Matchday 25: Toronto at Philadelphia, Wed 3 Sept 7pm

[ag futbol]

your probably right thats his likely true natural position if he was still playing in Europe, but your paying him $6m per year here. He should be dominating the middle of the pitch ... and he is not. Very concerning. Maybe MLSE's $$$ are better spent on more strikers/wingers.

Agreed. Unless he starts chewing up ground the way he did at the start of the season it's very hard to justify that much money.

[OgtheDim]

We saw Bradley in positions we hadn't seen him in for months. He was running into the box and looking for the ball. This points to them trying to free him to be more creative.


The issue is Bradley also had to head to the back to cover for the CD's. And said CD's are unwilling to move forward and press their midfield out of shape.


While our defence remains in the hands of young people that should not be starting, Bradley badly needs a DM partner, and Warner ain't it. Warner is a servicable CM in a 3 man midfield or a sub off the bench or for injuries. He's not a DM.

[burlington Red]

Missed the 1st half, so can't comment. But in 2nd half our set plays were woeful, corners not clearing first man, not good enough.
I also noticed Lovitz playing the ball at chest/head height nearly everytime he passed. I know he put a great pass onto Gilberto, who should have done better, but we need to vary it up, try a through ball to feet alongwith the odd high ball, mix it up. Not knocking Lovitz as I do like him and i think he will play a lot more under Vanney than Nelsen.
Was surprised that Vanney waited so long to make striker subs, Bike came on around 80th min. Would have liked to have seen him earlier as bar the 2 chances Gilberto had, we weren't offering much in attack.

[azorean]

Agreed. Unless he starts chewing up ground the way he did at the start of the season it's very hard to justify that much money.

Think Bradley might still work out, recouping the Defoe money and seeing who we can sign with those $$$ will tell the tale...

[Ultra & Proud]

Missed the 1st half, so can't comment. But in 2nd half our set plays were woeful, corners not clearing first man, not good enough.
I also noticed Lovitz playing the ball at chest/head height nearly everytime he passed. I know he put a great pass onto Gilberto, who should have done better, but we need to vary it up, try a through ball to feet alongwith the odd high ball, mix it up. Not knocking Lovitz as I do like him and i think he will play a lot more under Vanney than Nelsen.
Was surprised that Vanney waited so long to make striker subs, Bike came on around 80th min. Would have liked to have seen him earlier as bar the 2 chances Gilberto had, we weren't offering much in attack.

I agree with most of this. I am still not sold on Lovitz being of any real use yet. Maybe in time but I don't see it now. Gilberto was pretty much the only player to provide anything going forward besides a few breaks for Oduro and one ball that Moore couldn't get out of his feet. Overall I was pretty disappointed with everything. I think the line up was poor and with our injury situation it will probably be grim again on Saturday.

[Roca]

As to Bradley, I think he could just be gassed from the World Cup. When the Premier League started its season, teams were not playing those who had been in Brazil; those players had a month or so to rest and recover. Bradley was on the field a few days after he got back from Brazil, if memory serves.

[Gilberto9]

Now if we lose to Union on Saturday and Columbus pick up points against Chivas (likely), we're sitting on the outside looking in. This loss was so vital. Makes the stakes even higher in the next game.

[jloome]

As to Bradley, I think he could just be gassed from the World Cup. When the Premier League started its season, teams were not playing those who had been in Brazil; those players had a month or so to rest and recover. Bradley was on the field a few days after he got back from Brazil, if memory serves.

He's trying to do too much, to be everywhere. At one point in the first half, he went right back to the high back line, took the b all off doneil's feet, then passed it five yards back thinm a second later.

THey need to stop making it about Michael Bradley carrying the team. I know he has talent for picking out passes, but his read of the game is what makes him such an effective wrecker, like Laba but with a better third gear and better passing. Play him in that role and we will shut teams down, just as we were doing early in the season. Put someone creative in the midfield with him behind the strikers, Osorio or Bekker or even Lovitz, and have them wreak havoc by moving the defenders around and dishing off passes.

We're overcomplicating the best way to use a pretty decent -- by MLS standards -- lineup.

[barticusz]

DeVos talked about Warner being a DM type of player, so why doesn't he slot in that role permanently instead of having Bradley going back and forth all the time. They interchange too much and it just causes confusion where they seem to be running into one another.

If we end up losing the rest of the games we play maybe we get a shot at drafting Cyle Larin. Sell defoe, bring back Hamilton and pick up a DP AM. Also, we need a couple of experienced CB's.

[Fort York Redcoat]

DeVos talked about Warner being a DM type of player, so why doesn't he slot in that role permanently instead of having Bradley going back and forth all the time. They interchange too much and it just causes confusion where they seem to be running into one another.

If we end up losing the rest of the games we play maybe we get a shot at drafting Cyle Larin. Sell defoe, bring back Hamilton and pick up a DP AM. Also, we need a couple of experienced CB's.

Agree. Too many times I saw Bradley being the 5th man in the backline to pass to Warner(if he wasn't pointing to someone else!) just to run forward and receive the next pass. It doesn't help Bradley's execution to do 2 player's work.

[MikeM]

All I saw yesterday was long ball after bloody long ball. Mariner 2.0.

In a flat 4-4-2 there is literally no other way to play the sport. I almost feel like it's mathematically impossible to retain possession in this formation. There are no options when you just have 3 sets of players all in a line.

We have no triangles on the field.