Match Day Thread Swansea City v Southampton Saturday 13th February 2016 KO 15:00

I find it interesting that there is more of a ground swell of criticism for Pelle than before. Many here will know that I have been a critic of his for a long time. He simply doesn't do enough of what a forward needs to do outside the box.

I haven't watched the whole game from Saturday, so it would be wrong of me to criticise that individual performance. I will say that I inwardly groaned at the clip where he won the ball deep and wide, fed the ball to Targett and then went for the return pass that didn't come. Targett chose to put a cross in that went for a corner or a throw to us. Pelle stood there thrusting his arms down in front of him and balling at Matty. I just thought, "Great, hasn't changed."

We are less fluid with him on the pitch and it seems that our least impressive performances in this recent run have been the last two that he started. That may be coincidence. My biggest gripe is that he doesn't look comfortable with the ball at his feet and doesn't consistently hold the ball up, hold the defender off and then bring someone into play. He'll have the ball nicked off him or he will try a flick. That is not how a good centre forward plays.

People didn't like it when I criticised him before and I am sure they won't again now. For me, we look better without him and I think his time is done.

 

I was a big fan of Pelle until his injury but since he has been back he looks he wants out now and seems uninterested.
Read a rumour (on here I think) that his constant moaning has caused some friction in the dressing room.
So for now he should only be a squad player at best with Austin starting (if fit) and then hopefully when Jay is back Pelle will go further down the pecking order then sell in the summer.

 

Was just typing the same thing. Doesn't seem to care..though i will grant he may still be recovering from injury. He's just looked like a player who knows he's out the door soon and isn't overly bothered. While he's certainly hot and cold and i've groaned more than a few times at chances he hasn't put away up until now i dont think Ive ever had cause to complain about a lack of effort from him.

 

I think it is easy to be critical of Pelle when things don't come off for him. The play you just described fats was a typical bit of play to get behind a defence. So surely you can understand his frustration. We also have to remember that young Targett is still learning how to play the position he is playing. (And by all accounts not making a bad job of it) Targett maybe should have realised and offered himself as a further option in the box perhaps had he played it the way Pelle wanted. Just saying really is that there is always another way of looking at things I guess.

 

http://www.fansnetwork.co.uk/football/southampton/news/42022/

A video of the away day at Swansea. I found it interesting because I have only been to a few away days.

 

FLT, I haven't checked back over your previous match day threads, but does each one (of the last six) get more and more positive, with at least one more Really for each successive thread? We have twelve more fixtures, so at this current success rate there will be eleven more "Really"s at the start of the thread for our final match v Palace.

It's a good job there is a break between this season and the next, as I may have to upgrade my laptop's memory, in order to cope with the likely size of the first match thread of the 2016-17 season.

Of course, you could always create match threads for England's games in the Euros. How can we fail?

 

Pelle is just being...an Italian. Arm waving and dramatic gestures are par for the course. I don't think he is God's gift, but remember it wasn't his fault he didn't get a goal...and that is his main job. My position is that he's part of the team and, unless he head butts the sainted Fonte, I will support him. On the other hand, I won't cry too much if he leaves.

 

Duplicate post

 

Really? Sorry but you couldn't have watched too closely then. The worst of the bunch was West Brom away back in September. A disgraceful lack of effort where he literally spent most the game walking. There have been others, but I don't want to turn this into a Pelle bashing. I said many, many months ago (probably last Jan/Feb) that I believed he was not doing what was needed in that position. There have been exceptions (Swansea at home and others) but overall I say we look better when he is not playing and I think with current options of Long, Mane and Austin for that spot now, he shouldn't be starting.

I'll thank him for his goals and the Italian Passion he brought to us and wish him well on his way this summer. I'll be disappointed if he was offered a new deal.

 

Double post

 

Triple post!!

 

Are we all having the same problem. Appears not to post, but then you find you have duplicated it.

 

Perhaps i should've said persistent lack of effort. Of course there were games where he was a largely a spectator or you could almost hear his head drop with an audible thud when something didn't go his way. But this is the first time i think i've seen it consecutively or so blatant...just seems disinterested and a little isolated from the rest of the team.

 

Not sure what you're saying Beddytare? Target took a good option. He had two options: pass to Pelle or cross. Both were good options. A team mate shouldn't be balling at a player because he took the other good option.

I just gave an example of a brief bit I saw when he was doing his OTT moaning. He had been doing that earlier this season a lot too. If you want me to sit here and recount the numerous times and post them I can.... But that won't do much good. I was just saying that I read a lot of moans about him during the game on things I have said for a long while that he has been getting wrong and it seems that there is a bit of a swell in that direction now.

As for "when things don't come off for him" this is one of my gripes. He doesn't learn when to try "things" and when not to. Yes, it is wonderful when a flick falls right, but too often he tries something when he should just be getting his body there and holding it up.

His chest lay-offs are excellent, and his flicks are hit and miss and tried too often. There is a time (very often) when a team needs their centre forward to get his body there, hold it up and keep the ball before laying it off to a supporting player, to relief some pressure.

 

If only he played every game like he did away at Chelsea, but I am in the sell Pelle in the summer camp now, shame but as others have said he doesn't look interested and his effort levels have dropped.

 

Nah, I just liked the sound of my own opinion so posted it three times

 

Yep. Chelsea away, Swansea at home and first half at home to United, he was excellent.
(Second half he was awful just walking and moaning).

 

I can't work miracles!!!

 

It seems that far too many of our fans have a deep psychological need to have a Saints player they can criticise at every turn. Come on lets all get on Pelle's back and destroy his confidence. I am sure it will really help the team..

 

Your criticism of Pelle does border on the irrational at times. In the highlighted sentence, you are basically criticising him for wanting the ball. I have said before that I don't think any of us are blind to his shortcomings, but I think at times you are unable to see beyond them.

I really can't agree that "his time is done".