Rumour: Kevin Kyle to TFC

[egoodwin]

[/URL]http://www.newsoftheworld.co.uk/scottish/scottish_sport/631521/Toronto-FC-eye-up-Kilmarnock-skipper-Kyle-for-a-move-across-the-Atlantic.html (http://news.google.ca/news?hl=en&tab=wn&ned=ca&q=toronto+fc&ie=UTF-8&scoring=n)


[URL]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kevin_Kyle

I do not really know of him, but his numbers from past seasons are not that impressive... I should hope that this does not go through

[TFC USA]

Mo hunting for UK players again? Color me shocked.

[TFC_Junky]

http://www.newsoftheworld.co.uk/scottish/scottish_sport/631

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kevin_Kyle

I do not really know of him, but his numbers are not impressive... I should hope that this does not go through

First link is broken....

[TFC USA]

HE SCALDED HIS TESTICLES?!

Holy shit.

[TFC_Junky]

^^ WTF?!?!

[MG42]

^^ WTF?!?!



He missed vital games in Sunderland's bid for survival after scalding his testicles whilst feeding his young son. The Daily Mirror branded him Scaldin' balls a parody of David Beckham's golden balls:yikes:

[TFC USA]

Look at his Wikipedia page.

[mclaren]

nnnnoooooooooooooooooooooo (this is coming from someone who has watched him A LOT)

[torontocelt]

http://www.newsoftheworld.co.uk/scottish/scottish_sport/631521/Toronto-FC-eye-up-Kilmarnock-skipper-Kyle-for-a-move-across-the-Atlantic.html (http://www.newsoftheworld.co.uk/scottish/scottish_sport/631)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kevin_Kyle

I do not really know of him, but his numbers from past seasons are not that impressive... I should hope that this does not go through

He's crap, I used to hate when he was called up for Scotland. Apparently he is doing well for Killie though but I would definitely avoid this guy.

[TFC USA]

I bet he doesn't get signed but Mo can't help himself. Biased towards one section of the world. I know you're from the UK but look somewhere else. Like Brazil. :D

[I_AM_CANADIAN]

I could have sworn we were linked with him earlier in the year or last year...? In any case, we can do better.

[ccopela]

I could have sworn we were linked with him earlier in the year or last year...? In any case, we can do better.

His name is definitely familiar. We were linked with him at some point either during the season or last off-season, I don't remember

[FluSH]

nnnnoooooooooooooooooooooo (this is coming from someone who has watched him A LOT)


Well... I'll take your word for it. Just Say No Mo

[UltraSuperMegaMo]

Similar pedigree to Dichio, Robinson, and Brennan and they all worked out for us. I've also heard (friend of a friend kind of thing) that Mo's looking at winger named Killian Brennan who plays for Irish side Bohemains.

[jloome]

Personal opinion, Kyle is pretty much crap. In a league as mobile as ours, he'd turn into a Jankauskas-like target man right quick. Think Danny, but less mobile.

Here's his recent admission that he'd dive...if he knew how.

Then again, he's had something of a rebirth at Kilmarnock; take that for what you will.

He's also injury-prone to an extreme.

http://www.football.co.uk/kilmarnock/id_take_a_dive_admits_honest_kyle_rss263996.shtml

[UltraSuperMegaMo]

Just read in the News of the World article that Mo's looking to double his wages, paying him 400k+! Maybe not then.

[[NBF]]

Collin Samuel???

Who would you rather have Collin Samuel or Kevin Kyle?:facepalm:

[egoodwin]

Why always players with 2 first names?

[ArmenJBX]

For those who think it's familiar, TFC did draft a player named Kyle Hall. Perhaps this is the Kyle some people are remembering.

[Lucky Strike]

http://www.newsoftheworld.co.uk/scottish/scottish_sport/631521/Toronto-FC-eye-up-Kilmarnock-skipper-Kyle-for-a-move-across-the-Atlantic.html

^Fixed Link: just had to type Kevin Kyle in the search box of the website.

[Lucky Strike]

Just read in the News of the World article that Mo's looking to double his wages, paying him 400k+! Maybe not then.

The article says he's currently making 2K a week (104K a year). According to the article, he'd get 200K a year here.

[UltraSuperMegaMo]

The article says he's currently making 2K a week (104K a year). According to the article, he'd get 200K a year here.

The article's referencing pounds.

[Lucky Strike]

The article's referencing pounds.

Doesn't matter - Wages in GBP, purchases made in GBP. It's the same relatively speaking.

[Shakes McQueen]

Well if "News of the World" says it, it must be true.

- Scott

[CretanBull]

Doesn't matter - Wages in GBP, purchases made in GBP. It's the same relatively speaking.

I think the point being made is that he'd be a $400k salary cap hit, not a $200k salary cap hit.

[UltraSuperMegaMo]

Doesn't matter - Wages in GBP, purchases made in GBP. It's the same relatively speaking.

? My point was that wages TFC was offering we reported in the article were in pounds. 200k pounds is something like 330k USD.

[TorCanSoc]

Quote:
He missed vital games in Sunderland's bid for survival after scalding his testicles whilst feeding his young son. The Daily Mirror branded him Scaldin' balls a parody of David Beckham's golden balls
:yikes:

Your young son eats stuff that chars your nuts. That's one tough kid.


... I don't think so. He's burnt his nads in a candle/felching expedition with his girlfriend, while his wife was at home feeding his kids.

[CretanBull]

If I ever scalded my nuts - and I hope/don't think I ever will - and had to miss a game, I'd lie and say I twisted my ankle. If the team's doctor pressed me and I had to fess up, I'd hope they'd keep the details to themselves and say that I had a "lower body injury".

[I_AM_CANADIAN]

Yeah, I just noticed, News of the World and Wikipedia aren't exactly reliable sources... it very well could be that they just came across the reports that were floating around earlier and reported it as something new.

[Oldtimer]

I bet he doesn't get signed but Mo can't help himself. Biased towards one section of the world. I know you're from the UK but look somewhere else. Like Brazil. :D

Mo does go to Brazil every year around Christmas time for his annual vaca... I mean "scouting trip."

:lol:

[Stryker]

This guy is shit.
And yes the reason he seems familiar is because he was rumoured to be coming here this time last year. How could you all forget "Scoldin Balls"?

[Cambridge_Red]

Mo does go to Brazil every year around Christmas time for his annual vaca... I mean "scouting trip."

:lol:

Then he heads to Colombia for a white Christmas.

[Yohan]

so, is he a worse finisher than Chad Barrett? lol

[arbogast]

so, is he a worse finisher than Chad Barrett? lol


Doesn't seem like it and according to today's news article, Mo wants to double Kyle's salary of 200k per year:

http://sport.stv.tv/football/142347-kilmarnocks-kyle-wanted-by-mojo-for-toronto/

[ua-kozak_TFC]

Personal opinion, Kyle is pretty much crap. In a league as mobile as ours, he'd turn into a Jankauskas-like target man right quick. Think Danny, but less mobile.

Here's his recent admission that he'd dive...if he knew how.

Then again, he's had something of a rebirth at Kilmarnock; take that for what you will.

He's also injury-prone to an extreme.

http://www.football.co.uk/kilmarnock/id_take_a_dive_admits_honest_kyle_rss263996.shtml

less mobile than danny!?!?! LOL... does it get any less slower than dichio??? man what is he like a scotish nick garcia?

[v00d00daddy]

I don't know anything about this guy so I'm not gonna say he's shit.

What worries me are the claims that he's a player in the mold of Danny Dichio.

Does this mean that he's a slow target man type of player?

If so......no thanks.

DD was great for us but I don't want to watch that kind of player any more.

It doesn't fit with the team we have right now.

[egoodwin]

how can he make a big impact in MLS, when he can't even make an impact in League 2?

[Yohan]

I don't know anything about this guy so I'm not gonna say he's shit.

What worries me are the claims that he's a player in the mold of Danny Dichio.

Does this mean that he's a slow target man type of player?

If so......no thanks.

DD was great for us but I don't want to watch that kind of player any more.

It doesn't fit with the team we have right now.
we have a team that has no clue what sort of game they want to play right now

if preki wants a target man, well, that's all fine

having a target man DOES NOT MEAN you have to play long ball

[v00d00daddy]

we have a team that has no clue what sort of game they want to play right now

if preki wants a target man, well, that's all fine

having a target man DOES NOT MEAN you have to play long ball


You're right. But it is a lot more likely if you do.

With the lack of wingers on this team, do you really think it's a good idea to have a guy with very little mobility taking up space up front?

If we're not playing long ball then what good does a slow target man do? He can't make runs into space that won't be easily shut down.

People tend to forget that despite the fact that DD scored a lot of goals for TFC, we were not a good team.

What style do we play with a slow moving target man? Other than long ball/Route 1 football?

[Yohan]

You're right. But it is a lot more likely if you do.

With the lack of wingers on this team, do you really think it's a good idea to have a guy with very little mobility taking up space up front?

If we're not playing long ball then what good does a slow target man do? He can't make runs into space that won't be easily shut down.

People tend to forget that despite the fact that DD scored a lot of goals for TFC, we were not a good team.

What style do we play with a slow moving target man? Other than long ball/Route 1 football?
the winger question is going to be addressed by Mo (I hope)

target man creates room for 2nd striker and attacking midfielders. works equally well in 4-4-2 or 4-2-3-1

he may be lacking in mobility, but having a good positioning sense can compensate for some of lack of pace. his first touch and short passing skills should be good

target man is strong physically. he can hold the ball and allow teammates to join the play. he is also a threat on set pieces

his effectiveness is not judged by how many goals he score, but how much he makes his teammates better within the system

MLS is a physical league. there is a reason why some of the best strikers are target man. Ching, Casey being two top names I can think of right now. And why guys like Alan Gordon, Nate Jaqua, Brian McBride, Josh Wolff will have a job in MLS

[colman1860]

the winger question is going to be addressed by Mo (I hope)

target man creates room for 2nd striker and attacking midfielders. works equally well in 4-4-2 or 4-2-3-1

he may be lacking in mobility, but having a good positioning sense can compensate for some of lack of pace. his first touch and short passing skills should be good

target man is strong physically. he can hold the ball and allow teammates to join the play. he is also a threat on set pieces

his effectiveness is not judged by how many goals he score, but how much he makes his teammates better within the system

MLS is a physical league. there is a reason why some of the best strikers are target man. Ching, Casey being two top names I can think of right now. And why guys like Alan Gordon, Nate Jaqua, Brian McBride, Josh Wolff will have a job in MLS

Agreed in general, but Josh Wolff definitely does not belong in the physical target man group.

[T.Reis]

I agree that this would just be the target man we would want to have on the squad if the situation calls for it.

Preki probably likes having one since he had Razov at Chivas.

Not saying he would be a starter (unless he ended up earning it) but he would be someone to add on to the depth chart as a role player.

[Beach_Red]

I agree that this would just be the target man we would want to have on the squad if the situation calls for it.

Preki probably likes having one since he had Razov at Chivas.

Not saying he would be a starter (unless he ended up earning it) but he would be someone to add on to the depth chart as a role player.

But it's way too much money to pay someone not to start.

All this means, of course, is that the guy's agent didn't say, "no," to TFC right away as most agents do.

[Ontario Arab]

What a load of complete tosh...if u believe this then u need a brain transplant...Kyle is great he is young he is NOT coming to MLS...get a grip ffs.

[Ossington Mental Youth]

also a pay cheque like that could signify that they are expecting hte salary cap to raise a bit

[UltraSuperMegaMo]

the winger question is going to be addressed by Mo (I hope)



On the recent Gol Tv episode of 'That's Our Mo' he said Preki is in Europe checking out a winger (I think he said in Croatia).

[Ossington Mental Youth]

On the recent Gol Tv episode of 'That's Our Mo' he said Preki is in Europe checking out a winger (I think he said in Croatia).

hope theyre not talking about Johan Smith HA!

[DichioTFC]

he's 6'3 and a captain... the question is who's less mobile, he or Gerba?

[TFC07]

Why am I not surprsied? I remember Kyle (I believe it was him) wanted to play TFC, but didn't like the idea of contract being owned by the league instead of club which resulted him going back to UK. This happened in the last off-season.

[oxygenatedbrain]

Perhaps it's Kevin Gall you are remembering. If so, you'd be correct.

[jloome]

What a load of complete tosh...if u believe this then u need a brain transplant...Kyle is great he is young he is NOT coming to MLS...get a grip ffs.


You're thinking of a different player, dude. Kevin Kyle is the former Coventry and Wolves striker who flamed out horribly at every level in England and has a history of serious, multi-month injuries.

He's had one good season, his last one at Kilmarnock.

[[NBF]]

**Author of this Thread: You can add this to your original post to keep all info together about Kevin Kyle**


This guy has a horrible scoring record.:picard:

2008-09:



SPL Table (38 games):
Rangers (CH)
Celtic
Hearts
Aberdeen
Dundee United
Hibernian
Motherwell
Kilmarnock
Hamilton
Falkirk
St.Mirren
Inverness CT (RG)
Kevin Kyle's Scoring Record:

Jan: 1 game played, 1 goal (1 vs St. Mirren).
Feb: 3 games played, and 0 goals.
Mar: 3 games played, and 0 goals.
Apr: 3 games played, 3 goals (3 vs Falkirk).
May: 5 games played, 4 goals (1 vs Falkirk, 2 vs St. Mirren, 1 vs Inverness CT).

In total this guy scored 8 goals in 16 games. Not to mention that this guy scored only vs. the same 3 teams(St. Mirren, Falkirk, and Inverness).




2009-10:




SPL Table (14 out of 38 games):
Celtic
Rangers
Hibernian
Dundee United
Motherwell
Aberdeen
Hearts
St. Johnston
St. Mirren
Hamilton
Kilmarnock
Falkirk (RG Zone)
Kevin Kyle's Scoring Record:

Aug: 3 games played, 2 goals ( 2 vs. Hamilton).
Sep: 4 games played, 1 goal ( 1 vs St. Mirren, in Scottish League Cup*)
Oct: 4 games played, 2 goals ( 2 vs St. Johnstone).
Nov: 3 games played, 0 goals.
Dec: 1 game played, 1 goal ( 1 vs St. Johnstone).

In total this season Kevin Kyle has scored 6 goals in 15 games vs 3 teams in the Scottish Premier League (Hamilton, St. Mirren, St.Johnstone)

[Nuvinho]

Not defending the guy, don't really care for the guy.

But didn't Dichio have a bad scoring record before he came to MLS?

Can't judge him.....MLS is a different league, some players who are good elsewhere stink in MLS, and vice versa.

[brad]

Not defending the guy, don't really care for the guy.

But didn't Dichio have a bad scoring record before he came to MLS?

He did have a poor scoring record, but that was never his main job in England and you can't judge him based on that.


Can't judge him.....MLS is a different league, some players who are good elsewhere stink in MLS, and vice versa.

This holds true of pretty much any league, regardless of the quality.

[jloome]

;821644']This guy has a horrible scoring record.:picard:

2008-09:



SPL Table (38 games):
Rangers (CH)
Celtic
Hearts
Aberdeen
Dundee United
Hibernian
Motherwell
Kilmarnock
Hamilton
Falkirk
St.Mirren
Inverness CT (RG)
Kevin Kyle's Scoring Record:

Jan: 1 game played, 1 goal (1 vs St. Mirren).
Feb: 3 games played, and 0 goals.
Mar: 3 games played, and 0 goals.
Apr: 3 games played, 3 goals (3 vs Falkirk).
May: 5 games played, 4 goals (1 vs Falkirk, 2 vs St. Mirren, 1 vs Inverness CT).

In total this guy scored 8 goals in 16 games. Not to mention that this guy scored only vs. the same 3 teams(St. Mirren, Falkirk, and Inverness).




2009-10:




SPL Table (14 out of 38 games):
Celtic
Rangers
Hibernian
Dundee United
Motherwell
Aberdeen
Hearts
St. Johnston
St. Mirren
Hamilton
Kilmarnock
Falkirk (RG Zone)
Kevin Kyle's Scoring Record:

Aug: 3 games played, 2 goals ( 2 vs. Hamilton).
Sep: 4 games played, 1 goal ( 1 vs St. Mirren, in Scottish League Cup*)
Oct: 4 games played, 2 goals ( 2 vs St. Johnstone).
Nov: 3 games played, 0 goals.
Dec: 1 game played, 1 goal ( 1 vs St. Johnstone).

In total this season Kevin Kyle has scored 6 goals in 15 games vs 3 teams in the Scottish Premier League (Hamilton, St. Mirren, St.Johnstone)

Uh, not sure the facepalm is warranted, given that he played 152 games in England prior to moving to a lousy team in the SPL and scored a grand total of 43 goals. That's a Chad Barrett-esque scoring clip.

Two good seasons at Kilmarnock means fuck all; hell, Pozniak started over 20 games for Dundee United last year and he can't keep a job in either league over here.

[ensco]

http://www.dailyexpress.co.uk/posts/view/161648/Kyle-warned-of-kidnap-threat-in-Russia/

[Ontario Arab]

Uh, not sure the facepalm is warranted, given that he played 152 games in England prior to moving to a lousy team in the SPL and scored a grand total of 43 goals. That's a Chad Barrett-esque scoring clip.

Two good seasons at Kilmarnock means fuck all; hell, Pozniak started over 20 games for Dundee United last year and he can't keep a job in either league over here.

FFS I wish people would get there facts right...Pozniak would never ever ever ever ever get signed by or play 20 games for Dundee United in the SPL. He is no where near good enough. Its the wee team mate who play in the 1st Division and he wasnt even good enough to stay with them. Jebus H Christ. KNOW your Football before posting.......fwiw btw....Kevin Kyle would be a great addition to TFC...he has scored 14 in 27 games for Killie since 2009, thats not too bad considering Kilmarnock are shit. He would terrorise MLS defences as he is a feckin animal, I hate him btw. But it will not happen, unless we give him mega bucks and with the kind of money required we could get an even better player, that said tho if he gets scared off of the Russians in case he gets kidnapped (which he wont) I would take him in a heartbeat for TFC. Believe me he is a lot more "mobile" than Gerba.:scarf: This anti SPL stuff has to stop............Most MLS teams would struggle to beat most SPL teams AND most 1st Division teams. Get your Big Head out of the sand pal.........I have watched a lot of SPL and a lot of MLS.........first hand. The leagues play totally different styles of football. I accept you feel proud of the MLS but FFS enough with the ego trip man.

[MG42]

^i'm very confused by this :lol:

[Brooker]

http://www.worldstadiums.com/stadium_pictures/europe/united_kingdom/scotland/dundee_dens_park.jpg

much like North America....

Great stuff up top. Shit down below.

[Ontario Arab]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chris_Pozniak

Where do you see the word "United" anywhere in conjunction with the word "Dundee"..?????

[Ontario Arab]

http://www.worldstadiums.com/stadium_pictures/europe/united_kingdom/scotland/dundee_dens_park.jpg

much like North America....

Great stuff up top. Shit down below.

+1 man.........give me another beer lol...ffs....:facepalm:

[TFC USA]

Anyone willing to give Mo a map of other countries when signing any midfielder or forward?

[ag futbol]

TFC world map (joking of course):

http://www.europeonrail.com/pics/maps/BritishIsles.gif

[TFC USA]

Sprinkled with some African guys. :D

[Ontario Arab]

Sprinkled with some African guys. :D
Dont forget the South and Central Americans......lol:rolleyes:

[MG42]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chris_Pozniak

Where do you see the word "United" anywhere in conjunction with the word "Dundee"..?????


LOL I was talking about the russian kidnapping...then I read the link.

[jazzy]

the winger question is going to be addressed by Mo (I hope)

target man creates room for 2nd striker and attacking midfielders. works equally well in 4-4-2 or 4-2-3-1

he may be lacking in mobility, but having a good positioning sense can compensate for some of lack of pace. his first touch and short passing skills should be good

target man is strong physically. he can hold the ball and allow teammates to join the play. he is also a threat on set pieces

his effectiveness is not judged by how many goals he score, but how much he makes his teammates better within the system

MLS is a physical league. there is a reason why some of the best strikers are target man. Ching, Casey being two top names I can think of right now. And why guys like Alan Gordon, Nate Jaqua, Brian McBride, Josh Wolff will have a job in MLS

Isn't this what Ali Gerba is for?

[Bars92]

Thats a good looking map.

[Ontario Arab]

LOL I was talking about the russian kidnapping...then I read the link.
Sorry mate, I just get pissed off with the ....."SPL is worse than MLS" shit ............It offends a lot of people around here who never say anything, because they cant be bothered. I wasnt directing anything towards you man........in reality, I think we would pay too much for Kyle, but he would defo score a lot of goals. Thing is , he is a proven asshole, everywhere he has played. Thats not the kind of guy we need. It all comes down to the fact that Mo is an idiot, he appears to have NO legitimate contacts.....in the wide wide world. Time for him to go.

[CretanBull]

Players like Dichio are shit, what we need are more guys like Vitti :facepalm:

Why obsess over where a player is from? Lets get the best talent that's available to us and not worry about the passport that they carry.

[TFC USA]

Dichio, Robbo to an extent, and then what? Flameouts like Robert, Ricketts, Welsh, and I guess Samuel because he has played a lot in Europe.

I just want to see some diversity of talent because different parts of the world bring different talents.

[Alonso]

If I ever scalded my nuts - and I hope/don't think I ever will - and had to miss a game, I'd lie and say I twisted my ankle. If the team's doctor pressed me and I had to fess up, I'd hope they'd keep the details to themselves and say that I had a "lower body injury".


Agreed, this is clearly more information then the average soccer fan needs.

[v00d00daddy]

Players like Dichio are shit, what we need are more guys like Vitti :facepalm:

Why obsess over where a player is from? Lets get the best talent that's available to us and not worry about the passport that they carry.


I agree with the sentiment but it's really not about "where" the player is from but rather, what style of game the player brings to the table. The nation/league/football culture the player is from usually dictates the style of player they are. That's why the two things are so often attached.

I fucking despise the style of game that TFC has played for 3 years. This is (imo) a product of Mo Johnston's style of play, which in turn produces who he gets to coach, and who he selects as players. That's why we ended up with a team with very little technical ability,flair, or imagination and tons of heart and athleticism.

Now we have a new coach who, I hope, will bring in a new style of play.

And for all of you who keep saying "who cares where they're from, as long as they're good"....answer me this:

What would you say if our team was bad for 3 years straight, played ugly football game in and game out, lost in 3 team tournaments with teams from "lower" leagues and was run by, coached by, and comprised of a majority of players from South America or that played in South American leagues? (I just used South America for arguments sake)

I bet the song would sound a little different than "who cares where they're from".

Just sayin :)

[torontocelt]

Aren't most of the players for TFC from America and Canada? People slate Mo for looking at the British leagues but 80% of the players are from North America and currently there is only one player I think from the UK? TFC are not too good because the players they have a hope of signing are not great, they are no where near the cream of the crop. Dont get me wrong DeRo and De Guzman can play at a decent level but the majority are mediocre or worse, that is why they are cannot play good football. That is why when we sign an Argentine he turns out to be crap, it is because he is pretty much near the bottom of the barrel of Argentine s. If all you can afford/ get to sign for your club is mediocre or worse players then it does not matter where they come from.

[TFCRegina]

I'd prefer someone from the CSL to a UK castoff.

[Pigfynn]

I don't get this British thing? This British Isles is TFC's map bullshit. Who in our starting 11 is British?...maybe, maybe Robbo (probably not) who among our trialists are or were British except Dickov?...nobody!

What I see around here is some real insecurity among a lot of fans that obviously have anti Brit biases. Grow up, bunch of whiners.

[torontocelt]

I don't get this British thing? This British Isles is TFC's map bullshit. Who in our starting 11 is British?...maybe, maybe Robbo (probably not) who among our trialists are or were British except Dickov?...nobody!

What I see around here is some real insecurity among a lot of fans that obviously have anti Brit biases. Grow up, bunch of whiners.

Yep, you are right. It is not just the Brits who are crap, it is pretty much them all. To blame it on the Brits when they make up a minuscule percentage is just crazy. I think a lot of it has to do with the Brit management but the reality is that all Brits would agree that JC and CC were crap managers, I am pretty sure we could go to South America and pick up the equivalent if we wanted also. The truth is that TFC are operating in a league of signing mediocre or worse players and crap managers (Preki not included as of yet).

[UltraSuperMegaMo]

Has Kyle linked been with TFC again?

[CretanBull]

I agree with the sentiment but it's really not about "where" the player is from but rather, what style of game the player brings to the table. The nation/league/football culture the player is from usually dictates the style of player they are. That's why the two things are so often attached.


Does Fabregas play like a Spanard because of his nationality, or like an Englishmen because of his league? Does Drogba play like an Ivorian or like like a Premiership player? How about Gerrard, does he play like an Englishmen or like a Liverpool Red? And Torres? Arshavin, does he play a Russian game or an English game?

Do Arsenal play like Man U? Do Wolves remind you of Bolton?

There's no particular style to the Premiership...not to the individual players, and not to the teams in it. If we go after players from that league, we're not chasing a particular type of player who plays a particular style - they're going after players who have played in the top league the world (according to UEFA's rankings), the most visible league in the world (which means little investment in scouting) etc.



I fucking despise the style of game that TFC has played for 3 years. This is (imo) a product of Mo Johnston's style of play, which in turn produces who he gets to coach, and who he selects as players. That's why we ended up with a team with very little technical ability,flair, or imagination and tons of heart and athleticism.


Mo Johnston is a clueless idiot who can't build a team, but that has nothing to do with him being Scotish. If you're going to suggest that a Scot (who hate the English when it comes to football BTW) put together an English style team then you're as clueless as Johnston is. We've endured 3 years of horrible soccer because of Mo Johnston's incompetence, not his nationality. If this was an English-style team, it would have been built around a Terry Butcher, Tony Adams, John Terry type defender, we'd see clinical finishers like Rooney and Shearer, set piece takers like Beckham and two way CMs like Lampard and Gerrard. Robert played in the same league as them, but he was nothing like them. Welsh shared a passport with them, but was nothing like them.



Now we have a new coach who, I hope, will bring in a new style of play.


Any of our coaches could have played a better style of play, but they were forced to work with what they had. Last season we had shit for defense, no wide players at all and no one would could reliably finish...not even Jose Mourinho couldn't make that work.

I want, and hope, Preki will bring something new to the team - but he's still going to be limited by Johnston's ineptitude. My fear - Johnston's too smart to hire someone who isn't loyal to him. I doubt that he hired a friend and former teammate without knowing in advance that Preki wouldn't challenge his position/authority.



And for all of you who keep saying "who cares where they're from, as long as they're good"....answer me this:

What would you say if our team was bad for 3 years straight, played ugly football game in and game out, lost in 3 team tournaments with teams from "lower" leagues and was run by, coached by, and comprised of a majority of players from South America or that played in South American leagues? (I just used South America for arguments sake)

I bet the song would sound a little different than "who cares where they're from".

Just sayin :)

This team is always going to be comprised of mainly of Americans and nothing will change that - its the nature of the league. We've never had an American coach. We've had a Scottish coach and two English coaches, but we've never had a team that was comprised by a majority of Scots or Englishmen so I'm not sure what you're on about.

I can guarantee you that no matter what the situation, I will always want the best players possible playing for our team not matter what country they're from, what colour they are, what God they worship etc. NONE of that matters to me and it NEVER will. I want the best that we can afford, the best we can attract PERIOD.

[Bluenose13]

Nicely written response CB & you are dead on!

[v00d00daddy]

Does Fabregas play like a Spanard because of his nationality, or like an Englishmen because of his league? Does Drogba play like an Ivorian or like like a Premiership player? How about Gerrard, does he play like an Englishmen or like a Liverpool Red? And Torres? Arshavin, does he play a Russian game or an English game?

Do Arsenal play like Man U? Do Wolves remind you of Bolton?

There's no particular style to the Premiership...not to the individual players, and not to the teams in it. If we go after players from that league, we're not chasing a particular type of player who plays a particular style - they're going after players who have played in the top league the world (according to UEFA's rankings), the most visible league in the world (which means little investment in scouting) etc.

Are you really trying to tell me that you don't see a difference of style from the way they play soccer in the EPL (outside of the top 4-5 teams) and the way they play soccer in Italy, or Mexico, Argentina or many other leagues?

It's night and day.

By the way...it's pointless to bring up the likes of Gerard and Arshavin. When we get one of those guys at TFC then we can talk. Right now we get the likes of Carl Robinson, formerly of Norwich City...not Arsenal or Liverpool.



Mo Johnston is a clueless idiot who can't build a team, but that has nothing to do with him being Scotish. If you're going to suggest that a Scot (who hate the English when it comes to football BTW) put together an English style team then you're as clueless as Johnston is. We've endured 3 years of horrible soccer because of Mo Johnston's incompetence, not his nationality. If this was an English-style team, it would have been built around a Terry Butcher, Tony Adams, John Terry type defender, we'd see clinical finishers like Rooney and Shearer, set piece takers like Beckham and two way CMs like Lampard and Gerrard. Robert played in the same league as them, but he was nothing like them. Welsh shared a passport with them, but was nothing like them.

Look....you seem to want to defend the English game and you're doing it by talking about Wayne Rooney and David Beckham. You're putting a very convenient spin on this. I never said that Mo Johnston is an idiot because he's Scottish.

Again...look at TFC. Look at the players they've selected over the years..both domestic and those from places outside of North America. The vast majority have been the athletic, rough, target man, kick and run type of players. Kevin Kyleish..maybe.




This team is always going to be comprised of mainly of Americans and nothing will change that - its the nature of the league. We've never had an American coach. We've had a Scottish coach and two English coaches, but we've never had a team that was comprised by a majority of Scots or Englishmen so I'm not sure what you're on about.

I can guarantee you that no matter what the situation, I will always want the best players possible playing for our team not matter what country they're from, what colour they are, what God they worship etc. NONE of that matters to me and it NEVER will. I want the best that we can afford, the best we can attract PERIOD


You're right. The team will be mostly Americans. My point, quite simply is this:

I want more Sam Cronin type players and less Marvell Wynne type players. That's it.

I want people who know how to handle the ball properly. Know how to see the field properly. First and foremost.

Unfortunately, for 3 years, that has not been what TFC have valued...and still don't to a certain extent. Just look at who the club and the supporters have named player of the year for 3 years. It's a symptom of a footballing mentality that I don't share.

Look at our starting XI......Cronin and JDG..that's it. Those are the only guys who don't shit their pants (or try to take on the world ala DeRo) when they have the ball at their feet. TFC have gotten rid of Guevara and Vitti and replaced them with who exactly?

At the end of the day, I don't care where they come from except to say that I want them to come from everywhere. I want TFC to incorporate all kinds of different players with all kinds of different skill sets.

I'd rather see TFC lose 10-0 every game while ATTEMPTING to play decent soccer than to see them perform the way they have the past 3 years again.

[felipe]

Vitti was complete shit; and Guevera stopped playing in June last year. We won't miss either.

[v00d00daddy]

Vitti was complete shit; and Guevera stopped playing in June last year. We won't miss either.


I hope you're right about not missing them. I don't know who is going to play Guevara's role this year.

[ag futbol]

I want more Sam Cronin type players and less Marvell Wynne type players. That's it.

While I can't certify you're whole post, I agree 100% with this.

I get tired of us bringing in some athletic specimen and saying "all we have to do now is teach him how to play the game". Easier said than done!

For the record i have no problem scouting players from the England, but you have a few large immediate problems to get past. 1) They have a very deep league system that is economically powerful. 2) The players that occupy the lower levels are protected pretty well by regulations 3) You are asking someone to move from a soccer hot-spot to backwater. Assuming that every players ultimate goal is to make it to the top, you are a lot closer to being seen and doing in there than you are here. And frankly a lot of the same problems exist with the continent.

So theoretically, I would much rather scourer markets where the cost is less and we have something to offer players either in terms of increased quality of life considerations, stable teams, etc... But then again, our management is so clueless when it comes to searching these spots... maybe they are better off sticking where they are util we ultimately replace them.

[Yohan]

Isn't this what Ali Gerba is for?
no. Gerba is a poacher. more like, really shitty version of Pippo Inzaghi. Gerba can't hold the ball


That's why we ended up with a team with very little technical ability,flair, or imagination and tons of heart and athleticism.

Now we have a new coach who, I hope, will bring in a new style of play.



i hate to tell you, but Preki seems to prefer guys with heart more than guys with technical skills.

[v00d00daddy]

i hate to tell you, but Preki seems to prefer guys with heart more than guys with technical skills.


Yeah..I know but I'm gonna wait and see how we play before I get down on anybody new. I don't need to see flashy play...just a desire to keep the ball in our possession...even if that means very simple possession play.

I'll be happy with that.

[rocker]

i hate to tell you, but Preki seems to prefer guys with heart more than guys with technical skills.

Yeah he definitely wants heart and soul in his players.

But from what I saw of his Chivas teams, he loves guys with technical skill on the ball and a good sense of team play. I didn't see too many players on Chivas were just about athleticism and nothing else.

[Yohan]

Yeah he definitely wants heart and soul in his players.

But from what I saw of his Chivas teams, he loves guys with technical skill on the ball and a good sense of team play. I didn't see too many players on Chivas were just about athleticism and nothing else.
that's just it. he wants guys with skills who is willing to play his system. Guevara had a bit of ego, hence why Preki hated him

[v00d00daddy]

that's just it. he wants guys with skills who is willing to play his system. Guevara had a bit of ego, hence why Preki hated him


True enough. I wonder how he'll mesh with DeRo.

I'm very much looking forward to seeing TFC play a defined system though. I have high hopes for Preki.

Fingers crossed.

[Yohan]

True enough. I wonder how he'll mesh with DeRo.

I'm very much looking forward to seeing TFC play a defined system though. I have high hopes for Preki.

Fingers crossed.
although DeRo has a big mouth, I don't think I've ever heard him not being a team player. he may shoot his mouth off to the media once in a while, but i never saw anything but professionalism when on the pitch

[CretanBull]

Are you really trying to tell me that you don't see a difference of style from the way they play soccer in the EPL (outside of the top 4-5 teams) and the way they play soccer in Italy, or Mexico, Argentina or many other leagues?

It's night and day.


It's a faster and more physical league than most. I don't think either of those qualities define a style though. You couldn't point at Burnley and say that they play like Stoke City - even though Burnley and Stoke share the qualities of being quicker and tougher than similarly placed teams in Italy, Mexico or Argentina.



By the way...it's pointless to bring up the likes of Gerard and Arshavin. When we get one of those guys at TFC then we can talk. Right now we get the likes of Carl Robinson, formerly of Norwich City...not Arsenal or Liverpool.


You raised the point that you can judge a player based on his nationality/league. I listed off foreign players who play in England and asked if they played like their nationality or like their league (and in the case of Gerrard if he played like his nation or his club team).



Look....you seem to want to defend the English game and you're doing it by talking about Wayne Rooney and David Beckham. You're putting a very convenient spin on this. I never said that Mo Johnston is an idiot because he's Scottish.


You've made the assertion that we're shit because Mo Johnston based our team on his style and that his style is English. I'm saying that there's been nothing English about our style of play. If there's anything stereotypically English, it's big strong CBs - go back 50 years to Jack Charlton and work your way forward to Rio Ferdinand and John Terry. Nothing defines the English game more than a nasty CB and that's something that we've never had.



Again...look at TFC. Look at the players they've selected over the years..both domestic and those from places outside of North America. The vast majority have been the athletic, rough, target man, kick and run type of players. Kevin Kyleish..maybe.


Agreed. Mo Johnston can't build a team...but what does nationality have to do with this?




You're right. The team will be mostly Americans. My point, quite simply is this:

I want more Sam Cronin type players and less Marvell Wynne type players. That's it.

I want people who know how to handle the ball properly. Know how to see the field properly. First and foremost.

Unfortunately, for 3 years, that has not been what TFC have valued...and still don't to a certain extent.


Agreed. Mo Johnston can't build a team...but what does nationality have to do with this?



Just look at who the club and the supporters have named player of the year for 3 years. It's a symptom of a footballing mentality that I don't share.


Who was better than the players selected? Maybe Brennan got the nod in year 1 because of some Homer-ism but he did give a terrible club some heart and soul and exemplified a captain. In year 2 Robo was our best player hands down. Other players did more than him in spurts, but over the course of a full season he was our most consistant player and really solidified himself as one of the leaders of the team. Last season DeRo's stats spoke for themselves.



Look at our starting XI......Cronin and JDG..that's it. Those are the only guys who don't shit their pants (or try to take on the world ala DeRo) when they have the ball at their feet. TFC have gotten rid of Guevara and Vitti and replaced them with who exactly?


I'm not going to defend Mo, but Guevara left because of the coach that was hired and Vitti was horse shit. Oddly enough, in my last post I pointed to two box-to-box CMs as being typical of English teams, and now you point to our two box-to-box CMs as being our two best. You're an English fan and you don't even know it :D



At the end of the day, I don't care where they come from except to say that I want them to come from everywhere. I want TFC to incorporate all kinds of different players with all kinds of different skill sets.


I don't care where they come from, but I think we do need some consistancy ie develope a system and then find players who fit in with it. What we've done so far is just grab a mix of players without any thought of how they'll work together and its been a complete failure.

[Ontario Arab]

Nationality has nothing to do with it, either does what league the players come from........it takes a very good coach(manager) who has very good contacts to find very good players....for example, I would just love it if TFC could find such gems like this guy.........Non league to Cowdenbeath eh.......he must be shit like........????. Feckin Great wee player.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morgaro_Gomis
Only reason we have him is because of former manager Craig Leveins knowledge and contacts.............his mate Buaben is no bad too.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prince_Buaben

Im just using these two as an example because Im a United fan....but surely to fuck TFC should be able to pick out some diamonds in the rough, if DUFC can do it, then why cant we (a team with a much bigger budget). I will tell you why........MO JO is an idiot and should piss off back to selling tracksuits from the back of his motor in parking lots.

You can throw in this guy too.....been injured all year,double hernia....but will be back in a week for the final run in..........3rd tier in Spain eh....must be shite......
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francisco_Sandaza
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E9gGoIteGlE&feature=related
Didnt pay a penny for any of them ...........

[UltraSuperMegaMo]

Nationality has nothing to do with it, either does what league the players come from........it takes a very good coach(manager) who has very good contacts to find very good players....for example, I would just love it if TFC could find such gems like this guy.........Non league to Cowdenbeath eh.......he must be shit like........????. Feckin Great wee player.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morgaro_Gomis
Only reason we have him is because of former manager Craig Leveins knowledge and contacts.............his mate Buaben is no bad too.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prince_Buaben

Im just using these two as an example because Im a United fan....but surely to fuck TFC should be able to pick out some diamonds in the rough, if DUFC can do it, then why cant we (a team with a much bigger budget). I will tell you why........MO JO is an idiot and should piss off back to selling tracksuits from the back of his motor in parking lots.

TFC has a bigger budget than Dundee United? How much do they pay out in salary? I would have guessed 4 million pounds.

Gomis was a great find, but Buaben? Picking a player out of Ajax youth system isn't exactly great scouting.

[Ontario Arab]

TFC has a bigger budget than Dundee United? How much do they pay out in salary? I would have guessed 4 million pounds.

Gomis was a great find, but Buaben? Picking a player out of Ajax youth system isn't exactly great scouting.
So whats stopping TFC from picking out these guys then mate? BTW I edited my post there is more for you to remark upon.....lol.

[Sonny Cheeba]

FRAAAANSISCO SANDAAAAAAZAAAAA

can't wait til he's back on.

[UltraSuperMegaMo]

Getting someone to move from the Scottish third division to Dundee is probably easier to get someone to uproot themselves from Scotland to Toronto. Who knows?

Seriously thought, what kind of budget does DUFC have? They've got to have more to spend on salary than TFC.

[Alonso]

While I can't certify you're whole post, I agree 100% with this.

I get tired of us bringing in some athletic specimen and saying "all we have to do now is teach him how to play the game". Easier said than done!

For the record i have no problem scouting players from the England, but you have a few large immediate problems to get past. 1) They have a very deep league system that is economically powerful. 2) The players that occupy the lower levels are protected pretty well by regulations 3) You are asking someone to move from a soccer hot-spot to backwater. Assuming that every players ultimate goal is to make it to the top, you are a lot closer to being seen and doing in there than you are here. And frankly a lot of the same problems exist with the continent.

So theoretically, I would much rather scourer markets where the cost is less and we have something to offer players either in terms of increased quality of life considerations, stable teams, etc... But then again, our management is so clueless when it comes to searching these spots... maybe they are better off sticking where they are util we ultimately replace them.

You're bang on with this stream of thought, and in some cases this is exactly what TFC management has done with the likes of gomez, and sanyang. We should be scouting in latin american countries, in africa, and maybe in asia as well. We have something to offer these players and as such can get better talent and better bang for our buck.

[Ontario Arab]

Getting someone to move from the Scottish third division to Dundee is probably easier to get someone to uproot themselves from Scotland to Toronto. Who knows?

Seriously thought, what kind of budget does DUFC have? They've got to have more to spend on salary than TFC.
Hey man, I wasnt having a go like...I just get pissed aff sometimes with the Anti SPL rubbish banded around here sometimes...DUFC spent 3.6 Million pounds on wages last year(that includes managment and coaches etc), but it wasnt the player wages I was getting at....As an organisation TFC (MLSE) has more money to spend on other aspects like Managment/coaching/scouting/training facilities etc and so forth....we should be able to identify guys from Tier 3 in Spain like the guy Sandazza for United..........who btw would absolutley rip it up in MLS. I just dont understand what the hell MO JO does during the week ???:scarf:Maybe he bases his decisions on his current game of Football Manager or LMA Manager, really hes an idiot. Im gonna get stick for this but dont you think if he was any good at his job he would be in the UK...???
Also...if u asked most Scottish Folk...they would love to move to Toronto.........cause we ROCK MAN LOL.

[UltraSuperMegaMo]

^ I'm not convinced that TFC has more resources to spend on player development than DUFC. Also, it's always going to be easier to get players to move to a team like Dundee than a team like TFC, Dundee is probably going to be in Europe next year! I think people under rate how hard it is to find players willing to come to the MLS.

I agree that bringing in player from lower Euro leagues is a good idea (kind of what they're doing with Saric and Kayizzi). As much as anything TFC needs bodies, Mo has to try and stop going for the blockbuster moves and makes some little ones that pan out. If not in terms of players in lower Euro league, maybe in terms of some players from the CSL (Lammie, Hurtis) or out of contract Canadians like Dave Simpson.

BTW - Ontario Arab, do you wear a DUFC shirt to TFC games? I've seen a few people doing so, just wondering if it was you?