Hi all,
Been reading the forum for a long time but only just putting my first post on!
Signed up a few years ago when the server load was high around transfer deadline day so i could read the Gaston transfer thread
My view is that all of this talk of who is a better player is irrelevant, the important question is how they would contribute to our team playing in our system (or secondary systems so we have a plan B). Saying that a player who scored loads of goals for a team lower down the table will score more for us is a dangerous assumption.
Lambert moved to a team who were higher in the table, does it mean he would do better for Liverpool? Nope, Lambert doesn't fit Liverpools system. Has Lovren done better? In the Saints team Lovren could fly out of defense and attack the ball as he had lots of cover with defensive midfielders/Fonte, he doesn't have that in Liverpools system and it doesn't suit the way he plays.
With every transfer Saints will weigh up if a player will fit into the way we play and if they fit our purchasing strategy (value for money/able to improve), by having the scouting system to be able to do this we can punch above our weight. Going out and buying other players just because they are better can cause way more problems than it solves if they don't fit the system you want to play.
I would personally take a good player who fits the system rather than a very good one who doesn't. It's about how they fit the team not about the individual.
On the subject of Pelle I believe he is a very good player who was bought in as Koeman knows he fits the system he wants to play, he is good at bringing other players into the game and can get on the end of crosses. He has his faults but so does almost every player if you watch them week in week out.
To sum up, I know that if we go for a player it is because the board believe they fit our system/strategy and will improve the team, if we don't it is because they don't.
(sorry for the length of the post, will try to be more focused when making a point in the future!

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