Nice one Paul Mariner...
http://www.mlssoccer.com/news/articl...re-entry-draft
We should definitely pick up Ike Opara and maybe Maicon Santos
Nice one Paul Mariner...
http://www.mlssoccer.com/news/articl...re-entry-draft
We should definitely pick up Ike Opara and maybe Maicon Santos
You know what looking at that list I really wouldn't mind bringing back Barrett, Freeman, Santos or taking a stab at Opara or Casey. Any help would be good help. Obviously it would depend on prices as well.
Colin Samuel still available.
That kid is ELECTRIC. . especially at taking Pks.
Avila was an exciting player for us, I thought he brought a lot to the table.
Whats teh deal with Plata now?
NOTICE: Wager with STB: OVER 2 shots on goal in the First half wins a Pint at HT.
Yes, he did snub us I guess, but I didn't take that so personally. The guy played in Germany and wanted to make a move to the MLS. So he signed with the league and was allocated to TFC - but really he wanted to go to Colorado since that's where his wife is from. Sure enough he managed to engineer a trade, and 5 seasons, 119 games and 52 goals later, he's released from contract. Add to that a title. HARDLY a T.O reject. And again, I never took it personally. He wanted to be close to family, and got his wish. It's not like Toronto offered him much to begin with anyway except a losing team.
MLS is a tough, physical league, that emphasizes speed, and features plastic fields, grueling travel, extreme weather, and incompetent refs. - NK Toronto
Here I thought this thread was going to be about Avila. You know, because of the thread's title... At the very least I would have expected the opening post to be about him. Maybe I'm just oldschool like that
What would be a thread on this board without it being hijacked at some point?
except this case is notable because the hijacking started with the opening post
i am not sad to see this player go, sure he likely had the most skills on the club but he realy didn't fit in and it was noticable when he played. His size was a big factor as well
I would say Silva and Plata have more skill. My issue with Avila is his game mentally, he would disapear for long stretches and wouldnt get a touch on the ball.
Compared to a player like Dero his workrate is 10 times less and much younger, Dero would be all over the pitch and influential.
What is this world coming to? Chad Barrett is one of the worst finishers of the modern era.
Is this the Chad Barrett appreciation thread? Let me get my 2 cents in here.
Chad Barrett did wonderful while learning under Dichio. I still remember there was a Chicago game at BMO after he was traded where instead of warming up he was at the half chatting with a former Chicago teammate and I witnessed Dichio walk over and grab him dragging him off to warm up.
Barrett could be transformed into a wonderful poacher at the right price under Koevermans guidance. Whenever he had no time to think, that ball was in the back of the net, its when he had room to run and think, and tried to be Pele that he missed.
I always thought with his speed (he did have a pretty good sprint) he would have done well playing on the right side of midfield or something, sortve like a Magee? Striker playing a bit off to the side of midfield. He might do well there. Take him at $90,000 - $120,000 and id love to see him in red again. Can't lie, Barrett was the man.
I can't believe people here are having discussing over a scrub like Barrett. Please don't come back to Toronto! We already have enough athletes with no soccer skills on this team, we don't need another one.
He might not have the skills of an all star but Barrett had more heart then have our current squad.
But playing with heart alone isn't going to win you many games. We desperately need talent in this team if we want to make it to the playoffs next season.
Good point but would you want a group of talent that will just fend for themselves or a bunch of guys with heart that would die for the badge on the front of the jersey. You need guys like that I think more then alot of talent.
Isn't this whole needing players on the team who work hard and have heart but little talent fly in direct opposition to the half year freak out and protest(s) over the kind of players Mariner was filling the squad with?
My thoughts exactly. It also flys in direct opposition to our results on the field. I think our teams in years one and two were filled with character guys who busted their asses and wanted to be part of something special at BMO, but they were awful footballers and the results stank.
I also think it's a little crazy to assume anything but the vast majority of guys in this league are hard working. Their effort might not show as explicitly as someone like Chad Barrett, running around in mindless circles, but it's there.
Touche! Everybody's hated player Terry D was mocked and moaned at as he was "hard working but talentless". In the end of the day, we need to be looking beyond Barrett, Dunfield, RJ9 and try and find some real quality as well as hard work. Hard work may get us up from bottom of the league, but real quality will be needed to get us to mid table and beyond.
players at either extreme suck equally. But I really don't think Avila fits into the category of only looking out for himself. I think the player that best represents your point is Maicon Santos. Great scoring ability, but didn't really care, didn't do any work off or on the ball, and didn't care about his team mates. That kind of player will win you as few games in the long run as someone who has a massive heart but no skill, positioning, or speed.
IMO in this league you have to build a team with players who have both and balance those who have more skill and those with more fight. Avila wasn't so lacking in fight that he was useless. In a half decent team he had enough to be an asset. The fact that he wasn't willing to run his ass off in a hopeless attempt to look respectable with no game plan, doesn't make him a player that doesn't care at all a la Santos.
Agree with ya Ajax. I mean if Barrett is part of the bigger plan I think he would do well behind Koevs and would supplement our attack as well as getting on some of the stragglers. Pushing guys to play harder. I think that's really what were missing a no nonsense player with talent and heart. Fuck do I ever miss Dichio.
With the heart of Barrett & Dunfield we'll have the heart of twenty men.
Bring back the Gargan!