Ashtone Morgan needs to be traded/loaned, for HIS sake!

[Abou Sky]

Kid needs:

Playing Time
Exposure
New Environment

You don't go from where he was at the end of 2011 to where he is now without the issue being mental, he didn't injure himself (that I know of) so I can only see this as being a mental block.

Send him anywhere, just get him minutes on any first team.

Heck, send him to NZ with Brockie, he would be a stud there on and off the pitch.

[CommradePolski]

Remember when Morgan was good? Or did he look like he was good compared to the shambles of a back line that we had under Mariner and co?

[Phil]

MLS needs a proper reserve league and we need to be able to put players like this on that team to get playing time and regain confidence.

As well, now that O'dea has left, Morgan gets the starting role in my mind.

[Still Kicking]

Didn't KP talk in an interview of how little he likes the MLS reserve system and that having an arrangement with a lower level team (As in Leafs/Marlies, Jays/ Bisons) was the way to go for next year?

[Phil]

Didn't KP talk in an interview of how little he likes the MLS reserve system and that having an arrangement with a lower level team (As in Leafs/Marlies, Jays/ Bisons) was the way to go for next year?

yup, it just can't get here soon enough for me. It's essential to have this ability to maintain and encourage players.

[spark]

Remember when Morgan was good? Or did he look like he was good compared to the shambles of a back line that we had under Mariner and co?

Morgan looked good because he was being used to his strengths - which currently he is not. A flat four does not suit him at all right now.

Under Winter and even Mariner he was given free reign and it was set up so he could go down the left side and get involved in the attack. A 4-3-3 or 3-5-2 with him as a wingback is, right now, the best for him IMO - until his defending improves.

[burlington Red]

He might actually be needed with O'Dea gone from left back.
Needs a lot of work, decent going forward but terrible at defending, his positioning at times is criminal. You'd like to think that Nelsen being a decent defender in his own right would be able to help/teach Morgan on this aspect of his game. He has the raw materials to be a good attacking full back.

[Ajax TFC]

Until he appears to at least be putting in an effort on defense, I really don't give a shit about what's best for him personally. He's developed a habit of fouling players for no reason other than that he's too lazy to try to defend them. That penalty that he gave away at the beginning of the season wasn't even about a brain fart, or bad positioning. It was just pure arrogant stupidity. And his reaction was as if he thought it was all a big joke.

I think all the talk about being the best young LB in MLS seriously got to his head and he thinks he no longer has to try. Under Winter HE made himself a starter. What's he done now under Nelsen to prove he should start? It seems every time he manages to get on the pitch, you're left thinking "oh right THAT'S why he never plays". Maybe more attacking freedom is what he needs, but in my mind he has to earn that.

It makes me think back to what Kocic was saying in that interview after he left about the academy players here having a sense of entitlement.

[Stouffville_RPB]

Remember when Morgan was good? Or did he look like he was good compared to the shambles of a back line that we had under Mariner and co?

Hmmm I seem to remember him playing well under a certain manager that we used to have that knew how to develop talent....wonder what happened to him

EDIT:
I 100% agree with this thread. Move him on for the betterment of the player. His domestic status and salary have hand cuffed him to the roster. TFC will just dispose of him when the time comes and he will never get another look from another MLS team because he will be considered and import on most rosters who hasn't played in 3 years.

[Richard]

They should probably play him as a winger, nothing to loose by trying it out. I also agree with the sentiment that Winter brought the best out of him, its like Nelson killed his confidence and he is stuck until he gets a loan.

[Abou Sky]

Until he appears to at least be putting in an effort on defense, I really don't give a shit about what's best for him personally. He's developed a habit of fouling players for no reason other than that he's too lazy to try to defend them. That penalty that he gave away at the beginning of the season wasn't even about a brain fart, or bad positioning. It was just pure arrogant stupidity. And his reaction was as if he thought it was all a big joke.

I think all the talk about being the best young LB in MLS seriously got to his head and he thinks he no longer has to try. Under Winter HE made himself a starter. What's he done now under Nelsen to prove he should start? It seems every time he manages to get on the pitch, you're left thinking "oh right THAT'S why he never plays". Maybe more attacking freedom is what he needs, but in my mind he has to earn that.

It makes me think back to what Kocic was saying in that interview after he left about the academy players here having a sense of entitlement.

Not everyone fits in with every coach/company etc.

Maybe he is a douche and is not trying, maybe he has had his confidence squashed, I have no idea but I can't imagine anything changing without him moving.

Maybe NASL, maybe CSL, I have no idea but to have a promising young Canadian player hit the skids like that sucks.

[Ivy]

He was very sloppy vs Panama too... Don't know what's going on with him and Silva, but it seems like their development froze this year. Being a pro just gets to some people I guess...

[khso11]

He was very sloppy vs Panama too... Don't know what's going on with him and Silva, but it seems like their development froze this year. Being a pro just gets to some people I guess...

maybe the morale of this team has set back their developments? But again, who knows?

[pdogg]

Not everyone fits in with every coach/company etc.

Maybe he is a douche and is not trying, maybe he has had his confidence squashed, I have no idea but I can't imagine anything changing without him moving.

Maybe NASL, maybe CSL, I have no idea but to have a promising young Canadian player hit the skids like that sucks.

Sophomore slump, maybe? Many players, in all sports, will have great break out years and then hit a bump in the road. Henry was a pleasant surprise, hit the wall and now has started to bounce back and is better than when he first started with us - but still needs a lot of improvement yet.

We should be loaning the youngsters on the team out rather than sending them off with a slap on the ass and a bus ticket. There's arguments in the TFC academy thread about those players being let go too early, but in others comments about tossing Morgan and co out the door. Loans, development leagues, something... there's a huge gap in our transition for academy and draft picks to the 1st team that is going to ruin any resources we put into young players. If we aren't going to fix it, trade away the picks for allocation and close the academy.

[Mark in Ottawa]

Didn't KP talk in an interview of how little he likes the MLS reserve system and that having an arrangement with a lower level team (As in Leafs/Marlies, Jays/ Bisons) was the way to go for next year?
Hello .... Ottawa joining NASL in 2014!!
Get Kevin Payne on the phone to Ottawa Fury President John Pugh and lets get this done.

Ottawa has already announced that Marc Dos Santos (formerly coach of the Montreal Impact) is already in place and if Ottawa gets a mix of TFC and Impact players this can only be good for the Ottawa franchise and Canadian Soccer.

[Yohan]

Hello .... Ottawa joining NASL in 2014!!
Get Kevin Payne on the phone to Ottawa Fury President John Pugh and lets get this done.

Ottawa has already announced that Marc Dos Santos (formerly coach of the Montreal Impact) is already in place and if Ottawa gets a mix of TFC and Impact players this can only be good for the Ottawa franchise and Canadian Soccer.Oh yay. Feeder club for MLS with reliance on scraps from TFC and Mtl to build the roster.

[Yohan]

They should probably play him as a winger, nothing to loose by trying it out. I also agree with the sentiment that Winter brought the best out of him, its like Nelson killed his confidence and he is stuck until he gets a loan.
can't dribble, ok timing on runs from FB position but probably not as good as winger since I don't think he has the footy smarts to make good runs from LW. (and LW are marked tighter than LBs when attacking)

[Mark in Ottawa]

Oh yay. Feeder club for MLS with reliance on scraps from TFC and Mtl to build the roster.
No ... Not what I meant at all.

I meant an NASL club taking "reserve" players from MLS clubs and getting them valuable playing time in a competitive league situation.

If the player is on his way out of an MLS squad or is "on the outs" with his current organization I would expect the NASL club to be smart enough to give that player a pass and not take him "on loan".

A situation like this might be just what a young player not quite ready for "prime time" in MLS needs.

[Ajax TFC]

I don't see why TFC should make an arrangement with another organization and not have control of how our players are developed. Just buy a franchise, or buy an expansion NASL team and have full control of it. It's not like they don't have the money for it. If TFC actually cares about youth development, this would be a pretty good investment for them. I bet if they put it in the GTA, or had them play at BMO and promoted them well enough, the team could probably draw better crowds than most NASL teams.

[jazzy]

Not everyone fits in with every coach/company etc.

Maybe he is a douche and is not trying, maybe he has had his confidence squashed, I have no idea but I can't imagine anything changing without him moving.

Maybe NASL, maybe CSL, I have no idea but to have a promising young Canadian player hit the skids like that sucks.

easy, he's not a douche , ...his family is extremely pro TO , and proud .He's a very classy . But one can be critical of his technical contribution as of late . I believe he try's to give it all in one shot which he feels he has to do now to impress. Patience and seasoning would help however attempted . He has fought in spite of , not having the privilege of pro coaches, and basically doing it by himself through sheer raw talent., as the majority of Canuck kids, do. Remember he rarely had the quality talent around in developmentas most would even in the states . He was always the quickest at his school which unfortunately can retard technical development . BUT Winter saw something and felt he had a good future. And Winter was all about technique.

[Doucet3]

Sickens me to see him hit a slope so steep and not recover yet, kids got talent and was a starter at LB last year, i think he's just having a disaster with confidence, maybe with O'Dea gone (still pissed but his salary and big moves made it sting less) he will be able to get some minutes slowly and get that confidence back. I can not wait till we get an agreement with an NASL team to loan players, hopefully Edmonton. Good luck to the kid at (what?) 22 it would be a terrible mistake to get rid of him.

[Rene Kingsriver]

They should probably play him as a winger, nothing to loose by trying it out. I also agree with the sentiment that Winter brought the best out of him, its like Nelson killed his confidence and he is stuck until he gets a loan.

Morgan's crossing is atrocious and he's shit 1 on 1 why would you put him on the wing?

[burlington Red]

Not good from him at all last night. I know it's tough to come back after such a long layoff, but his touch ws poor, his positioning was awful. Everyone laying goal at Boss, but there was no coverage at all from Morgan. His crossing was dire, and the ease with which he was getting beaten on 1 on 1's was poor.No doubt the more games he plays his game will pick up ie better touch and better crossing for example. But I think positioning is always going to be an issue for him. I am not sure if u don't already have a concept of it by now ie 21-22 yrs old, I think it may be too late for him in that regard. No doubt it will improve somewhat, don't think it could get any worse tbh, but it all depends on how much he can improve it by and how quickly. That will determine his future not just at TFC but in MLS.

[Still Kicking]

Morgan had an opportunity in Los Angeles last night to win back a starting role. He came up flat. He needs playing time and coaching and should be loaned out for the remainder of 2013. Even with a loan agreement with Ottawa for 2014, that will be too late for Morgan and he will be less of a priority in 2014 because TFC will be more concerned with developing their new draft choices and possibly Bekker, Henry and Welshman.

[Stouffville_RPB]

developing their new draft choices and possibly Bekker, Henry and Welshman.

This staff doesn't prioritize developing players. That is why in a season which everyone (management, supporters, media) all accepted as a lost cause guys like Silva get shown the door. How often have you seen Bekker on the pitch? If you were ever going to develop players THIS is the season to get them the experience.

The players you mentioned serve no purpose to management other than being domestics and very small salary cap hit (maybe with the exception of Henry).

[OgtheDim]

Nah, I believe Bekker, Henry, Welshman, and Morgan are in the plans for the team. Quality domestics are the difference between doing well and winning championships.

[TFC_Allez]

Morgan was atrocious last night. Couldn't send in a decent cross even once and was constantly being burned down the wing by Tristan Bowen. He's regressed significantly from his days of dominating on the wing and crossing in balls looking for Danny K. Amazing what 1 season can do to either boost or ruin a players abilities. The 2012 season hurt us in more ways than just on the standings sheet and in the stands.

[barticusz]

Morgan was truly horrible. But he needs more playing time. I wish this team would loan out their young players to play in NASL or some other league. I still don't understand why they kept coming down that left flank and letting Morgan swing in a cross into the defenders knee's.. Lean back son.. it'll help you get under the ball.

[Ivy]

I'm only assuming they were trying to stay away from Boca by going left.. When it doesn't work for 60 minutes, try something different

[Leedsoronto]

Agreed, we are seriously in need of decent wingers. Add to the list !!

There is no way he would make a Domestic OSL team playing like he did last night

[Masked Man]

Losing all the time isn't good for developing younger players. As a result TFC isn't a good place for any younger player to be right now. One can only imagine what it is truly like for these kids when you are apart of a dysfunctional franchise, that's in constant turnover in management & on the field. Who on this team is going to help these kids grow? The coach that is gone in a season? The GM who is managing to save his own ass? The players who don't even know if they are going to be here?

Not of recipe for having flourishing young talent. Never mind the way they throw these kids out there, with little regard for whether they are ready or not...

[goodyear]

I hear that Hamilton is where the feeder club to TFC will be located. They will be joining USLPRO. MLS has an arrangement with USL PRO to act as a feeder system. NASL not involved.

[barticusz]

Makes sense. NASL think they're on equal ground if not above MLS. Hamilton would work well as it is nice and close.

[TFC07]

I hear that Hamilton is where the feeder club to TFC will be located. They will be joining USLPRO. MLS has an arrangement with USL PRO to act as a feeder system. NASL not involved.

CSA has to sanction USLPRO which I highly doubt they will do since they want all Canadian 3rd division league. So if Hamilton is going to get a pro team in American league, then its going to be an NASL club.

[Doucet3]

I don't see why TFC should make an arrangement with another organization and not have control of how our players are developed. Just buy a franchise, or buy an expansion NASL team and have full control of it. It's not like they don't have the money for it. If TFC actually cares about youth development, this would be a pretty good investment for them. I bet if they put it in the GTA, or had them play at BMO and promoted them well enough, the team could probably draw better crowds than most NASL teams.

dont know about that, people are already pissed off with the one we have now at the highest quality with the best players we got for now (new more skilled arriving soon), what in the world would make anyone want to goto a NASL game thats funded and fielded by MLSE???, seems a bit .... stupid for better lack of a word, if they put it in Niagara Falls by the border (could steal some Rochester Fans aswell as they are Div 3) even in Buffalo, or in Windsor, just not in our general metro area; Hamilton might even be to close

[Doucet3]

Makes sense. NASL think they're on equal ground if not above MLS. Hamilton would work well as it is nice and close.

To close... its to much of a treat i think just think if they start to become contenders and have a 10,000 seater stadium, i could easily see some TFC leave for a NASL team.


I hear that Hamilton is where the feeder club to TFC will be located. They will be joining USLPRO. MLS has an arrangement with USL PRO to act as a feeder system. NASL not involved.

As the quote ive quoted says 3rd division in Canada will probably be a Canadian league, i would like a unified pyramid system though, like the NASL they have a good mix of canadian teams now and american teams and a good quality and attendance, the USL should be sanctioned as 3rd div and have 22 clubs with 2-5 in Canada.


CSA has to sanction USLPRO which I highly doubt they will do since they want all Canadian 3rd division league. So if Hamilton is going to get a pro team in American league, then its going to be an NASL club.

i agree, any club that would go into hamilton would be NASL as its already sanctioned in Canada, but i cant see the MLSE letting (nvm owning and fielding) a team with a roster that could at there best beat us at our worse.