Should we recall Nathan Tella?

[Fraser Spinney]

There has been some talk about a potential recall of Nathan Tella from Burnley this January lately. He wouldn't solve the issues on his own but could help. The issue is if he isn't utilised then it could hamper his development as he is flying at Burnley. I wrote the below about whether we should recall him and what he would could offer. What do you think?

https://analyticsunited.co.uk/2022/12/28/should-southampton-recall-nathan-tella/

[saintscottofthenortham]

Absolutely. The loan in the first place was highly questionable considering our options are... shite.

[egg]

Yes, but only if we'd play him. He has confidence at the moment and an injection of that into the squad won't hurt. If he wasn't our player, looking at what he's done at Burnley this season, we'd be delighted to get him in the window. 

[Dusic]

Personally I would leave him where he is. We need to sign simeone who is more likely to make an immediate impact.

I'm not convinced Tella has the first touch or composure needed at PL level and a few goals (notice only one assist) in the Championship playing in a dominant team doesnt change that and if he wasnt our playing and we signed him this window on the back of a failed PL stint and a handful of Champ goals people would be raging.

For context, Armstrong scored 30 a couple of seasons ago...

Leave him there, and then reasses his situation end of the season when we know where we will be playing (and also Burnley as assume they will try to sign him if they go up regardless of where we are).

Of course, if we fail to get any of our targets and then we can always recall him later in the window.

I think we probably will recall him though.

Edited 28 December, 2022 by Dusic

[Lord Duckhunter]

I would, and to soften the blow for Burnley I’d let them have the choice of Adam Armstrong, Dyneppo or Walcott, but preferably all 3….

[redkeith]

If we weren't looking at a winger who had had already scored 8 goals in the Championship, our scouting department would want shooting. The fact that we can get him for free makes it a no brainer. 

[SambaMaverick]

Why not at this point? We're well into throwing shit at the wall territory.

[The Cat]

4 minutes ago, redkeith said:

If we weren't looking at a winger who had had already scored 8 goals in the Championship, our scouting department would want shooting. The fact that we can get him for free makes it a no brainer. 

What about if we signed a player from the Championship who had scored 28 goals the season before? Would you be happy with that? 

If we are going to play Tella being him back, if we aren't then leave him there.

[washsaint]

5 minutes ago, The Cat said:

What about if we signed a player from the Championship who had scored 28 goals the season before? Would you be happy with that? 

If we are going to play Tella being him back, if we aren't then leave him there.

The idiots running this club will likely bring him back and continue playing Eli and Djeneppo and Walcott ahead of him.

Unfortunately Jones is feeling like a Branfoot v2 - he wants experience and his tactics seem to consist of hoofing it at the earliest opportunity.  Burnley are playing fast flowing, attractive football.  Tella's pace alone would be an asset.

[Miltonaggro]

I think this is already on the cards, along with quite possibly (ouch) Bednarek / Stephens.  It's going to be a never mind the quality feel the width window.    

[kristian]

I don't think there's much to gain from bringing him back unless SR simply don't sign an attacker in the window again. Tella's found the perfect situation for his career at Burnley, would be really unfortunate for us to interrupt it unless he was absolutely tearing up the Championship and being Burnley's best player (they have multiple attackers all playing really well, no clear standout). There aren't many Champ players I'd want in our squad right now realistically so let him shine at Burnley for now and continue to improve, goals do not always translate up the divisions how we wish they did, otherwise Arma would be banging them in.

[Baird of the land]

We should of course recall him. He's playing well and we are extremely weak and short of pace in the positions he can play.

We loaned him out to help his development. That has worked. Letting Burnley continue to benefit whilst we get relegated makes zero sense from even a financial perspective.

 

[Lighthouse]

No, he’s playing in a League where Burnley, minus their best players from last year, are a class above anyone else. He hasn’t suddenly become good enough.

[Baird of the land]

3 minutes ago, Lighthouse said:

No, he’s playing in a League where Burnley, minus their best players from last year, are a class above anyone else. He hasn’t suddenly become good enough.

So why aren't Fulham bottom of the premier league if playing in the championship equates to being awful, their players all played in that division last year.

[derry]

He obviously has had some good coaching from Kompany. His positional awareness and ability to come into the middle on the blindside is much improved. Unlike any of our other forwards he is lightning quick. His last two goals where he nipped in and pinched the ball as the opposing centreback chested it to the goalkeeper about three yards away. Last night a classic. Up on his own, wide on the left just inside his own half with two centre backs inside the halfway line one near, the other nearer the centre. 

He checked his run, stayed in his own half until the long through ball was played, burned the first defender cut inside, keeper and other defender closing down, feinted to shoot in one movement squared up the keeper and hit it into the corner from fifteen yards before the second defender could get a challenge in. We have had loads of chances this year and virtually all of them were atrociously missed. 

The way he is playing he is better than any forward in our first team squad and a damn sight quicker. Bring him back for the Cup.

[Nemi]

If he valued his own career, he'd stay where he is. He's in a team who look well coached, he's getting good minutes and good experience. Anyone who thinks  one single player will solve the issue at Saints are deluded. We can barely get the ball into the oppositions half and when we do its a hopeful punt over the back line - what people are expecting Nathan Tella to do with that level of service, god knows. 

[Lighthouse]

3 hours ago, Baird of the land said:

So why aren't Fulham bottom of the premier league if playing in the championship equates to being awful, their players all played in that division last year.

They’re just another example of a team playing well and being better than the sum of their parts. They have familiarity,  cohesion and were thumping most teams they played in the Championship. Tella is just one player, who looked useless last season and has dropped down and found his level. He’s another Rasiak, Vydra or Earnshaw.

[pimpin4rizeal]

Would take him back as a option .. but not if it means taking him instead of new signings ..we need a striker. And a creative attacker.. don’t mind bringing him back but not at the expense of either of those signings 

[The Kraken]

Depends if we sign anyone else in that position in the window. If we’re still persisting with Adam Armstrong wide left in February then we’re fucked and there’s no hurt getting Tella back. Armstrong seems to be getting worse, not better. But we definitely need someone better than either of them.

Tella didn’t too much for us last year for us, and during pre season he looked awful. That said, particularly in pre season, he was being played up front central and looked like a fish up a tree. The low benchmark to clear is whether he can be any worse than our other options. And being as he’s our player already it might be worth a roll of the dice if we can’t bring anyone else in.

[notnowcato]

No

[Saint86]

On 28/12/2022 at 23:04, Nemi said:

If he valued his own career, he'd stay where he is. He's in a team who look well coached, he's getting good minutes and good experience. Anyone who thinks  one single player will solve the issue at Saints are deluded. We can barely get the ball into the oppositions half and when we do its a hopeful punt over the back line - what people are expecting Nathan Tella to do with that level of service, god knows. 

That isn't how loan deals work? If we recall him he has to come back - it's not a transfer, he is our player? 

[Saint86]

On 28/12/2022 at 23:09, Lighthouse said:

They’re just another example of a team playing well and being better than the sum of their parts. They have familiarity,  cohesion and were thumping most teams they played in the Championship. Tella is just one player, who looked useless last season and has dropped down and found his level. He’s another Rasiak, Vydra or Earnshaw.

Disagree with that and think it's quite harsh. He always carried a threat at saints but was inconsistent. He's gone to Fulham, played regulary, and has developed and honed his attacking play. He's still young but clearly he would add something to saints given our wide attacking options currently are Ely, theo, edozie, Adam Armstrong... The only two of those that offer any kind of assist/goalscoring record at all are theo and Ely... Edozie may be able to beat a man, but his finishing is atrocious and I am yet to recall him completing an actual assist. 

Edited 30 December, 2022 by Saint86

[Bad Wolf]

I fail to see why anyone thinks he'd be better than our current strikers. He's hardly set the world alight at Burnley and Adams/Armstrong both have better Championship records than Tella and neither of them can score regularly in this league.

[derry]

Adams and Armstrong in the distant past may have scored goals but Armstrong isn't at all, worse still seems to be hiding and Adams has only four this season and misses most of his chances or doesn't get into the box enough. I've been watching Tella carefully at Burnley and he is scoring regularly now and some of his finishes are of a quality we've not seen from any Saints player. Add Elyonoussi etc playing regularly and lacking pace nowhere near scoring it would be crass to ignore him. He has a contract until June 2025 and  It gives us another option we don't have at the moment.

[SotonianWill]

7 minutes ago, derry said:

Adams and Armstrong in the distant past may have scored goals but Armstrong isn't at all, worse still seems to be hiding and Adams has only four this season and misses most of his chances or doesn't get into the box enough. I've been watching Tella carefully at Burnley and he is scoring regularly now and some of his finishes are of a quality we've not seen from any Saints player. Add Elyonoussi etc playing regularly and lacking pace nowhere near scoring it would be crass to ignore him. He has a contract until June 2025 and  It gives us another option we don't have at the moment.

Kompany seems to have been coaching him well, some of the shots and runs Tella now takes on you’d never expect for saints. I’d have him back for sure, but mean to snatch almost a guarantee of promotion/ champions. 

[Forester]

Yes

[St Louis]

On 28/12/2022 at 18:00, washsaint said:

Unfortunately Jones is feeling like a Branfoot v2

Seriously!? The bloke has had 2 league games, with a squad he inherited and no transfers in or out yet. And you are crowning him already as Branfoot v2!
Wow.

[Bad Wolf]

9 minutes ago, St Louis said:

Seriously!? The bloke has had 2 league games, with a squad he inherited and no transfers in or out yet. And you are crowning him already as Branfoot v2!
Wow.

It's utterly embarrassing that there's already a Jones out thread.

Wouldn't have been my first choice admittedly but this isn't a kneejerk appointment and it's not a panic one. Jones was scouted by Ankerson in his Brentford days as a replacement for Frank if he'd left. That doesn't make him good, by any means however it does mean that the person who appointed him has been watching him for a long time. Jones also had just started a 5 year contract at Luton which we'd have bought him and his coaches out of so that rules out him being "the cheap option" as spouted by some corners of our fanbase (the ones calling for Sean Dyche who actually WOULD have been the cheap option).

The first two games have not been great but look at the ones before he took over. Maybe the players just aren't good enough?

Also, those judging Jones by his time at Stoke is exactly the same as anyone judging Eddie Howe by his time at Burnley. Almost identical scenario. Our team are appalling but our fans absolutely don't help matters. I've said it before - My local team flits between League One and League Two and have been through times tougher than ours in the last 15 years or so and I'm always bowled over by how outstanding the fans are when I go and how much they get behind the time. There's no moans and groans at a misplaced pass, they do their best to lift the team, as do the away fans. A bit like our fans used to do down there.

The Premier League turns fanbases into spoilt brats and the more I think about The Championship, the more I look forward to being in it (not actively wanting it but silver linings). Just look at how West Ham fans have now turned on Moyes despite him working miracles up to now. I wonder how long it'll be before Newcastle and Brentford fans turn on their managers despite doing unbelievable respective jobs because they're both probably only about 3 bad results away from being hounded out.

Fvck the Premier League.

[St Louis]

39 minutes ago, Bad Wolf said:

It's utterly embarrassing that there's already a Jones out thread.

Wouldn't have been my first choice admittedly but this isn't a kneejerk appointment and it's not a panic one. Jones was scouted by Ankerson in his Brentford days as a replacement for Frank if he'd left. That doesn't make him good, by any means however it does mean that the person who appointed him has been watching him for a long time. Jones also had just started a 5 year contract at Luton which we'd have bought him and his coaches out of so that rules out him being "the cheap option" as spouted by some corners of our fanbase (the ones calling for Sean Dyche who actually WOULD have been the cheap option).

The first two games have not been great but look at the ones before he took over. Maybe the players just aren't good enough?

Also, those judging Jones by his time at Stoke is exactly the same as anyone judging Eddie Howe by his time at Burnley. Almost identical scenario. Our team are appalling but our fans absolutely don't help matters. I've said it before - My local team flits between League One and League Two and have been through times tougher than ours in the last 15 years or so and I'm always bowled over by how outstanding the fans are when I go and how much they get behind the time. There's no moans and groans at a misplaced pass, they do their best to lift the team, as do the away fans. A bit like our fans used to do down there.

The Premier League turns fanbases into spoilt brats and the more I think about The Championship, the more I look forward to being in it (not actively wanting it but silver linings). Just look at how West Ham fans have now turned on Moyes despite him working miracles up to now. I wonder how long it'll be before Newcastle and Brentford fans turn on their managers despite doing unbelievable respective jobs because they're both probably only about 3 bad results away from being hounded out.

Fvck the Premier League.

I couldn't agree more, with every single word of that.

[S-Clarke]

2 hours ago, Bad Wolf said:

It's utterly embarrassing that there's already a Jones out thread.

Wouldn't have been my first choice admittedly but this isn't a kneejerk appointment and it's not a panic one. Jones was scouted by Ankerson in his Brentford days as a replacement for Frank if he'd left. That doesn't make him good, by any means however it does mean that the person who appointed him has been watching him for a long time. Jones also had just started a 5 year contract at Luton which we'd have bought him and his coaches out of so that rules out him being "the cheap option" as spouted by some corners of our fanbase (the ones calling for Sean Dyche who actually WOULD have been the cheap option).

The first two games have not been great but look at the ones before he took over. Maybe the players just aren't good enough?

Also, those judging Jones by his time at Stoke is exactly the same as anyone judging Eddie Howe by his time at Burnley. Almost identical scenario. Our team are appalling but our fans absolutely don't help matters. I've said it before - My local team flits between League One and League Two and have been through times tougher than ours in the last 15 years or so and I'm always bowled over by how outstanding the fans are when I go and how much they get behind the time. There's no moans and groans at a misplaced pass, they do their best to lift the team, as do the away fans. A bit like our fans used to do down there.

The Premier League turns fanbases into spoilt brats and the more I think about The Championship, the more I look forward to being in it (not actively wanting it but silver linings). Just look at how West Ham fans have now turned on Moyes despite him working miracles up to now. I wonder how long it'll be before Newcastle and Brentford fans turn on their managers despite doing unbelievable respective jobs because they're both probably only about 3 bad results away from being hounded out.

Fvck the Premier League.

You're spot on with that, I don't like the posts calling for his head. I also agree in that this isn't a panic or cheapo fix, this is a considered appointment. None of us know if it will work out yet, but it's unfair to say he's been appointed because he's cheap and we panicked. Far from it. He wouldn't have been my choice, but someone has seen something in him so all we can do is get behind that call.

Fans are the same everywhere though, it's not just PL. Managers just don't get any time, they are judged almost immediately, whereas players are just allowed to swan around for years in the hope that they will 'fulfil their potential' under 'another manager'. It's clear to me where the problem has been with us, and has been for the last 5 years - the players. The recruitment has been shit, we blew millions on players we had to give away for free and then hamstrung ourselves in the market, so we had to look at the Perrauds, Lyancos and Armstrongs of the world to get by. The summer gone was a slight change up in that, Lavia and ABK in particular are two of the more impressive players we've signed in many years - who is to say Edozie and Mara won't join that list at a later date. I do feel as if the people in charge overestimated the level of 'experienced quality' in our squad though, and the approach to go all in with young players is looking a little foolish in the immediate term.

I think it's too early to judge either SR or Jones in my opinion though, things won't change over night. I do wish we'd stop scoring own goals by offering contracts to the likes of Moussa and potentially Elyounoussi in the interim though.

[VectisSaint]

4 hours ago, Bad Wolf said:

I fail to see why anyone thinks he'd be better than our current strikers. He's hardly set the world alight at Burnley and Adams/Armstrong both have better Championship records than Tella and neither of them can score regularly in this league.

Not sure what you would expect, or what "setting the world alight" means in your eyes. Quote from FLW (following his latest goal after missing the previous game through illness):

"Tella’s goal was his eighth of what has been an incredibly successful season and the on-loan Southampton man has also contributed one assist.

He has become a firm fans favourite during his spell in Lancashire and shared his reaction to their latest maximum on social media."

[Bad Wolf]

30 minutes ago, VectisSaint said:

Not sure what you would expect, or what "setting the world alight" means in your eyes. Quote from FLW (following his latest goal after missing the previous game through illness):

"Tella’s goal was his eighth of what has been an incredibly successful season and the on-loan Southampton man has also contributed one assist.

He has become a firm fans favourite during his spell in Lancashire and shared his reaction to their latest maximum on social media."

He's done well yes but I just find it odd that we have Adams and Armstrong whom we purchased because they both murdered The Championship, the club have come under crititism for relying on players just because they did well in The Championship and now we want to recall someone who's doing well in The Championship but not as good as the other two.

Tbh I think The Championship is his level which could well come in handy next season.

[Baird of the land]

39 minutes ago, Bad Wolf said:

He's done well yes but I just find it odd that we have Adams and Armstrong whom we purchased because they both murdered The Championship, the club have come under crititism for relying on players just because they did well in The Championship and now we want to recall someone who's doing well in The Championship but not as good as the other two.

Tbh I think The Championship is his level which could well come in handy next season.

Find that a weird attitude. 2 of the top 4 scorers in the premier league have murdered the championship. Adams whilst not profilic has scored goals. He may not be an Ings but he is by no means a failure. Should we not look at players from france because recently we've bought duds from there.

[aintforever]

Yes. It’s a no-brainer for me given the lack of pace in our side. 

[Bad Wolf]

25 minutes ago, Baird of the land said:

Find that a weird attitude. 2 of the top 4 scorers in the premier league have murdered the championship. Adams whilst not profilic has scored goals. He may not be an Ings but he is by no means a failure. Should we not look at players from france because recently we've bought duds from there.

Not saying Adams isn't good. He is at what he does. His hold up play is possibly the best outside the 'big 6' (with the exception of maybe Mitrovic) but he doesn't score enough goals. 

[derry]

Tella is better than Elyonoussie, Djenepo, A Armstrong who are totally underperforming. None of them look like they will ever get enough goals let alone any. He has already played in the Premier League but was snatching at chances and not particularly positionally aware.  Kompany looks like he has made him more aware of all aspects and they both are benefiting.

The boy is ours, he is on top form and looks well coached, not something that we seem to benefit from here at first team level.  He is very quick and isn't going to cost much more than his wages. We need goals, nobody in the squad is consistently scoring. Anybody we bring in doesn't come with any guarantee they will settle let alone score the goals we need. 

[derry]

For anyone interested Burnley v Stoke is being streamed by the EFL. Kompany is rotating his squad and Tella is on the bench. Smallbone is playing for Stoke.

[Saint86]

10 hours ago, VectisSaint said:

Not sure what you would expect, or what "setting the world alight" means in your eyes. Quote from FLW (following his latest goal after missing the previous game through illness):

"Tella’s goal was his eighth of what has been an incredibly successful season and the on-loan Southampton man has also contributed one assist.

He has become a firm fans favourite during his spell in Lancashire and shared his reaction to their latest maximum on social media."

Not sure its worth debating this with Bad Wolf, from his post above he has written him off because he plays wing and doesn't have a comparable goal record as past championship strikers. You're comparing apples and oranges from that point on as i suspect he is viewed as a very different player for different people. The fact he is a fan favourite at the side top of the championship says a lot. As does the fact that we are bottom of the prem and have rather poor players throughout both wings and the striker position. Its an opportunity to sign a fan favourite from the side top of the championship for free, in a position we desperately need to strengthen. Unless we're about to go out and sign two top quality wingers, its a no brainer for me. Who knows - maybe we are...

Edited 31 December, 2022 by Saint86

[VectisSaint]

1 hour ago, Saint86 said:

Not sure its worth debating this with Bad Wolf, from his post above he has written him off because he plays wing and doesn't have a comparable goal record as past championship strikers. The fact he is a fan favourite at the side top of the championship says a lot. As does the fact that we are bottom of the prem and have rather poor players throughout both wings and the striker position. Its an opportunity to sign a fan favourite from the side top of the championship for free, in a position we desperately need to strengthen. Unless we're about to go out and sign two top quality wingers, its a no brainer. Who knows - maybe we are...

My point really was that you wonder what people expect, a winger scoring 8 goals in a top of the league side but apparently not ripping it up. WTF. Really we should never have let Tella go in the first place but it has worked out very well for the lad, not sure that bringing him back would neccessarily work, he seems to be loving his time up there and it might not suit him to swap a high flying championship team for a struggling PL team even if we do "own" him. If Kompany is to be believed we did have an agreement in place that he was there for the season. May seem like a no-brainer to get him back, but it really might be counter-productive in the long run. 

[Ex Lion Tamer]

Tella couldn't get into our team last season and a half season in the Championship isn't going to change that. Give him a full season at Burnley and see where he is next summer

[Baird of the land]

4 minutes ago, VectisSaint said:

My point really was that you wonder what people expect, a winger scoring 8 goals in a top of the league side but apparently not ripping it up. WTF. Really we should never have let Tella go in the first place but it has worked out very well for the lad, not sure that bringing him back would neccessarily work, he seems to be loving his time up there and it might not suit him to swap a high flying championship team for a struggling PL team even if we do "own" him. If Kompany is to be believed we did have an agreement in place that he was there for the season. May seem like a no-brainer to get him back, but it really might be counter-productive in the long run. 

There’s clearly a recall clause (otherwise kompany would have said he can’t be recalled) which means there wasn’t a complete agreement for the full season.

it might not suit him but we’d look monumentally stupid if we get relegated whilst he continues to perform well getting them promoted. Don’t see any long run counter productivity other than annoying Burnley, which is of minimal importance.

[derry]

There is a recall clause and Kompany says that the contract is final and Burnley will honour their agreement if Saints recall Tella. Only played just over twenty minutes with Burnley 1-0 up and playing keep ball so little chance to attack.

[OnceaSaintalwaysaSaint]

Watched him score the injury time third on Tuesday when I had a small wager on a 3-0 Man U & Burnley double. Tella's definitely in my good books! He's got an eye on goal and I'd bring him back. He's a bit of a lightweight and I'm not sure you can have him and Edozie in the same team but we need options

[Disco Stu]

He's become a key player for the team leading the Championship averaging a goal every two games (176 minutes). If the option is there, we'd be stupid not to recall him given the dross we have here.

Edited 31 December, 2022 by Disco Stu

[Baird of the land]

Today was definitely a day i was ruing Ralph sending Tella out on loan., Edozie runs out of steam and manager has to choose between Perraud/A.Armstrong and Mara to replace him. Get him back asap.

[SotonianWill]

odds on him being recalled today

[derry]

If he's in the Burnley squad tomorrow I fear it won't happen.

[derry]

Starting for Burnley today. 

[FarehamSaintJames]

I don’t think he’ll be recalled. I wouldn’t want to return 😂

[derry]

Having a decent game. Covering his full back well, pulled down on the edge of the penalty area on the break, Maatsen first goal from the free kick. Then played in Maatsen for the second. He is better than anyone we've got up front.