stalwart

Too much authority, blind authority, mere authority, whether that of the Prince or the priest, of the Raja or the Nabob, of the oligarch or the official, of the wealty and the prosperous is the bane of Indian life, yet these stalwarts of reform always take shelter behind big names.

Other erstwhile stalwarts are also wavering. Southampton had two of the best full-backs in the league last season but Ryan Bertrand has been below par this season and Cédric Soares made an uncharacteristic lapse that led to Stoke's winning goal in Southampton's last outing.