Their first signing is David Villa. Talk about kicking off in style.
Their first signing is David Villa. Talk about kicking off in style.
Great signing for the league...less so Lampard, who really is looking like he's over here to retire. Wondering how Lampard will do in an evening game in Houston or Orlando in July.
It's a bloody big deal (sorry just had to)!
Villa I get. Lampard, not so much.
I still wonder if these guys are buying Bradley from us at year end.
“What the world needs is more geniuses with humility; there are so few of us left.”
They have 2 great players there. Lamaprd still has it...however, they will be 2 good players surrounded by cack.
Lampard will do well here, still a quality player. Just coming off a season with Chelsea where he played a lot of games for a team many thought were going to win PL. He didn't score as many goals last season as he normally does, but I'd say he will bag quite a few in MLS. To have that goal scoring threat from mid in any league is a valuable commodity to have.
So what exactly is the plan for them to do for a year? Go on loan? Train with Man City..?
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The difference here isOriginally Posted by Oblio2
a) their manager knows what he is doing within MLS
b) they have a ton of money
c) the quality available in the expansion draft will in theory give them a lot to work with
Their biggest issue will be MCFC people meddling and thinking that what works in Europe works here - it doesn't, as already proven by the stadium missteps.
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Portland's DP defender is Joleon Lescott, via @TaylorTwellman. If Taylor says it, it's going to be true. #MLS
i was wondering what that was about on twitter. Wow if true. And how does the league defend that one? Is he a bigger name than Melberg?
I say that OM was more strategically important for TFC at the time by far.
Not sure this Lescott acquisition will actually happen. JL likely has other offers in England, all with similar financials. But if he wants to go to Portland, all it will take is one phone call from Soriano to Garber and this will be good to go*. Because that's the way business gets done in The MLS. We were beneficiaries of that process recently (kinda, with MB) so I'm not going to get so sniffy about it.
* yes JL is out of contract but could easy see MCFC wanting to do him a favor
It sounds like there are a few teams in the PL who want him.
Lampard is interesting. He will be close to 37 by the time he kicks a ball in the MLS. I wonder how long his contract is.
He wanted more than they year extension Chelsea were offering so it's at least 2 years.
He'd probably be the best CB this league has seen so far. Not saying he's that good....just that we haven't really seen any big DP defenders besides Marquez and Nesta and they were way past their prime.
Lescott is a solid defender. Easily the best CB this league has ever seen. No question about that, on paper anyway. Also he's young'ish. Turning 32 this August. So could easily put in 3 years in Portland. Not a terrible move. I don't think signing CB's as DP's is that terrible of an idea. RB and LB, sure.
BTW all Twellman said was that Portland have an offer on the table for him. I still see QPR getting him.
What are they gonna give us for him? 30 draft picks, 6 international spots and all the allocation money in the league? Bradley signed for 6 years... It's gonna be a hella pricey deal, not worth it for NYCFC.
A $10M transfer. The Sheiks can afford it.
Has a handshake been in place from the beginning? Putting Bradley in Canada is a mistake from league marketing POV - he's better used in New York, and TFC can make a big new splash in the offseason ...
Why was Bez in Lisbon?
“What the world needs is more geniuses with humility; there are so few of us left.”
I don't think it will happen.
But, I agree 100% about what Ensco said about marketing. And I also agree that the league would prefer him in a major US market as a result. They want NYCFC to succeed in a big way.
However, this all comes down to Bradley IMHO and whether or not he wants to stay here or go elsewhere. If he wants to go - he is gone. It won't matter what we want or what the rules are because the league will make it happen. That is what they do. We might get a lot back, or they might just invent a new "Transfer of USMNT Designated Players" rule or some such nonsense to make it happen.
But I think it is all a wash - I don't see Bradley wanting to walk a year after signing.
You can do a lot with money.
[mod mode] BTW, this thread is about Villa. Other non-TFC transfer news/rumours/commentary belongs here: http://forums.redpatchboys.ca/showth...rumours-thread [/mod mode]
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I think this thread is really about the money NYC will be spending, and if The General becomes on of their targets, then it all flows into the same place, right here, right now. Man I am ready for it.
You can do a lot with money.
[mod mode] BTW, this thread is about Villa. Other non-TFC transfer news/rumours/commentary belongs here: http://forums.redpatchboys.ca/showth...rumours-thread [/mod mode]
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But MLS teams can't pay transfer fees for MLS players, and the league would not bend that rule. The only way Bradley moves anywhere is an insane package deal.
Qatar 2022 rules will apply for this team. You watch.
“What the world needs is more geniuses with humility; there are so few of us left.”
I can easily see MLS bending rules to get Bradley to play for NYC FC. TFC will be rewarded tons of allocation money and plus have other owners (really will be NYC FC ownership only) paying transfer fee for TFC future DP signing(s?) in return for Bradley. TFC would be crazy not to think about it if they were offer this deal.
Last edited by TFC07; 06-03-2014 at 12:47 PM.
This has been hinted at ever since he first signed for us. I really hope this will prove NOT to be the case.
Where has this been "hinted"? Only time I've seen it mentioned is by paranoid fans on this board. Michael Bradley is NOT going to NYCFC. There is no handshake agreement in place, that's the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard.
The league can't force TFC to give up their best player. You think Leiweke and Nelson are just going to sit back and give away the guy who they're building their team around the next 6 years? Whatever transfer fee we get is not going buy a player of Bradley's calibre at 26 years old.
Did anyone ever stop to think that the league WOULDN'T want Bradley in New York? They want parity and stars in every market. Believe it or not Toronto is also an important market for the league. MLS doesn't need to help the richest club in the league, they are going to be fine. NYCFC will probably sign Xavi or someone, they don't need Bradley.
This all stems from Toronto's inferiority complex. We couldn't believe Michael Bradley would ever want to come here so when he signed there HAD to be something behind the scenes that would explain it. Except maybe Bradley is telling the truth that he wants to build something special in Toronto. Sure we're paying him a shit load of money but most people don't even consider the possibility that he WANTS to be in Toronto.
Michael Bradley will never play for NYCFC. They can find another star that doesn't already play for an MLS team. In fact I am willing to put money on it. Up to $200, anyone on this board.
^Actually, to my knowledge, I am, proudly, the only person who has ever posted this. I said it the day he was signed, and today.
Bradley belongs in a big US market and we would get more bang for the buck from another Defoe type signing. If you don't see that, to each his own.
This is not an inferiority complex thing. My theory is Bradley came to Toronto because he was in motion, MLS wanted him in the fold, NYCFC wanted him, it gave Leiweke a huge splash, and they all agreed to figure out the NYCFC part at the end of 2014. I am not sure TFC would be 100% obligated, and a lot turns on what Bradley would want.
Only the paranoid survive. Especially around here!
“What the world needs is more geniuses with humility; there are so few of us left.”
For the record, Bradley acknowledged that he had a comparable offer from SKC in the off season, and he chose Toronto. If MLS wanted him in an American market, it could have happened already, but invariably, the league can't force players to sign with specific clubs. It's still ultimately the player's decision.
I don't think Bradley is going anywhere, and we're extremely fortunate to have him.
Disagree. Just getting him back in MLS is a huge plus for the league. We play 90% of our games against US teams anyway.
TFC's plan last offseason was always one major "A" DP and one lower profile "B" DP. This is a fact and has been confirmed by multiple people. They already made their huge splash with Defoe, and Gilberto was their younger, cheaper signing. Leiweke was done, Defoe was the main attraction and the focus of the marketing (as seen by the huge Bloody Big Deal campaign which was planned for months).
The whole Bradley thing started late last December when his agent, after seeing the cash TFC spent on Defoe, contacted Tim Bez directly and asked if he was interested. We naturally jumped at the chance to get a player like Bradley and made our pitch to him. Only after he agreed to come here did the league get involved. In the interest of parity they opened up the floor for bids but Toronto was always the only destination.
His agent steered him to Toronto directly, not via MLS. NYCFC weren't even in the picture. I'm pretty sure Kreis hadn't even started at his job yet. And I'll say it again, they don't need Bradley. They can find marketable stars no problem. Meanwhile MLS is just happy to have him in the league. If it wasn't for TFC he'd be on another team in Europe.
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