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

I also saw Pelle mouthing and gesturing to Targett. Tbf, the lad cooly waved it off, but maybe he could have acknowledged that his teammate was taking up a great position and was totally unmarked. Pelle gets a lot of criticism because he waves his arms about and gets frustrated. Guess what? It shows he cares, about getting goals, which is what he's primarily about, and getting a result for the team. So I'm not going to criticise his passion. Typically Italian, it's forgotten seconds after the gesture. You'll see everyone will be all smiles after the game if things have gone well.

So why doesn't Koeman start Austin, like so many on here want him to? Because he trusts Pelle. That has to be the reason. Even though Graziano is playing himself back in, and by the way, into a changed formation since he last regularly played, Ronald prefers him over Austin. In terms of fitness, I'd imagine they are roughly the same at the moment, though I suspect Pelle's core fitness is better. Austin looks several pounds overweight to me, but then again, he has always looked a tad overweight to me, when I've seen match snaps of him. I also think Pelle is the better distributor of the ball, but then again, Austin hasn't had much chance to show me otherwise recently.

In terms of Pelle's interest, I don't see how people come to the conclusion that he suddenly wants to be on his way, just because he said he'd like to end his career in Italy. Hey, I'd like to end my career in Italy! At least the weather would be half-decent most of the time. He's apparently turned down a move back to Italy already [so the ITKs would have us believe], and there's the small matter of playing in Europe next season. When we qualify for Europe we'll need his experience and goal instinct in rotation. After all, why are only big teams allowed to have several decent strikers? That's the way they are able to do well on several fronts.

 

People are also forgetting that Austin missed a very good chance of scoring and I'm sure that if it had been Graziano it would be an added criticism... I really don't think that the rest of the team get pissed off at Pelle's Italian histrionics - they're surely used to him by now and on the Uncovered videos he's often seen talking "at" various players while on the exercise bikes, walking to or from the pitch etc and no-one seems pissed off at him.

 

It's understandable, in a Darwinian sense.

We suffered last season by sticking with Pelle. Dont wanna make the same mistake twice. He's a good bench option at best in our squad.

 

My judgement is coloured by the fact that week in week out I have to listen to the ill informed prejudices directed at Pelle from the guys who sit behind. Damn it all I heard him described in a loud voice by one fool as a useless C*** which was not only extremely offensive but totally unacceptable.

 

I agree. It was a boring play, in a way. Pelle occupied the back post, as he should. That enabled Long to make a run at the near post, which he did. Long's man fell asleep at the switch, leaving Long with a sitter that he put away. Had it been Pelle's man who failed to do his job, I expect that JWP would have played the cross to Pelle, leaving him with the sitter that I would expect him to score on.

I don't think Pelle did anything spectacular there. I'm only pointing out that it's a pretty common criticism of Pelle that he supposedly doesn't draw defenders but Shane Long does. So if people are going to praise Long for taking up dangerous positions and drawing defenders to open up scoring opportunities for others, then they should also recognize when Pelle does the same thing.

 

I very much doubt anybody is saying or thinking "Pelle is crap". I think it's more a case of "perhaps we've developed somewhat and there are better options on current form in the squad".

 

I felt like there actually seemed to be a lot of "Pelle is crap" and "Pelle almost cost us the game" in various places. Not so much on here, tbf. That's what I was talking about.

Totally fair to wonder whether Pelle is the best option now that we have Austin. As I said before, I think it's just a matter of Koeman wanting to make sure Austin is 100% fit, is fully integrated into the squad, etc. Just easing him into the lineup. Which I have no problem with, especially as it's not cost us anything as we've been winning.

I suspect Pelle will be sold in the summer. It might have happened even without Austin, but now that we've signed him I feel like the writing is pretty much on the wall. I'm okay with that.

 

I always try to judge players on performance, not preconceived perceptions.
Pelle has a lot of good qualities but, for me, his inclusion in the team makes our attack too predictable.
He plays in such a narrow corridor the only doubt he puts into defenders minds' is whether or not he will hold the ball up or try a first time flick.
He never turns and runs at a defender, something Mane and Long do, and even Austin did, Saturday, when he came on.
He seldom goes wide, in the way SRL would, in order to give a defender/midfielder an "out" ball down the line. On Saturday, Davis turned and passed backwards to VVD, countless number of times, because no striker gave him the opportunity to pass down the line, which Mane does. (You could also moan at JWP for not going wide as well, but then maybe he expected the striker to make the run).
In the two games, since his return, it hasn't helped Pelle that in one Davis was missing, and in the other he was playing at RWB. Davis, in the advanced midfield position, is good for Pelle, because he makes himself available for the knock backs.
I remember, a few months back, that a few on here thought I had lost it, when I criticised our attacking play, because I felt other teams were evolving away from having big target men and slow build up play, and going with raw pace and quick attacks.
I suggested then that we risked being left behind, if we didn't adapt. I see our recent style of play, and 3-5-2 formation, with two quick strikers, as the adaptation that was needed.
Going back to Pelle, for me, is a step backwards.

 

I agree but...


You go to war with the army you have. We have a limited number of players (particularly while Jay and Charlie aren't fit) and we sort of have to use everyone. I would use Pelle in the same way that we used Lambert. Either off the bench (particularly when we're already on top), or from the start but ready to be replaced by someone fast in the second half. It's not his fault that he's over 30 and wasn't exactly dynamically fast when he was younger - that's the player we bought.

 

Koeman is walking on water at the moment. Got to the point where I'd say he must know what he's doing if he played Pelle in goal and Fraser up front. **

** Please don't, Ron.

 

I suspect I may have started it. Guy who sits next to me was adamant that someone in the club (who he said he couldn't name) directly said that Pelle was dropped not because of the injury but because he was seriously splitting the dressing room with complaints about other players. The guy who told me has never told me anything "in the know" before but he's a quiet, thoughtful, middle-aged lifelong Saints supporter who seems unlikely to be making things up.

After watching Pelle berating JWP for two or three minutes during a game (can't remember which one) for a cross that went astray (and I'm pretty sure it reached another Saints player), I wasn't terribly surprised. It may have been my mentioning that incident to the guy that made him bring up his ITK titbit, if I recall.

There's a difference between a quick "did you see I was here" of frustration and an extended angry outburst at a team-mate.

I pretty much loved the guy for a long time but this is a habit of his and has affected my view of him (long before the ITK comment above). I noticed his outburst against Matty on Saturday and I just wasn't surprised; it seems to be his style.

Vin

 

Pelle thrives on goals, it brings confidence. Since his return he has struggled and is rightly under pressure for his place in the starting line up.. How he reacts will determine whether he is offered a contract extension. Nuff said.

 

To quote Barry Davies 'just look at his face' in the photos after we score. He is desperate for the team to win. Enough said.

 

Pelle's behavior is a non-issue as far as I am concerned.

It is little difficult to imagine that Pelle has been angering his teammates and affecting the locker room, but Koeman still keeps putting him out there despite having alternatives.

Koeman has coached Pelle for some time, at two different clubs. If this was an problem RK would not have brought him here nor would Pelle have come. And even after that, there have been ample opportunities for transfers or transfer requests or talking to press.

 

sounds like a 'refined' way of saying the same thing.

 

Just a thought. Think how difficult it's become over the last couple of months for other teams to put a plan in place to deal with our attack. The variations on offer due to rotation of players and the 3/5 or 4 at the back malarky must be a nightmare. By just being an option the likes of Pele, Austin and Mane make it far more awkward for the opposition. Taking a further step back what's also odd is Long becoming most favoured striker. Many here a few months ago, while appreciating his work rate, questioned his value to the team/squad. I'm just enjoying having such a plethora of striking options.

 

Long is dangerous and creates chances by his movement. His speed and work rate make him a worth his place....and at the moment he is also our best striker. Always good as a sub, but now shown he can be a starter....especially when others have fallen away.

 

People take comments the wrong way on a forum or form their own meaning. I genuinely don't recall anyone questioning Long's value to the team/squad.

People, including me, having questioned his ability in specific areas, such as consistent goal scoring, but have always seen his value to the team/squad. It is great that we have options, absolutely.

It is possible to really support a player whilst pointing out his limitations. I believe my wife supports me and does a lot of the pointing out...

 

There's no football this weekend (except some irrelevant cup) and I'm bored, so maybe Pelle hasn't been injured at all but has been locked in a cupboard as punishment for upsetting the team. He has been allowed back out if he promises to cook them all proper Italian spaghetti. (I'm sure someone ITK mentioned this in passing)

 

Vic likes spaghetti .