With Charlie Austin reportedly ready to return to action for Southampton after the international break, the question is raised: should he be given the starting striker spot over an in-form Graziano Pellè?
Let’s look first at Graziano Pellè
The Italian striker has had a troublesome 2015-16 campaign, encountering several injury problems that have led to inconsistent runs in the team and performances that are equally inconsistent. His second year at the club started much the way of the first, reaching a six-goal tally after 11 games then encountering a goalless run that carried until the two most recent matches in which he scored twice against Stoke City, followed up by another against Liverpool.
Fans will remember the patchy goalscoring form Pellè offered last season, scoring a total of 12 Premier League goals but these came in bunches. The bursts were offset by some lean spells; Pellè went stretches of six, then 14 matches without getting his name on the scoresheet.
Tall, strong and powerful, Ronald Koeman knows what he will get from the man he brought over with him from Eredivisie club Feyenoord. But what he will get is fantastic spells coupled with barren runs. The question is whether the manager is willing to gamble on the centre-forward’s current form holding till season’s end.
Rumour has it that this could be the swansong of the perfectly coiffed Saint’s career. Stories of a link with possible incoming Italian Chelsea manager Antonio Conte have been amplified after comments midweek from the striker, tipping his national team coach to succeed in England. That said, the South Coast club has also reportedly entered talks to extend Pellè’s contract.
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Charlie Austin on the other hand…
Austin is a model of consistency and has only been without a goal in more than three consecutive league starts once in the past two seasons. The English striker has recorded 66 goals in 129 Championship appearances and 19 in 40 Premier League outings, just two goals less than Pellè has managed in his 63 Premier League matches.
The past two seasons, Austin has managed to score at a rate of a goal every 2.04 games; that rate rises to every 1.88 games, if only including matches he started in. He grabbed 18 goals in a 2014-15 Queens Park Rangers team that only scored 42 in total for the season.
Similar to his rival for the striker position, the former QPR man is a target man and offers a great outlet in the attack as well as creating plenty by throwing himself around in dangerous areas. Capable of scoring with either foot or his head, his threat in the 18-yard-box is clear and his work rate up front is not anything impressive but nor is it lacking in intensity.
Austin’s biggest drawback is his propensity towards spending time on the sidelines through injury. Already the 26-year-old has missed 16 games in 2015-16 through various injuries. Starting just twice since joining in January and missing five from a possible 10 league matches, breath is certainly baited on the long-term viability of the new man.
Koeman could risk Austin and hold Pellè in reserve for if the Englishman goes down, but doing so very much chances both form and temperament holding (the Italian could feel hard done by to be dropped after three goals in two games).
Of course, coming back from injury, Koeman may not want to rush Austin straight back into the starting XI but how long could he hold out on deciding his first choice? With only seven games remaining and the Saints out of all other competitions, rotation is not a realistic option. The Dutchman must pick who he thinks is best suited to carry the side home.
Being his fourth season with Pellè compared to just his third month with Austin, it would be fair to say that Koeman is more familiar with the Italian international but whether that will lead him to favour him over his home-grown counterpart is still up for debate.
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