The article mentions that TFC and Vancouver have apparently expressed interest in signing Hargreaves. Hypothetically, if TFC signed Hargreaves, and he was healthy, he would be a tremendous addition to our midfield, despite his national team allegiances. Realistically, he would also be a substantial risk as a DP signing due to his fragile nature. I would definitely prefer that Winter and Mariner target a DP that has started more than one match in the last two years.
Last edited by ManUtd4ever; 04-16-2011 at 10:22 AM.
do not want.
no problem with who he played for nationally. between his injury problems and the type of play in this league, he'll never play.
He'll come, play 5 minutes, gets injured, season ends, still gets paid.
Thats football.
When he's healthy he's one of the best midfielders in the world, but i don't see him ever being close to 100% again, so i wouldn't want us to take that risk.
And for those still bitter about him playing for england, don't forget that we told him on two occasions that he wasn't good enough to play for Canada.
Yet that didn't keep him from leaving Wales' youth teams for the English National team. You can't tell me he would have chosen Canada if we wouldn't have cut him from those youth teams.Originally Posted by Gazza
Once a traitor, always a traitor, and he demonstrated it twice.
This. I hate the guy and although he would be an upgrade to our midfield I could never cheer for him.
My question is would he count as a domestic player or import?
Easy for you to say when you would never have been given that choice.
Once he realized he was good enough to play for his father's country of birth, he jumped at the chance. I don't blame him. His first choice was Canada, when your home country doesn't want you, go play for the best shot you have at making the world cup, i don't blame a kid for doing that at all.
Anyone who would deny a teenager that right, is just a bitter, scorned football fanatic.
Domestic, as Rochat (Swiss International - Quebecois) does for Vancouver.
Why? Because I demand that Canadians actually think of themselves as Canadians?
Very bitter. Yeah, that's it. Maybe it's: I have some fucking pride in the country I was born in and if others don't, they're not fucking Canadian and shouldn't be treated as heroes for betraying their country.
No thanks
I can put the whole betrayal of Canada behind me (although I can never see myself truly supporting him)...but the reality is that you should stick a fork in him. He is done. No way you sign a player that injury prone to a high-end contract and I doubt he'd come over here for 100k.
... when he was 15, trying out for a U-17 side.
Other 15 year olds with other national options trying out for the side included Julian de Guzman and Mike Klukowski.
How many more times did you expect him to try out for us? 3rd times a charm? Especially when Germany and England assured him a spot in their under 21's. This isn't the same issue as Bunbury or JDG2.
If we had better judges of talent in our youth system back then, he would've been on our national team. After being dicked around twice by us, i don't begrudge the guy his dream of playing in a world cup.
He can get stuffed and Id boo him mercilessly whichever team he played for
It wasn't after being dicked around twice. As I've already stated, there's PLENTY of precedent of him not caring about loyalty to people who did give him a chance when he abandoned Wales.
If he had any loyalty in the sense you're suggesting, he wouldn't have left Wales for England. He doesn't, and your argument doesn't hold water.
Not only did he not care for Canada, he didn't care for Wales.
And as Rudi rightfully pointed out, it was a U-17 side and he was 15.
This is the real point to be made. We can argue all day about allegiances and crap like that, but the last thing we need is a DP player on the IR for 3 years.
We should sign Saric just for the occasion.
You clearly have no clue what you are talking about.
Germany and England never assured him a spot in their U21s. England only came sniffing around after he attended a number of Welsh training camps.
And all of this was well after Holger Osieck had approached him to play for Canada's senior team (thus, "assuring him" a spot).
What a piss poor excuse to give up on his real national team.If we had better judges of talent in our youth system back then, he would've been on our national team. After being dicked around twice by us, i don't begrudge the guy his dream of playing in a world cup.
He was cut as an underager (at a period when physical differences between a 17 year old and 15 year old can be huge), and then just gave up after that?
To me that shows that he had no interest in playing for Canada, despite saying so on national television and returning "home" to Canada every summer between seasons.
Do any of the Canadian fans want him to play for any of the Canadian teams? Do Vancouver and Montreal fans want him on their team?
I'll say this with the youth programs in Canada, many players that are cut by the Nats turn out to be great players when they get older and the players chosen on those youth teams don't always live up to their potential. Looks like Owen showed promise but the program was looking for something Owen did not have at the time.
Let's look at Hockey Canada, how many players are cut from the youth programs and are great players later on. And players that make the youth teams end up being career minor leaguers.
Remember Holger did go after Owen to play for Canada as Owen was not cap tied with any country. He chose England and from all stories and rumours I have read and heard this decision seemed to be made to spite Canada for his earlier cuts from the program.
You don't get much better "judges" in talent than Tony Taylor.
I don't think the CSA has had many coaches equal to, let alone better than Mr. Taylor, certainly not since he left the CSA. Mr. Taylor not only played professionally, but he has also coached professionally, not many in the CSA can make either claim, let alone both.
Hargreaves was cut because of his size, not skill.
Coach an u16 or u17 rep team and you'll understand the reasoning of taking the stronger, bigger players from a group of players who all have very similar technical/skill sets but vary in height & weight. At the elite (international) level, it makes the reasoning even more valid. Hargreaves was shorter and lighter than most at 15.
Taylor told Hargreaves to go back to Breman and play, continue his development, the following year would be different.
It's unfortunate that Hargreaves has not addressed these 2 issues, but given his decisions, many are not surprised!!
The rest is history....
fwiw, My understanding is that Mr Taylor is now back residing in Burlington, and does attend TFC games. He does enjoy talking about football, the international game, development of the game in here in Canada. And if I might add this, if Mr Taylor is involvd with the Burlington youth soccer club, if I had a son or daughter there, I'd be seeking access to whatever program he was involved in. Same to be said if you're a youth coach in Burlington - he's a man willing to share his vast football knowledge and he has much to share.
Oh he was too short.....
makes sense now, must have been the right decision then....
If I were a hockey player born in England and my father was born in Canada and I was good enough to play for Team Canada, there's not a chance that I represent Great Britain.
Owen Hargreaves is a saint!
Legendary Canadian player, who i've idolized since his early years at Bayern.
However, he is too good for the MLS, and even if he did come, I think his injuries have already got the better of him, and he would just take a "DP" role slot up.
wow not sure how i never thought of that analogy, brilliant!
All the Hargreaves haters need to think about this for a second or two.
^^^ Ever heard of Owen Nolan...he was born in Belfast Ireland...didn't stop him from Winning a Gold with Canada in the Salt Lake Olympics. This stuff happens all the time...shouldn't be bitter about individuals for it. If its between a shot at a World Cup or a defeat out of qualification to Jamaica again what would you choose?
What about Giuseppe Rossi? The Yanks could sure use the likes of him...happens to everyone who cares
Speaking of Owen Nolan, he is revered among Irish hockey fans; an Irishman who made good with the best team in the world.
with the amount of appearances he had in the last two seasons, you'd think he's retired. he is a total liability
Last edited by bertal; 04-16-2011 at 06:36 PM.
Cutting Canada's best ever player because he was too short? I guess Canada got it right and Bayern Munich had it all wrong. All due respect to Mr. Taylor in Burlington.
Seconded.This.
I honestly will say I will boo a TFC player named Owen Whoregreaves.
I will be thrown out of the stadium if he plays at BMO. I will throw shit at him and take the ejection.....and possible ban. That is how much I hate this cunt.
I am Canadian and I have supported Canada long before TFC came around. Fuck TFC if this cunt ever plays for them.
He was 7 months old when he left Ireland..........
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