Keisuke Honda (VVV Venlo)

He scored again last night:

Keisuke Honda 1-0 VVV Venlo - FC Groningen

Keeper doesn't look very good there though

5 goals and 2 assists in 4 games so far.

Superb. I think the big test is consistency now - Amr Zaki was as similarly impressive in the early stages of the EPL but faded. Hope this fella can kick on for his sake.

He scored again last night:

Keisuke Honda 1-0 VVV Venlo - FC Groningen

Keeper doesn't look very good there though

5 goals and 2 assists in 4 games so far.

Well its Holland. Everyone scores there these days. Afonso Alves was a hot shot there. Kuyt had some 70 goals in 100 games.

It doesnt traslate to England.

But it is not all about the goals have you seen the quality of the goals there all brilliant.

But it is not all about the goals have you seen the quality of the goals there all brilliant.

Then again, keepers in Holland are no great shakes these days.

I do see where you're coming from but he has the technique to score the goals. Well if we did get him he would be an impact sub in my eyes so i cant see it happening as he looks like the type of player that wants to be the center of attention.

Well its Holland. Everyone scores there these days. Afonso Alves was a hot shot there. Kuyt had some 70 goals in 100 games.

It doesnt traslate to England.

Van Persie, Kalou, Van Nistelrooy the list is endless. We bought 2 dutch strikers, probably the only 2 dutchmen in football who are sh*t technically - i don't think we can dismiss someone because of the league they play in based on who has come out of the league before them.

Obviously you should never just look at someone's stats, but at the player and person as a whole.

Afonso Alves was succesfull for just 1,5 seasons in Holland before he left to the EPL at age 27. During the short time in Holland there were plenty of vague issues surrounding him. He is of very low intelligence, he never went to any school and he only speaks Portuguese and even that not well, and he can't read. Does that sound like someone who will easily adapt and be succesfull in a top league in another country with all it's pressure etc? Not to me, it screams risk.
Kuyt, well, look at him. Look at any striker in the world that's been succesfull at the top. How many weren't very technically gifted and very precise? The only way a striker like Kuyt with his talents can be succesfull as a striker at the top is when he's really tall. Dutch football focusses more on the technical part, it's the dutch way. Kuyt with his physical strength, endurance and mentality was unmatched there. But the EPL is a much stronger and physical league which undermines Kuyt's talents more than in the dutch league.
And Babel, when he left Ajax he was still a talent, he hadn't even made it yet in the dutch league. He scored like 7 goals in his last season. Still, I think he does have the talent, just not the mentality.

That said though, people from every league fail in the EPL. Obviously when someone's succesfull at a  good club in La Liga then he's more likely to succeed in the EPL too, but certainly not by definition.

There's still some players in the dutch league right now though who I believe could handle Liverpool level now or in the very near future:

Luis Suarez - S/SS/RW at Ajax
Stijn Schaars - DM/CM/LM at AZ
Sergio Romero - GK at AZ
Balázs Dzsudzsák - LW/LM at PSV
Ibrahim Afellay - AM/W at PSV

Being the most obvious ones I can come up with right now.

Like crouchino said though, if Keisuke plays like this consistently, then he certainly belongs in that list too in my opinion.

That said, dutch media reported today that Japanese investors are looking to buy him for Feyenoord.

Close the topic now.

He has signed for CSKA.

CSKA seal deal for Honda

CSKA Moscow have completed the signing of VVV Venlo star Keisuke Honda.

The Japan international has put pen to paper on a four-year deal and will cost the UEFA Champions League hopefuls around £8million.

"We feel sad that Honda will be leaving us, but the transfer will help the club in the long-term," VVV chairman Hai Berden told his club's official website.

"The transfer fee was close to what we asked for, so we are very happy with the outcome."

Honda joined VVV from Nagoya Grampus in January 2008 and was named Eerste Divisie's best player for the 2008/2009 season after guiding the club to promotion.

The talented playmaker continued to impress in the Eredivisie this term, scoring six goals in 16 appearances.

http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,12875_5818737,00.html

Thank you.

Locked and moved.