Graziano is in Southampton and met with Koeman earlier today. Personal terms agreed with the player, as mentioned the other day.
Announced Monday then?
For what it's worth, I agree to a certain extent with Joe and Dan. People point to Pelle's record at Feyenoord, but the cold facts are there; his goalscoring record outside of De Kuip is poor. He's very nearly hitting 29, and hasn't scored goals in what many would deem a "top tier" league before.
But if it was the standard of defending, then maybe he'd have hit tonnes in for AZ Alkmaar. But for some reason, he didn't. Under Koeman, he built his attack round Pelle, and he scored bucketfuls... Much like Lambert.
Pelle could well be as close to signing Lambert in terms of height, style of play etc without actually signing Lambert. We may lose Lambert's superb passing ability and vision... but what I've read, Pelle is very mobile for someone 6'4. For £6.4m, it's worth the risk provided he's not the only signing in that area of the team.
It does suggest we'll be playing a version of hoofball. I don't think any of us are really expecting the same pretty football like last season though.
Koeman doesn't play hoofball. I don't know why it's presumed that you can't have a big man up front or utilise an aerial threat without playing hoofball.
Dutch football is traditionally based on good passing/ball-retention and strong wing-play.
i don't understand it. it's as if pochettino invented pretty football to some people.
we had a bunch of players who played pretty football for 6 years. each manager has put their own twist on it, pochettino's was the press.
It's not about pretty football to me - it's just that it would be incredibly one-dimensional and as a result, easy to defend. If he was just a small part of a big team plan, then it wouldn't be so bad, except I don't feel he's good enough to thrive in that role.
It's not about pretty football to me - it's just that it would be incredibly one-dimensional and as a result, easy to defend. If he was just a small part of a big team plan, then it wouldn't be so bad, except I don't feel he's good enough to thrive in that role.
It's not about pretty football to me - it's just that it would be incredibly one-dimensional and as a result, easy to defend. If he was just a small part of a big team plan, then it wouldn't be so bad, except I don't feel he's good enough to thrive in that role.
Shame we had that lumbering oaf gallagher in the youth team then.This, mostly, but I also think that there was/is significant value in the notion of having a style that you play from the youth level up through the first team...and having that style endure changes in managers, etc.
Shame we had that lumbering oaf gallagher in the youth team then.
Gallagher might be tall, but he's about as good a candidate as Michael Owen for the role of target man.