Our Manolo

I love him.

That is all.

 

He's been quite brilliant so far and has more than filled the biggest hole in our side.

The other good thing is that playing seems to be important to him and, having gone to a big club once already and suffered a bit, maybe just maybe we'll be able to hang on to him a bit longer than some others.

 

Brilliant player.

As I've said in the match thread, not just his finishing, but his movement and first touch/link up play is out of this world.

Dare I say we have finally found our mythical '20 goal a season' striker that people love to talk about?

 

The rate he is going, he'll have that by the end of the season

I predict (not hard atm) that he will become the 'next Rickie Lambert' over the next few years.

 

Is there no way of getting his first goal yesterday reinstated? Not so we can all go back to Wembley and play 30 minutes extra time, although that would be lovely, but just to keep that wonderful arithmetic progression going, of goals scored per game. One against West Ham, two at Sunderland, and then what should have been a beautiful, perfect hat trick yesterday.

Even without that disallowed goal, 5 goals in your first 3 games is the best start for a striker at Saints since Alan Shearer unless I am mistaken. Simply unbelievable, and just what we have been wanting and needing since Rickie left, with absolutely no disrespect to Graziano.

 

Maybe he's going to score one goal in one game, then two goals in two games, then three in three games and so on?

 

Sometimes you get a good feeling about a striker. From day one, Rickie was destined to be a legend for us. I loved Pelle, but always felt he wasn't quite legend status if you get what I mean. Mane was easily the best striker we've had in the last couple of seasons, but again I never felt he would become a legend. There is something about Manolo that sits right with me. I don't feel he is just passing through.

 

He seems like a good bloke, based on his farewell message to Napoli. You could tell he wrote that himself, unlike a lot of our former players!

 

Bit early to be talking about Manolo becoming a legend. Yes he has looked fantastic in his first 3 games, but it is only 3 games. In the same way if he hadn't been great these first three games I'd be reserving my judgement. It is very early in his saints career.

If he does keep this level of performance up he could well leave us for a bigger side, hopefully we will have got to a stage where we keep players of that quality but we certainly aren't there yet.

Not that it's all negative. Regardless of me calling for patience, the fact is he has made a brilliant start and I hope it will continue.

 

Oh I agree 100%. Too early to be a legend, but I just get a good feeling about him.

 

Yeah, it's easy to get carried away, we need to judge him properly at the end of the season, but he's really got my hopes up.

It's funny - all it takes is a goal scorer like him, and I can't wait to get to st Mary's and watch games again. I was getting a bit bored of football and saints since Chazza's injury due to the lack of goals. Goes to show why strikers cost the most money.

 

The best striker I have witnessed play for Saints since Pahars in my eyes, Excellent movement... I was excited everytime he had the ball at his feet.

 

If that trend continues he will score a few more than 20 in a season!

 

I noticed yesterday just how often he spins off his marker at the last minute and races away onto the bouncing ball. It's very cleverly done.

 

It is indeed too early to get carried away, but the signs clearly are a very good. Further evidence that of how important the transfer market is. We'll never get back the lost six months, but at least the problem does appear to be fixed now.

(By all accounts, there was a lot of negotiating with Napoli and we refused to meet their initial demands. But just think if both sides had dug heir heels in, consequently leading to us not getting him. OK, on this occasion it wasn't an issue. But I do think it shows that we need to be open to sometimes 'paying over the odds' for a player.)

 

Think it is fair to say their president was concerned to lose Gabbiadini for so cheap, It is an absolute snip at the price Quoted, Especially if he keeps up this proficiency in front of goal, Better than Austin I say.

 

He will be go to Liverpool in a year....


And other **** jokes about our better players.

 

Maybe the faster pace of the PL suits him, he's never been prolific before now but you get the feeling that he's going to be a real player for you. He can play that's for sure he's no one season wonder Like Ighalo for example who needs space creating for him. He seems to have a bit of everything to his game.

 

Imagine when he learns English then, I bet he still hesitates slightly. Him and Boufal next season together, Watch this space.