PDA

View Full Version : Onward! -- Draftermath



Ben Knight
01-16-2009, 10:06 AM
http://onwardsoccer.com/2009/01/16/theres-a-draft-in-here/

// Ben

Parkdale
01-16-2009, 10:09 AM
hahaha... draftermath. You've been saving that gem for a while, haven't you?

Parkdale
01-16-2009, 10:14 AM
But that’s okay. MLS is hardly one of the world’s elite footy loops. It evens out, right? Wrong. Your average first-round MLS Super Draft pick does not start for his new team. And if he does, he’s unlikely to be a front-line contributor.


2004 - Freddy Adu
2006 - Marvell Wynne
2007 - Mo Edu


sure those aren't your 'average' first rounders, but they were first round picks who greatly contributed to their clubs.

Shaughno
01-16-2009, 10:18 AM
Adu was a completely different situation and was technically signed long before he was drafted.

Wynne wasn't used until Bruce Arena took over.

Edu only got thrown into the mix because we had shit all else to fill the position. I seriously don't think Edu would have played as many games if he ended up playing for someone else in the MLS.

My thoughts anyway.

Parkdale
01-16-2009, 10:20 AM
in the case of Wynne, he didn't get put into the lineup immediately, but that's rarely a good move for a freshly drafted player. In the end, they've all become top contributors. Well not so much Edu, but he's now a small fish in a big pond.

Shaughno
01-16-2009, 10:22 AM
I'm not saying the draft is useless, there are many of the league's better players that have come through the draft. I'm just saying that those aren't necessarily the best ones to use as an example. ;)

noochie
01-16-2009, 10:22 AM
Nice Ben. I don't understand something though... first you blog about why the draft is nonsense and then about how you disagree with the players being selected. If the NCAA is scraping the bottom of the barrel for soccer talent in the world (paraphrasing, yes) then is is not just as easy to sign a player on the open market and cut one of these draft picks or sell them off for allocation money and TFC still comes out no worse for wear? Either eay they fill the same 'I' slot.

Personally, with the exception of White I am not looking at the playing position or even ability of these players... I just see them as another asset that Mo has to be able to deal if someone better comes along. I think it is more about leverage then it is about filling holes. Look at the flier on Grella (who would have been a top pick), I think this was a great move by Mo because I doubt that he has any intention of seeing the kid in a BMO shirt... but he could be worth a lot down the road.

I just hope that these players provide something to the organization in the end. If is a contribution on the pitch then fantastic, otherwise I would expect to get fair market value for these players if they leave. I think we have all seen that wishy-washy transfer and entry rules in MLS can leave some teams swaying in the breeze...

Parkdale
01-16-2009, 10:23 AM
I'm just saying that those aren't necessarily the best ones to use as an example. ;)

yeah, I did pick the cream of the crop.

(notice how I left Esky out? There was a reason for that)

peter_tfc
01-16-2009, 10:27 AM
Don't need to repeat yourself Ben to make your point.

But I'm sure you'll be happy to be proved wrong in the coming months and year. It cost us nothing to draft these guys so it can only benefit us to trade them for something good (like Bornstein and Serioux) or release them when they start sucking.

Hitcho
01-16-2009, 11:18 AM
The most interesting thign out of all of that (given we knew the draft picks yesterday) is Mo's comments about getting in a striker and a CB. If we can keep the whole of the current roster and add in two top players in positions we need, then I'd say we're pretty nicely stocked for 2009, and have some great young talent for future years. Think about it:

Frei
Edwards
Wynne
Ricketts (if he stays)
Cronin
Smith
White
Ibbe

are all pretty young, and the likes of Barrett, Dunivant and Harmse are in the midst of their careers too. Plus we now have plenty of Canadian talent we can call on in Sutton, Brennan, Harmse, De Ro and White as well as some younger prospects who will hopefully develop.

So, cap space allowing, if we can keep what we have and add in a decent CB and this mysterious SA striker, I think we're doing very nicely in all areas. We can even shift three (?) games next season to avoid international call ups, no? Add in those two players and it must surely, surely be the year we see play off footie at BMO Field for the first time...

denime
01-16-2009, 11:37 AM
boys don't be lazy,post some of your comments at Onward site too.

CoachGT
01-16-2009, 12:00 PM
Ben comments bring something else to mind, though. Would TFC be better served by making Carl Robinson the central defender and replacing the mid position? The team is deeper at mid than any other position (although holding mids are harder to come by). And by all accounts, Carl is a true leader, both on the fiedl (where we can see it) and in the locker room). And he did a good job in the game or two that he played there last year.

By making Carl the central defender, perhaps Harmse or Brennan could fill the holding mid position, spelled at times by Cronin, or we go out seeking another mid to fill the hole - it seems to be easier tofind mids (again, not necessarily holding mids) than good defenders.

Agreed that it will take a couple of years to determine whether the draft really has created any whorthwhile starters, but the little comment in the article about Carl may be the most interesting discussion to be had.

Broadview
01-16-2009, 02:40 PM
Robbo playing CB makes all kinds of sense to me. Yeah. he's small, but he's a great ball winner (on the ground) and a leader who could corral that back line, like Coach says. But would he do it? You'd think no but if he already took a pay cut, who knows?

I'd rather have Amado in Robbo's usual spot, sort of like he did with Honduras against Canada. Amado doesn't have the hustle and grit while defending that Carl does, but he is our best player at making his own space and settling things down once we do have the ball. Then then things can get moving forward in a nice organized fashion.

Dero can be our roaming top of the diamond, Dunny/Smith/Brennan on the left, Ricketts on the right...whatever two forwards who are able to walk up front-I could live with that.