Summer 2014 Transfer rumour thread - Part IV

I'll tell you one thing for sure - it's nice to be feeling excited again about the forthcoming season rather than "meltdown/impending doom/no players/certain relegation".....

 

There isn't. Because he isn't.

He was released after his team were relegated. Very highly thought of back in Mexico as a young goalkeeper and was linked to many top teams, then he didn't really develop as fast as people thought and moved to the top division in France. Still young for a goalkeeper he may not have peaked yet. He has at least 4 or 5 good years where (theoretically) he should be peaking. Would be a good signing but I think he will have better offers, maybe not ones where he will be a sure starter though.

 

On the Lovren thing, you may remember our resident Croatian voiced the same concerns when he signed, because he had been crap for Lyon. I'm willing to commit to stating that Pelle would be a terrible signing and would not score goals in the Premier League.

 

Probably shouldn't agree, much easier to pretend every player we sign is great just in case they are, more through luck than judgement.

What are you talking about? Obviously, I was the only person in the world who thought Lovren had been ****e. And Pelle is class.

 

Who can we replace Lovren with anyways? (if he goes)

 

One of the Feyenoord boys? Well at least we have a *chance* now......

 

Van Dijk. I also still think Astori is realistic, and De Vrij might be just about within the realms of possibility.

 

I can see Fonte going as well tbh. Wouldn't mind 2 of De Vrij, Van Dijk, Martins Indi, Veltman and then sign Kongolo as back up.

 

Lovren wasn't that great after his injury, so maybe his honeymoon period ended?

 

I think the any of those dutch CBs would be good signings. Koeman will be a big pull.

Also, don't know if it was mentioned, but Jordy Clasie was actually in tears when Ronald left Feyenoord last season. He said he was basically like a father to him, and his success was all down to Koeman. Not saying we would buy Clasie, although he is a very good player, but shows how close he was to some of the players at Feyenoord. Seems a real good man manager.

 

Also read a stat that he had 109 misplaced passes, he had the 2nd worse stat in europe I think.

 

Koeman is the only reason I think De Vrij could be possible.

 

Should take Vilhena as well. But then I would start feeling sorry for Feyenoord.

 

That can be filed in the "misleading at best" file along with "Southampton played more long passes than any other team". His overall pass completion rate was 82% which is higher than Shaw, Chambers or Clyne, and only 0.6% less than Fonte.

 

Not really misleading. He still misplaced 109 passes.

 

The reason it's misleading is that it doesn't account for the fact Saints pass the ball more often than most teams. If Lovren never passed the ball, he wouldn't misplace a single pass. 0 misplaced passes would look like an amazing stat out of context, but his % completed stat would be less than impressive.

 

It implies he's a notably inaccurate passer, when that's not really the case.

 

Only when people don't look up the details. He still misplaced 109 passes.

 

Bet most of them were against Spurs

 

Why would you expect anyone to look up the details? These stats should be illuminating by themselves, not cherry-picked to give a misleading impression. The fact he's misplaced 109 passes is meaningless without the context; it's simply a bad stat.