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I Can't Fucking Wait for This Season
Discuss.
Even if you don't think all of these moves were the most prudent things the team could have done (seeing some mixed reactions to both Gilberto and Defoe - Bradley seems to be pretty universally positive) - this team is still going to be something to watch in a few months.
How has the past month done for you, re: TFC interest? Waiting for this roster to implode like a neutron star? Expect us to be instant playoff favourites? Think we hit the ground running, or start slow?
- Scott
“Heroism breaks its heart, and idealism its back, on the intransigence of the credulous and the mediocre, manipulated by the cynical and the corrupt.” ~Christopher Hitchens
A good TFC team is something I can't fully comprehend. I'll try to keep my emotions in check until we start winning some games.
its certainly the first time we have really seen a team built before the season starts...or even the preseason. it looks great on paper....looking forward to seeing it play out.
The Bradley signing has had a huge impact on me. That is not a marketing signing, at least in this market, that is a 100% connoiseur's football signing.
I salute you, Tim Leiweke. But God Save Us All if the team starts the season 3-7.
“What the world needs is more geniuses with humility; there are so few of us left.”
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If they do, there will be dozens of us on here ready to commit seppuku.Originally Posted by ensco
- Scott
“Heroism breaks its heart, and idealism its back, on the intransigence of the credulous and the mediocre, manipulated by the cynical and the corrupt.” ~Christopher Hitchens
The one thing I have noticed from previous years is certain words being said.
In previous years they said we want to make the playoffs and be competitive.
This year, they are saying they want to win, and win the championship.
That mentality alone is part of the reason Im coming back.
Playoffs arent good enough. They want to win, and win the whole god damn thing. And they are out to prove that they are willing to do what it takes to make it happen.
I am extremely excited for the next season. I predict a sold out stadium to kick off the first game, and the interest and excitement will last as long as we win games and stay in the play-off picture. Plenty to be excited about with this team. Obviously it's not going to be easy just because we signed some new great players, but even the core of the current team showed great promise in the end of last season. We're properly loaded. Cheap at the back, strong in midfield, deadly up front. That's pretty much the LA recipe right there - and they won the league twice that way.
Goal is to make the play-offs. We need to get that monkey off of our back. I truly believe this team has enough quality to do just that - barring any bad luck like major injuries.
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This kind of financial investment in players by an MLS team, is truly bananas. As someone here mentioned previously (ensco?), the reported figure they have spent on these players, is only about $20 million less than the entire valuation of the team.
- Scott
“Heroism breaks its heart, and idealism its back, on the intransigence of the credulous and the mediocre, manipulated by the cynical and the corrupt.” ~Christopher Hitchens
Let the record show that Tim Leiweke talked, and talked, and talked all off-season. And then he over-delivered.
As far as I'm concerned he can say whatever he damn well pleases from now on.
We'll see what happens once the season gets underway, but it's already clear we'll be in the best position for success we'll have ever been. I'm excited.
I am excited to see how this all pans out. On paper it looks great, but its on the field and in the games that it proves itself.
I do like that its pre season that we are having this discussion vs middle of the year with a total re-vamp and write off year.
Fingers crossed, breath held and see you all down at BMO.
Road Trips: July 7 2007 Chicago, July 22nd 2007 Columbus, August 11 2007 NY, October 13 2007 LA, March 29 2008 Columbus, May 24th 2008 DC, May 26 2008 Montreal, June 28th 2008 NE, March 7-11-14 2009 Charleston, March 28 2009 Columbus, April 10 2010 New England, May 12 2010 Montreal, April 7 2012 Montreal, March 16 2013 Montreal , June 3 2014 Montreal, March 14 2015 Columbus
Twitter: @RPBPhil
I think this season will finally be a great season if bad luck is not in our way (such as last minute goals and bad officiating). I definitely Can't Fucking Wait for This Season to start. From now until the start of the season the 1) priority for me would be to somehow keep Laba (if he's gone there will again be another hole). 2) find 1 or 2 more defenders, a experienced CB/LB/RB/utility defender (a bonus would be to keep Ecks at a lowered salary). 3) keep as much players as possible for depth such as Dike, and again Ecks. Either way I hope this season would finally be ours so that everyone will come back and have a great time with no fights!
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I suppose I should have put a disclaimer on this thread, that this is all contingent on these deals coming through - although with how they are being reported by the entire planet, they certainly seem done. TFC teasing a big f'ing deal, Roma announcing Bradley was sold to MLS, Defoe reportedly being in town, Gilberto already being done, etc.
- Scott
“Heroism breaks its heart, and idealism its back, on the intransigence of the credulous and the mediocre, manipulated by the cynical and the corrupt.” ~Christopher Hitchens
Every morning when I wake up and check the redpatchhboys forums, this is what I hoped for.
Can't help having deja-vu of the off-season hype around the 2013 Blue Jays.
Tomorrow things will be clearer
Well today... clock is ticking.
Last edited by Phil; 01-10-2014 at 12:09 AM.
Road Trips: July 7 2007 Chicago, July 22nd 2007 Columbus, August 11 2007 NY, October 13 2007 LA, March 29 2008 Columbus, May 24th 2008 DC, May 26 2008 Montreal, June 28th 2008 NE, March 7-11-14 2009 Charleston, March 28 2009 Columbus, April 10 2010 New England, May 12 2010 Montreal, April 7 2012 Montreal, March 16 2013 Montreal , June 3 2014 Montreal, March 14 2015 Columbus
Twitter: @RPBPhil
If the team falters that badly out of the gate, it will be Nelsen's fault. There are no excuses for the coach this season if this team underachieves.
True. It'll be a couple months with mixed feelings - excited on one hand, worried on the other. But at least we're not completely hopeless like past years. There's hope here. And we certainly have some major quality on this team right now. Honestly, I prefer to be optimistic right now. There's been so much negativity around this team for years. I think it's time to kinda fall in love with the team all over again. Part of what I love most about football is that anything can happen. I don't believe in curses and endless bad luck. This club has been severely mismanaged since day one, but most people would recognize that under Tim Leiweke the culture has been completely changed - from top to bottom. No reason to not be at least more optimistic than pessimistic right now.
Well you're gonna wait. Til March exactly. To quote the great Prophet, " Tough Titties!"
On Tim and Sid today, DeRo said that with just a ten minute phone call from TL that he could tell that the whole culture had changed. Something about the fact that Winter never talked to him directly at all. Not about the Loan denial, nothing about his contract. Winter would call his agent and was pretty closed off. I think you get the feeling from a lot of the players from that era that Winter was inaccessible, distant, and dictatorial. No wonder he lost the team so quickly.
I think that there is such a positive attitude coming from around the club...never have I entered a season with so much optimism. TL may have brought in enough to build a winner (or at least a winning record) Imagine a playoff game at BMO....it would be absolutely electric. I don't want to get ahead of myself, but after so many seasons of pain as a TFC (and Newcastle United) supporter...what say we get a little carried away?
If there's a way to screw things up, TFC will find a way. Still lots of questions about this team going into 2014 season, but I'm cautiously optimistic. The DP signings are making a lot of people around MLS and the world take notice.
“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
hamilton and the partnership with the hammerheads gives me just as much hope for the future as much as defoe/gilberto does. possibly even more.
I cant sleep
I am very and I mean very cautiously optimistic about the upcoming season I been through this before like in 2012 when they beat L.A. In the CCL and of course we all know what happened 9 games later so My fingers are very crossed. I think it is very important for the development of Soccer here in Canada for Toronto to have a good team, Nothing against our friends and foes in Vancouver and Montreal cause I wish them the best of luck also. But with all the media we have here in Toronto this could be a very good year even these transactions are being broadcasted on BBC World radio. That is Big
The Blue Jay hype was so FRogers created I cannot SEE THIS BE THAT BAD...
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I ended up high-fiving a bunch of fans at work today when I came in. So pumped for the new season!
And I know this is gonna sound awfully convenient, but even before the latest news about Bradley I was planning on picking up another Season Ticket. Defoe, Gilberto, DeRo, and Laba were enough to justify throwing some cash down for another ticket. Bradley is just icing on the cake.
Sweet, sweet icing.
Last edited by Cashcleaner; 01-10-2014 at 02:19 AM.
Did the USA , of all countries, just fix soccer? - C. Ronaldo, May 27th commenting on the FBI-led investigations into fraud and corruption throughout FIFA.
What boozilla said.
Sorry Shakes, but you had that same feeling towards the Blue Jays this time last year. How did that turn out?
Maybe it will be different this time around. But every time I get optimistic about this team, the rug gets pulled out from under my feet. I will try to get to the home opener this year and cheer the Reds on. But I'm more guarded this button reseting time around.
And besides, I'm still a little fumed about Phineas Tim's latest comments about the Argos-to-BMO Field talk.
TORONTO FC, 2017 MLS CHAMPIONS!!! (Still the greatest in league history!)
Guarded optimism of course, until we actually see results on the field. But it really is nice going into training camp with most of our team settled for once, instead of having so many question marks. This really does seem like TFC v 2.0, 2007 redux, or whatever. Hopefully we will see results and the atmosphere at BMO slowly getting back to what it was.
Moderator
^ It can't be coincidence that all this good news is being released along with the bad.
Hey look everyone, we're bringing back DeRo!! We're signing Defoe!! The Argos are moving in. We're getting Micheal Bradley!! BMO Field will be completely unrecognizable in three years. What a solid squad we'll have with Gilberto as well!! What a year 2014 will be!! And then we start renovating in 2015.
I mean, I know I'm a cynical fuck, but I'm not the only seeing this, right? Either way, until groundsharing is absolutely confirmed and the shovels are in the ground, I'm worried but not worried enough to stop me from enjoying the new season.
Did the USA , of all countries, just fix soccer? - C. Ronaldo, May 27th commenting on the FBI-led investigations into fraud and corruption throughout FIFA.
Moderator
There's no real analytical similarity at all, aside from the fact that both teams added a few good players in one off-season... which hundreds of teams have done throughout history. "The Blue Jays were supposed to be good, too" is a facile reason to be cynical about our chances, and just speaks more to the psychological damage of being a Toronto sports fan, haha.
Also, this isn't a baseball thread so I won't get into it here, but the Jays' problems were extensive and unfortunate. And yes, I was excited about their chances, as were all of the baseball writers that called them instant playoff contenders. None the less, as I said in my OP, they might be good, or they might implode - but I'm still excited to see this revamped lineup take to the field. These moves have me excited to see the season start.
- Scott
“Heroism breaks its heart, and idealism its back, on the intransigence of the credulous and the mediocre, manipulated by the cynical and the corrupt.” ~Christopher Hitchens
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