Blackstock Vs Pellicori

[sirpiechucker]

I've never seen Pellicori play so I'm not going to put him or his record down but according to Pete we have now signed him and have sold Blackstock so whatever the records say below it only makes for interesting reading as there is little we can do about it.

Last season the average goals per game in Serie B were 2.38 as opposed to 2.45 in the Championship. The 0.07 goals per game ratio difference basically means that for every 14th match there is one extra goal in the Championship compared with Serie B meaning over the course of the 552 matches in the Championship an extra 38 goals were scored. I think this dispels the theory that it is much harder to score in Italy than in England. For further proof of this there were more goals scored in Serie A last season that there was in the Premiership (same amount of teams in both leagues but 42 more goals scored in Serie A than the Premiership).

Pellicori - 28 tomorrow
Career to date:
Appearances: 105
Goals Scored: 27
Goals per game ratio: 3.88

Blackstock - 23 years old
Since 2006/07
Appearances: 167
Goals Scored: 43
Goals per game ratio: 3.88

I've used the Guardian's online database (links below) and although the two have like for like records and both play in similar divisions (in terms of average goals scored per match) Blackstock has played 62 matches more in his career even though he is 5 years younger. Now either the Guardian's database is wrong or we have just signed a striker who must have suffered serious injuries to have played so few matches in his career???

Looking at his wikipedia entry, which is not reliable for facts states that whilst at Lecce he was sent on loan to Varese (C2/A), Foggia (C1/B) and Benevento (C2/C) and if these records are accurate he has played a further 56 matches during his career and has scored a further 11 goals but in leagues that are the equivalent of League One, League Two and the Conference.

http://touchline.onthespot.co.uk/gua...7029&TEID=1286

http://touchline.onthespot.co.uk/gua...88614&TEID=234

I'm not one usually to put a downer on things but if the Guardian and/or Wikipedia entries are accurate that we are about to sign a striker who is 5 years older than one we already had who scoring records is similar but doesn't speak the language, doesn't know the conditions, possibly has a history of injuries and has reached an age where he has learnt the tricks and may not improve.

[sirpiechucker]

Further to the above Pellicori at 28 has played less than half the amount of league games than Steven Gerrard (333 league matches for Liverpool) who is the same age.

[NewarkR]

Stats mean nothing. Context is everything.

Let's look at him before writing him off - just for a change.

[sirpiechucker]

Stats mean nothing. Context is everything.

Let's look at him before writing him off - just for a change.

I'm sure my opening line says "I've never seen Pellicori play so I'm not going to put him or his record down"

[NewarkR]

...and then you did in the last paragraph.

[hermitage10]

Italian strikers seem to take longer to bang in the goals, no idea why but look at Luca Toni for example. He is about 31 and in his ultimate prime whereas someone like Owen is written off and he is only 29!!!! (i know injuries r related but just an example)

[sirpiechucker]

...and then you did in the last paragraph.

True but when I wrote the first line I hadn't found out about his stats, which made me write the last line.

If reports are true, Blackstock and Pellicori will be playing in the same league so we will soon find out whether or not we have uncovered a gem, whether their abilities really are as similar as the stats show or that we bought someone who makes Agyemang look good. As you correctly say context is everything and now only time will tell.