Leave pelle out ffs.

That's mainly because when he gets given the ball he's been making runs to the near post, but he often pitches up late having been deep starting the move - the reason he usually doesn't get the ball in those situations is because by coming away from the area he's created space for (usually) Mane to run into the box from deep, so the ball is already further forward than he is and there's no particular benefit to giving it to him at that stage.

 

His movement is good in the area - in that he gets away from defenders, but I'd be lying if I didn't think his near post run from which he most frequently gets the ball was almost always a complete waste of time, as it gives him no kind of angle to score from. Maybe the key to us scoring more is someone coming in behind that and him dummying rather than shooting from that angle.

One of my criticisms against him is that he's seldom in a good position when we've got the ball wide, and he rarely gets across the defenders. I suppose we'll have to agree to disagree.

One of my criticisms against him is that he's seldom in a good position when we've got the ball wide, and he rarely gets across the defenders. I suppose we'll have to agree to disagree.

I agree with you there. I think as a target man so to speak, he is average at best.

I really hope he has a good game and gets a goal tomorrow. When he was scoring (many months ago) he was very good

I think he's getting across them plenty, but mainly into positions where he can't score, which is as pointless as not doing it at all. How many times this season have you seen him shinning the ball off the pitch from the near-edge of the six yard box? He does it on average about once a match.

So i didnt get to watch the game yesterday but saw he scored... How did he play in general?

Thought Pelle was great yesterday even when the team was struggling in the first half. Linking play, winning headers, and finally the goal came. Good on him. When he plays well, and even through this run he's only had a few bad days, he's definitely our best option at centre forward. Probably suffered a bit being pretty much our only player who didn't get a rest through the middle part of the season - would be great to see him end the season strongly.

Thought Pelle was great yesterday even when the team was struggling in the first half. would be great to see him end the season strongly.

this

Complete opposite of recent times, rest of the attack was pretty poor but Pelle was excellent. Hope to god he goes on a scoring run now to the end of the season, but I would still prefer to bring someone else in as first choice striker next season.

Always been pretty confident (hopeful) he'd get to a dozen league goals by the end of the season. So at least three more would be nice. That's not quite world class obviously but if it gets us three 1-0 results I don't think anyone would be complaining.

Always been pretty confident (hopeful) he'd get to a dozen league goals by the end of the season. So at least three more would be nice. That's not quite world class obviously but if it gets us three 1-0 results I don't think anyone would be complaining.

I bet someone would.

I felt after he had scored the relief was clear to see on him and the relief from the crowd in the celebration and especially when he was name checked over the PA just showed we had been sharing his frustration, and he appreciated that (strange that was struggle trying explain).

Against Burnley the mood in the crowd as the game went on started off as "oh bloody hell just put it in the net" as he fluffed another and as the game wore on more and more fans were beginning to emphasise with him as his frustrations continued. I went to Everton and Tim Howard making that one in a million save to deny Pelle seemed to dent him and at the final whistle even I questioned him being in the team because it seemed he had increasingly become a passenger as the game wore on, nothing was working and his demeanor dropped, after yet another fluff a verbal rumpus kicked off in the stand behind us between Saints fans! As I said to my mate on Saturday "Christ he must have broken a mirror at home" when yet another attempt fizzled out feebly.

After he had scored though his whole body language changed as if the Monkey on his back that had been eating well and was a 20 stone lump, with that gone and the crowd shooing it off, he seemed much more fluid and less anxious in his play. (Hope that all made sense).

Hopefully now the drought is over and the goals will start flowing again from him, if they do the timing couldn't be better as we hope to finish the season in style.

I bet someone would.

Of course. I forgot my audience for a second.

I feel he does a lot more for the team than he gets credit for and clearly wants to give his all for the team also.Hopefully the goal on saturday will kick start him scoring regulary again!

Give him the Hull game. I think he will grab a goal or 2. He is a class striker, just low on confidence at the moment.

Yay!

Ive said it before, I'll say it again. Benteke. http://www.punditarena.com/football/english-football/rlyons/stats-dont-lie-christian-benteke-vs-graziano-pelle/?

Ive said it before, I'll say it again. Benteke. http://www.punditarena.com/football/english-football/rlyons/stats-dont-lie-christian-benteke-vs-graziano-pelle/?

WAGES!!!

Ive said it before, I'll say it again. Benteke. http://www.punditarena.com/football/english-football/rlyons/stats-dont-lie-christian-benteke-vs-graziano-pelle/?

Were not going to pay the 20n+ it would cost to bring Benteke here. Villa wouldn't gamble on there survival for anything less than 25m IMO not when next years TV money is so high.

Only the richest clubs can by top class talent from teams in the Premier League.

Complete opposite of recent times, rest of the attack was pretty poor but Pelle was excellent. Hope to god he goes on a scoring run now to the end of the season, but I would still prefer to bring someone else in as first choice striker next season.

All depends on what happens with Osvaldo, Ramirez and Jay Rod Imo, if we can get Jay Rod fully fit he's a great option for us and would probably stop us spending too much on a striker. If we can sell Osvaldo and Ramirez that frees up a lot of wages.

WAGES!!!

Were not going to pay the 20n+ it would cost to bring Benteke here. Villa wouldn't gamble on there survival for anything less than 25m IMO not when next years TV money is so high.

 

Only the richest clubs can by top class talent from teams in the Premier League.

Ok, ok, ill shut up. But how the F have Villa got him and we cant have him.... Thats stupid.

After he had scored though his whole body language changed as if the Monkey on his back that had been eating well and was a 20 stone lump, with that gone and the crowd shooing it off, he seemed much more fluid and less anxious in his play. (Hope that all made sense).

I thought he was obviously putting himself about to much greater effect even before he scored, but if by that you mean he started doing that stupid backheel flick again that never comes off, you're not wrong there.

Ok, ok, ill shut up. But how the F have Villa got him and we cant have him.... Thats stupid.

They signed him for 7 million pounds from Genk in 2012. At that time Villa must have looked like a better quality club than the newly promoted outsiders. They also signed Vlaar. We signed Rodriguez, Clyne, Ramirez, and Mayuka instead. Maybe we could have signed him if we wanted too, but we couldn't sign everyone.

It is worth noting that, after finishing behind us in 2013 and 2014 Villa could no longer sign better targets than we could.

WAGES!!!

Whats your point ? He is on circa 30-40k at Villa

If we sell Schneiderlin and Clyne, which we will, Benteke is well within our limits. A strike force of Benteke, Pelle, Rodriguez and Hernandez would be sickening and is genuinely achievable.

Whats your point ? He is on circa 30-40k at Villa

And will want much more should he move- I'm guessing 80-100k.

We'll need to sign some English players as our Home Grown quota must surely be getting pretty low.

We'll need to sign some English players as our Home Grown quota must surely be getting pretty low.

It is. I posted about this on my blog back in January.

http://redsloscf.blogspot.com/2015/01/southamptons-european-roster-issues.html

The simplified update is that, if we assume Schneiderlin and Clyne are going, we have one club trained player: Lloyd Isgrove.

We have seven association trained players: Barnes, Bertrand, Davis S., Davis K., Cropper, Forster, and Rodriguez. However, we probably don't care about Cropper and Barnes. Forster cannot be relied upon for the group phase of European competition so we really have four--if Rodriguez is going to still be with us and available to play.

This means that we are not desperate to sign English players unless they will count as club trained. That would mean digging around to re-sign players who came through the Academy and left when they were 17 or older (more or less). Absent that, our European adult roster would be limited to 22 players including Isgrove.

I see that Pelle's continued his rich vein of "form" then.....

I see that Pelle's continued his rich vein of "form" then.....

Do you judge strikers solely on goals scored? I don't.

Do you judge strikers solely on goals scored? I don't.

Nor do I but it has to be said that his work rate today was not good enough - too often he loses the ball and gives up. It's bloody annoying.

Do you judge strikers solely on goals scored? I don't.

So what can you rate him on that makes him good? He is terrible

Do you judge strikers solely on goals scored? I don't.

He had a poor game all round

So what can you rate him on that makes him good? He is terrible

Sounds like hyperbole.

Define your use of "terrible".

He clearly is a good player just going through a terrible run of form. You can't really blame him.

My concern is Koeman keeps playing players who are struggling for consistency. Pelle and JWP being the main ones.

Has to be time for a change for the next game. We won't get 4th now and dropping to 8th would take a spectacular **** up. Let Reed, Taggart, Mcarthy, Mqueen and Seager have a run out in the remaining games.

Sounds like hyperbole.

 

Define your use of "terrible".

Agree - a striker who hasn't scored = easy target

I think it's no surprise that his best form was early in the season when long was playing someone who helped spread the focus of the defenders and made additional runs

i just don't understand why he has to start every week, particularly when our best attacking performance of the last few months came at Chelsea with Long up front instead of him.

He was dire today

Has to be time for a change for the next game. We won't get 4th now and dropping to 8th would take a spectacular **** up. Let Reed, Taggart, Mcarthy, Mqueen and Seager have a run out in the remaining games.

We aren't going to drop established internationals and play the youngsters for the next 5 games. We can still get 5th or 6th which would make a difference to both prize money, club reputation in football circles and the pre-season schdeule.

We aren't going to drop established internationals and play the youngsters for the next 5 games. We can still get 5th or 6th which would make a difference to both prize money, club reputation in football circles and the pre-season schdeule.

Wanyama out, Toby out, Bertrand took a knock so will see if he ok. Pelle and JWP/Davis woefully out of form. Think we can afford to put some youngsters in for the next game.

Based on recent performances I don't think it is likely we would remain 5th/6th anyway. Not enough firepower.

We aren't going to drop established internationals and play the youngsters for the next 5 games. We can still get 5th or 6th which would make a difference to both prize money, club reputation in football circles and the pre-season schdeule.

Enthusiasm can make a big difference for inexperience, look at the Everton home game when we played arguably our weakest team of the season.

Pelle is not worth his place on current form, change the formation and play someone else, neither is steve davis or tadic. We need something different as the stark reality is we have not looked like scoring a lot in many of the games over the last couple of months. Our DEFENSIVE midfielders has scored way more than would ever be expected in other teams whilst our ATTACKING midfielders have done fark all.

Using capitals makes me feel important :-)

Do you judge strikers solely on goals scored? I don't.

What else shall we judge him on then?

Assists? - Appalling

Shots per game - Below Average

Fouls committed - quite high

% of Headers won - shocking for a big man

Pass % - Very Bad

Let's face it, the problem with us this season has been the lack of converting chances to goals. We started off well, helped by 12 against the north east teams in 2 home games, but 12 goals in the 14 games this year. Pelle being the front man of course gets the "blame", but no one else can claim to be on fire. Mané might be excused, but even his goals have dried up. But good strikers don't grow on trees, but given the lack of goals, it would have been nice to see Ryan Seager.

He is a good striker but he was poor today, this game was suited more for pace Stoke couldn't handle it and sadly Pelle lacks it.

Rubbish, needs replacing in summer if we really are to push on. Spends more time in a game adjusting his hair and sulking then he does anything else, needs dropping ASAP

very poor. His general play is crap IMO

Fans around me today slaughtered him at every opportunity.

His fault for the 2nd glial IMHO. His touch which lead to the free kick was very poor.

However, Tadic was a lot worse today & he gets away with it!

Fans around me today slaughtered him at every opportunity.

His fault for the 2nd glial IMHO. His touch which lead to the free kick was very poor.

However, Tadic was a lot worse today & he gets away with it!

Was surprised how visceral the reaction was. This place is a beacon of moderation, by comparison. Pelle's positioning and willingness to attack the box seemed to draw particular ire. Agree about Tadic. At the moment, the game seems too physical for him.

Fans around me today slaughtered him at every opportunity.

His fault for the 2nd glial IMHO. His touch which lead to the free kick was very poor.

However, Tadic was a lot worse today & he gets away with it!

I think he gets away with it as he barely starts a game these days.

Usual story when we lose, everyone moaning about Pelle. He didn't play badly.

Davis and Tadic and our general creativity remains more of a problem.

What else shall we judge him on then?

 

Assists? - Appalling

Shots per game - Below Average

Fouls committed - quite high

% of Headers won - shocking for a big man

Pass % - Very Bad

Exactly why I asked MLG to show us some stats that proved he was good.

Let's be honest here, if Pelle was playing at say Stoke would all the people on here who say he's good be still saying it? I think not. The guy is average at the very very best

I reckon we'd have finished top 4 this season with Lambert up front instead of Pelle.

I reckon we'd have finished top 4 this season with Lambert up front instead of Pelle.

Don't know if Lambert would have stood up to the physical demand of playing with the frequency we need.