Originally Posted by MightyDM
Personally, I can think of a half-dozen content, healthy MLS strikers I would rather have than to be in this Defoe drama. In the best-case (read "ridiculously optimistic") scenario where we recoup our pro rata transfer fee, there's no way we spend the same money (transfer/salary) on new talent. Whoever made the Bruce McNall comparison at the outset of the Bloody Big Deal was being kind (aside from the fraud charges). Our circumstances are trending downward.
The Guardian's football coverage is really good.
Another Guardian writer thinks we will make a profit on him
@Kubani7 From the outside TFC has looked pretty amateurish for a while. They will probably make a profit on him though.
Oh, I agree that the coverage is good. The MLS guys are the least jaded of the lot. It's the snarky attitude of the UK based writers that I can't stand. That and the constant return to the narrative of the week.
In relation to this, Hull have just cleared Ben Arfa off their books and have a 50k a week hole burning in their budget.
Transfer fee may be a problem for them but they have an owner that has backed Bruce financially in the past.
Pardew and Pullis have just taken jobs with relegation threatened teams at the start of the transfer window, you gotta think they have been promised funds to spend. Palace and West Brom could be options too. Especially if West Brom sell Berahino.
Palace backed Pullis financially this time last year for survial and will probably do the same with Pardew. Pardew and Defoe were at West Ham at the same time.
The way the dominoes are falling at the bottom of the Prem may be very advantageous for TFC
Last edited by Areathrasher; 01-02-2015 at 11:07 PM.
Can you really blame the snarky attitude this week? MLS has looked pretty weak since the season ended. It really is doing very little to shift the retirement league tag, and from the outside its still pretty laughable
Lets see
We have one Premier League team that stopped a 36 year old going to an MLS team.
We have 4 Premier League teams linked with a 32 year old MLS striker.
And lets not forget that 2 Premier League teams have signed two young MLS bred defenders recently.
And Leicester, QPR and Chelsea all signed over the hill mid to late 30's players in the summer.
Narrative
Hahaha. Sorry, the biggest league in the world is the retirement league, I forgot.
Let's see: we've got Lampard staying at City because they need the depth for a tough schedule, Gerrard realising he's too slow for English football and 4 teams in a relegation battle wanting to bring Defoe home (because he hates it here). As for Henry and Yedlin? Yeah, good for them. But they won't be regulars. And most West Ham fans didn't even know they'd signed Henry, let alone ever heard of him. That's a better narrative.
I'm not saying I completely go along with the scorn from football journalists in England, but I can see why they get such easy targets to aim at. MLS has not helped its self. You can't deny that the signings of Keane, Beckham, Defoe, Lampard, Di Vaio, Nesta and now Gerrad do nothing but fuel the retirement tag. Because it's true. I admire the loyalty of fans of MLS, but at times the sense of perspective is way off the mark. You can make decent money towards the end of your career, playing against much weaker opposition. Can't say I blame them.
What do you expect form a Toronto Sun Reporter.,........
Last edited by GuelphStorm2007; 01-02-2015 at 11:27 PM.
If the majority of the players you listed came over and played like Rafa Marquez, took their money and went home you'd have a point but Henry, Keane, Beckham, Di Vaio didn't. They bought in, contributed and to various degrees were successful and were good for the league.
Beckham finished his career in France.
Henry was wanted by Monaco and PSG but took the Sky money instead of playing on.
Keane could go back to the Prem tomorrow if he wanted.
Nesta is playing in India.
The retirement league tag is old and cliched at this point.
You want a retirement league? Look at India or Australia.
Last edited by Areathrasher; 01-02-2015 at 11:47 PM.
Old and cliched. For sure. But the biggest 'world' names in the League are names who's finest years came years before. It's impossible to deny it's a League the attracts players close to retirement. The perks over here are huge, as is the money.
None of the examples you have listed went on to lift trophies on the biggest stage, or played/could play top flight football week in, week out whilst holding their own. The odd appearance off the bench in Ligue 1 is hardly a resurgence in a career. And Nesta to India? That's pretty much proven my point.
It is a retirement league. It has been making strides and has nurtured the odd youthful talent. But until big names at the peak of their careers come here, and until we don't an influx of former superstars who want a final hoorah, it will remain a retirement league. I love MLS, I love its fans, and I love the fact the sport is growing. And I see good things in the future, alas, maybe one day it will be considered a top league. But right now, I accept it for what it is. And I'm 100% okay with that.
You and I clearly don't see eye to eye on what constitutes a retirement league so this is going to go nowhere.
To me a retirement league is league where players go to put their feet up and do nothing put pick up a paycheck. MLS hasn't been that for years.
Keane and Henry went to World Cups and European Championships as MLS players FFS.
Last edited by Areathrasher; 01-03-2015 at 12:13 AM.
If. It's a huge if, staying up.
Those teams with already huge wages risk a big burden if relegated. They will have to somehow shed enough wages to be financial competitive in the Championship, and that's not an easy task. Staying up means big money, but being relegated with a huge wage bill can potentially mean financial ruin for the team.
Getting Defoe, expect him to jell with the team and score 8-10 goals right away, and also has to include Defoe just coming off an injury and nowhere near match fit is a huge gamble.
“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
MICHAEL BRADLEY!
And as for Keane, he could play for most EPL teams.
Cahill was a star at the World Cup.
So was Jones.
Dempsey came back still in his prime years.
Cubo to Houston at 21.
Even Gilberto was a top scorer in Brazil's top league before coming to TFC at 24.
And guys like Defoe and Villa should have good years left at only 32.
Most MLS teams are doing a lot to shed the retirement league image (Lampard & Gerard aside)
Ok, so after some great points made I am looking pretty optimistically at this sale.
I mean this Liverpool deal must be bs. No way Defoe does that. Makes zero sense. Not a bad way to drive up his price though...
Teams are going head to head fighting for him and he is going to take whatever money he can get to get the hell out of here.
We don't see eye to eye on this matter, BUT I'm not going to fall out with you over it mate!
Your Twitter stuff is some of my favourite, so I'm eager not too piss you off haha
Tfc needs to offload that contract to sign an AM and sweep under the rug how much of a quagmire it is. The contact is above market value. We have to be sweating bullets which is why you have clubs baiting us to take loan deals and we haven't roundly told them to go fly a kite. Our saving grace might be competition between EPL clubs but otherwise tFC is very much desperate.
Nobody negotiating is going to tell people to go fly a kite publicly. By all accounts, these negotiations are going well for TFC
a) there is interest mentioned by at least 2 teams (Hull, QPR) and speculation on at least 2 others (Leicester, Liverpool)
b) there is public acknowledgement and acceptance of what TFC's main sticking point is
c) Teams are publicly floating their negotiation stands (never a good thing0
d) Circumstances in the market for this player are driving up demand for his skills (i.e. Teams need scoring)
These are little things that all help TFC win this.
That and until the CBA comes out, we do not know if we need to offload this player to get a DP.
Most of us would love to have Defoe out. But, if the financial circumstances are such that doing so would hamper the season until August, I would not be surprised if Defoe is kept around. I have no doubt that in August he would garner the original transfer fee back.
With 20 20 hindsight, we all wish he would have been sold back in August. That was a calculated but poor decision by TL and TB. The 2014 team wasn't good enough to make the playoffs.
Agreed. It's tough but a solid player that is sought after around the EPL even if your relegated you can sell him off to recoup some dollars if you don't stay up. Huge gamble and really only see 'Arry making that deal.
QPR is negoatiating a new deal with Austin. Problem for them is if they sign Defoe in his current contract, how do they not give one of the top scorers in the EPL the same or similar deal?
True it's an issue. That's why with Austin on a tear lately for QPR I can't see Defoe going there. I'm sure another team that is more desperate will pay up. It will take some time but I'm sure he will be moved on.
Probably but the teams mentioned seem like such long shots. I'd bet now Leicester gets relegated. I can't believe they are seriously in the market. When Norwich was relegated they had to sell contracts probably a quarter of Defoe's (like Leroy Fer to QPR). A team like West Brom makes more sense, if they sell Berahino. They've paid stupid amounts for players like this in the past. Like Anelka last year.
Last edited by Canary10; 01-03-2015 at 10:33 AM.
Forget the CBA, TFc as an organization is not going to sit on that contract and take on any more big moves. Defoe here past this window is a potentially huge distraction and risk.
Public speculation isn't necessarily bad or favourable to the seller.
Leicester is only 4 pts to safety right now. And they should be higher than they are right now.
“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
According to theScore app, Defoe is going to Leicester
There's also this:
Kurtis LarsonVerified account @KurtLarSUN I'm told Defoe to Leicester City remains "speculation" at this point. Expect him to be linked everywhere over next few weeks ...
Ok bet me then. They've been bad.
ok, so Henry is gone.
Who the fuck is going to play CB? And then, who the fuck is going to be on the bench?
Also, who the fuck is going to back them up and play when Caldwell gets hurt/suspensed?!
Let me ask this:
How many CBs do we need at the moment?
Last edited by Marc"2L"; 01-03-2015 at 12:51 PM.
now? no. after jan transfer window and pending on who they add, maybe
“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
This Defoe talk will still be going on at 6pm on Jan 31.
Both Defoe and TFC have to eat a lot of money in order to get something done. Neither wants to, obviously, so both are dreaming about whether there is someone stupid enough out there to get them both out whole.
It wouldn't surprise me if nothing happens, look at what happened to Julio Cesar before he came to us.
“What the world needs is more geniuses with humility; there are so few of us left.”
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