Ricardo Pepi at PSV Eindhoven

Not such a hot start coming back from this injury so far.

Ths thing I worry with Pepi is that he's played less than 2000 minutes over these last two years with PSV (still got a major-ish injury.). If he becomes the lockdown starter this winter he will be right on schedule but otherwise...

 

https://www.telegraaf.nl/sport/voet...voor-basisplaats-tegen-fortuna/101300914.html

"Ricardo Pepi has no physical limitations in starting for PSV's home Eredivisie match against Fortuna Sittard, scheduled for Friday evening (kickoff at 8:00 PM). PSV manager Peter Bosz has indicated this.

In recent weeks, Guus Til has filled the striker position as a false striker and that has worked out very well in collaboration with Ismael Saibari.

Pepi could have started again against Feyenoord, but Bosz opted for tactical reasons to leave the Til/Saibari duo intact. Bosz remained mum on whether he would revert to a system with Pepi as the outright striker against Fortuna Sittard."

Fri Oct 31 v Fortuna Sittard (T-8th)

Tue Nov 4 @ Olympiacos (CL Matchday 4)

Sun Nov 9 @ AZ Alkmaar (3rd)

+++ International Break +++

Tomorrow's match seems the obvious point to reintroduce Pepi into the starting lineup.

 

Sunday after the DNP is the obvious time to hand in the transfer request.

 

PSV with the Friday Ered game this week. 12 noon PST for those who celebrate.

PSV looking to build on the Feyenie win - and Pepi looking to build on his 10 sub minutes. It's Sittard- who are in 12th, but tied on points (with like 20 other teams) for 9th. Only a -1 GD, they've been pretty not-terrible so far this season. Hopefully PSV hits them early and Pepi gets a few more minutes this game.

 

Dest starting at RFB. Junior in front of him. Til as ersatz "9" and D. Man is the Da Man at RAM. The interwebz have this as a 4-2-3-1 but I think it's probably the 4-3-3 that ran out against Feyenie - as it's the same guys up front and in midfield.

V. Feyenie Pepi came in for Till (well, officially for Junior, but really for Till) at 83. Let's see if he gets more mins today.

 

Til is taking advantage of the Pepi injury situation... dude gets some of the easiest poaching goals ever but production is production.

 

3-0 at half saibari and man show. If Pepi is healthy he will get minutes

 

Pepi on. 60

 

Goal Pepi! Around the 82', Fortuna over-commit on attack. PSV's clearance finds Pepi in a 2v1, and Pepi has a really clever chest-touch to take it around both of them. He creates a 1v1 and then cheekily chips the keeper to make it 4-1

 

I'm struggling to find a clip of Pepi's goal that includes his chest touch. It was really clever.

EDIT: I can't embed it as media, but this is an extended replay that shows the touch

 

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/PihCWxQ1fw8

Note - this is a short vertical clip. Zlatan's is probably better.

Also - Pepi finished the game so 30+ good minutes.

 

That's a good goal from him. Very nice chest forward to himself, and a fantastic chip. Really nice to see an American make that chip shot--it's something that we've rarely seen from any of our guys, ever. That said, if he'd have missed the chance people would (rightly) be screaming that he should have passed to his teammate that was running with him.

 

Clint Dempsey is reading this post, shaking his head in disappointment

 

Your clip gives a nice close-up of his chest self-pass. Other than that....yeah, Zlatan's is better.

 

I said rarely for a reason!

 

Yeah - nice to see the full field. I appreciate the quick upload of the verticals, but it's always nice to get the high wide angle in good res.

 

Yeah, when the example is already gone fishing we don't have someone doing it enough. Shots from distance, dead ball goals and cheeky chip shots. I'm gonna start a US littles academy that teaches only those 3 skills!

 

Lol, the American version of Tom Byer's T3 academy

 

We may chip rarely, but when we do, we make them count (except this one, which was for 4-1)

 

He's coming back to form and fitness, but slowly. That's not what we want to see but it's the smart strategy: no need to push things and suffer a relapse.

And the goal was excellent. As long as the body holds up, he should be back where he left off well before Xmas

 

I agree that everyone would've been screaming about passing to the team mate, but he owed it to himself to try it.

If he'd failed, it wouldn't have cost PSV the game but a finish like that shows that the old ice is flowing through his veins. His confidence will have got no end of a boost from this and confident strikers are better strikers

 

Yep. And I'm really glad to see him be so sharp, aggressive and confident. He's a guy that's always put in effort to be the best player he can be.

 

He looked like he was moving well on that goal, hopefully he's fully fit now.

 

His teammate ran himself offside, so passing would have been a terrible decision.

 

This kid has huge balls. What a nonchalant finish.