https://www.psvinside.nl/guus-hiddink-komt-met-een-oplossing-voor-ricardo-pepi/ use google translate if interested Guus Hiddink comes up with a solution for Ricardo Pepi May 16, 2024
The "solution" suggested by Hiddink, as far as my reading of the poorly translated article, is to give DeJong rest in midweek games so that Pepi can play more. He also says that Pepi is ready for more minutes, seems very high on him, and notes that at a top club like PSV you've always got to be changing it up--your best players come and go all the time, constant flux.
Alexander Sørloth, 28-yo striker from Norway scored 4 times against Real Madrid (4-4), grabbing the lead in the topscorerlist with 23 goals. Former FC Groningen player.
What the hell is that post doing in the Pepi thread??? Man City won the Prem. AC Milan lost. Emma Hayes left Chelsea as a winner I mean, if we’re just posting random soccer news here….
Lol... Tough weekend? Pepi is also a former Groningen player, I'm guessing is the point. Like, perhaps, it's a bit early to panic.
It’s not rocket science. Pepi played at FC Groningen too and will therefore become a Norwegian national team player soon. Duh
Fair enough. More connection than some posts. And that’s an amazing achievement. Gotta admit I had a head scratching moment as well, though.
not sure if this got posted: PSV coach Peter Bosz noticed that reserve striker Ricardo Pepi was having difficulty with his reserve role after eight months in Eindhoven. The American had to tolerate PSV captain Luuk de Jong, which meant that Pepi did not train as well for a few weeks. "He (Pepi, ed.) was having a hard time after eight months," Bosz says in the GoodHabitz podcast. "We have the captain in Luuk de Jong and a very good striker, who scores a lot of goals and is important for the team," the coach then refers to the 29 goals and fifteen assists of his captain in 34 Eredivisie matches. "After eight months, the other striker, Ricardo Pepi, suddenly stopped training well," Bosz continues his story. The sixty-year-old manager spoke to Pepi to discuss his attitude. "I told him that I understand everything and that it is difficult for him to stay motivated. That was enough because now he is back where he needs to be." Pepi was acquired by PSV from FC Augsburg for more than ten million euros in the summer of 2023. He played minutes in 27 Eredivisie matches, mainly as a substitute, and the attacker was good for seven goals and two assists. Pepi is under contract with PSV until the summer of 2028. https://www.voetbalprimeur.nl/nieuws/1201675/pepi-had-moeite-met-reserverol-bij-psv.html
"After eight months, the other striker, Ricardo Pepi, suddenly stopped training well," Bosz continues his story. The sixty-year-old manager spoke to Pepi to discuss his attitude. "I told him that I understand everything and that it is difficult for him to stay motivated. That was enough because now he is back where he needs to be." https://www.voetbalprimeur.nl/nieuws/1201675/pepi-had-moeite-met-reserverol-bij-psv.html So all is well now?
I heard Pepi has been working really hard on not rolling his eyes back in his head while sitting on the bench in the 83´ with PSV up 5-1 and Bosz makes the call to bring him in the game. Baby steps!
I know this is glib, but in PSV defense (something I hope to never write again) Pepi was injured for 2 of the bigger year end blow outs and Bosz was giving him some minutes on wing. He could have played more, I agree, but either Tillman, Baka, chucks (my vote!) or one of the other wide attackers would have had to give up minutes.
I mean the most important bit about his backup role is LdJ's "29 goals and fifteen assists of his captain in 34 Eredivisie matches". That is such an impressive return. Pepi has to honestly ask himself if he could match that...because he can't. Until he can, or surpass LdJ's output, there's no reason he should be starting over him. He had way more chance reinventing himself (as he did, somewhat) as an outside attacker or as a second striker but those guys also had excellent seasons. In this kind of swashbuckling season, there's always going to be a few guys who feel they could have gotten more time, but no one can argue with the results, so in the end their gripes are moot. It's a mental game and Pepi is learning that. This season was a very good and important one for him and will be a reference for him in years to come.
My sense as well. When people say he should leave or that he needs to play, they are not begrudging PSV their choice about how best to win. They are saying that a young player needs to find a situation where he gets on the field. Sometimes the teams and the players don’t coincide very well. Neither position is “wrong.”
Plus, it was always about if and when Pepi would sub in. The coach IMO got lucky playing such an old guy so many meaningless minutes. But, in a pro rel league, there are a lot more matches that have no meaning, like PSV’s league matches since, oh, about Christmas. Their manager chose to emphasize LDJ leading the league in goals because the risk of him getting injured was nil. They’d wrapped up the league anyway. So what looks like a bad decision to us maybe was a good decision given it wouldn’t have any impact on winning the league.
It's not like the only two options are: start or play 5 minutes per game. De Jon had a great season but they had many games that they were up by a lot and did not need to lean on an old man to score more. That is prime time to get your young forward more game time. Bosz usually put Pepi on in those situations, but way later than was reasonably possible.
I dunno. From Bosz' perspective, job 1 is to win. Job 2 is to keep the pieces that are winning you games happy. If LdJ is the type to get pissy when he's subbed out, then Bosz was obligated to keep him in, at Pepi's expense obviously. It seems ludicrous to expect the same output from LdJ again next season (which, again, was *exceptional*) so buckle down and come in guns blazing next season, kid
This is nonsense. Players at the top clubs in the world don’t decide when they play. As a Liverpool fan, I’ve seen Mohamed Salah get upset when being subbed off countless times. But he got over it and the game/the team moved on. Treating de Jong like he’s more important than the club is poor management if that’s what’s happening.