Laurent: Too much close attention starting to get nasty
Ever honest, it was the belief from S24 Towers that the Shrimpers exciting Frenchman Francis Laurent would be wasted on the wing and that attacking from central positions was his best position.
We would still argue that long term that's the way for him to go, could he not do what present loanee Jabo Ibehre is trying to do, but better?
However, there can be no argument what he is doing out wide is very good indeed, and starting to get him very close attention from opposition defenders, some not too particular on how they stop him.
It seems a long time ago that Thurrock Blue was calling Francis the 'Thierry Henry' of League One, (and in a good way, not by using his hand to create goals and pissing off Irishman, though Macca might have something to say about that), October 2008 to be exact, after an extraordinary full debut against Leeds.
It then took Francis a while to recreate that form and when he asked to be put on the wing it just seemed a way to get Tilly to start with him as Barney and Dougie seemed to have tied up the central striker positions.
He shouldn't have worried, with the number of players fit at the time he might have got a game at centre half.
Anyhow, those lazy, mazy runs are now turning up on a consistant basis and pissing off many an opposition defender who are resorting to some tough tactics.
My God, if Francis actually knew what he was doing half the time imagine how dangerous he could be, that and a decent shot on him.
By the end of the season more managers will be aware of Laurent and plan accordingly, those tackles will come in tougher and earlier. (Though Huddersfield didn't waste any time taking him out in the very first match of the season!)
I'm not sure how many yellows have been shown due to fouls on Francis but not enough.
He needs protection early on, but you can't guarantee that with the level of referring in this league, some desperate action on the Frenchman will be let go with a wave or a finger or a minor talking too.
If Laurent is to take his place at St.Mary's on the last game of the season come May, and the ones inbetween, he need strong action from the man in black, as well as taking up the high jump as those attempts to bring him down in full flight become evermore ingenious.