Player Focus: Lack of Competition Affecting Fatigued Pellè's Form
Last week, Southampton manager Ronald Koeman was named Premier League manager of the month for January. Three Premier League fixtures yielded 9 points, with a win at Old Trafford in January representing Manchester United’s only defeat in their last 19 competitive fixtures. The accolade was well deserved for the Dutchman.
However, Saints’ form has dipped since their narrow win over Newcastle at the end of last month. They have won just 1 of their last 3 - a 1-0 win at QPR - while Sadio Mané’s strike against the R’s has been the only goal Saints have scored in that time. An inability to find the back of the net against both Swansea and West Ham at St. Mary’s is cause for concern as Koeman’s side strive to gatecrash the top 4.
With Saints appearing toothless in front of goal, Graziano Pellè’s recent form continues to worry supporters. The Italian, a summer signing from Feyenoord, excelled upon his arrival on the south coast. 6 goals and 1 assist from his opening 8 league games propelled Saints towards the summit of England’s top tier as Pellè appeared to seamlessly transition from the Eredivisie to the Premier League.
Since that early season purple patch, however, Pellè has just 2 goals and 1 assist in his subsequent 17 league appearances. The 29-year-old has failed to net in the Premier League in 2015. When a team’s main striker is floundering in front of goal, the side in question is always likely to struggle. Saints have soldiered on, despite Pellè's poor goalscoring return in recent months, but the club cannot continue to rely on others to shoulder the burden with the Italian desperately out of form.
A likely reason behind Pellè’s downturn in fortunes is fatigue. Of a possible 2250 minutes this season, the Italy international has played 2222. He has started every league game this campaign and has been subbed off just twice (against Sunderland and Crystal Palace). The former was after a brace in an 8-0 drubbing of the Black Cats so the striker could receive a richly deserved standing ovation from the home crowd. In the Boxing Day win over Palace, all 3 points had already been sewn up by the time Pellè was withdrawn. Saints welcomed Chelsea two days after the encounter at Selhurst Park and Koeman clearly wanted his number one striker fully fit for the meeting with the Blues.
When tiredness sets in, concentration levels can drop. A player can struggle to replicate performances, with his first touch becoming worse and the timing of runs poor. For Pellè, the lack of rest has evidently hindered his displays. Earlier in the season, everything clicked into gear almost instantly. The Italian was a handful for defences and a general nuisance in the opposition 18-yard box.
A hectic festive period, Pellè’s first, has contributed to a number of lacklustre performances. In the past, the experienced frontman has had the benefit of a winter break to recharge his batteries in order to come back fighting fit for the second half of the season. This campaign, however, Pellè played 252 minutes of a possible 270 in the Premier League over 7 days over Christmas and New Year. Without a chance to recover properly, the striker has underwhelmed.
The lack of competition for a starting berth on the frontline has also contributed to his poor run of form. Beyond Pellè, Koeman does not have a striker capable of carrying a similar attacking threat as the former Feyenoord star. Jay Rodriguez is able to spearhead the attack, but is still recuperating from ligament damage suffered against Manchester City in April. The inexperienced Sam Gallagher is also recovering from a knee injury of his own he picked up in pre-season. Furthermore, Gallagher's lack of top-flight football means he is unlikely to challenge Pellè for a starting berth upon his return to fitness. Meanwhile, Shane Long's inability to settle following his big money move from Hull means Koeman has been reluctant to deploy the 28-year-old as the lone frontman.
His goalscoring woes are not for lack of trying, however. Pellè has hit the woodwork more times (6) than any other player in the Premier League this season. All 6 of the occasions he has struck the crossbar or post have come after Saints’ 8-0 win over Sunderland, 4 of which have been in 2015, while 1 of those was rebounded into the path of Dusan Tadic, who tucked away from close range in the club’s 1-0 win at Manchester United last month.
Without adequate options in reserve, though, Koeman must rely on Pellè rediscovering his goalscoring touch sooner rather than later if Saints are to maintain their Champions League push. The south coast side will not have played for 11 days by the time Sunday’s meeting with Liverpool comes around, providing ample time for Pellè to rest ahead of a return to action. Given the Reds’ recent form, however, the Saints star’s current barren run in front of goal may continue, but it’s vital the striker snaps out of this dry streak as the campaign nears its final sprint to the finish.
Why do you think Graziano Pellè's form has dropped so worryingly? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below
