Looking Closer: Saido Berahino
It seems like we can’t go a week without being linked with Saido Berahino at the minute. so we thought we would take a closer look and see how he could help develop our squad.
Goals
Saido Berahino really set the league alight in the 2014/2015 season sparking rumors of him joining Liverpool or Spurs for a fee of around 23 million. No real surprise really when you look at his stats from that year; He played 32 games in which he scored 14 goals which equates to just under a goal every other game.
He has all the attributes Stoke are missing when it comes to scoring goals in and around the box which were seriously missing in the 2015/2016 season. The 14 goals he scored in the 2014/2015 season all came from inside the box and he looked clinical when given the chance. His stats from the season just finished aren’t as impressive as he only made 17 appearances and 14 of them came from the bench due to a bust up with Tony Pulis regarding his attitude, him seeking a move away from The Hawthornes and the addition of Salomon Rondon and Ricky Lambert to their frontline.
Vision
Berahino and vision aren’t really two words you would put together looking back over his career record. He has appeared for West Brom 100 times and he has only mustered up 2 assists in that time. He is an out and out striker and I know that he’s out there to score goals, but to have only assisted his team mates twice in a century of games Is a poor record. Something that Mark Hughes would have to look at if he is to bring him to the Bet 365 Stadium (yuck, that doesn’t feel right).
Age
It feels like Berahino has been on the scene for a long time but he is still only 22 years of age and has a long way to go in his career. He figured a lot for the England U21 where he made the most of his opportunities scoring 10 goals in 11 games and also won the Under 21 Player Of The Year in 2014. SB has featured in every age group of the England Youth set up and was part of the team which won UEFA European Under-17 Championship.
Attitude
Berahino’s attitude has been brought into question a lot after a saga of events including videos of him inhaling nitrous oxide and persistently turning up late for training and team meetings. Is he a bad lad or just a young man with an attitude that needs controlling? If it is the latter then I can’t see a better place for him to move to. Sparky has transformed Arnautovic from a young lad who was hell bent on causing trouble to a player who is fully focused on his football and now lets his feet do the talking.
Summary
Berahino has proven when he wants to play, he will hit the back of the net and this is a real transfer target that has me on the fence. His finishing is clinical and that something Stoke are severely lacking but I think he attitude could be something that overrides his talent.
Let’s just see what the summer brings…
Written by James Baddley
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