Second article is mine! Please give it a read ladies and gents!
mornin d
wow 2016 and things are looking up --- come on you reds lets go
I really enjoyed that.
Thanks for the morning coffee read.
Does anyone else feel that its a responsibility of the SGs to 'Sell' TFC to our international players?
As if to say "Look how much we care, you should stay here and give us everything you have to give" sort of thing.
Its different for the GA / younger / North American players. . . .
am I past the touchline on this one?
NOTICE: Wager with STB: OVER 2 shots on goal in the First half wins a Pint at HT.
Morning all.
match day tomorrow!
Friday just got a whole lot brighter
Interesting to note that all the international players do not hate living in Toronto. Some may love Toronto (well, the nightlife) too much but overall most seem to have positive experience here
“Years have gone by and I’ve finally learned to accept myself for who I am: a beggar for good football.
I go about the world, hand outstretched, and in the stadiums I plead: ‘A pretty move, for the love of God.’
And when good football happens, I give thanks for the miracle and I don’t give a damn which team or country performs it.”
-Eduardo Galeano
Great work Armen. I enjoyed that read.
I think endorsements about the quality of league/life from players like Ephraim are important. It's one thing for a marquee player making millions to endorse the league, but coming from players of a level that could/should be this league's bread and butter it is nice to see.
“Years have gone by and I’ve finally learned to accept myself for who I am: a beggar for good football.
I go about the world, hand outstretched, and in the stadiums I plead: ‘A pretty move, for the love of God.’
And when good football happens, I give thanks for the miracle and I don’t give a damn which team or country performs it.”
-Eduardo Galeano
Manchester United hire an acoustic specialist to improve sound inside Old Trafford.
http://blogs.thescore.com/counterattack/2013/04/05/the-story-so-far-april-5th-the-theatre-of-dreams-is-not-a-theatre-of-screams-sound-problems-at-old-trafford/#more-46954
Leafs could use an acoustic manager.
nice gig.
Eh ?“I think the tempo in the UK is quicker just for the fact that you go back to front so early and you miss out on the midfield a lot of the time,” said Ephraim. “Here, teams like to build up from the goalkeeper and play up from the back, so it’s good to play in and better to watch as well.”
a ha ha heh he hoo.. ha
One of our own got mention in the Queen's Journal (student paper in Kingston) today... me. Couple of minor errors, but that's the norm these days it seems. Alas.
http://queensjournal.ca/story/2013-0...eautiful-game/
http://www.cbc.ca/sports/soccer/stor...n.html?cmp=rss
Weedman article. Couple of interesting tidbits. Good locker room guy, great attitude. Also on a guaranteed contract (I hear a collective groan lol)
“Years have gone by and I’ve finally learned to accept myself for who I am: a beggar for good football.
I go about the world, hand outstretched, and in the stadiums I plead: ‘A pretty move, for the love of God.’
And when good football happens, I give thanks for the miracle and I don’t give a damn which team or country performs it.”
-Eduardo Galeano
http://www.sportsnet.ca/soccer/mls/t...-under-nelsen/
Molinaro article with info from Nelsen. Good job John.
“There’s a reality to it. The reality is that the more creative you are, there’s the potential to be opened up. We have to take little steps.”
Worrisome quote for me from Nelson here.
Compounded by another one from O'Dea:
“When you’re that bad last year, no (you can’t do both). You need stability. There was none, so we needed to become hard to beat first and then learn how to win games from there. Most clubs could probably (do both) but this club was nowhere near where it should have been. Now it’s off the bottom floor and we’re climbing
I get the idea but I really don't like two things about this:
1. I don't think Nelsen is going to know how to bring a creative flair to this team that can bring offence. He's a never been coach and a former defender
2. I don't like the fact that we've conceded in every game when all the while our only goal is NOT to concede goals. Yes, 1-2-1 is a decent start but it's definitely not when you realize that the teams only goal is to defend.
I mean, we've scored 2 goals on penalties (1 completely undeserved) and 2 from total gifts from opposing defenders. Not a good sign.
Also....is there a more expensive back line in MLS? Also not a good sign when our goal is to defend first.
I'm not down on this team but there is no way that the first four games is giving me any reason to be up either. It's wait and see.
“Years have gone by and I’ve finally learned to accept myself for who I am: a beggar for good football.
I go about the world, hand outstretched, and in the stadiums I plead: ‘A pretty move, for the love of God.’
And when good football happens, I give thanks for the miracle and I don’t give a damn which team or country performs it.”
-Eduardo Galeano
I also don't see much reason to be very excited either. Looks better than last year overall, but that don't mean much!
However, Nelsen won't know how to bring a creative flair because he was a defender? Kinda like Preki could only coach an attacking style instead of defensive, because he was an attacker? Plus the players have a big role in bringing an attacking/creative style. My sense is that guys like Earnshaw, Bostock, Silva, Osorio, Urruti etc. have that in them.
We've played some very good teams this year, and for large parts of the games, conceded very few bona fide chances. Still some bone-headed mistakes, but I like these "little steps" that they're taking.
Our backline is expensive due to two signings by the previous regime, at least one of which they're tying to re-negotiate. Gotta live with that for this season at least; can't really fault Payne or Nelsen for those. But your sentence makes no sense anyway -- why is not a good sign to have an expensive back line when your goal is to defend first? Huh? In any case, I doubt that TFC will be making more signings like that in the future.
Also: "2 from total gifts from opposing defenders. Not a good sign."
If you're trying to defend as a team from the front, pressing very high, then occasional turnovers are to be expected. I don't see those as total gifts from the opposition. Plus both of those goals still needed quite a bit of work from Earnshaw, who was clinical. Opposing teams will learn from that, we may get fewer turnovers & fewer gifts moving forward -- but the opposition will compensate by being more rushed in the back, less build-up, more hopeless long balls -- which also benefits TFC.
Last edited by Auzzy; 04-05-2013 at 05:19 PM.
I just don't see how Nelsen, a defender by trade, (from a league that doesn't exactly scream offensive flair) is going to get us playing a creative offensive game. The guy isn't the least bit concerned with offence and scoring. Maybe not the end of the world right now, but it still worries me.
My comment about the expensive back line was just about the idea that we're spending a lot of money on a back line and I'd presume that, when you spend that much, you don't concede in every game. If we're playing a game that is basically 90% defending AND playing that game with a really expensive back line, I expect us not to concede a goal (or more) every game.
I agree that Earnshaw has been absolutely clinical in the chances given to him but I do see the opportunities as largely gifts. Yes...some pressure was put on the opposition that contributed to the turnovers but they were still predominantly brain farts that we won't have the luxury of receiving once everybody rounds in to form.
Not only are we not good offensively, we don't even make offence a priority. That worries me.