There was a period last season when he and Clyne looked great together, but he was later used mainly as a sub. He would find it hard to get in the team now. I really like Punch as a player and am sure he will do well at Palace.
This is exactly my opinion. In the first few months, Puncheon looked the only player in our squad who seemed to be PL class and his linking up with Clyne was one of the most inspiring things about the season as a whole. For me, he was our player of the season albeit I think Morgan was also exceptional. I'll be sad to see Puncheon go out on loan.
Just watched his interview on their website. Interviewer: "Jason, your early thoughts on the move?" Puncheon: "Obviously definitely, y'know."
I truly believe that Puncheon had the potential to be an England player, albeit sometimes his final pass left a bit to be desired. I fear he will be on a downward spiral from now on although I hope not.
...I liked Punch last season, but he is not an England player and I don't think he had the potential to be either.
If he was consistently as good as we know he can be, he would be an England player, but unfortunately he has 2 or 3 pretty average games for every really good one. Hopefully at Palace he'll get some consistency in terms of selection and maybe that will help his game.
So he's gone? That was unexpected. He was a main player last season and this year? I still rate him above Gaston and Davis.
Mauricio says it was his choice. Punch apparently saw himself going down the pecking order with the arrival of Dani and he wanted to play. Good luck to him.
I guess fair play to him for wanting to play, but we should be the team that plays him. I agree that he still had a part to play for us, he was outstanding last year. He is also the reason we beat real sociedad in pre-season, so it wasn't just a flash in the pan. I'm pretty confused by this to be honest, I think I would have felt the same as him after MP chose an 18 year old central midfielder over him on the wing at the weekend. I really hope this decision doesn't come back to bite us, and that we manage to create enough chances without him.
Absolutely. I'm a little flummoxed by Puncheon's decision. Sure he isn't going to play as often as he will for Crystal Palace, but there is no doubt he'd be named as a substitute and might even get a full 90 minutes occasionally for Saints. Besides, I would have thought that he was proud of being with team that has loads of ambition, and that has achieved so much him involved already. Compare the recent interview with Jose Fonte, the player who of all the squad, in my opinion, buys into the ambition like no other, and he says that he is just thankful to still be part of the project that he was introduced to when dropped a league to join. That decision has paid off in spades for him. On the other hand, nobody knows Puncheon's limits probably better than Puncheon himself, and perhaps he knows he can't raise his game any higher. I think he has sold himself short, but I wish him well in any case.
I have this saved from the end of last season when I did some research to compare some of our players. I know they are just stats but to me Puncheon was clearly our best option at right wing at the end of last season and the beginning of this season. I would have done the same thing in Puncheon's position. He has been really unfairly frozen out the starting lineup and sometimes the entire squad. Minutes per goal for team (minimum 10 goals for team when playing): With Puncheon on pitch (34 goals) - 60.7 minutes per goal With Davis on pitch(30 goals) - 69 minutes per goal With Lallana on pitch(32 goals) - 70 minutes per goal With Rodriguez on pitch(29 goals) - 75.2 minutes per goal With Ramirez on pitch(21 goals) - 80.5 minutes per goal
That's an incredible statistic. Puncheon would have been my first choice right wide-man for the start of the season if clyne was also starting. It's a bit weird him leaving and I don't believe it is for purely footballing reasons.
Good luck to him. I'll be first to cheer him, he was my top player for last season and it's a shame he's gone.
What were the family reasons? Or was it not specific at all? those stats are looking telling at the moment. still no goal in open play this season and we struggled last season when we dropped puncheon
Is there an official source that has said that he asked to leave (for whatever reason) or is it merely speculation?
I am friends with someone who is also friends with the Puncheon family. There are reasons Jason wanted to be closer to home. The end.
