https://www.torontofc.ca/video/salce...bruary-01-2022
Lots of stuff in this interview but one thing stood out to me
The roster build is not going to be finished by opening day
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https://www.torontofc.ca/video/salce...bruary-01-2022
Lots of stuff in this interview but one thing stood out to me
The roster build is not going to be finished by opening day
Bradley played it very coy on Giovinco, if I were to try and read between the lines - he hasn't looked great in camp, but they are still likely to sign him.
Hey, anyone?
I thought JJ transfer was happening. According to Bobo reference not so sure anymore. But then according to this Reddit reference more likely...
https://www.reddit.com/r/tfc/comment..._stars_in_mls/
Does anyone have any further better information/clarity?
Did TFC pay the release clause?
I am not sure signing him would be in the best interests of the club. Sure the nostalgia and getting more buts in seats is the upside, but at what cost? Who gets dropped to fit him in? Osorio, Bradley? Pozuelo? Do we not play with a striker and keep Akinola, Peruzza and Achara on the bench?
Doesn't it really depend on how much they sign him for? Giovinco says it's not about money (this time). If he's signed to a low enough one year deal with a one year club option like DeRo was when DeRo came back (another nostalgia signing) there won't be that much down side. I don't think we'll need to drop someone like Pozuelo to get him.
Now bringing back DeRo was a really important righting of wrongs that signalled to the players that the team was under new (more ethical) management but it's also possible that there are important psychological benefits to having an eager Giovinco in the locker room. The team kept Ashtone Morgan for years mainly for locker room psychology, he barely ever played. Maybe Giovinco will play a similar role beyond fan nostalgia.
Now if they hurt the team by overpaying Giovinco or playing him when they shouldn't this won't apply, but Bradley is a seasoned manager who gets more decisions right than wrong. Listening to Bradley, I read it differently than MikeForbes, he didn't seem too quick to commit to signing Giovinco, it was more like wait and see how he is once he shakes off some of the rust and if they can work out the right deal.
That's a really good point, about Giovinco as a possible character signing as well as nostalgia signing. That's probably at least as difficult to get right as the money.
The nostalgia/PR benefit to fans and club is pretty straightforward. But we don't really know what happens in the locker room. I feel like the DeRo re-upping was good for team morale, but it's hard to know how things will turn out when you add another Type-A personality to a room that already has a bunch of Type As. Especially an aging star that also needs to come to terms with his own limitations at the same time. Again mostly a guess, and it's been a while so my memory may be clouded, but I feel like DeRo handled that part well towards the end.
I guess Giovinco could help light the fire under a bunch of guys that sometimes seemed flat and unmotivated last year. (Of course many of those guys will be gone in the new season.)
But will Giovinco be fine with a significantly reduced role? To be utilized only as it benefits team strategy, while still leaving room for youth development? I guess he always wanted to play when he was here last, and was frustrated when anything (including field condition) held him back. I think he also played a reduced role in Saudi Arabia, so perhaps he's fine with transitioning in that way. But I don't know how it will play out at TFC, the site of Giovinco's former glory. And how will it hold up if some of the younger players screw up occasionally as they hone their talent?
In any case, you can bet there will be strong opinions about it here on this board! ;)
I think the character/locker room thing for Giovinco, if that is a driver, would be part of making Insigne (and other Italian Serie A players) more comfortable.
I would definitely interpret Gio's potential signing as a kind of sign that more Italians are coming.
I like to think he can be a senior statesman. But it's hard to know for sure. He is a lifelong alpha dog. His instinct is to stand over every free kick, that'd be hard for him.
I vividly remember Super Pippa in his late 30s, as Milan's super sub on those championship teams, glaring back at the Milan bench every time he scored as a sub. He never stopped thinking he should have been starting, even at age 38 or whatever.
I think it is also important to remember that Bradley is our sporting director as well. He knows bragging about how amazing Giovinco is in training entices him to go for that extra few bucks in a contract. He is being prudent from a sporting director perspective of being positive enough that Giovinco is happy with what he hears Bradley saying, but not happy enough to push for more money. I like Bradley more every time I hear him talk!
We now have the #2 spot in the allocation order for those of you on Seba Watch.
I think if there was even the smallest hint of any character issue- past with Giovinco that could not be tolerated or managed he would not have even made it to the pitch as a trialist by the Firm of Bradley & Bradley.
Apart from any cosmetics, for me Giovinco is a transitional on-pitch solution; depth and redundancy until reinforcements arrive.
As it stands, for now, Poz is the on-goal deadball specialist. I am hoping Giovinco could also help in those situations; in the interim.
I am guessing Super Pippa may be referencing Inzaghi... or Rivera or other?
With the hopeful expectation of SG, JJ starting the season with TFC and KL likely gone...
in a 4-2-1-3...
My season starting, half-time subs, XI...
---Auro----Salcedo----Mavinga----O'Neill---
-------Bradley/Priso---------Osorio---------
-----------------Pozuelo-------------------
--Jimenez--Giovinco/Perruzza--Shaffelburg--
I think I am OK with this; for now.
I imagine it will be something similar to this. Maybe Shaff playing a little further back in more of a LWB type roll and Auro playing a little in front of the back 3. I imagine the team is looking to see if they can convert Shaff into a LWB before Insigne arrives.
This seems to make the most sense and will probably be what they run with.
The only hiccup I have is having Priso as a secondary option in that spot.
MB4 has deficiencies and Priso seemed to be able to cover for that last year. And using Osorio as that crutch seems like a waste of his talents IMO
But I guess if it's more of a double pivot that would allow Oso to move up and attack more often? but then we'd be looking more at a 4-2-3-1
I honestly don't know lol
LB is a huge problem area if Lawrence is indeed leaving. I am sure I have said it 100 times, but there is a huge opportunity to try Shaff there. He is too good to just be Insigne's backup.
We all keep discussing Shaff as a wingback, but I do wonder if that, like Tyler Pasher, we're ignoring the fact that the guy is a good finisher. He's fast, he's tricky, he usually buries a chance if he gets it.
On the other hand, I have no sense at all that he's an excellent defender.
So maybe what he should be is a winger or striker.
I think you're right about this. Lawrence leaving would leave us worryingly vulnerable. Mr. Inbetween, while I think you've nailed the starting XI, I do wonder about a couple of the positions, starting with left back. I had a quick look at Shane O'Neill's participation in Sounders games and then looked at his profile on footballcritic.com. Shane is a right-footed player who has never played left fullback nor left wingback. In his last 50 games he has played L-CB only 7 times (with Brad Smith as always the left wingback) and has otherwise played CB (34 times) or R-CB (9 times). So while I think you've picked our top 4 defenders, I would guess that if we do ship out Lawrence and don't replace him in-kind, you would see Mavinga and O'Neill switching spots in your setup. Mavinga played predominantly left back at both Rennes and also at Rubin Kazan. It was only when he came to TFC that Mavinga played regularly at CB. Admittedly he's on record as saying he prefers CB. But given our resources sans-Lawrence, I think he'd have to fill in out there and let O'Neill come inside. All in all, a pretty decent backline, maybe as good as any in the league. But, it does make me think there must be work afoot to find a left back, because one injury and we're pretty exposed.
I agree; the first half of the upcoming season is a big opportunity for Shaff to expand his positional options and cement his place in the starting XI. However, I wonder if it will be at left back. Is there a chance we see Shaff playing wide-right up front? Listening to Bob Bradley speak, he has been pretty clear that he favours what he calls "outside-in" attackers. He's even described scenarios where he needs the wide players to know when to cut inside. Of course, this is exactly the kind of player Insigne is - a right-footed player on the left-wing who cuts inside more often than not. A Bradley prototype. Look at how Bradley deployed Carlos Vela at LAFC over his last 50 games (also from footballcritic.com). Vela, a very left-foot dominant player was deployed on the left only 2 times in his last 50 games; he played wide-right 32 times, and up top 16 times. If Shaff continues to be deployed on the left, he will invariably become an understudy to Insigne, and I can't believe that is the plan they have mapped out for Shaff. I suspect we'll see him in the right and we'll see him being heavily coached to cut inside and exploit that rather impressive left foot of his. It just feels to me that's the Bob Bradley modus operandi.
All good points above on Shaff. One of the stories of the first half of the season is how we decide to use him as we plan for Insigne's arrival. Second striker, RW, L(W)B are all options. On the second striker note, I thought he looked good playing up top with Achara at points last season when Soteldo dropped back as more of a facilitator.
No worries jabbronies, formations and lineups to the strengths of the opponent are endless; but fun for some. I do enjoy hypothesizing.
Sorry. I am a visualist. So... in general...
For noxx98, more of a 3-5-2...
------O'Neill-----Salcedo-----Mavinga------
--------Bradley/Priso--------Osorio---------
-Auro----------Pozuelo---------Shaffelburg-
-----Giovinco/Perruzza--------Jimenez------
For jabbronies, maybe more of a 3-4-2-1...
------O'Neill-----Salcedo-----Mavinga------
-Auro-----Bradley----Priso-----Shaffelburg-
-----Pozuelo-------------Osorio-----------
-----------------Jimenez------------------
Either not bad for me.
Sorry everyone. I am slooow at this Forum/Thread replying.
Gogon, great points. I don't disagree.
My back line situation does sort of give me pause, especially when/if Criscito arrives... someone or some may not eventually play in their best/typical spots.
Maybe Shaff can play as a RW. I just want to see him get some minutes and continue to develop. What we do know right now is that his minutes at LW here are likely to be basically nil come July.
Ah, I see now why you guys always use the hyphens.
Lemme try again
Criscito----------------------------Auro
--------Mavinga Salcedo O'Neill------