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View Full Version : Nigel's latest blog



johnmolinaro
09-24-2008, 09:55 AM
http://www.cbc.ca/sports/soccer/reed/2008/09/slow_progress_for_toronto_fc.html

sully
09-24-2008, 10:02 AM
That sums it up well.

Ossington Mental Youth
09-24-2008, 10:58 AM
fantastic article.
Admittedly after saturdays game i was starting to believe some of the naysayers however this article has talked some sense and im feeling a bit more optimistic about how the season is going to end.

wzhxvy
09-24-2008, 11:12 AM
Ok article, not sure its balanced however. Fitness and focus have definetly been an issue evidenced by the late goals we have conceeded. Fitness is not just about injuries. He also did not mention the situations where the team's play on the road has highlighted lack of team cohesion, drive to win, or composure...signs of potential coaching issues. So yeah, lets have faith and patience but results speaks more than words. So lets finish the season, and assess how we have done at that point.

invictusTFC
09-24-2008, 11:53 AM
Nigel neglects to mention our porous defense...

trane
09-24-2008, 12:30 PM
^ I was just about to say that, I do not think Nigel is unfair, but the defensive problems have been overlooked in the article.

invictusTFC
09-24-2008, 01:00 PM
^ I was just about to say that, I do not think Nigel is unfair, but the defensive problems have been overlooked in the article.

Its more than evident that our CB's can't cut it in this league. Velez is prone to costly fuck-ups game after game. Marshall can be added to the list of players that just go through the motions and still collect a decent paycheck at the end of the day. I thought Tyrone would bring some leadership to this team, but like a few other players he just came here for an extended vacation. Although I love Jimmy Brennan, he demonstrated this season that he is not as effective at LB as he is at LM or even at CB. Wynne is lost positionally and can't defend. At least he's a project in the works, same as James.
If I have any criticism towards Carver, its how he handled the Tebily situation. He was by far our best defender and there was a time where he was healthy and Carver didn't play him. I'm sure that impacted his decision to leave the team.

Ossington Mental Youth
09-24-2008, 02:32 PM
only reason why Tebily didnt play was because the other CBs were (believe it or not) playing great and we had several shutouts but when the time came for him to play, he had already gone. My only complaint with Carver was the "if you play well, you stay on" theory when it should have always been 'best 11'

invictusTFC
09-24-2008, 02:38 PM
only reason why Tebily didnt play was because the other CBs were (believe it or not) playing great and we had several shutouts but when the time came for him to play, he had already gone. My only complaint with Carver was the "if you play well, you stay on" theory when it should have always been 'best 11'

I know our defense was playing great, But you sign a stud horse defender and you sit him in favour of 2 players who don't even come close to the kind of experience he brought to the team! Tebily was also snake bit. He got hurt as soon as the Marshall/Velez combo started to show some cracks. I think the frustration of the season got to him.

Beach_Red
09-24-2008, 03:13 PM
If I have any criticism towards Carver, its how he handled the Tebily situation. He was by far our best defender and there was a time where he was healthy and Carver didn't play him. I'm sure that impacted his decision to leave the team.

Yeah, Tebily would have made a big difference to this team, no doubt, but we have no idea if he was upset he didn't play more. For all we know, the deal he made in order to come here was that he wouldn't have to play too much - given his age and injury status - and when it looked like he'd be starting more games he decided he didn't want to. Is he playing anywhere else now? Is there no other team inthe world that would have wanted him?

Maybe his ankle really was too injured. Maybe he just hated Toronto.

We really have no idea why he left.

bangersandmash
09-24-2008, 03:23 PM
I still say that old dude was right when he said "the best defense is a really fricken awesome offense." Letting in two wouldn't mean shit if we were scoring three.

Cambridge_Red
09-24-2008, 03:50 PM
/\ I think he went by the name Clough.

Cambridge_Red
09-24-2008, 03:53 PM
Here's the quote actually

" what I tell my players about defending a lead is this: 'if YOU have the ball and you are in THEIR half'... THEY CANNOT SCORE"

Brian Clough

Yohan
09-24-2008, 06:39 PM
Nigel also didn`t mention that TFC has IQ of a dead dodo bird when it comes to what to do in final third of opposition half.

This far into the season, so many miscues and stupid plays. Our offence has been pretty much laughable all season. Heck, only thing that worked semi consistently was long ball to Dichio where he`d fight off a horde to flick it to a teammate to create something.

So little clue positioning wise, in offence or defence

Blizzard
09-24-2008, 06:45 PM
Yeah, Tebily would have made a big difference to this team, no doubt, but we have no idea if he was upset he didn't play more. For all we know, the deal he made in order to come here was that he wouldn't have to play too much - given his age and injury status - and when it looked like he'd be starting more games he decided he didn't want to. Is he playing anywhere else now? Is there no other team inthe world that would have wanted him?

Maybe his ankle really was too injured. Maybe he just hated Toronto.

We really have no idea why he left.

Yes we do. His family came to visit and due to family concerns, he went home to Paris.

It was an out and out family matter.