I think as a player Perez is in danger of being a bit misunderstood by some. And I'm not talking about his dialect!!
(LMAO when Ryan Shepherd was giving him a talking to!) But watching the last few games and listening to the commentary of Rudan on the replay last night highlighted it...
In general play, Perez works very hard NOT to draw attention himself. He deliberately ghosts around... besides being a valid way to play at number 10' in any case - he is also quite simply the smallest player in the entire A league, and at his size you don't run around drawing huge amounts of attention to yourself constantly - which is great for creating disruption, as is done so well by Matty Simon for example - but if you do so, you will get plenty of attention, Barbiero checking you off the ball etc... and this is obviously why Matty is always up therefor the most fouled player in the league. Whether he wants to be or not, Perez has to be more circumspect than players like Flores or Hernandez...
So comments by Rudan that Perez better get himself into the game or inject himself blah blah are largely just ignorant rubbish based purely on a commentary perspective of desiring to increase the entertainment value in the game imo. Watching him when he's not getting the ball, I don;t think he goes missing at all like say Kwas can. That's more mental I think.
I believe it's clear that for Perez to operate effectively he needs either space as in the game is opening and giving him time on the ball, OR his players MUST constantly keep looking for him, because he is doing exactly what he obviously needs to, ghosting around trying not to draw much attention while also continually trying to place himself in positions to receive the ball. He does it VERY well and its wonderful to watch - but it's easily missed - even by his own players as yet I think - who have to learn to look for him and not be fooled by his seeming nonchalance etc...
His sharp and regular one touch passes show just how ready and capable he is of receiving the ball at any given moment, but also even his fast laying off is designed to teach opposition players that there's little point in wasting the energy of always trying to close him down immediately. It's not because he's not interested in taking responsibility. He has shown he will very happily hold onto the ball and make very telling runs etc... He want this, but he does it because eventually he is given more time and then becomes even more dangerous.
He is a very sophisticated player imo. For mine I don't think I have seen a more sophisticated yet in the HAL and if this guy was built like Didier Drogba or even say Pedj he'd be playing at the highest levels of football. Which is obviously why as a junior when players would have been smaller, he was of the incredible level of being an Argie international.
It's exciting. The more familiarity our players develop with him the better we will become as a team and the more dangerous in attack. Players like this are wonderful for the development of our league and our juniors. It's a match made in heaven having Musty along side him - and I am sincerely looking forward to the day when they are both on the park at the same time - though I appreciate getting the balance right may be challenging.
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