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DigzTFC!
12-29-2008, 12:00 PM
I ran across some recent footage of Dave Simpson.

Take a gander:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WABpfIgJ1vQ&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bvqqpzCGy5o&feature=related

Concerning his contract status:

In late September Simpson elected to forego the third year of his contract with Sparta Prague in order for maximum playing time.He signed with Hungarian side Dunaujvaros F.C (http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Dunaujvaros_F.C&action=edit&redlink=1). The official team site has already stated he will be leaving for a bigger team this winter transfer season.

rocker
12-29-2008, 12:08 PM
not sure what he really would help us with. he doesn't score many goals.
we already have a shitload of midfielders including three who are internationals and one who's a young project.
I'd pass, unless he comes for cheap and gives up his desire for more playing time.

DigzTFC!
12-29-2008, 12:14 PM
I think he would give us another winger a depth forward and give us cover at defensive mid.

He's primarily a winger in this league

GabrielHurl
12-29-2008, 12:16 PM
I'd rather have Homer Simpson

rocker
12-29-2008, 12:20 PM
I think he would give us another winger a depth forward and give us cover at defensive mid.

He's primarily a winger in this league

well, if he wants to play for $33-40K and is willing to be a backup, then sign him. But not for 100K and as a starter.
But from the description above, if he's not getting playing time in Europe he won't be happy with not getting playing time at TFC.

didn't Simpson train with TFC last season or in 2007 to get ready for his Euro season???

DigzTFC!
12-29-2008, 12:27 PM
He did train with TFC. From all the clips I've seen he would be a great winger.
He can cross, dribble and has the speed. He wasn't fit when he tried out with us. But hey, lets sign Keon Daniels for 100K instead....a international that has no club history.

DigzTFC!
12-29-2008, 12:53 PM
well, if he wants to play for $33-40K and is willing to be a backup, then sign him.

That is ridiculous...Harmse makes 70K. And Simpson could fit into a winger position which isn't taken up at this point.

I think a better question for you is, do you think Simpson is a terrible player? Because thats what you just said without outright saying it. If so, I don't think I can change your mind and there's no reason to argue.

rocker
12-29-2008, 01:00 PM
That is ridiculous...Harmse makes 70K. And Simpson could fit into a winger position which isn't taken up at this point.

I think a better question for you is, do you think Simpson is a terrible player? Because thats what you just said without outright saying it. If so, I don't think I can change your mind and there's no reason to argue.

I know jack all about Simpson except from Youtube videos. I don't scout players based on Youtube. Simpson trained with TFC so TFC knows the guy. If they want him based on actually seeing him train with TFC, they'd get him.

I never compared him to Harmse. I don't think Harmse is worth 70K either, but two wrongs don't make a right. If you're suggesting we bring him in at 70K or more, I say that's too much risk and a waste of cap space right now.
At least Mojo knew what Harmse could give. Simpson isn't exactly winning favourites in Europe based on how few games he's playing.. I have no idea what he could do. He could be another Marco Reda (who was praised in Europe and made 100K at TFC and was a pile of crap).

The snippet you provided above says he wants more playing time, but then you suggest he'd be a depth player. Not sure if he'd accept that. Maybe someone should ask him.

jloome
12-29-2008, 01:59 PM
That is ridiculous...Harmse makes 70K. And Simpson could fit into a winger position which isn't taken up at this point.

I think a better question for you is, do you think Simpson is a terrible player? Because thats what you just said without outright saying it. If so, I don't think I can change your mind and there's no reason to argue.

He's got good ball skills, yes, but he's not a winger. He started as a striker and generally plays defensive midfielder. He may have played winger in Hungary, but that says more about the level of play than his prospects wide.

Plus, we already have wingers with ball skills. So why sign another one who's likely slightly less fast (based on his size) and does the same basic job, at best, and a sub-standard one in all likelihood, based on his positional experience?

As for comparing him to Keon Daniel, nobody is inviting Dave Simpson to trials at West Ham and Man Utd., the former of whom would have signed Daniel if they thought he had a chance at a work permit as a non-starter. He has a goal every three games for his national team -- mostly from set pieces -- and blistering pace. I somehow don't think this is an apt comparison.

Nobody said Simpson was a terrible player. But you can have a lot skill and technique on the ball and absolutely zero ability to read the game. For other examples, see much of the USL and CPSL. Players falling into this category tend to flit from team to team because they impress enough to get a short deal; but there are reasons why they don't stick. Maybe this doesn't apply to Simpson, but his resume has that familiar whiff to it.

VPjr
12-29-2008, 02:07 PM
Rocker and i don't seem to agree on alot of things but I definitely agree with his point about not getting too wrapped up by what you seen in YouTube clips.

Onto the topic at hand, It is really hard to determine what type of player Dave Simpson could be in MLS.

On one hand, he is the prototypical North American footballer...he's big, quite fast, very strong and is pretty good at winning 50/50 balls in the air (i.e. on set plays).

On the other hand, he's not the most technical of players (he's got lots of athletic ability but the technique side of the game is not the greatest) and I'm not sure where he would fit on the TFC roster. Is he a more capable striker than Chad Barrett? I'm not sure. I'd need to see more of him than I have over the years (which, admittedly, is very little).

I suspect he would slot in as a depth player as well but I'm not entirely sure that's how he views himself.

At the right price (approx. Harmse money), he could be a solid player for this team. I think TFC needs solid depth and I'd like to see Canadians, rather than Americans or Internationals filling those spots, assuming TFC can find guys with the right stuff to do the job. it is good to have cover for injuries that will inevitably happen and to have professionals pushing fellow professionals for a spot on the team (DEV players aren't really going to scare a Senior roster player and make him worried about keeping his job).

VPjr
12-29-2008, 02:10 PM
BTW, here is a post that Dave Simpson made on the V's forum many months ago when people attending a TFC open practice recognized him training/trialing with TFC:

i never intended to try out with toronto f.c in the state I am in . i wanted to train with them to get fit and game ready. i had not trained in a while, so i was looking for a high level of training. thats why it was not said that i was coming. Because of a misunderstanding between a representative and the club the training turned into a trial. i would never go on trial in the condition im in now. if i were trying to impress toronto f.c i would have went in at a later date.

as for sparta i am trying to resolve the problem with them and leave the club. problems with payment and how they use me has been the main source of my wanting to move on.i was very niave to try to keep this a secret in toronto. it was my mistake and pretty sure i will not be training with them any further unless we are on the same page. i would never want how i train now to represent who i am as a player.

thanks for the concern


to provide some context, he was recovering from a pretty serious car accident.

DigzTFC!
12-29-2008, 03:10 PM
Jloome, I don't put any merrit in Keon Daniel getting a trial with West Ham and Manchester United. EPL clubs trial everyone. I've seen more trials with EPL clubs with young players than any other league I've read about. He could be a good player, but getting a trial means nothing if your not signed.

I really think Dave Simpson could be a player in this league. But, obviously I'm of the minority. I just hope that he doesn't go on to a "bigger" team and all we hear is "why didn't Mo sign Dave". Under what circumstances do you think a 25 year old Canadian with talent would sign with TFC? This idea of "buy high" makes no sense in a cap system.

Benficachop20
12-29-2008, 04:41 PM
When i saw him train with TFC i thought he actually looked one of the better players out there, don't know how he did in the other days he trained, but he did look good when i went to watch.

TFC OZZ
12-29-2008, 04:53 PM
I always thought that he was a talented player. It's funny that this is being brought up today, I was just trying to sign him for my TFC team in FIFA 09 last night until I realized that they didn't have Bundesliga 2. clubs... :(

Again, like I say with every other potential player, it wouldn't hurt to have him here on trial, although we already did that, I don't see why it would hurt to do it again.

VPjr
12-29-2008, 05:37 PM
^ does FIFA 09 have Hungarian teams....that's where he is playing these days.

Previously we was playing for Sparta Prague of Czech 1st div.

jloome
12-29-2008, 05:56 PM
Jloome, I don't put any merrit in Keon Daniel getting a trial with West Ham and Manchester United. EPL clubs trial everyone. I've seen more trials with EPL clubs with young players than any other league I've read about. He could be a good player, but getting a trial means nothing if your not signed.

I really think Dave Simpson could be a player in this league. But, obviously I'm of the minority. I just hope that he doesn't go on to a "bigger" team and all we hear is "why didn't Mo sign Dave". Under what circumstances do you think a 25 year old Canadian with talent would sign with TFC? This idea of "buy high" makes no sense in a cap system.


On the first point, I'd read an article on West Ham giving up on signing him because of work permit issues; so it wasn't just a trial, it was a proposal that fell through (although, as with Jo Smith at Bolton, likely a reserve or development project).

I think Simpson's talented enough; as I stated, he has very good ball control skills and his speed, for his size, is suprising.

But I think when a guy has reached 27 by the route Simpson has followed and hasn't made it, you have to ask why.

* He broke Mickey Owen's youth tournament scoring record in Wales, but didn't catch on with either Southhampto or Stuttgart.
* He went to belgium but allegedly fell out over the club's "financial difficulty." (It was Royal Antwerp.)
* He spent two years semi-pro in Canada as a striker, but never managed better than a goal every four games.
* He went back to Europe and his team was relegated, so that's apparently why he was sold from a Hungarian club to Sparta prague...where he was immediately put out on a failed loan deal where he failed to gel with his team's "long-ball tactics."
* Back at Sparta, he was in another contract dispute, allegedly, then forced "mysteriously" into the reserve team and "not allowed to play" (or something like that; either he or a friend obviously wrote his wiki page) for six months.
* He went on loan to Most, but it ended when a coach allegedly made racial slurs at him.
* He then moved to a Hungarian league, to play wing, and was doing so well that the club promptly announced he'd be leaving at the end of the season.


Okay, if no one else is going to say it, I will: it's NEVER someone else's fault all of the time. This career line reeks of headcasery.

Nuvinho
12-29-2008, 05:56 PM
He is in the game I think. I remember I found him. Just do a player search by name.

DigzTFC!
12-29-2008, 06:18 PM
I think he got in a car accident that stopped him last time.

But all the same, you're probably on the mark that there is some mental issues preventing him from progressing quicker.

However, just want to point out that he's 25 as of last month.

http://canadasoccer.com/eng/players/profile.asp?playerid=109&sub=8&gender=male

I really think if you give him a stable environment he could be a late bloomer

UltraSuperMegaMo
12-29-2008, 07:14 PM
I would like to see him get trial with the team. I think Simpson could be an important utility attacking player for the club. I’m not sure I would sign him instead of Keon Daniel, but it certainly seems like it’s worth TFC’s time giving Dave Simpson another look, I’d say it’s the fair thing to do since there was some confusion about his earlier training stint with the club.

rocker
12-29-2008, 08:47 PM
If he wants to trial here, trials well, is willing to be a backup, and isn't asking for a lot of money, then sure, bring him in. I have a feeling a number of these variables probably couldn't be satisfied.

but i wouldn't hunt him down to join TFC. I'd rather see Tyler Rosenlund or others of his age get a shot than Simpson.

Damien
12-29-2008, 10:09 PM
Dunno how good he looks, he made some goofy moves in those youtubes...

VPjr
12-30-2008, 02:01 AM
I'd rather see Tyler Rosenlund or others of his age get a shot than Simpson.


see...we never seem to agree on players. :noidea:

jloome makes a hell of a lot of good arguments why Simpson might be a risky player to add to the mix but on pure ability, Simpson is hands down a far better player than Rosenlund. they are not all that different in age either (maybe 2 years at most)

rocker
12-30-2008, 11:19 AM
see...we never seem to agree on players. :noidea:

Simpson is hands down a far better player than Rosenlund. they are not all that different in age either (maybe 2 years at most)

ummm no... there's a 3.5 year difference in age between them according to wikipedia. does wikipedia have the dates wrong??? Simpson turns 26 in a few weeks. Rosenlund turned 22 4.5 months ago. I think you're comparing apples and oranges.

3.5 years ago, Simpson was playing with the Toronto Lynx.
I never saw him play there either, did you? How did he compare 3.5 years ago at the Toronto Lynx with Tyler Rosenlund now? ;)

Anyhow, I stand by my comment above that "I'd rather see Tyler Rosenlund or others of his age get a shot than Simpson." The prospects need some playing time.

DigzTFC!
12-30-2008, 11:42 AM
Um, so Dave Simpson would be a better prospect than DeRo based on age?

I'm not following. Dave Simpson is professionally trained with Stuttgart and played at some respectable clubs abroad. Last time I checked, Rosenlund couldn't make a Swedish premier and second division team or even a Finnish Premier Team (where Hemming is now and so is Frank Jonke). Maybe it was a bad fit for Rosenlund, I don't know, but Dave Simpson managed to get a contract with Sparta Prague and was sought after in his youth. What else do you want in a TFC recruit.

I love in the offseason, MLS becomes a different league in people's minds. Its the MLS, not Championship or Bundesliga 2. On the other hand we have everyone raving about trying to get Hainault back from Czech second division....where Simpson last played. And I guess the next comment is Hainault is 22...(He would be an excellent addition).

Big Bruva
12-30-2008, 03:31 PM
I think he would give us another winger a depth forward and give us cover at defensive mid.

He's primarily a winger in this league

Defensive mid?

rocker
12-30-2008, 04:05 PM
Um, so Dave Simpson would be a better prospect than DeRo based on age?
.

what are you talking about? Dave Simpson is not a prospect at all. He's 26 years old. Rosenlund is still young enough to be a prospect. Players are pretty much set in stone by age 25. They are who they are.

The only way to compare Rosenlund to Simpson is to go back in time to the toronto Lynx and assess Simpson at the same age as Rosenlund is now. Anything else is apples and oranges...

All I'm saying is Rosenlund at least has age on his side. Rosenlund might be a fucking bust by Simpson's age, but Simpson isn't a kid anymore, and he's proven absolutely nothing based on his resume. Why waste a roster spot the way we wasted spots on Adam Braz and Marco Reda???

As i said before, I'd give Rosenlund or any of the other kids (see my previous post, I wasn't just talking about Rosenlund) a shot before I'd sign a mid-career player who hasn't stuck anywhere.

I find it amusing that every offseason people start these threads about no-name Canadians as if there aren't hundreds of guys like Simpson roaming around Europe, including some young Canadians on our own team who should get a shot.
This same thread has come up 2 or 3 times in the past year.
You wanted opinions (see thread title), you got it. ;)

VPjr
12-30-2008, 04:06 PM
ummm no... there's a 3.5 year difference in age between them according to wikipedia. does wikipedia have the dates wrong??? Simpson turns 26 in a few weeks. Rosenlund turned 22 4.5 months ago. I think you're comparing apples and oranges.

3.5 years ago, Simpson was playing with the Toronto Lynx.
I never saw him play there either, did you? How did he compare 3.5 years ago at the Toronto Lynx with Tyler Rosenlund now? ;)

Anyhow, I stand by my comment above that "I'd rather see Tyler Rosenlund or others of his age get a shot than Simpson." The prospects need some playing time.

I thought Tyler was older...my bad.

I've only seen Simpson live once....it was, in fact, when he played for the Lynx. I liked what I saw that day, although he did not score.

I'd take Dave Simpson at 23 over Tyler Rosenlund at 23, hands down. Tyler is not a player I rate highly at all. He's more suspect than prospect, IMO.

I do agree with you that young players need some playing time but they have to earn it. TFC management's job is to ensure the best players, most capable of winning games today, are on the field for the senior team.

BTW, I heard today that Simpson is trialing for a couple of pretty decent clubs in Europe in the next couple of weeks. So, no TFC for Dave, at least not any time soon

rocker
12-30-2008, 04:11 PM
I'd take Dave Simpson at 23 over Tyler Rosenlund at 23, hands down.


well, talk to me in September of next year when Rosenlund turns 23 and we can re-assess. ;)

I like Tyler. I like Gala.. Gaudet might be something.. I think we have enough on the roster in midfield now that we would only be hindering development to sign a 26 year old who hasn`t stuck anywhere for the bench.

What do you think Simpson would demand in money... if it`s what James or even Braz got, then sign him... if it`s what Poz or Reda got, then count me out. but id rather just have a cheap kid try to work into that slot. saves money, and the advantage between a benchwarming Simpson and a benchwarming Rosenlund or some other kid, is very little.

But that`s just me.

DigzTFC!
12-30-2008, 04:23 PM
BTW, I heard today that Simpson is trialing for a couple of pretty decent clubs in Europe in the next couple of weeks. So, no TFC for Dave, at least not any time soon

Do you know which clubs?

One thing that I've noticed Rocker is guys coming from Norway, especially the 2nd division are not MLS quality. Ala Reda, Budalic, Braz, Pozniak, and Milan Kojic.

Look up Milan Kojic went from Norway to CSL....32 year old 6"3 defender.

Simpson is a higher pedigree than Reda and Braz and I don't know how else to explain that than I have or has been mentioned in this thread

VPjr
12-30-2008, 04:31 PM
Do you know which clubs?

One thing that I've noticed Rocker is guys coming from Norway, especially the 2nd division are not MLS quality. Ala Reda, Budalic, Braz, Pozniak, and Milan Kojic.

Look up Milan Kojic went from Norway to CSL....32 year old 6"3 defender.

Simpson is a higher pedigree than Reda and Braz and I don't know how else to explain that than I have or has been mentioned in this thread

I'd be lying if I told you the names of the clubs he is trialing with.

I was told today that he is headed back to Europe to trial for some "good clubs" by someone who spoke to him yesterday during a training session (he's in town for the holidays). I was in a hurry and did not think to ask...

to compare Dave Simpson to Reda or Braz is silly. He's a far more talented player than either of those two.

Big Bruva
12-30-2008, 07:15 PM
Somewhere in that mix DS played for my indoor team for 2 years lol



On the first point, I'd read an article on West Ham giving up on signing him because of work permit issues; so it wasn't just a trial, it was a proposal that fell through (although, as with Jo Smith at Bolton, likely a reserve or development project).

I think Simpson's talented enough; as I stated, he has very good ball control skills and his speed, for his size, is suprising.

But I think when a guy has reached 27 by the route Simpson has followed and hasn't made it, you have to ask why.

* He broke Mickey Owen's youth tournament scoring record in Wales, but didn't catch on with either Southhampto or Stuttgart.
* He went to belgium but allegedly fell out over the club's "financial difficulty." (It was Royal Antwerp.)
* He spent two years semi-pro in Canada as a striker, but never managed better than a goal every four games.
* He went back to Europe and his team was relegated, so that's apparently why he was sold from a Hungarian club to Sparta prague...where he was immediately put out on a failed loan deal where he failed to gel with his team's "long-ball tactics."
* Back at Sparta, he was in another contract dispute, allegedly, then forced "mysteriously" into the reserve team and "not allowed to play" (or something like that; either he or a friend obviously wrote his wiki page) for six months.
* He went on loan to Most, but it ended when a coach allegedly made racial slurs at him.
* He then moved to a Hungarian league, to play wing, and was doing so well that the club promptly announced he'd be leaving at the end of the season.


Okay, if no one else is going to say it, I will: it's NEVER someone else's fault all of the time. This career line reeks of headcasery.

jloome
12-30-2008, 07:43 PM
I'd be lying if I told you the names of the clubs he is trialing with.

I was told today that he is headed back to Europe to trial for some "good clubs" by someone who spoke to him yesterday during a training session (he's in town for the holidays). I was in a hurry and did not think to ask...

to compare Dave Simpson to Reda or Braz is silly. He's a far more talented player than either of those two.

Again, having talent and being a good player aren't the same thing. You have to have SOME talent to be a good player; but you can have all the ball skills and technique in the world, but still be a lousy player. You may lack teamwork, work ethic, communication skills, or perhaps most importantly reading the game.

Simpson's skill on the ball looked very impressive in his "fitness" session last year. But that doesn't mean he's going to break the world down playing in a pro system. There are kids playing futsal in Brazil who, at age 13, will have more ball skills than almost anyone on our team. But withouth the rest of the package -- and the determination to excel -- it doesn't mean diddly.

As far as Rosenlund, he seems a very good attacking player. Never seen him defend, so I couldn't say. But he gets forward into space well, links up well. Hell, he scored for us and created another in limited playing time. I don't really see what there is to knock about the kid yet. He did look poor in his away start with the kids (when the nine were away; RR was the only competent guy on the pitch that game), but that had more to do with playing against a deep-lying backline for the first time, I suspect.

BB, what was your take from playing with the guy? And please, feel free to be as tactful or not as you'd like. :D

Big Bruva
12-30-2008, 09:06 PM
Again, having talent and being a good player aren't the same thing. You have to have SOME talent to be a good player; but you can have all the ball skills and technique in the world, but still be a lousy player. You may lack teamwork, work ethic, communication skills, or perhaps most importantly reading the game.

Simpson's skill on the ball looked very impressive in his "fitness" session last year. But that doesn't mean he's going to break the world down playing in a pro system. There are kids playing futsal in Brazil who, at age 13, will have more ball skills than almost anyone on our team. But withouth the rest of the package -- and the determination to excel -- it doesn't mean diddly.

As far as Rosenlund, he seems a very good attacking player. Never seen him defend, so I couldn't say. But he gets forward into space well, links up well. Hell, he scored for us and created another in limited playing time. I don't really see what there is to knock about the kid yet. He did look poor in his away start with the kids (when the nine were away; RR was the only competent guy on the pitch that game), but that had more to do with playing against a deep-lying backline for the first time, I suspect.

BB, what was your take from playing with the guy? And please, feel free to be as tactful or not as you'd like. :D

Dave is another friend of mine and a good player, he prefers to play up top the last time i spoke to him. He has a lot of pace (i would say more than my cuz) and i have layed with and against DS and he gives defenders NO time on the ball and hustles like crazy.

I would have to see more of DS in a recent game to judge really

jloome
12-31-2008, 03:40 PM
I don't see the harm in the team giving him a look; besides, if he's got work ethic and speed, he'll land somewhere anyway, so again, it's not like he'll be beating down TFCs' door asking for a shot. There are a whooole lot of pro teams out there willing to pay a decent footballer more than $17,000 as year, after all.

I know your cousin ran into issues with coaching style changes and other distractions, including injury, so it may just be that Simpson has had an unlucky time of it. I guess the question would be what he's learned since his USL days, as he didn't exactly tear the Lynx up.

giambac
12-31-2008, 04:08 PM
I ran across some recent footage of Dave Simpson.

Take a gander:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WABpfIgJ1vQ&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bvqqpzCGy5o&feature=related

Concerning his contract status:

In late September Simpson elected to forego the third year of his contract with Sparta Prague in order for maximum playing time.He signed with Hungarian side Dunaujvaros F.C (http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Dunaujvaros_F.C&action=edit&redlink=1). The official team site has already stated he will be leaving for a bigger team this winter transfer season.

Hell NO!
Don't sign the stiff

wouldn't help us.