We only have 2 natural CBs in Caldwell and Hagglund, so we really need to add a couple of competent central defenders to provide adequate depth.Originally Posted by Marc"2L"
We only have 2 natural CBs in Caldwell and Hagglund, so we really need to add a couple of competent central defenders to provide adequate depth.
Yep 2 MLS ready CB's and then maybe one via the draft. Need them in this winter window as well.
Ha ha. We'll see if they go for him.now? no. after jan transfer window and pending on who they add, maybe
any team that signs Defoe will need to sign another striker. just Defoe isn't going to be enough.
“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
Lets add some reality to this conversation. With Defoe, we were clearly good enough to make the playoffs, and maybe more. Without him, and without Nelsen, we weren't - the record proves that. This club has had four real goal scorers - Danny D, Danny K, DeRo and Defoe. Those who are cheering for him to leave may come to deeply deeply regret that during the season, just as we did DeRo part I. Gilberto, Moore and Dike together don't equal Defoe - his goals, or his strategic impact on games. He will be an irreplaceable loss.
Danny K had a better strike rate (one of the best in league history); he also was a lousy signing and out of the roster less than in. Only he didn't have his mother whining about how he should go home.
Irreplaceable loss, on eleven goals and a petulant second-half of the season performance? Not likely.
Danny K was fantastic and unlucky to tear his knee up. Defoe, in the first half of the season, was close to unstoppable. On the field, he played hard, even if sometimes he expressed frustration with his teammates. If we sell him, those goals won't be replaced by anyone on the current roster. I know he is our favourite whipping boy right now, but that's the truth, and it doesn't make sense to me that we collectively pretend otherwise.
it also depends on whether he still wants to play for TFC. he can easily pull a Carlos Ruiz. or not.
“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 think you need to look at it a different way.
TFC is remarkably thin on homegrown/drafted talent. A percentage of the roster comes from sources like the MLS waiver wire, re-entry draft. The other option is to find players to sign up to their maximum allocation. They absolutely need to have signings that contribute.
Further, they play in a league where roughly half the teams dress 3 DPs.
I think we can all agree that for TFC to be competitive, they need to get those DPs right. That means being healthy and contributing for the bulk of the season. This is made even more important in that MLS does not allow you to replace injured Designated Players on the roster with other "temporary DPs." If you are at 3 or at your max budget, you are stuck.
Defoe is a great player. Defoe is also an injury prone and older player.
Considering all of the above he is not the right fit for this team, in this league, at this time.
All I am saying is be careful what you wish for. I agree, Pookie, that the team is deficient in other areas, especially how they have strategically approached building the team (although Nelsen had a clear strategy), but Defoe is quality, and if recovered, will score at will. We shouldn't be cheering his departure the way these boards are unless there is a clear replacement lined up who can score like him. Which there isn't. The same thing happened to Roberto Alomar - he was run out of town and the Blue Jays have never really replaced him.
Well there is the current rumour we offered $5 million a year for Gerrard. (possibly knowing that LAG would up whatever we offered)
Have to say I share this opinion. We still need the striker to influence the game when not scoring. Missing someone for half a season isn't something that can be easily dismissed.
Defoe is also very much a player who requires service. While brilliant in front of goal his overall influence on the game isn't nearly what some of the other guys is in his pay bracket (henry, Keane)
I think using pay to demand the DP do pretty much everything is too much, and this is product of building a team that relies too much on a DP rather than using DP to put a team over the top.
asking Defoe to suddenly become a complete all around striker when that was not his main role all his career IMO is not fair. smart players evolve their role as they get older (as in case of Henry, Keane and even Martins), but that shouldn't be dictated by how much he makes.
and we wouldn't be having his conversation if Defoe put 15-17 goals like he was on pace to do so.
“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
well that's not a criticism of defoe, it's just a limitation of spending DP money on this sort of player. However I do think it's fair to make the comparison because ultimately you need to influence the game as much as possible.
Given MLS teams are unbalanced and you can't always count on service, it makes little sense to me to put all your marbles on a pure goal scorer, when that person requires someone else to make him effective. That's an issue here more so than Europe.
If we are behind the teams who spend their money in better places it's only logical to question why we've proceeded the way we have.
We're doomed with or without Defoe.
yeah man.
You're right, we wouldn't.
Because that would mean he didn't have a fragile hamstring and groin.
It would mean he didn't have a demanding, interfering mother who pressured him to move back to England half way through the season.
It would mean he wasn't unhappy and petulant when he did return, and clearly wanting out.
But he IS all those things, so good riddance!
The open DP spot will be much more valuable than an unhappy broken down Defoe.
(assuming they use it smartly)
Give me a brake ! If Defoe the Diva want to go let him go I don't want any unhappy camper .Plus MLSE has lot of our money to spend on a shine new DP and I hope he`s not another broken down cry babe Brit!
So when we get this Defoe deal done, where will the money go..
I keep hearing South American #10, but does the region he is from really matter?
How about Sebastian Giovinco? He's out of contract in the summer. I'd toss him Defoe's 6 MIL a year + the transfer fee we receive from Defoe as a signing bonus.
As much as I'd like Giovinco, if he was to sign, I think it'd be the biggest signing in MLS history (ie. unlikely). A young 27 year old playing for a major national team joining MLS - that has never happened before.
Michael Bradley
That's the closest I can think of, but I think the fact that Bradley is from the States changes things a little.
I think you've made an assumption here that doesn't bear scrutiny.
“What the world needs is more geniuses with humility; there are so few of us left.”
A lot of the midfield and attacking spending is going to depend on the formation Vanney wants to focus on.
We need a starting level CD and another backup CD. That better be addressed in the next 3 weeks. Somebody has to be brought in who will replace Caldwell in 2016 as the leader at the back.
Pundits seem to be forgetting about the defence in all the Defoe talk.
TFC need to sell Defoe, it shouldn't matter if they take a bath or not on the transaction just get it done, we don't need this drama and his petulant mother anymore.
We need three centre backs, two starters and a draft/project player.
Two wingers because niether of ours has any IQ or ability to consistently make a good cross, keep Jackson because he is useful as a defender.
If were going go for an AM DP for our formation, then we probably need an extra two for cover, Bekker can count as the 3rd cover.
We also probably want to upgrade the DM spot.
There is a lot of work needing to be done on this roster.
Just please, please, please... find a way to sell Defoe. This team doesn't have the finciacial luxury to keep paying a prima-dona overpaid 32 year old that amount. Amazing skill - but clearly becoming injury prone. A guy like Defoe should be the final piece, and we're just not there yet. Invest the money throughout several positions. CB CAM and 2 wingers.
^ bang on. Think one draft pick will end up being cb depth, another will be striker depth. If lucky we might find a DM or some sort of winger who can contribute sooner.
But totality of it is exactly what you wrote: we need more regular roster players who are experienced.
I'm thinking that 30 should be the absolute age limit that players should be signed to a contract here, and even then only for a 2 year contract at most. It seems that the probability that a signing will have a serious injury goes up significantly from ages 31-34. If they are 35 and have had a relatively injury free career, they're probably well built, but they'll have lost a step by that point.
Another thought - the TFC FO seems to have been somewhat quiet on the transfer market front. I'm wondering if Tim knows something about how the CBA process is going and betting that it's going to go to a lockout/strike this season, resolved by June when Lampard is supposed to come back to NYC Farm Club.
i think when KJ mentions a "South American #10" he's talking about a specific player and given he previously stated that Bez is looking for an international i wouldnt be surprised if the #10 was brazilian international Ricardo Goulart.
Guy is the brother of Juninho in LA, scored 23-25 goals this year for Cruzeiro in a 4-2-3-1 similar style to what Vanney might play and is only 24. There's been interest from Liga MX so far.
Whoscored:
http://www.whoscored.com/Players/74692
Highlights:
http://youtu.be/t-W5e854YO4
Note:
Loyd Barker has said that Montreal has signed two "quality" CBs and DP strikers one, Gilardino, from Europe and one from SA...
Teams are beefing up and we're being left in the dust
Last edited by portu; 01-04-2015 at 03:49 PM.
its January 4th
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