Genuine Question - Pelle

How many chances did the wingers or midfielders create for him today?

Not many - but one was a simple side foot into an empty net from a yard out, and his missed the ball completely.

He missed 2 absolute sitters today. If I hadn't been there to see them I wouldn't have believed they were so easy.

He can't keep on doing that. Once his confidence returns he'll be scoring for fun.

What do you expect for 8 million £ really,

Id expect composure ffs, other parts of his game are half decent but has he scored a goal he hasnt absolutely wellied ?!

I coach lads with more experience than him.

Id expect composure ffs, other parts of his game are half decent but has he scored a goal he hasnt absolutely wellied ?!

 

I coach lads with more experience than him.

You were called him incredible a few weeks ago, pipe your lame ass down. I called it since day one, he's garbo status.

He missed 2 absolute sitters today. If I hadn't been there to see them I wouldn't have believed they were so easy.

The first one was beyond ridiculous. In fact they both were. Any sort of connection with either of them and he gets a brace, we win 1-2 and all is well again. The fact neither were difficult chances is worrying.

I'd give him a few days off to have a little break away somewhere, back ready Wednesday training!

I'd give him a few days off to have a little break away somewhere, back ready Wednesday training!

We don't have a game for about 2 weeks after Tuesday, so i'm sure he'll have time off between that and the Chelsea game on the 15th.

Id expect composure ffs, other parts of his game are half decent but has he scored a goal he hasnt absolutely wellied ?!

Yes, and I'm not sure I can remember him 'wellying' a goal either. I don't think the Stoke away curler counts, nor the overhead kick.

Composure's been a problem for everyone recently, though

We don't have a game for about 2 weeks after Tuesday, so i'm sure he'll have time off between that and the Chelsea game on the 15th.

For some reason I thought we had Chelsea Saturday then a break

Sad really as the effects of his poor form are beginning to ripple throughout the team, who now look like they just don't want to give him the ball.

Its a lot like when Chelsea had to try and carry Torres along two seasons ago under Benitez, desperately trying to avoid having to pass it to him until they could effectively spoon-feed him a goal.

For some reason I thought we had Chelsea Saturday then a break

Little bit bitty over the next few weeks. After the Chelsea game, we play Burnley at home on the next Saturday....but then we have another 2 week break because of internationals. After that it's relentless though, no more breaks, so if we're going to regain any sort of composure and have a little bit of a breather, it'll need to be done in the next 3 weeks.

We don't have a game for about 2 weeks after Tuesday, so i'm sure he'll have time off between that and the Chelsea game on the 15th.

We had a break before the Liverpool game

Didn't work

He buries the sitters we win 2-1.

He's a good enough premiership player; poor quality final balls into the box and lack of support are not helping, nor is our style of play currently. Doing good stuff to win headers and hold ball up, but all this happening too far away from goal. he is lacking confidence, but you can't just blame a striker when no-one is creating a chance for him. Usual kneejerk reactions seeking to blame players for being rubbish when they aren't.

Sorry nine games without a goal and being total garbage. Not exactly 'knee jerk' !!!!

He buries the sitters we win 2-1.

Absolutely, anyone want to try to name another PL striker who'd not have buried at least one out of the two.

It's true he should have buried that one on the line. You can't make excuses for that. But then again Benteke hasn't scored in 8 or 9 games. Rooney hadn't netted in the same period until last night. It's a bit shidhouse but what are you gonna do. Can't see him being dropped for Palace, but can imagine Long starting alongside him.

It's true he should have buried that one on the line. You can't make excuses for that. But then again Benteke hasn't scored in 8 or 9 games. Rooney hadn't netted in the same period until last night. It's a bit shidhouse but what are you gonna do. Can't see him being dropped for Palace, but can imagine Long starting alongside him.

I sometimes get the impression that Koeman isn't Long's biggest fan.

It's true he should have buried that one on the line. You can't make excuses for that. But then again Benteke hasn't scored in 8 or 9 games. Rooney hadn't netted in the same period until last night. It's a bit shidhouse but what are you gonna do. Can't see him being dropped for Palace, but can imagine Long starting alongside him.

Benteke plays in a far inferior team overall and Rooney has been playing in midfield for a lot of those games. Granted, there will always be strikers not scoring but we are very weak regarding options compared to those we are competing with at the moment.

I sometimes get the impression that Koeman isn't Long's biggest fan.

Maybe not, but then we'd struggle to find Long's biggest fan anywhere. Definitely not on this forum. But we have to work with what we have, and SL does offer movement and can stretch defenses out of position. We've seen it. Would have perhaps liked to see Djuricic ahead of Elia yesterday. But what do I know. Just keep plugging away and hopefully something will change for the better. Not like we haven't had a bad spell once already.

I'll clutch at straws and say at least GP got on the end of a couple chances yesterday, which hasn't happened for a while. Progress.

Well whomsoever decided to pay 12 million £ for him must have been a bit of an admirer surely.

Absolutely, anyone want to try to name another PL striker who'd not have buried at least one out of the two.

Shane Long

Shane Long

Doesn't get enough game time for us to be able to decide really.

It's not pellès fault Ron was the only person not to realise we needed another striker, however pelle has about as much movement as a plank of wood, approaches everything look liking he can't be ****ed, reminds me of fuller

It's not pellès fault Ron was the only person not to realise we needed another striker, however pelle has about as much movement as a plank of wood, approaches everything look liking he can't be ****ed, reminds me of fuller

It's got nothing to do with him not being arsed. He has a few limitations and is low on confidence. The main issue is a lack of an alternative option.

The constant comments about the service he receives baffle me, he receives decent service most of the time, he is either slow off the mark each time or he loses the aerial battle with the defender, service is not the problem, Pelle is the problem.

this is very true.

good balls are put in the box and he gets a few chances per game. Those chances have been going wide or over (and now even missing the ball) for a few games.

You hardly see him beat a CB in winning a header for a chance on goal in the box. hardly see him attack the space in front of a defender for a goal either.

when people say we do not create for him. It is more like, beckham-esq type balls are not put onto his head whilst not being marked

he was getting away with it as he was pretty good at other parts of the game...sadly, that has been very lacking in recent weeks.

it will be pretty tragic if he is in Damian Delany's back pocket on tuesday night. awful defender

this is very true.

good balls are put in the box and he gets a few chances per game. Those chances have been going wide or over (and now even missing the ball) for a few games.

 

You hardly see him beat a CB in winning a header for a chance on goal in the box. hardly see him attack the space in front of a defender for a goal either.

when people say we do not create for him. It is more like, beckham-esq type balls are not put onto his head whilst not being marked

 

he was getting away with it as he was pretty good at other parts of the game...sadly, that has been very lacking in recent weeks.

Sunderland 2, Newcastle 2, QPR 1, West Ham 1, Utd 1, Everton 1..that's the total of his league goal scoring, in 4 cases out of 6 against some of the weakest defences in the PL, bloke is a bust we just need to accept that and move on.

Shall I start a , Pelle simple not good enough thread ? Worked wonders for mane haha

Sunderland 2, Newcastle 2, QPR 1, West Ham 1, Utd 1, Everton 1..that's the total of his league goal scoring, in 4 cases out of 6 against some of the weakest defences in the PL, bloke is a bust we just need to accept that and move on.

Since the 1st Nov he has scored 3 goals in all competitions (1 in 3 different games)

I thought he was pretty good and just hit a bad patch. It seems like he is pretty poor and just hit a purple patch during Sept and October

Since the 1st Nov he has scored 3 goals (1 in 3 different games)

 

I thought he was pretty good who hit a bad patch. It seems like he is pretty poor who and just hit a purple patch during Sept and October

By scoring 2 goals in each of the games against Newcastle and Sunderland with their defences in meltdown. Great goal against QPR though but as we all know those bicycle kicks can end up in the net or row ZZ.

Definitely needs replacing in the Summer. His overall play isn't good enough for this level. He hit a purple patch early on the season and people suddenly thought he was an improvement on Lambert. No chance.

If Ron is going to play him on Tuesday, he needs to play a front 2. Pelle can't occupy the defenders on his own the way we need him to. Reckon Long up front on his own would be a better bet.

The question is will koeman persist with him next game? My guess is yes its clear he has an allegiance to pelle even when he's in shocking form

If Ron is going to play him on Tuesday, he needs to play a front 2. Pelle can't occupy the defenders on his own the way we need him to. Reckon Long up front on his own would be a better bet.

Playing Long up front on his own against a team that's likely to park it just won't work. Long runs the channels. There won't be any channels. Our pacey players are ineffective against teams that defend deep. We need quality on the ball to unlock teams. Quality we dont have or which has gone missing.

Playing Long up front on his own against a team that's likely to park it just won't work. Long runs the channels. There won't be any channels. Our pacey players are ineffective against teams that defend deep. We need quality on the ball to unlock teams. Quality we dont have or which has gone missing.

Dont agree. You need mobile forwards who can make runs in behind, to either take it on themselves, or create space for others. It's all very well having quality on the ball, but it's irrelevant if there's no movement. Recently, we have gone back to square passing, or passing backwards because of lack of options in front. This is in part, due to teams parking the bus, and also in part to poor movement up front.

For balance: there have been matches he has been outstanding in.

Dont agree. You need mobile forwards who can make runs in behind, to either take it on themselves, or create space for others. It's all very well having quality on the ball, but it's irrelevant if there's no movement. Recently, we have gone back to square passing, or passing backwards because of lack of options in front. This is in part, due to teams parking the bus, and also in part to poor movement up front.

Alan Shearer said something similar last night on MOTD. he went through a bad phase at Newcastle but then Bobby Robson came in and spotted the problem. He said Shearer was too easy to play against because he always showed the defenders the number on his back. He should have been making more runs in behind. They then illustrated this point with Falcao (?) at Man Utd.

Dont agree. You need mobile forwards who can make runs in behind, to either take it on themselves, or create space for others. It's all very well having quality on the ball, but it's irrelevant if there's no movement. Recently, we have gone back to square passing, or passing backwards because of lack of options in front. This is in part, due to teams parking the bus, and also in part to poor movement up front.

Teams defend deep so there is no space to make runs in behind. That's the point.

Alan Shearer said something similar last night on MOTD. he went through a bad phase at Newcastle but then Bobby Robson came in and spotted the problem. He said Shearer was too easy to play against because he always showed the defenders the number on his back. He should have been making more runs in behind. They then illustrated this point with Falcao (?) at Man Utd.

What if there's no space to make runs in behind?

Teams defend deep so there is no space to make runs in behind. That's the point.

Pitches are wide as well as long. Good players find space and create space.

Pitches are wide as well as long. Good players find space and create space.

So we're back to my point about quality.

Pitches are wide as well as long. Good players find space and create space.

lambert used to be pretty decent at moving across the front line and getting himself against a full back instead of a big CB....

So we're back to my point about quality.

we have decent quality, we have created a fair few chances in the last few weeks. just those chances have been put over/wide or completely missed (like yesterday)

throw in the complete inability to have a pop from 20 yards or so

lambert used to be pretty decent at moving across the front line and getting himself against a full back instead of a big CB....

This is a fair point. Lambert did it against Clyne when he was a Palace. West Brom targeted Clyne yesterday. By contrast how often does Peele peel off to the far post?

This is a fair point. Lambert did it against Clyne when he was a Palace. West Brom targeted Clyne yesterday. By contrast how often does Peele peel off to the far post?

he rarely wins a header. and rarely see him 'move' when the ball is put in. you never really see him running across the front of the space of a CB to go for the ball if it has been put in...unless the ball is right in area he is standing, he will jump for it...dont see much of him moving CBs across their own penalty area when a ball is wide...

then people come on here and say we are not creating anything...

we have decent quality, we have created a fair few chances in the last few weeks. just those chances have been put over/wide or completely missed (like yesterday)

throw in the complete inability to have a pop from 20 yards or so

I don't diasagree with any of that and poor finishing is obviously a factor but it doesn't address the issue which is why we can't beat teams that defend deep and how we can rectify it. running in behind isn't an option where there's no space.

I don't diasagree with any of that and poor finishing is obviously a factor but it doesn't address the issue which is why we can't beat teams that defend deep and how we can rectify it. running in behind isn't an option where there's no space.

putting simple chances away. Pelle is not on his own there but IMO, the biggest culprit.

West Ham at home was another. we missed a few easy chances, pelle twice, Tadic was in some great positions and tried to pass it..

throw in yesterday. A miss like that from 1ft out was disgusting. Mane was in a great position and blazed it over....the defence is largely doing their bit and we create chances. Just woeful at actually hitting the target now

putting simple chances away. Pelle is not on his own there but IMO, the biggest culprit.

West Ham at home was another. we missed a few easy chances, pelle twice, Tadic was in some great positions and tried to pass it..

 

throw in yesterday. A miss like that from 1ft out was disgusting. Mane was in a great position and blazed it over....the defence is largely doing their bit and we create chances. Just woeful at actually hitting the target now

Didn't we have exactly the same problems towards the end of last season?

Didn't we have exactly the same problems towards the end of last season?

we scored something like 16 goals in our last 10 games

two of those we got 4 in one game (newcastle and norwich at home). Lambert scored 5 in the last 10

so, not sure if it was a big problem..also, it was decided that pelle and tadic were upgrades on lambert and lallana anyway

I don't diasagree with any of that and poor finishing is obviously a factor but it doesn't address the issue which is why we can't beat teams that defend deep and how we can rectify it. running in behind isn't an option where there's no space.

But there is space, defences don't play on the 6 yard line. Running in behind doesn't necessarily mean through on goal, if someone runs the channel towards the byline and receives the ball then defenders are facing their own goal, which they hate.