The backline being purposely torn down and then purposely not rebuilt is nothing short of gross mismanagement. This is not hindsight 20/20. It’s common sense.
The backline being purposely torn down and then purposely not rebuilt is nothing short of gross mismanagement. This is not hindsight 20/20. It’s common sense.
Agreed. It’s insane that such an integral part of the team has been neglected this bad. It’s one thing to rag on Kosi, for example for being a terrible right back. The reality is the person that keeps playing him there is at fault. This is one example…there are many in that back 4.Originally Posted by portu
Any rumours?
In lieu of anything else:
https://twitter.com/napolista/status...934880256?s=19
La stampa did an article on tfc splashing cash on Italian signings, mentioned that belotti might arrive too.
This is notable as la stampa is based in Turin so should have an inside track on belotti and his intentions
Is there a press conference today to introduce Bernadeschi?
There's an event at ~430 at Real Sports for media and some supporters. There was a signup sent to STM on Friday for a random draw to attend.
yes I believe at 6PM
members were invited to be there for 4.30PM for meet and greet and food.
Things become a lot more more reasonable when you accept what management has been saying; that this is a rebuild and about 2023.
Also the comments here about it being easier to get MLS CBs in the winter window is right. Hard to peel one away now. Hopefully this Ayo rumor has legs for now.
Here is another Napolista article saying Belotti hopes to come to Toronto. Not sure they know anything other than what had been reported previously. We can dream!
https://www.ilnapolista.it/2022/07/d...ito-il-napoli/
Check out this tweet at https://twitter.com/tombogert/status/1549045597612609536?s=21&t=T3g-n_nsklLDiU2txlu_7g
CB incoming?
I hope this gets done. Good for the player and the club.
I was really hopeful that Shaff would have been able to carve out a role at LB for when Insigne arrived. However didn't really happen and now with Criscito there isn't an obvious spot to play him. He still has tons of potential and just needs playing time so hopefully this can be a flip to let us get stronger at CB or RB (whether it's direct or acquiring GAM we use to get someone else).
Any good defenders playing for Colorado? Seems like Shaff would probably get playing time there.
Drew Moor and Steven Beitashour :P
Haha! Was thinking a little younger
They have a bunch of U22 Initiative defenders that haven't played much yet.
Anyone with a high ceiling would probably be better than anyone playing right now.
Check out this tweet at https://twitter.com/jac_talbot/status/1549036995896217601
No idea who this Tweeter is, but suggests Belotti will be staying in Italy.
Management has been saying they wanted to push in the second half of the year and wanted to be competitive.
A push and competive doesn't necessarily mean playoffs but you would think they expect better results with new DPs but all their talk of upcoming success was around 2023 things mostly (CCL, League's Cup).
Would probably be better for us if he did so we could focus on a CDM.
Hate this move even more than Priso. Shaff’s top end probably isn’t as high as Priso’s but he’s 22 and had three goals and three assists last year when he played regularly.
He’s an effective winger in MLS: he beats his man and delivers dangerous balls into the box.
I don’t understand why when we have so many young assets, we’re only trading the ones who have already shown significant potential. Other teams manage to acquire assets without giving up their best young players.
I don’t care that he’s not attractive to watch, or a dribbling messiah, or a wingback. He’s good, young, fast and effective. And yet our manager clearly doesn’t rate him.
Again, logic says Bob Bradley has had enough success that he knows what he’s doing. But I hate this move. Hate it.
I realize players are just commodities nowadays and half the fan base only cares about winning, but this is our club. I would like it to nurture and bring through more Osorios, not just use them to bail themselves out of bad earlier decisions.
Plus, he’s Canadian and loves being here. Petrasso is NOT a better player, not by a long shot. He’s a better dribbler, and he may be a better fullback (although he’s kind of shit at that, too). But he does not get into space and deliver dangerous crosses regularly. He does not seem capable of doing so, most of the time.
And he has none of Shaff’s pace, which is a rare commodity.
Shaff always seems capable of serving up dangerous crosses. He hasn’t played a game for us in two years without serving up something that caused the other team trouble.
And he’s going to get passed over. Ralph I could sort of see, as he just exuded overconfidence and attitude. But not Shaff.
Fuck that. Don’t like it, don’t care who they get for him.
Last edited by jloome; 07-18-2022 at 12:37 PM.
I would like to keep Schaff too but teams want him because they know he can add value. I can't say that about any of our other young players except maybe Achara if he gets put in that group. I could see someone take a low risk punt on him just because he can run.
As for Petrasso vs Schaff; Schaff has the pace and does a great job making runs down the line but the end product is as questionable as Petrasso's. Patrasso has one solid advantage in that he can deliver a pretty good deadball. I like his corners. I think he could develop into a decent MLS FB with some time & patience.
I am not a fan of moving our only outside speed threat.
In this league, if you are too narrow, you get pinched & a low block stops you from doing anything.
Jayden and Kerr both have speed as well.
Last edited by TFC/Everton; 07-18-2022 at 01:17 PM.
Shame on you U&P!
For representing and being among the voices of reason here.
On this, I want to be unreasonable.
'I want it all, and I want it now!
The MLS Winter Window...
Is there an MLS list of pending 'Free Agents' for us to review and have fun speculating from?
Does the 'Bosman Ruling' apply to MLS given its business structure and ensuing PA complications?
Is the 6Month pre-contract period open for such league footballers- CB's, FB's, and DM's, whose contracts are set to expire?
Belotti... seems to be the logical and leading '4th Italian' candidate.
My understanding of the situation is that he has for now refused a number of offers.
Including TFC's. If not ACMilan, than still assessing best options.
I suspect most fall short (notably) of salary expectations and the TFC offer; possibly 25% or more short?
I think a key factor of these TFC Italian pursuits is the financial turmoil Italy and most SerieA teams are in.
As Italy approaches the winter months, there will likely be continued, significant and compounding economic pressures.
Primarily triggered by their dependency on the Russian energy sector.
The most telling indication and factor in these matters?
Is that the Euro is for the first time, since it's adoption over 20 years ago, at its lowest valuation and basically on par with the USD!
Advantageous for TFC/MLSE and the MLS.
If we can move shaff and akinola fir a decent rb and cb it would be great
The best and fastest way (if lucky) to get quality MLSers is through the re-entry draft. If it's a fortunate year there can be some slightly overpriced gold in there.
I like Shaff but hope he is on the way out for his own sake and career. He was a huge bright spot last year but the failed position switch this year and his lack of minutes going forward I got to think leaving the Reds is the best thing for the guy. Just hope we get value for him
Or, you know… play him.
I wish Bradley’s way of thinking was a little clearer. IT leaves onlookers with the perspective that he’s doing things based on personality, likes and dislikes rather than hard pragmatism. This may seem pragmatic to us, but he’d already demonstrated that he just doesn’t value someone who has already proven himself valuable.
We have one problem with Jayden and Kerr: they do not know when to pull the trigger on a shot or cross.
Shaff does. He’s never had that problem. Instead, we’re playing the 19-year-old Nelson because of his “upside” even though he has yet to show he has the requisite read of the game to even survive at this level. Is that because he actually thinks Nelson is a better player, or because the team wants to flog him to Anderlecht?
If we’d played Shaff there all season, I don’t think it’s a stretch to say we’d be at least three points to the better. THat’s what good service will provide, actual scoring chances, of which we create very few.
Nope. If you want to sell one of the two or trade them, trade Nelson. He’s fast and mazy but has zero end product and so far piss-poor judgement.
Posting Permissions
