Elia plays on the left wing for Southampton, he just has some freedom to switch it up a bit, same as Tadic. Especially on the break he moves to the center, making use of his pace. I'm not surprised he's starting out well, but I will be surprised if he does well for a longer period of time. A loan is a smart deal by Koeman, as Elia has something to prove, he wants to earn a permanent move I'm sure, and he'll want to pay back Koeman. So he's going to be at his best for a while, he's always shown that talent. But he's still thick, and I'd be surprised if his old problems don't surface eventually. If not, it'll be down to some brilliant man management by Koeman.
Still though, next season will be tough for Southampton, as they would probably need to buy Bertrand, Alderweireld and Elia just to stay on par with their current squad. And they're probably going to loose Schneiderlin and possibly some others. And with European football they'll need more depth. If Schneiderlin moves though, I think Koeman is going to get Clasie from Feyenoord to replace him.
« Last Edit: Jan 21, 2015 01:05:42 pm by Bier »
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