TFC 2013 general player moves/speculation/etc.

[Richard]

I hope the other midfielder is a solid DM.

[David_Oliveira]

With Max coming in. Does he play infront of Earnshaw or behind him? What does are lineup look like? Does Hogan Ephrain get returned to his club? Lots of questions are left after this potential signing.

----------Earnshaw-------------
------------Urrutti--------------
Silva--------------------Bostock
-------New CM--Dunfield--------
Morgan--O'Dea--Califf--Eckersley

[notthesun]

Great news if true. Sucks we have to wait until the end of the month to get them though.

I'm curious as to who the midfielder is, I'm sure his name will be revealed soon. Alfredo Mejia was the name going around most for a midfielder but he's Honduran. It may be a guy we haven't heard of yet.

As per Davidson's twitter, sounds like some things are still unclear. Possibly getting a little help from the league on this.

[mowe]

Great news, especially excited about this unknown midfielder. If him and Urruti adjust to MLS soon enough we can be a dangerous team. Let's hope we stay in the playoff hunt while these reinforcements arrive.

Man, I love hope.

[Ivy]

Ecks, califf, o'dea, morgan
bostock, New mid, silva, Ephraim
Urruti
earnshaw

playing the 4-4-1-1. Or push silva up beside urruti for a more attacking 4-3-2-1

[Globetrotter]

Stop being so damn cautious!! Why do we need any DM's!?! Those two we have are likely the weakest link on the field.

[PopePouri]

Heard it some guy named Messy (sp?).

[Morlesio14]

If this mid can distribute to rob and max I'll be happy

[KGH]

Wheres does Koev fit in? With him healthy how does the lineup look? Where are we getting the international slots for these 2 new guys?

Could you do something like:

------Earnshaw---Koev----------
------------Urrutti--------------
Silva--------------------Bostock
------------New CM------------
Morgan--O'Dea--Califf--Eckersley

Or do you keep Koev up top by himself and do:

-------------Koev--------------
------Earnshaw-----Urrutti------
Silva--------------------Bostock
------------New CM------------
Morgan--O'Dea--Califf--Eckersley

Either way it would put some serious pressure on the new midfield guy and on Silva and Bostock to control the pressure

[Globetrotter]

We are loaded for options up top (if Koevs is healthy, and Urruti is at least as good as Silva/Earnshaw).

If we wanted to play attack, we could go with 3 forward. Earnshaw nipped both passes on the right side of the field, and isn't Urruti also a bit of a wing (left) guy? You could drop two of them a step back from Koev.

------------Koev-------------- Fwd
---Urruti-----------Earnshaw-- Fwd
-------------------------------
------------Silva-------------- Att Mid
-------------------------------
-------------------------------
----mid------------Bostock---- Central Mid
-------------------------------
-------------------------------
--Morgan--Odea--Califf---Ecks--


A 4-3-3 type of fit.

[David_Oliveira]

Does anyone remember the contract specifics that KP got into in regards to Ephrain? I would really send him and Russell away. i don't see how they fit into the team salary-wise and position wise.

[notthesun]

I see Koevermans being mainly a bench option when he returns.

As for the international slots, we have 9 slots and 7 are in use. These two guys would fill up the remaining two slots, and Koevermans will also need a slot when he comes off the IR, so someone will need to be moved at that point.

[KGH]

Does anyone remember the contract specifics that KP got into in regards to Ephrain? I would really send him and Russell away. i don't see how they fit into the team salary-wise and position wise.

Ephrain is on loan until July.

Why get rid of Russell? He has a green card and is a decent backup defender.

Our current list of Int players are:

1) Koev
2) Ecks
3) O'Dea
4) Bostock
5) Ephrain
6) T. Morgan
7) Earnshaw
8) Lambe

[Globetrotter]

I see Koevermans being mainly a bench option when he returns.

If he's healthy, not a chance.

Excluding Juan Pablo, nobody in the forward position has been such a natural goalscorer as him. (imo)

[Greatest Ripoff]

i don't see how they fit into the team salary-wise.

What do they make? I can't find this years numbers on the player union's website.

[Dreadlocks]

I'll hold off my enthusiasm for this deal until it's made official. We've been hearing for months that the deal is just about done.........

[notthesun]

If he's healthy, not a chance.

Excluding Juan Pablo, nobody in the forward position has been such a natural goalscorer as him. (imo)

Statistically he's way ahead of Angel.

I just think it might be hard for him to get many starts between a) Earnshaw & Urruti and b) our formation. If Earnshaw keeps up his form he'll obviously start every game when healthy. We'll see how Urruti does but I'm optimistic. And both are very mobile players which I think Nelsen will prefer.

Since Nelsen likes the 4-4-1-1, you have to consider what might happen if we sign these guys and Koef comes back. Silva plays best in the hole, behind Earnshaw. But if we want to make the best use of Urruti we might move Silva down to center mid (maybe even left mid as he has occasionally played) so that Urruti can take the CF position. Or maybe Urruti takes left mid/winger? Either way I don't see us regularly leaving one of those three guys on the bench.

As things stand I see Koevermans coming off the bench very often (better hold up play makes him a good replacement for Earnshaw if we're defending a lead, and his poaching ability obviously makes him a threat to nab a goal when we need one) but likely not a lock for a starting position.

[Red I]

... I'm just thinking how baddass it would be if that other midfielder was Maxi Rodriguez!

[David_Oliveira]

Ephrain is on loan until July.

Why get rid of Russell? He has a green card and is a decent backup defender.

Our current list of Int players are:

1) Koev
2) Ecks
3) O'Dea
4) Bostock
5) Ephrain
6) T. Morgan
7) Earnshaw
8) Lambe

It really depends on his Salary. of our defenders, who would you get rid of? Isn't Russell on loan anyways?

[David_Oliveira]

What do they make? I can't find this years numbers on the player union's website.

I'm guessing that there is a bigger salary considering their pedigree.

[Stryker]

------koev-----earnshaw----
------------urruti------------
ephraim-------------bostock
------------D/M-------------
morgan---odea--califf---ecks

Get a good defensive mid, bring Silva off the bench for any of the three forward mid positions and we're looking really good.

[ag futbol]

Just saw the news on Canadian Press (although it's all "unofficial" at this point).

Nice to get a deal done, I will be very interested to see where he slots in. With Earnshaw performing so well it may have changed their plans a little.

[ensco]

Something about this story does not compute.

It's been almost 3 weeks since Payne/Nelsen said they were 90% done on this (or something like this, I can't even remember what they said precisely). That it would be a couple of more weeks.

Now this new story says it could be 3 or 4 more weeks. But it's "done". I know Davidson has a decent track record. He has a real source, I'd wager. But does he have two sources? (That used to be the rule, but mostly isn't anymore.)

Meanwhile Urruti keeps playing. How can that be if it is "done"? Ives, the guy who is absolutely the axe on Latin American signings,(I wonder if he has the MLS fax machine in his office) .... is silent.

I am more than familiar with the weird ways of MLS and world football. I can't put my finger on it, but something is not right.

(Maybe it's just a hangover from listening to Gillis bloviate about all the offers he has for Luongo.)

[barticusz]

I really hope whoever the other midfielder is they are a solid central mid player with good defensive abilities and distribution. Basically a young Frings but with more finesse would be fantastic.

[FreekAce]

I really hope whoever the other midfielder is they are a solid central mid player with good defensive abilities and distribution. Basically a young Frings but with more finesse would be fantastic.

haha, a young frings with more finesse would definitely be an excellent addition. i doubt a player of that caliber would be joining us though.

[Richard]

Something about this story does not compute.

It's been almost 3 weeks since Payne/Nelsen said they were 90% done on this (or something like this, I can't even remember what they said precisely). That it would be a couple of more weeks.

Now this new story says it could be 3 or 4 more weeks. But it's "done". I know Davidson has a decent track record. He has a real source, I'd wager. But does he have two sources? (That used to be the rule, but mostly isn't anymore.)

Meanwhile Urruti keeps playing. How can that be if it is "done"? Ives, the guy who is absolutely the axe on Latin American signings,(I wonder if he has the MLS fax machine in his office) .... is silent.

I am more than familiar with the weird ways of MLS and world football. I can't put my finger on it, but something is not right.

(Maybe it's just a hangover from listening to Gillis bloviate about all the offers he has for Luongo.)

I know what you mean, I wonder what the hold up is. I

If another team essentially signs their player then he shouldnt be playing, even if there was handshake(understanding between TFC and the club) deal they shouldnt play him so if he becomes injured the deal ccollapses.

[ensco]

There is one possibility. Which is that Urruti is on an expiring contract and is already signed, but it's not disclosed. But that would be unprecedented.

I can only think of one similar case: Beckham, when with Madrid, was signed by the Galaxy before his contract expired. But it was announced when done. It was so unusual, such a violation of the code, that Capello blew his stack and banished Beckham (then brought him back when RM had injuries late that year).

I feel safe in saying that Urruti's situation is not comparable Beckham's

[jazzy]

Does anyone remember the contract specifics that KP got into in regards to Ephrain? I would really send him and Russell away. i don't see how they fit into the team salary-wise and position wise.

exactly...

[Skinn]

There is one possibility. Which is that Urruti is on an expiring contract and is already signed, but it's not disclosed. But that would be unprecedented.

I can only think of one similar case: Beckham, when with Madrid, was signed by the Galaxy before his contract expired. But it was announced when done. It was so unusual, such a violation of the code, that Capello blew his stack and banished Beckham (then brought him back when RM had injuries late that year).

I feel safe in saying that Urruti's situation is not comparable Beckham's

Doesn't happen all the time, but is common enough. Lewis Holtby had a deal to leave Germany for Tottenham next season; only weeks later did Spurs get him earlier in the January window for a fee.

[DOMIN8R]

Does anyone remember the contract specifics that KP got into in regards to Ephrain? I would really send him and Russell away. i don't see how they fit into the team salary-wise and position wise.

Unless the MF player is Ocation. If Al Ocation is finally coming in, we can probably afford him. But yeah, there must be some plans to change the formation or there is some anticipation that some players, who are presentably starting, aren't expected to be around by mid-summer.