead to a goal, but it should have done.

"From that point on you could see the terror in the defence - they were run ragged by the pace of Vassell and Carlton Cole.

"From that point on you knew the result was never in doubt. Villa were quicker and they were stronger.

"Saints didn't have pace at the back - Doddsy's been a great servant but he's at the wrong end of his career, so is Le Saux - and Higginbotham and Claus aren't the quickest, either.

"There was a real lack of strength, of physical presence, in midfield and up front.

"The new lad Nilsson was weak, Folly is as thin as a rake and looked weak, while Fabrice Fernandes is only 5ft 7in.

"Up front Ormerod lacks size and presence and Phillips, though he's a super player, lacks size and physical presence.

"And Crouch, even though he's taller than James Beattie, lacks the physical presence someone like Beattie gives you.

"What I saw was really worrying.

"Paul Sturrock was missing three key players - Beattie, Michael Svensson and Matt Oakley - through injury. That's the spine of the team.

"Beattie and Svensson give you a massive physical presence - have three or four players like those two in your side and you'll be doing okay.

"And Oakley can pass the ball well - he can pass to a red and white shirt. I didn't see too much good passing on Saturday."

Some fans are already painting a pretty bleak picture for the 2004/05 campaign, but Ball pointed to last Saturday's opponents as to how quickly fortunes can change in football.

"I saw Aston Villa at Portsmouth on the opening day of last season and they put in a performance that was equally as bad as the one Southampton put in at the weekend, yet they turned their season around," he said.

The England World Cup winner continued: "There seems to be a lot of negativity around the place.

"People seem to have made their minds up about Paul Sturrock already.

"Where's this negativity come from? It's come from rumours which have spread like wildfire.

"First there were rumours about how Southampton would play.

"Then we hear that the players are not too happy, that they are not prepared to give someone a chance.

"I find it hard to believe that a manager can tell his players to do certain things and they can turn around and say 'Are you sure?'

"So what happens? The players are weak and fold at Aston Villa - they let someone else carry the can.

"It's easy for players in today's world - they rule the game.

"Today's players will use any excuse in the world not to perform.

"They were sent out to play 4-4-2 but they didn't really play that system with any real commitment.

"That is really disappointing from a manager's point of view - you send your players out but then there is nothing you can do until half-time. That's an awful feeling when they don't perform.

"Paul Sturrock needed his strong players to stand up for him and be counted - but as I've said, he didn't have that many strong players out there."

Ball is convinced Sturrock will make changes for Blackburn's Sky-televised visit to St Mary's this Saturday.

"All you can hope for is that the players will be wounded and hurt by last Saturday's performance - that people who are massively well paid feel the responsibility to go out there next week and put it right," he remarked.

"The players have to stand up and be counted - if they're not prepared to do that, ship them out.

"The players must deliver. They have got to go out there and put some sweat on the shirt, and occasionally some blood on the shirt - they have to fight and scrap for the right to play."

Ball added: "Paul Sturrock certainly needs to bulk up his midfield.

"The likes of Paul Telfer and Rory Delap are solid players who have a bit of strength, and you need players like that in your side.

"Players like that allow you the luxury players like Matt Le Tiss. You couldn't go into a game with three players like Le Tiss in your midfield."

Both Lowe and Sturrock have accused Beattie's agents, the London-based First Artist Group headed by Jon Smith, of unsettling the player. And Ball insists it's just another case of how football in the 21st century works.

"The club have no say in the matter," he said.

"If the player wants to go, and the agent has been busy hawking his player around, then there's nothing the club can do.

"Is that the manager's fault?

"Fans have got to understand that football today is being run by very rich young men and their agents, who are all on 15 per cent of everything.

"Agents have always been around, they had them in my day, but as we weren't paid vast sums they didn't really have any teeth.

"In my day you were sold when the club felt it was right to sell you, and there was nothing you could do about it.

"The club was the biggest thing in my day, bigger than anyone - then you had the fans whose wages paid the players' wages, the chairman, the manager and the players in that order.

"Now it's the players who hold the most power.

"Now it benefits an agent to move his player as many times as he can - especially if the player is earning £30,000 a week.

"Think how much an agent is on if he has eight players earning that much.

"I saw the winds of change regarding players' power and agents when I went to Manchester City, and I didn't like it.

"As I said, players run the game these days - that's why I'm delighted I'm not in it any more."

And Ball's message to the St Mary's faithful as Saints prepare to host Blackburn: "Go down there and don't be negative.

"Go there to back your team.

"But I'm seeing a lot of negativity. People seem to have made their minds up already about this bloke.

"I know Southampton fans are fair-minded people and that's why I'm surprised by all this."