Not that I'm aware of. I think he was just an American expatriate who fell in love with the country & its league.
Starting for Jong PSV: Line UPS Jong PSV-Jong Ajax pic.twitter.com/iatfp8CAa7— RJ.Dumfries (@RJDM854) August 12, 2024
Scored: GOAL! El Tren! 🚂#JPSJAJ 1-0 pic.twitter.com/PgMyNmVMAo— PSV (@PSV) August 12, 2024 Ended 2-2.
match report. use google translate. Jong PSV - Jong Ajax vol hoogtepunten: Drommel pakt penalty, bizarre eigen goal en heldenrol Kaplan FC Update|1 hour ago Jong PSV en Jong Ajax hebben het nieuwe seizoen afgetrapt met een vermakelijk 2-2 gelijkspel. Joël Drommel en Ahmetcan Kaplan trokken de hoofdrollen naar zich toe.
Maybe he'll get some time on an eereste divisie team instead... I love the bravado around these parts, but it's quite a world when a guy who has won a Cup and the league, a few Europe games, come in 2nd in another Cup, plays in the Eredivisie with some regularity and gets the occasional run out with a 2nd division team - and scores! - is "pathetic." Like... damn I wish I'd been 1/2 that level of loser at 21. (I mean, if he'd stayed at Groningen he could have played there the whole 2023-24 season...)
It is pretty unlikely that Bosz subs Pepi into the Cup game to take PKs, subs him in the RKC game, says nice things about him after at the presser and then sends him to an Eerste game unless Pepi is 100% with the last part of the program.
That fact I'm defending PSV in any way at all is, truly, the most pathetic thing around here. But hey, Pepi could be back at Ausburg where they treated him with traditional Bayerisher affection...
Whoever’s back you have - I’m not sure you can argue this is an ideal way to develop. It may work out in the end - but the kid is on the wrong side of 21, not 18. He needs to be playing way more than this unless he’s just not that good.
He's 21. He could have gone to another Groningen-type side, I guess, when they were relegated. Heck, he could be playing at RKC for Fraser... but Fraser is not anywhere near the coach Bosz is, RKC is a ramshackled treefort compared to PSV. (as are half the Eredivisie...) He didn't want to stay and "develop" at Augsburg. He's obviously good enough for lower level Ered clubs. He happened to pick on of the 3 or 4 Dutch sides that have a very difficult to unseat starter at CF... I think people have some... overwrought... ideas on what actually helps a player develop. My unscientific guess is you're better off at a well-run club where you get some minutes than a poor club where you get a lot of minutes - and relegated. If starting a lot were a shoo-in for development Pepi's year at Groningen would have made him better than he is. He's a very decent player, and shows a nice nose for the goal, and if he can stay as injury free as LdJ he's got 12 years of serious pro playing in front of him. If Pepi were being treated like Ledezma, I'd say he should take the first tram out of Eindhoven. But PSV clearly believe in Pepi, are doing what they can to keep him happy short of dumping their captain, club vet and, btw, Eredivisie leading scorer... But if Pepi had some place decent to move to where could be an unquestioned starter, that would be fine too. I just don't think this is some major, or some inexplicable, detour in his career. I'd rather he come along slowly here and end up somewhere between LdJ and Giroud's career than worry about another year at NEC or something. And getting a few minutes in the Eerste to make sure you stay in condition is not pathetic. That's just silly.
Meh. The guy was the perfect team player last year. Never complained. Stayed upbeat. Scored goals during his token 10 minute cameos. This, to help a club legend try to win the golden boot, a one year service, perhaps. Now, year 2, and it appears nothing has changed. I would be effing pissed if I was Pepi entering another year of having to keep an upbeat persona while getting thrown scraps. This is coming from someone who completely understood last year's plan and fully supported the idea that a club legend, and captain, should be given the opportunity to chase the golden boot. That said, I always believed this year should be the year where Pepi gets integrated more into the team as his reward for last year. He's earned it. Will it happen? Maybe. But the last couple of games don't give me a lot of hope.
I obviously got no idea about whether this will be Pepi's year or not, the thing that I think is silly, tho, is pretending like PSV is doing something inexplicable or outlandish or whatever. Playing for a "Jong" team that is in the Eerste is not always the same as playing on a U team as a demotion like it can be in other leagues. Plenty of "A team" players on PSV, AZ and Ajax have gotten runouts on the "Jong" for fitness, sharpness, just-keep-em-active reasons - esp in the Monday games - and no one sees it as "pathetic". If LdJ is not scoring, and PSV is not winning, and Pepi is not getting decent minutes, then that will suggest a real problem for him. But PSV's actions so far, while a drag for Pepi, in no way indicate they don't think he's going to contribute meaningfully at PSV - and eventually be sold for good money.
I really haven’t seen Pepi do much other than against tired legged and overmatched Eredivisie squads. Who knows, maybe that is his level.
If he stays there for the next 15 years, I would consider that a great career. He is good and will see a lot more of the field in the coming days.
I don't get this take at all. In 23/24 he had: 7/2 G/A in 458 Eredivisie Minutes (GC every ~51 minutes) 1/1 G/A in 132 CL Minutes (GC every ~66 minutes) [GC vs Arsenal and Sevilla] Perhaps more importantly.... it sure seems like he has been brought on at the end of a lot of games that are no longer in doubt... and therefore his teammates are not exactly looking to run up the score. Lastly, most of his sub appearances were quite a bit shorter than 30 minutes... so I doubt he had tired legs. I think it is pretty remarkable that he was able to contribute to the scoresheet so often given his sporadic minutes. If he can exceed 1000 minutes he could get to 20+ GC if he produces at the same pace. <fingers-crossed>
I did, which means 3 minutes of my life that I'll never get back for this: Jong PSV and Jong Ajax kicked off the new season with an entertaining 2-2 draw. Joël Drommel and Ahmetcan Kaplan took the leading roles.
Add to this 13 goals in ~2500 mins at a relegation team as a teenager. Pepi clearly can contribute at an Ered level when he's given the opportunity. Whether he will score enough for PSV long-term to keep him starting there (while not scoring so much that they cash out on him quickly) remains to be seen, but all indications from his Dutch PT is he's a good fit for the league.
They're going to milk de Jong for a last season and will tell Pepi his time is coming. After, they'll sign some Dutch striker and pull a Horvath on him.