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View Full Version : Schevchenko to Vancouver in June?



Azerban
04-21-2011, 05:06 PM
https://twitter.com/#!/Southsiders/status/61152828831440896 (https://twitter.com/#%21/Southsiders/status/61152828831440896)

read this twit.

twat.

whatever you call it.

i personally wouldn't want him, for a billion reasons, but queue someone immediately disagreeing with me. certainly signals intent, though.

Yeoman
04-21-2011, 05:26 PM
i actually just saw this on some ukranian site, but not sure where that link is now

ArmenJBX
04-21-2011, 05:33 PM
Tweet! :D

Cashcleaner
04-21-2011, 05:43 PM
I agree in that I think we could do better, but would rather him than nobody.

By the way, I think we're getting nobody.

Gazza
04-21-2011, 06:08 PM
If what we want/need is a dp striker, i don't think we could do better than Shevchenko. After the JDG fiasco, i don't think TFC can afford to mess up another dp acquisition, so they'll just sit tight and wait until we're ready to be competitive before making a big player investment.

ElvistheEvilScotsman
04-21-2011, 06:25 PM
I think that if MLSE doesnt get a high profile DP by July we'll be lucky to have 12,000 fans a game. There's no appeal to the casual fan to come to the games any more. No generally available tv feeds and no big name player to keep banging in the goals. Yes Dero had his faults but he was at least consistent in scoring goals which is what we all want to see.

Red4ever
04-21-2011, 06:28 PM
agreed, i'd want him.

Get the butts in the seats. The goose is frickin dying here man

RPB_RED_NATION_RPB
04-21-2011, 07:12 PM
agreed, i'd want him.

Get the butts in the seats. The goose is frickin dying here man


Wouldnt mind having him..but dont agree he would alot more buts in the seats....

People have to realise that the people besides the ones who come to TFC really dont care about TFC and most likely dont know who SHEVI is anyways!

You want to put more buts in the seats....you bring in a well known ITALIAN..And the Italians in this city will flock...

Darlofletch
04-21-2011, 07:12 PM
agreed, i'd want him.

Get the butts in the seats. The goose is frickin dying here man

he may or may not be good and may or may not work, but that's the last reason we should be doing anything.

RPB_RED_NATION_RPB
04-21-2011, 07:14 PM
he may or may not be good and may or may not work, but that's the last reason we should be doing anything.

agreed....

69Chevy396
04-21-2011, 07:36 PM
[quote=RPB_RED_NATION_RPB;1282585]Wouldnt mind having him..but dont agree he would alot more buts in the seats....

People have to realise that the people besides the ones who come to TFC really dont care about TFC and most likely dont know who SHEVI is anyways!

You want to put more buts in the seats....you bring in a well known ITALIAN..And the Italians in this city will flock...[/quote

Reason why "most" people don't care about TFC and MLS is because they do know a lot about soccer. No reason why any decent Italian player would want to come here.

brad
04-21-2011, 07:38 PM
We should be learning from RSL's approach. Don't sink a huge chunk of cash into a single player - build a team with depth instead. (yes I know they have a DP but he making less than 250k)

boban
04-21-2011, 07:42 PM
This is kinda funny in one aspect. Here is Vancouver going after their 2nd DP striker in season 1.
All the while we did fuck all for pretty much 3 seasons, and still have yet to get even 1 DP striker.
Also of note is all these people on the boards (yes here) always saying we won't attract a high profile DP for this or that reason, yet here is Vancouver (field turf and Cdn city) is looking to get just that - a high profile DP.
Keep aiming low Toronto fans.

torontocelt
04-21-2011, 07:50 PM
Legend in his day for sure, fantastic striker. For me now though it would not be a wise move. Sheva is on the way down and judging from his time at Chelsea I get the impression when he doesn't have a lot of love for the club then he is not the most effective. Any move to the MLS for him would be a money move and I would not expect total commitment from him. Plaudits to Vancouver if true though, thinking big even though I have my doubts about him in the MLS. Dont worry though we have JDG, he is awesome.

AL-MO
04-21-2011, 09:53 PM
This is kinda funny in one aspect. Here is Vancouver going after their 2nd DP striker in season 1.
All the while we did fuck all for pretty much 3 seasons, and still have yet to get even 1 DP striker.
Also of note is all these people on the boards (yes here) always saying we won't attract a high profile DP for this or that reason, yet here is Vancouver (field turf and Cdn city) is looking to get just that - a high profile DP.
Keep aiming low Toronto fans.

So true Boban.

Roogsy
04-21-2011, 10:21 PM
This is kinda funny in one aspect. Here is Vancouver going after their 2nd DP striker in season 1.
All the while we did fuck all for pretty much 3 seasons, and still have yet to get even 1 DP striker.
Also of note is all these people on the boards (yes here) always saying we won't attract a high profile DP for this or that reason, yet here is Vancouver (field turf and Cdn city) is looking to get just that - a high profile DP.
Keep aiming low Toronto fans.

Amen...

TFC07
04-21-2011, 11:46 PM
This is kinda funny in one aspect. Here is Vancouver going after their 2nd DP striker in season 1.
All the while we did fuck all for pretty much 3 seasons, and still have yet to get even 1 DP striker.
Also of note is all these people on the boards (yes here) always saying we won't attract a high profile DP for this or that reason, yet here is Vancouver (field turf and Cdn city) is looking to get just that - a high profile DP.
Keep aiming low Toronto fans.

Agreed.

I never understood why people here don't think Toronto isn't capable enough to get a big name soccer player. Toronto is a great soccer market and city in general.

Yozzarian
04-22-2011, 12:18 AM
RSL is the best team in the league. Their highest salary is 225K.


Grabbing a star player is not going to work. The way to success in this league is a bunch of nobodies who can play well together.

brad
04-22-2011, 01:22 AM
RSL is the best team in the league. Their highest salary is 225K.


Grabbing a star player is not going to work. The way to success in this league is a bunch of nobodies who can play well together.

Amen.

werewolf
04-22-2011, 01:35 AM
http://euro.mediotiempo.com/media/2010/08/23/mista.jpg

Mark TFC
04-22-2011, 02:35 AM
^ OK I've seen that picture too many times. No seriously, it's been used like 30 times on this board. No one needs another Mista reminder... no one.

Shakes McQueen
04-22-2011, 03:18 AM
RSL is the best team in the league. Their highest salary is 225K.

Grabbing a star player is not going to work. The way to success in this league is a bunch of nobodies who can play well together.

I think a DP can help a team, in the right circumstance. I don't believe in signing a DP for the sake of their high profile-ness.

I've also never heard anyone remark that Toronto can't sign a high-profile DP. I've seen many people state that Toronto would have more trouble signing a high-profile DP, than cities like New York and Los Angeles.

Then again, acknowledging nuance has never been the strong suit of people dealing with an apocalyptic case of confirmation bias.

- Scott

Cashcleaner
04-22-2011, 05:50 AM
This is kinda funny in one aspect. Here is Vancouver going after their 2nd DP striker in season 1.
All the while we did fuck all for pretty much 3 seasons, and still have yet to get even 1 DP striker.
Also of note is all these people on the boards (yes here) always saying we won't attract a high profile DP for this or that reason, yet here is Vancouver (field turf and Cdn city) is looking to get just that - a high profile DP.
Keep aiming low Toronto fans.

Totally agreed. And what bothers me the most, is that some have convinced themselves and others for years now that not only would a DP be unnessary for success, but would be inherently detrimental to the club's in some way - as in acquiring one would actually make us substantially worst off somehow.

Unfortunately, as myself and others have postulated elsewhere, perhaps the reason why we're not able to pick up on the stereotypical DP-level players is because the club has now gained bad a reputation for treating players. It could be entirely plausible to suggest that Toronto FC is actively seeking the world-class players that come to mind when we think of DPs, but have been told by their colleagues or agents to stay away. I certainly hope that's not the case, but could explain quite a lot.

Yohan
04-22-2011, 07:37 AM
I'd rather get the right DP for TFC than a big name DP.

As for Sheva, I think a 34 yr striker who has never been too comfy with physical game will not do so good in MLS.

dow117
04-22-2011, 07:55 AM
Wouldnt mind having him..but dont agree he would alot more buts in the seats....

People have to realise that the people besides the ones who come to TFC really dont care about TFC and most likely dont know who SHEVI is anyways!

You want to put more buts in the seats....you bring in a well known ITALIAN..And the Italians in this city will flock...

I dont know if I like flocking Italians.

ensco
04-22-2011, 07:57 AM
To me, this isn't so much about a DP per se, it's just about attitude.

Most teams are trying to plug holes and make the playoffs. This year.

I have a simple question for the TFC FO: where are the players?

Who have we brought in? Martina, a couple of guys on loan (the antithesis of building, btw) and a couple of guys in a forced trade.

Our FO is deliberately choosing to throw the season away, and all the "I believe" people are cheering them on.

Ossington Mental Youth
04-22-2011, 08:03 AM
ill wait until hes on the field to believe it.
also hes 35, not to say hes not going to be effective but also its not a huge coup of a signing and yes id rather our team is settled before we go out and sign a dp for the hell of it.

Detroit_TFC
04-22-2011, 09:18 AM
Getting a DP to perk up the gate proceeds is a waste of time and cap space. I'm not sure who we could get who we could afford and would even register for the occasional attendee/non-hardcore fan or the Euro-snob crowd who won't go to any game.

Dreadlocks
04-22-2011, 09:45 AM
I'd rather get the right DP for TFC than a big name DP.

As for Sheva, I think a 34 yr striker who has never been too comfy with physical game will not do so good in MLS.

Agreed.

Sheva was a great player in the Italian league where you get space to move and players walk more than they run. The MLS is more like the EPL than it is Serie A and dude's career went downhill big time when he went to Chelsea.

Very ambitious on the Caps part if true but imo we dont need a player like him. We need to build our team first and then add a DP as the final peice. Be the DP a midfielder, defender or attacker he should push us over the edge - not make us.

And about this sell tickets thing, people will come when the team starts to win and thats the bottom line.

What good is a DP striker if you lose every game? We've seen that show already.

ManUtd4ever
04-22-2011, 09:51 AM
To me, this isn't so much about a DP per se, it's just about attitude.

Most teams are trying to plug holes and make the playoffs. This year.

I have a simple question for the TFC FO: where are the players?

Who have we brought in? Martina, a couple of guys on loan (the antithesis of building, btw) and a couple of guys in a forced trade.

Our FO is deliberately choosing to throw the season away, and all the "I believe" people are cheering them on.

I completely disagree. While TFC may not be playoff team, it's not as if Winter and Mariner have sat idle and are throwing in the towel on the season. On the contrary, since day one, they have identified holes in the roster and have systematically acquired players in an attempt to fill specific voids within the lineup.

Since Winter and Mariner were hired, 11 players have already been added to the team outside of the draft and academy; Martina, Stevanovic, Gordon, Zavarise, Tchani, Borman, Yourassowsky, Williams, Eckersley, Bouchiba, and Soolsma. It remains to be seen whether the players they've acquired will succeed but given the limited time new management has had to rebuild the club, I would suggest a strong effort has been made to bolster the roster.

At the moment, the club desperately requires a quality attacking midfielder, and I'm sure that issue will be addressed during the summer transfer window based on new management's track record thus far.

Pachuco
04-22-2011, 10:04 AM
RSL is the best team in the league. Their highest salary is 225K.


Grabbing a star player is not going to work. The way to success in this league is a bunch of nobodies who can play well together.

Saborio is a DP. But yes, it seems like RSL has done some great scouting to bring in players who can play and can play together, who are relatively unknown.

Yohan
04-22-2011, 10:58 AM
Saborio is a DP. But yes, it seems like RSL has done some great scouting to bring in players who can play and can play together, who are relatively unknown.
Saborio is a DP due to transfer fee paid to his previous club. He will not be a DP next season

boban
04-22-2011, 11:22 AM
Totally agreed. And what bothers me the most, is that some have convinced themselves and others for years now that not only would a DP be unnessary for success, but would be inherently detrimental to the club's in some way - as in acquiring one would actually make us substantially worst off somehow.

Unfortunately, as myself and others have postulated elsewhere, perhaps the reason why we're not able to pick up on the stereotypical DP-level players is because the club has now gained bad a reputation for treating players. It could be entirely plausible to suggest that Toronto FC is actively seeking the world-class players that come to mind when we think of DPs, but have been told by their colleagues or agents to stay away. I certainly hope that's not the case, but could explain quite a lot.
It isn't looking. Never was. That's why your thesis doesn't account for years 1 and 2. How do you explain that? We were never in the mix on any big names - and this continues.

Beach_Red
04-22-2011, 11:57 AM
It isn't looking. Never was. That's why your thesis doesn't account for years 1 and 2. How do you explain that? We were never in the mix on any big names - and this continues.


Years 1 and 2 TFC had an undermanned and inexperienced FO that got outplayed by other teams. Did they even have any scouts? Did they have anyone other than Mo and his agent? That's been addressed over the years to the point we are now - so far we haven't seen big results, the new management didn't exactly show up with any dramatic moves to stamp their identity on the team and have instead chosen slow change.

It may or may not work, but things are definitelty different than years 1 and 2.

ensco
04-22-2011, 12:08 PM
Since Winter and Mariner were hired, 11 players have already been added to the team outside of the draft and academy; Martina, Stevanovic, Gordon, Zavarise, Tchani, Borman, Yourassowsky, Williams, Eckersley, Bouchiba, and Soolsma.

I have a lot of time for your posts, but you and I are going to disagree on this one.

I give the FO "credit" for the best 5 of those guys (but loans, and guys acquired in forced trades are not really on point). The other 6 players you cite, none of them are even close to being impact players, imho, and I say this as someone who likes Gordon.

Bringing people in is not the same thing as competing at the highest level for talent. We're not even in the game on that score.

boban
04-22-2011, 12:41 PM
Years 1 and 2 TFC had an undermanned and inexperienced FO that got outplayed by other teams. Did they even have any scouts? Did they have anyone other than Mo and his agent? That's been addressed over the years to the point we are now - so far we haven't seen big results, the new management didn't exactly show up with any dramatic moves to stamp their identity on the team and have instead chosen slow change.

It may or may not work, but things are definitelty different than years 1 and 2.
How much scouting for a high profile dp do you need - really?
Mo has contacts for these types of players - one doesn't need a scouting network for that!
Fuck I got some contacts that could get in contact with such players - and it would take 2 phone calls the most.

Cashcleaner
04-22-2011, 12:49 PM
It isn't looking. Never was. That's why your thesis doesn't account for years 1 and 2. How do you explain that? We were never in the mix on any big names - and this continues.

In year 1 and 2, the consensus was that a DP wouldn't have enough of an impact on the roster to warrant the cost (due to the nature of being an expansion team and having to build the roster from the ground-up). If you look back far enough you'll note that only a handful of people were pushing for TFC to take advantage of the rule as soon as it was introduced (incidentally, I was one of them), but I'd say the vast majority of fans and supporters didn't think that it was the right time to bring one in, so with no pressure to make any large DP signing, the club waited. The explanation is simple - because so many people thought it wouldn't have helped much given that we were a new team, the club just left things as they were.

Now, however, when the club is on the look-out for that "big-name striker" it's entirely possible that one of the big reasons we're not able to sign any isn't because they aren't getting better offers elsewhere or visa issues are popping up or anything like that, but rather because players don't live in bubbles and they know exactly what goes in the dressing rooms in clubs all over the league.

I don't say any of this to be negative or just to shit on MLSE, but surely it's a plausible theory, yes? You're right in that we weren't looking for a DP for the first two seasons, but I think we are looking now, but DP-level players are simply not touching us.

ManUtd4ever
04-22-2011, 12:51 PM
I have a lot of time for your posts, but you and I are going to disagree on this one.

I give the FO "credit" for the best 5 of those guys (but loans, and guys acquired in forced trades are not really on point). The other 6 players you cite, none of them are even close to being impact players, imho, and I say this as someone who likes Gordon.

Bringing people in is not the same thing as competing at the highest level for talent. We're not even in the game on that score.

I agree that no more than 5 of those players have proven to be anything more than starting MLS calibre players at this point.

Nonetheless, my point is that the effort is being made to rebuild a roster that was in shambles when Winter and Mariner inherited the club. It will take time to evaluate the merits of all the acquisitions, as it's only been a few games, and some of them have yet to even step on the pitch. It's premature to suggest that the current roster will be competitive or yet another failure, but I'm sure the intent is to build a club that can contend for the post season and the CCL.

As for competing at the highest level for players that would warrant DP status, I would be the first person to acknowledge that the organization has failed in their first 2 attempts (JDG and Mista). At the very least though, it demonstrates that MLSE is willing to invest in impact players, and hopefully the new regime will prove to be more adept at identifying DP calibre players in the future.

boban
04-22-2011, 12:55 PM
In year 1 and 2, the consensus was that a DP wouldn't have enough of an impact on the roster to warrant the cost (due to the nature of being an expansion team and having to build the roster from the ground-up). If you look back far enough you'll note that only a handful of people were pushing for TFC to take advantage of the rule as soon as it was introduced (incidently, I was one of them), but I'd say the vast majority of fans and supporters didn't think that it was the right time to bring one in, so with no pressure to make any large DP signing, the club waited. The explanation is simple - because so many people thought it wouldn't have helped much given that we were a new team, the club just left things as they were.

Now, however, when the club is on the look-out for that "big-name striker" it's entirely possible that one of the big reasons we're not able to sign any isn't because they aren't getting better offers elsewhere or visa issues are popping up or anything like that, but rather because players don't live in bubbles and they know exactly what goes in the dressing rooms in clubs all over the league.

I don't say any of this to be negative or just to shit on MLSE, but surely it's a plausible theory, yes?
Packed stadium or not, we could have used one. And Mo was always talking out of his ass that were going to get one.
And your point about a plausible theory that players are not treated good and therefore don't desire to come here could be true I suppose, but I live by the theory espoused by Rod Tidwell :

"Show me the Money"

Beach_Red
04-22-2011, 12:57 PM
How much scouting for a high profile dp do you need - really?
Mo has contacts for these types of players - one doesn't need a scouting network for that!
Fuck I got some contacts that could get in contact with such players - and it would take 2 phone calls the most.

Oh, I thought now we were trying to copy RSL ;).

It was very telling when Mo said at first that he was going to try and sign a DP and then he said that he didn't need to because all the tickets were sold. Why would a GM trying to build a team care so much about ticket sales so early in the life of a team? That seems like the point at which the promises made by MLSE to TFC (sure, you'll be able to sign a DP, come on, move to Canada and run an expansion team, bring your family) started to change. They ran that scam for four years until it finally couldn''t go on any longer and they had their town halls and their, "We screwed," apologies and now they went out and hired a consultant and they're trying something else.

VooDoo's comment about supporting the team in the beginning when they obviously weren't developing an infrastructure the way other teams were is right on.

brad
04-22-2011, 01:04 PM
Saborio is a DP. But yes, it seems like RSL has done some great scouting to bring in players who can play and can play together, who are relatively unknown.

He is a DP but that is because they paid a transfer fee for him. Morales is the highest paid player on the team at $250k - meaning their DP is paid less than that.

Cashcleaner
04-22-2011, 01:04 PM
Packed stadium or not, we could have used one. And Mo was always talking out of his ass that were going to get one.
And your point about a plausible theory that players are not treated good and therefore don't desire to come here could be true I suppose, but I live by the theory espoused by Rod Tidwell :

"Show me the Money"

I agree. I see no good reason why we shouldn't have had one since Day 1. But I think that guys like you and I were in the minority back than. Fuck, we still have people thinking a DP won't be of any use and write the notion off entirely as crazy-talk.

As for your second point, if you asked me a couple weeks if I thought MLSE was re-investing enough money into the club I would have laughed my ass off for a good half-hour or so. But now that they are fronting around $20 million of their own cash for the training facility and academy grounds, I don't buy into the "they're cheap-ass bastards" argument as much as I used to. If they are willing to spend that sort of cash on a facility that doesn't generate much "noise" from the majority of soccer fans in the city (and let's be honest, while many here understand the significance of having a well-equipped and supported academy system, most TFC fans really don't know or care much about it), it doesn't make sense that they wouldn't try to acquire a player for a quarter or so of that amount for a few years.

Beach_Red
04-22-2011, 01:17 PM
^ There's a big difference between the training facility and a DP contract. Look, I'm happy they're building the facility and putting up "20 million" but that's ammortized over a long time, there will be tax benefits, partners, all kinds of things - it's not like paying a player two or three million dollars who may not work out.

As long as there's a big enough base of people willing to wait till next year or the year after for success on the field that's when it will come, "next year."

Cashcleaner
04-22-2011, 01:23 PM
^ That's a fair point, true enough. One could also argue that all that would be money thrown down the drain if attendance at BMO Field creates an unprofitable situation for MLSE. The fortunes of the senior team will dictate the fortunes of the academy, so it only makes sense that you spend "insurance" money on maintaining the team so the money already spent on other aspects of the club aren't wasted.

brad
04-22-2011, 03:42 PM
^ There's a big difference between the training facility and a DP contract. Look, I'm happy they're building the facility and putting up "20 million" but that's ammortized over a long time, there will be tax benefits, partners, all kinds of things - it's not like paying a player two or three million dollars who may not work out.

As long as there's a big enough base of people willing to wait till next year or the year after for success on the field that's when it will come, "next year."

And profits from player sales - including those that aren't good enough for TFC. Academy's can be very profitable ventures when properly run. This is MLSE. Everything they are doing is for an expected profit.

DangerRed
04-22-2011, 04:11 PM
You want a DP striker? Sign this guy. He'd come to Toronto, will be out of contract soon and despite his previous statements that he wants to finish his career in France, there's been rumours he'd entertain an MLS offer.

http://franmerida.soccerstar.info/images%5Cplayers%5Cdidier-drogba%5Cdidier-drogba-004.jpg

Gazza
04-22-2011, 04:28 PM
You want a DP striker? Sign this guy. He'd come to Toronto, will be out of contract soon and despite his previous statements that he wants to finish his career in France, there's been rumours he'd entertain an MLS offer.

http://franmerida.soccerstar.info/images%5Cplayers%5Cdidier-drogba%5Cdidier-drogba-004.jpg

Good luck with that.

redkopflyer
04-22-2011, 05:45 PM
To me, this isn't so much about a DP per se, it's just about attitude.

Most teams are trying to plug holes and make the playoffs. This year.

I have a simple question for the TFC FO: where are the players?

Who have we brought in? Martina, a couple of guys on loan (the antithesis of building, btw) and a couple of guys in a forced trade.

Our FO is deliberately choosing to throw the season away, and all the "I believe" people are cheering them on.

I couldn't disagree more. Now, in our fifth year, we finally have a PLAN. With that, it will take time to build. I for one, like the direction we are heading. Will we have growing pains? Of course. In the meantime, I will do my job week in and week out. And that job is to SUPPORT the team. That's what we are....SUPPORTERS! GO YOU REDS!

MartinUtd
04-22-2011, 05:46 PM
I see Drogba going straight into politics before any move to MLS unless he's made a previous statement I'm unaware of...

TFCREDNWHITE
04-24-2011, 09:05 AM
Drogba would be worth it, mlse should offer him 5 million a year!

ginkster88
04-24-2011, 09:27 AM
I think that if MLSE doesnt get a high profile DP by July we'll be lucky to have 12,000 fans a game. There's no appeal to the casual fan to come to the games any more. No generally available tv feeds and no big name player to keep banging in the goals. Yes Dero had his faults but he was at least consistent in scoring goals which is what we all want to see.

It looked a pretty good crowd on Saturday. People are still going to go; if it's a nice day I'll make the trek down to BMO, and many will join me.

We're not going to set records, but we're not going to embarrass ourselves either.

ginkster88
04-24-2011, 09:31 AM
Drogba would be worth it, mlse should offer him 5 million a year!

He destroys the league in FIFA11.

ensco
04-24-2011, 01:29 PM
It looked a pretty good crowd on Saturday. People are still going to go; if it's a nice day I'll make the trek down to BMO, and many will join me.


Sure. No argument there.

But the person who decides to go only in the days leading up to the game is now paying less, in many cases far less, than the SSH base. Have a look at Ticket Trader here.

If you're still not convinced, have a look at ebay, where good pairs, face value $82, SSH cost $60, went for $15-20 (all prices for two tickets) on ebay.

The issue isn't interest level, it's sustainability of this business model. Looks like a big problem is coming, to me.

Fort York Redcoat
04-25-2011, 06:40 AM
This is kinda funny in one aspect. Here is Vancouver going after their 2nd DP striker in season 1.
All the while we did fuck all for pretty much 3 seasons, and still have yet to get even 1 DP striker.
Also of note is all these people on the boards (yes here) always saying we won't attract a high profile DP for this or that reason, yet here is Vancouver (field turf and Cdn city) is looking to get just that - a high profile DP.
Keep aiming low Toronto fans.


http://euro.mediotiempo.com/media/2010/08/23/mista.jpg


^ OK I've seen that picture too many times. No seriously, it's been used like 30 times on this board. No one needs another Mista reminder... no one.

point. counterpoint. summary.

We don't need any DP, we need the right DP for this team.

DOMIN8R
04-25-2011, 06:53 AM
Sure. No argument there.

But the person who decides to go only in the days leading up to the game is now paying less, in many cases far less, than the SSH base. Have a look at Ticket Trader here.

If you're still not convinced, have a look at ebay, where good pairs, face value $82, SSH cost $60, went for $15-20 (all prices for two tickets) on ebay.

The issue isn't interest level, it's sustainability of this business model. Looks like a big problem is coming, to me.

There is no doubt that ticket demand and interest has tapered way off. But.. (http://www.socceramerica.com/article/42019/crowds-falling-in-new-england-and-columbus.html)

Columbus is averaging only 10,850 fans a game at Crew Stadium. Its 15-year low was 12,275 fans a game in 1998, its last season at Ohio Stadium.

New England is averaging only 9,853 fans a game. Average attendance at Gillette Stadium has fallen in each of the last four years to a low of 10,041 in 2010.

I'm not intending to compare us to these, but it seems that many expansion teams peak early and then interest drops off. Maybe this is the new TFC normal?

Beach_Red
04-25-2011, 08:03 AM
^ The argument about NE has always been cheap, uninterested ownership. It may not be that expansion teams peak early, it may be that fans get upset paying for tickets and then not seeing the team reinvest.

Has there been a lot of drop off in ticket sales in other cities where the owners have spent on the teams?

Troll
04-25-2011, 08:06 AM
He'd come to Toronto.

http://franmerida.soccerstar.info/images%5Cplayers%5Cdidier-drogba%5Cdidier-drogba-004.jpg


Really? You base this on what?

Gazza
04-25-2011, 08:22 AM
Drogba seems disinterested whilst playing with Chelsea. What makes you think he'd want to come here?

boban
04-25-2011, 07:07 PM
point. counterpoint. summary.

We don't need any DP, we need the right DP for this team.
Were you not paying attention??

devioustrevor
04-26-2011, 04:00 PM
Shevchenko might be good on the business end, but at this point I have my doubts he has much left in the tank.

For whatever reason, MLS seems to be a league that makes good Forwards look rather ordinary whilst guys like Jeff Cunningham and Kenny Cooper can score 20+.