Pelle Replicating His Eredivisie Form In The Premier League
Personal information
Full name: Graziano Pelle
Date of birth: 15 July 1985
Age: 29
Place of birth: San Cesario di Lecce, Italy
Height: 1.94 m (6 ft 4 in)
Playing position: Striker
Club information
Current team: Southampton
Number: 19
Youth career 2001–2004: Lecce
Senior career 2004–2007: Lecce 13 Appearances, 0 goals
2005 → Catania (loan) 15 Appearances, 0 goals
2006 → Crotone (loan) 17 Appearances, 6 goals
2006–2007 → Cesena (loan) 40 Appearances, 11 goals
2007–2011: AZ 91 Appearances, 16 goals
2011–2013: Parma 12 Appearances, 1 goal
2012 → Sampdoria (loan) 12 Appearances, 4 goals
2012–2013 → Feyenoord (loan) 33 Appearances, 29 goals
2013–2014: Feyenoord 33 Appearances, 26 goals
2014– Southampton 14 Appearances, 9 goals
National team 2004–2005: Italy U20 10 Appearances, 7 goals
2005–2007: Italy U21 11 Appearances, 0 goals
2008: Italy Olympic 5 Appearances, 0 goals
2014– Italy 4 Appearances, 1 goal
Graziano Pelle has become the latest striker to tread the dangerous, highly
scrutinised path from Eredivisie to the Premier League, and Southampton fans were
understandably wary of what £9 million was going to bring them. Pelle has
already scored an impressive nine goals in his first 14 appearances for the
Saints, driving his team to second spot in the EPL behind Chelsea and the big
man doesn’t look like slowing down.
With Pelle,
Saints hope they’ve found the exception to the rule. Ronald Koeman knows his
game inside-out and he knows a player or two. It’d be a massive surprise if he
got his wires crossed on a player he’d personally presided over scoring 50-plus
goals in two seasons. Pelle is a polished target man, playing in his prime, and
he’s not your typical fox-in-the-box poacher. Pelle heads well, finishes
instinctively, drags markers around superbly and is capable of the odd flick or
trick to spring a runner into space. With Dusan Tadic and Morgan Schneiderlin
providing ammunition, it’s an ideal goalscoring trio. Koeman will mould his
Saints team around Pelle and make allowances for him in any system or shape he
plays. He’ll be involved in everything—a true focal point—and, at the very
worst, enable others around him to shine. The nomadic Italian, now 29 years of
age, is in his prime yet still hungry to improve. Pelle is an ideal replacement
for Rickie Lambert and outperformed the Englishman in several key areas last
season. The Italian striker was the
star at Feyenoord for the last two years. With his power, strength, finishing
ability and control, he makes the perfect fit for Southampton. With the amount
of quality around him and providing great service, he could replicate the
partnership he had in Rotterdam with Jean-Paul Boetius, Ruben Schaken, Lex
Immers and Tonny Vilhena which allowed him to net 55 goals in 66 games across
two season in the iconic red and white.
Like Lambert, Pelle benefits a great deal from acting as the pinnacle of a
team’s attack. He can act as a target man, putting his strength and aerial
ability to use, or as the fulcrum in a side which, like Feyenoord and
Southampton, will play more passing-based, technical football. That he is so
highly regarded and respected in the Netherlands may come as a surprise to any
who had witnessed him before his time at Feyenoord. The 2013-14 season for
Feyenoord was a remarkable one for the Lecce-born player. He was made captain
of the team for a large part of the season and showed to be an inspiring leader
through his determination and commitment. However, with Feyenoord hot on the
heels of Ajax at the top of the table, Pelle grew tense and frustrated as his
wonderful work up front was being rendered irrelevant by defensive weaknesses. Now,
after two years of reinventing himself in Rotterdam, he has moved on to a
greater challenge; the English Premier League. It’s always difficult to judge
how strikers will get on in different leagues after succeeding in the
Eredivisie, but Pelle seems to be one who can go on to succeed if he carries on
playing the way he has been. His first touch and all round game have improved
in his time at Feyenoord; furthermore he is much more confident and sure of his
talent.
Although it
is worth remembering that the Eredivisie is not the Premier League in terms of
standards, the stats certainly show that Koeman got an incredible response out
of the striker during their time together at Feyenoord and there is little
reason not to expect Koeman to once again get the best out of the big goal
machine.