Also ticks the "good football education" part of the bingo. Montpellier and France U-20sOriginally Posted by stegosaurus
Also ticks the "good football education" part of the bingo. Montpellier and France U-20s
Yes, the “pedigree” square
Remember when Gilberto said he would score 25 in a season? Yeah means nothing until there actually on the pitch.
Gilberto currently has 17 goals in the Brazilian League, thinks he's gonna be in the running for the Golden boot or whatever it's called down there. He's top of the list rn anyways. Only mention this cuz I saw it the other day hahaha
Davidson got some quotes from Vanney on Frenchie. Emphasis mine. Guess who played together at Bastia?
.Benezet, who was acquired using target allocation money with an option to buy, will also add to selection headaches.
"The goal is that he comes and he lights it up here. And that we keep him here and he helps our team moving forward," Vanney said after training Tuesday. "The more stable we can be going from one year to the next has proven for us to be more successful than going through lots of changes."
Playing a 4-5-1 formation this season with star striker Jozy Altidore leading the attack, Vanney automatically slots captain Michael Bradley and Spanish playmaker Alejandro Pozuelo in the midfield.
That leaves Benezet, newly acquired Venezuelan winger Erickson Gallardo, Jonathan Osorio, Marky Delgado, Nick DeLeon, Jacob Shaffelburg, Tsubasa Endoh, Jay Chapman and Liam Fraser competing for three starting spots.
"I've got a lot of tough decisions that I have to make and tough conversations that I have to have. But that's really the way it should be in professional soccer," said Vanney. "It should be difficult to get your way into the (game-day) 18 and into the (starting) 11."
At 28, with six years of experience in the French top-tier, Benezet is seen as a veteran who can play across the midfield. He can deliver a cross, find an open teammate or ghost in from the midfield to deliver his own scoring threat.
Vanney got a good review on Benezet from former Guingamp coach Jocelyn Gourvennec, whom he knows.
"(A) very good soccer player ... Works hard, smart player, good guy," said Vanney.
GM Ali Curtis has brought in Benezet, Gallardo and U.S. international centre back Omar Gonzalez during the summer transfer window. Backup forward Patrick Mullins came in a deal that sent Jordan Hamilton to Columbus. Pozuelo, goalkeeper Quentin Westberg and defender-midfielder Richie Laryea arrived earlier in the year.
Vanney says the team is likely done when it comes to acquisitions.
While Benezet and Gallardo have yet to play and Mullins has seen just 49 minutes action, it's been a good haul. Pozuelo has come as advertised, Westberg has taken over as No. 1 'keeper and Laryea is giving Brazil's Auro a run for his money at fullback.
Striker Terrence Boyd did not work out and is back with his young family in Germany after an unproductive six months. Vanney, however, had nothing but good things to say about Boyd.
"We were happy to have him because he was a fantastic guy and he worked his butt off every single day."
The main issue has been timing of the acquisitions. Toronto worked hard to execute some of the deals in the transfer window that was open Feb. 13 until May 7.
"They didn't close for a variety of different reasons," said Vanney, who only now has the resources to help fill the holes left by the pre-season departure Sebastian Giovinco and Victor Vazquez.
The coach insists that the 19-year-old Shaffelburg, perhaps the revelation of TFC's season to date, will continue to get playing time despite the arrival of Gallardo and Benezet.
"I think he's going to play an important role down the stretch. He's earned it," Vanney said of the speedy left-winger, who lives for running at opponents.
Vanney said Toronto initially was looking to bring in a direct, hard-running winger during the transfer window. But Shaffelburg's rapid progress — he signed with the first team June 21 and has made eight appearances — convinced them to go after a different kind of player in Benezet.
Gallardo is seen as more of a direct winger, like Shaffelburg. Just 23, with his experience coming from the Venezuelan league, he is still learning.
Benezet is seen as far more of a finished product, able to operate all over the midfield and function as a winger or as a playmaker behind the striker.
Listed at five foot five and 134 pounds, Benezet represented France at the under-20 level.
DeLeon adds to the versatility, giving Vanney several different looks in midfield.
Toronto (9-9-5) visits the New York Red Bulls (10-9-4) on Saturday. Vanney says Benezet will make the trip, if only to start familiarizing himself with his new team and league. The coach also hopes to get Gallardo going after a quad strain delayed his debut.
"We'll see. Maybe ready by the weekend," Vanney said. "If not, for sure, we'll use the Canadian Championship ... to get him up to speed."
Toronto will face Ottawa Fury FC in the Canadian Championship semifinal round Aug. 7 and 14, with Vanney looking to give players like former No. 1 'keeper Alex Bono a chance to shine
I liked the comment some posted elsewhere, from people in broader French football, about him wanting to move to a city that had running water and working internet, lol.
Hilariously enough, those farmers and villagers probably have better internet and cell plans than us for a fraction of the price
Yup. Sattelite service that's way better and way cheaper.Hilariously enough, those farmers and villagers probably have better internet and cell plans than us for a fraction of the price
100% serviced by high-speed access, 50%+ of people have fibre... cheap triple play. Making me miss it.
Last edited by stegosaurus; 07-31-2019 at 11:13 AM.
So, am I following the plot correctly? Did Vanney's recommendation come from a former Guingamp manager that is the exact same guy Benezet publicly blamed (post the manager's departure) for his problems?
(Maybe I am wrong....Just checking to understand the character part of the TFC reference checking machine...)
EDIT: I am not wrong
http://m.madeinfoot.com/actus/actusDetaillee/280822
Last edited by ensco; 07-31-2019 at 11:04 AM.
"There are some people who might have better technique than me, and some may be fitter than me, but the main thing is tactics. With most players, tactics are missing. You can divide tactics into insight, trust, and daring." - Johan Cruyff
not the best of circumstances. Sounds liken one of Nelsen or Winter's reclamation projects.
Last edited by MightyDM; 07-31-2019 at 02:29 PM.
It is. There’s two things here:
1. They had to get rid of him and no one wanted him, including a coach who shares the same agent. Whether no one wanted him because of drama or because of salary doesn’t really matter.
2. In interviews, Gourvennec has said the issue isn’t him disliking the player, just disliking his attitude, work ethic in both training and during the match, etc. While he was sidelined, he was given opportunities to make it back into the starting XI. Gourvennec was also the person who brought Nico there initially, IIRC.
I think it’s a bit of #1 and #2.
Gourvennec doesn’t necessarily dislike the player, but a coach requiring work rate and professionalism isn’t going to play around with someone who isn’t willing to put in the effort. Nico going to Twitter to joke around didn’t help his case (a further slight against his professionalism). He wasn’t given a single chance; he was giving numerous chances and made very little of them, unfortunately.
Then, facing relegation they were required to dump his salary (and that of another player as well) and attempt to get something in exchange for him. As no Ligue 1 teams were really interested (attitude and performance), and no Ligue 2 teams were interested (attitude and performance, and, more importantly, wages), this was basically the only choice. They’d been trying to get rid of him for a while, and he had also made transfer requests that never amounted to anything (except the TFC loan).
Nothing in the recommendation is false, per se. Nico is a good guy (he’s likeable), he works hard sometimes (getting back into the starting XI post-injury), and he’s a talented player.
After VdW, I doubt they’re going to talk about another TAM player who has had personal clashes with coaches and lacks work rate, effort, motivation, and professionalism, etc. Sweep it under the rug and hope it doesn’t happen.
Guingamp supporters were a bit angry about the move given that MLS is not known for paying transfer fees, and lacking a requirement to buy at the end of the loan leaves them a bit lacking in the monetary department (they’re pretty certain TFC won’t sign him post-loan).
I just think it's seriously weird that they made such a big deal about character signings, then sign a guy with a pretty similar recent history to vdW, and then the reference is from the manager that they guy clashed with. Publicly!
(I get that the relegation piece and the need to dump salary are big context. But 95% of players in that situation don’t slag the manager until their career is over. They just don’t .)
"There are some people who might have better technique than me, and some may be fitter than me, but the main thing is tactics. With most players, tactics are missing. You can divide tactics into insight, trust, and daring." - Johan Cruyff
So I guess the majority of the great footballing minds on RPB have already written this guy off, I choose to wait and see what the player does on the field, not a bunch of hearsay from the interwebs, FFS
Like I said, he could be great here or not.
No hearsay; it’s all public record as the guy tends to overshare in interviews and on social media.
I don’t think they are at all. Just raising obvious and interesting questions from public sources
According to The Athletic, TFC have an option for 2020 on Michael Bradley. https://theathletic.com/1108954/2019...-negotiations/
Toronto hold option on Bradley for 2020
Although it’s been widely reported that Michael Bradley’s deal with Toronto FC expires at the end of the season, multiple sources have told The Athletic that the club has an option to pick up his contract for the 2020 season.
Bradley is making $6,500,000 in guaranteed compensation in 2019, the second-highest total in MLS behind Zlatan Ibrahamovic. The sources said he’d make that same amount next season if TFC pick up his option for 2020. His option will automatically trigger if Toronto win MLS Cup this fall.
No way we exercise that option at 6.5m if Seba got nixed like he did.
Bradley is going to exercise that option by winning us the MLS Cup single-handedly.
Guarantee no one wants MLS Cup more than Bradley just for that trigger in his contract.
Roadtrip!!!
Your ideas intrigue me and I wish to sign up for your newsletter.
Last edited by magmadragon; 08-02-2019 at 12:06 AM.
Re-upping MB for a single year is very different and a lot less risky than keeping Seba for 3-5 years. They also showed they were willing to bump up salary with Jozy.
I don't think TFC pull the trigger on 6.5 million if they have a choice.
Probably not. But if it was the price of MB going to TAM thereafter its a good move IMO.
Michael Bradley will never EVER EVER accept TAM money. It is pointless to continue to mention this idea. This will never happen. Cool off on the Hopium drinks...it's making y'all sound silly...
Maybe. But as part of a a deal that keeps him three more years, the first year his option, the next two at TAM - just maybe. Thats $9.5 million over three years or over $3 million per year; 11 over 4. I think its possible. But then the question is would TFC pick up his option?
Nobody else is offering him $6+ either so unless he wants to retire, he may have no choice but to go for TAM or whatever they invent in the new CBA.
He won't get $6.5 million again, but Bradley would get a DP contract in a number of MLS teams. He will either be DP somewhere else, DP here for 1 year (if offered) & then TAM, or TAM here.
Unfortunately Fraser is nowhere near ready for this role full-time on a team expecting home playoff dates so we probably have no choice. Plus down the road he would make a good manager, if he would stay in Canada.
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