I think it is time to move Pelle on as, when everyone is fit, he isn't making the side and at his age he probably wants to be playing and has one last big contract at another club. We should of course replace him with another striker for the squad.
Selling Pelle depends on what you could get for him. We are no longer so poor that it is better to get a few mill than nothing....perhaps it is better to lose those few mills and have a PL-experienced striker for another season. Would be different if you were selling a younger player and risked losing a lot if he got to his last season.
I asked my mate on Saturday who the new striker was. Pelle looked to be a real handful for Stoke, and of course he scored as well. I might be a gullible fool, but I'm inclined to believe RK and Graziano himself when they tell us he's been carrying a niggling injury. One of my end of season aspirations is to see the old Graziano terrifying defenders again. I liked what I saw on Saturday, so same again against shhh-you-know-who at the weekend. I have to confess an aspiration for me is for Man Utd and Liverpool to knock seven bells out of each other this week!
Yep as I have been saying for months. I was told Pelle's knee is a mess and still is. Some games he will be ok but then the next it will effect him. We just have to see how it goes. I can still see him being sold though.
You're only now beginning to learn that, Fran? I think I started learning it virtually from the cradle
Might ultimately be a little more than 2-5m if sold to China, and factoring in wages it's probably closer to 4-7m that can be allocated elsewhere anyway. For a player likely to fall down the pecking order in the final year of their deal who probably wouldn't be adverse to the move, it's worthwhile.
Why do you assume we'd sell Pelle and not bring another striker in? My assumption is the opposite. I think we will spend a decent chunk of change to bring in a first-XI type striker regardless of whether Pelle stays or goes. So the question is not whether we can do with one LESS striker than we have now, but whether we truly need one MORE striker than we have now. If Pelle wants to stay, I wouldn't being trying to boot him out of the club. He's still a useful player, and we don't need the money THAT bad. But I agree with Schad. I think Pelle will probably want a move, and we can make that happen for him while pocketing a little extra money for ourselves. So why not? It's a win-win.
Why do you assume we will replace him? We weren't in any rush to get another striker in before? In fact as I mentioned before it took an injury to Pelle for us to sign a striker (concerning for me). If we replace him then fine I have no issues with him leaving, but a replacement for him is likely going to cost more than what we get for him unless we're going for past prime (not our style) or really young (gamble). The way I see it, is there is more important places to be investing in this Summer. For example, it's still likely that Mane & Vic will go this Summer. So there's 2 that need replacing instantly. We also need a RB, at least 1 wideman, an AM/no.10 type and a back up GK assuming Stek won't sign. So I make that 5/6 signings we will likely need in the Summer, I don't see why we would make that another one when it seems a bit of an unnecessary gamble. We're unlikely to get better than Pelle for the money we will get for him. He knows the club and the league etc. I just think in a Summer where we'll be doing a fair bit of business then it doesn't really make sense (unless he really wants to go).
I like Graziano and I hope that he stays (he has stated publicly that he wants to), I don't think that his age is an issue as he doesn't have any pace to lose!. We have the best group of Strikers in the club's history now, why should we break it up? Fortunately Ron sees his qualities and his opinion is the one that really counts
According to your plan, our squad next year would have: Juanmi, Mane/replacement, Long, Pelle, Tadic, JWP, Davis, Rodriguez, Austin, Vilhena/new#10, new wideman. That's without trying to get playing time for any of the academy players who might be ready to step up. I really do not believe we need 11 attackers.
If Ron wants to keep Pelle, that's good enough for me. Worth losing a few pennies when you bear in mind what each place in the EPL is worth. I'm in favour of adding a few new players to a stable side...can't keep losing too many and then spending time settling the new ones in.
I'm not so sure about that Our most successful signings in recent seasons have been domestic or Celtic players in their early 20s and i'd like to see us go for that type of player again. I'm not a huge follower of the championship or league one, but there must be talent down there.
I agree with most of what you are saying but not sure about being the best group of strikers. Keegan, Moran, Channon maybe or Shearer, Wallace, Tiss?
I meant in depth of quality....1 ROI , 1 Italian, 2 English and 1 Senegalese Internationals....Micky was at the *** end of his career and technically Tiss wasn't a Striker. Keegan was undoubtably World Class, but Shearer wasn't the completed player then.
Ron Davies and Martin Chivers/the young Mick Channon? Agree about the depth though, our squad overall has never been as strong as now.
Mmmm is that a very short/young history? Chivers, Davies, Channon, Boyer, Keegan, Moran, Worthington, Wallace, Wallace, Shearer, Le Tissier, Beattie, Davies, may have something to say for that. Not Speedie and Dixon though.
