Page 3 of 174 FirstFirst 12345671353103 ... LastLast
Results 61 to 90 of 5193
  1. #61
    Registered User
    Join Date
    May 2008
    Posts
    17,172
    Mentioned
    1 Post(s)
    Tagged
    0 Thread(s)

    Default

    ^We are saying different things. System is different than formation - how you think positionally, tactically etc. So high press is a system. Formation is a subset of that. In my opinion, BB has not shown much system/tactical flexibility, and yes, he has used different formations.

    Plus let's face it, "system" in the context of "he doesn't fit our system", is in world football a buzzword for "we don't like his attitude" or similar - in a lot of cases anyway.

    We agree on the fact that we need 5-8 new starters to be a contender.

    Suspect we disagree on how fast that can/will happen, and also on whether 2022 asset management has lengthened that process.
    Last edited by ensco; 10-11-2022 at 09:05 AM.
    “What the world needs is more geniuses with humility; there are so few of us left.”

  2. #62
    Registered User
    Join Date
    Apr 2009
    Location
    Scarborough
    Posts
    7,784
    Mentioned
    1 Post(s)
    Tagged
    0 Thread(s)

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Hala Hrvatska View Post
    This season is exactly what BB football looks like. LA missed the playoffs with him and canned his a.ss and now won the Supporter's Shield. We have the highest payroll in the league, and finished 27th out of 28, and tied our record goals against and were not even competitive in some games in the long losing streak to finish the season. The team quit on him at the end. Sorry, I have seen what BB's football looks like and (to borrow a BB euphemism), its not in a good way. He needs to go right now. Enough damage was done. I don't want more of it. Lets move on, right the ship quickly and get back to where we belong.
    I'm on the fence with BB and he has until June 2023 to prove himself in both his roles but you always bring this LAFC point up without the full story. When they missed the playoffs they were forced to dump important players in the offseason to be cap compliant and they also had an assload of injuries and couldn't recover.

  3. #63
    RPB Member
    Join Date
    Jun 2015
    Posts
    2,362
    Mentioned
    0 Post(s)
    Tagged
    0 Thread(s)

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by ensco View Post
    ^We are saying different things. System is different than formation - how you think positionally, tactically etc. So high press is a system. Formation is a subset of that. In my opinion, BB has not shown much system/tactical flexibility, and yes, he has used different formations.

    Plus let's face it, "system" in the context of "he doesn't fit our system", is in world football a buzzword for "we don't like his attitude" or similar - in a lot of cases anyway.

    We agree on the fact that we need 5-8 new starters to be a contender.

    Suspect we disagree on how fast that can/will happen, and also on whether 2022 asset management has lengthened that process.
    we barely employed a high press for a lot of the season.

    especially earlier in the year, if we got a league we dropped into a midblock.

  4. #64
    Registered User
    Join Date
    Jul 2019
    Posts
    1,477
    Mentioned
    0 Post(s)
    Tagged
    0 Thread(s)

    Default

    Atlanta’s GM says he hasn’t heard anything about a 4th DP being added. Bogert says his sources have said the same thing.
    https://twitter.com/tombogert/status...aURnjiQPOm6_WA

  5. #65
    Registered User
    Join Date
    May 2008
    Location
    Edmonton
    Posts
    16,746
    Mentioned
    0 Post(s)
    Tagged
    0 Thread(s)

    Default

    Galindo's weekly wrap for sportsnet notes Shaffelburg has now started five straight games for Nashville. The key from his perspective has been reducing hesitancy around the box, which sounds familiar to anyone who has watched any of our younger players this season.

    He thinks he's going to start during the playoffs, too, as Shaff takes heat off Mukhtar and creates space.

  6. #66
    RPB Member
    Join Date
    Jun 2015
    Posts
    2,362
    Mentioned
    0 Post(s)
    Tagged
    0 Thread(s)

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by jloome View Post
    Galindo's weekly wrap for sportsnet notes Shaffelburg has now started five straight games for Nashville. The key from his perspective has been reducing hesitancy around the box, which sounds familiar to anyone who has watched any of our younger players this season.

    He thinks he's going to start during the playoffs, too, as Shaff takes heat off Mukhtar and creates space.
    He suits Nashville well as they are a team that is comfortable sitting deep and hitting on the break.

    I don't think shaff works in a possession based team, but Nashville is a great landing spot for him.

  7. #67
    Registered User
    Join Date
    May 2008
    Location
    Edmonton
    Posts
    16,746
    Mentioned
    0 Post(s)
    Tagged
    0 Thread(s)

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by leedsandTFC View Post
    He suits Nashville well as they are a team that is comfortable sitting deep and hitting on the break.

    I don't think shaff works in a possession based team, but Nashville is a great landing spot for him.
    He worked with several of the coaches from Nashville when he was a youth player with the SKC system for a short while.

  8. #68
    RPB Member
    Join Date
    Jun 2015
    Posts
    2,362
    Mentioned
    0 Post(s)
    Tagged
    0 Thread(s)

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by jloome View Post
    He worked with several of the coaches from Nashville when he was a youth player with the SKC system for a short while.
    Makes sense.

    I think that is transfer that suits everyone.

    He's not gonna get many mins here with insigne and berna on the wings, and he's found a team and coaching team that can get the most out of him.

  9. #69
    Registered User
    Join Date
    May 2008
    Location
    Edmonton
    Posts
    16,746
    Mentioned
    0 Post(s)
    Tagged
    0 Thread(s)

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by leedsandTFC View Post
    Makes sense.

    I think that is transfer that suits everyone.

    He's not gonna get many mins here with insigne and berna on the wings, and he's found a team and coaching team that can get the most out of him.
    Eh... I'm selfish. Better for him, not better for us. Insigne is 31 and has had a handful of injuries in the last eighteen months. We need a decent backup in that spot and I see Shaff having more prospects for being productive than any of our other kids.

    If they sign a wide player (maybe two-footed) who is good enough to spot start maybe that becomes less a loss. But this is a league where getting good depth is obviously pretty difficult and he's getting better.

  10. #70
    Registered User
    Join Date
    Apr 2009
    Location
    Scarborough
    Posts
    7,784
    Mentioned
    1 Post(s)
    Tagged
    0 Thread(s)

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by jloome View Post
    But the end run here and how much we got out of the pieces we had is worrisome. Mavinga and O'Neill are both respected defenders in this league. But they've always been a little decision faulty. Same with Salcedo. WIth the money we had, maybe that was simply the best we could do.
    Mavinga was a respected defender in the past but he hasn't been a TAM level defender for a few years now and he is clearly sliding. Not sure about 'Neill. He was good covering injuries for Seattle though. For sure we didn't do anything to limit the damage down the stretch. Just kept plugging away at the same thing. BB's quote about taking this season to assess what we had might be telling. It almost seems like he looked at it as an 8 month training camp. "Here's our system. Let's see what you got".

  11. #71
    Registered User
    Join Date
    May 2008
    Location
    F5
    Posts
    15,304
    Mentioned
    0 Post(s)
    Tagged
    0 Thread(s)

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Ultra & Proud View Post
    Mavinga was a respected defender in the past but he hasn't been a TAM level defender for a few years now and he is clearly sliding. Not sure about 'Neill. He was good covering injuries for Seattle though. For sure we didn't do anything to limit the damage down the stretch. Just kept plugging away at the same thing. BB's quote about taking this season to assess what we had might be telling. It almost seems like he looked at it as an 8 month training camp. "Here's our system. Let's see what you got".
    O’Neill to me does not look the part of a starting defender. He does the defending part of the job admirably but he’s not dominant or a backline leader. He’s also terrible on the ball. That has #3 written all over it IMO.

    If management used this whole year as a tryout they are crazy. I’ll say it before and I’ll say it again, Bradley’s system is of less value than our collective group of players. Job #1 should have been to get the most out of who is on the roster at any given time.

  12. #72
    Registered User
    Join Date
    Apr 2009
    Location
    Scarborough
    Posts
    7,784
    Mentioned
    1 Post(s)
    Tagged
    0 Thread(s)

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by ag futbol View Post
    If management used this whole year as a tryout they are crazy. I’ll say it before and I’ll say it again, Bradley’s system is of less value than our collective group of players. Job #1 should have been to get the most out of who is on the roster at any given time.
    Unless it really was a trial by fire season and it was approved by Manning (at minimum). Actually the fat cats must be okay with it too since the reward for watching a year of trialing was a 15% to 25% ticket increase.

  13. #73
    Registered User
    Join Date
    May 2008
    Location
    F5
    Posts
    15,304
    Mentioned
    0 Post(s)
    Tagged
    0 Thread(s)

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by reggie View Post
    ir wont happen.im sure dad will drive that bus over everybody but his son tomorrow
    On that note…


  14. #74
    Registered User
    Join Date
    May 2008
    Location
    F5
    Posts
    15,304
    Mentioned
    0 Post(s)
    Tagged
    0 Thread(s)

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Ultra & Proud View Post
    Unless it really was a trial by fire season and it was approved by Manning (at minimum). Actually the fat cats must be okay with it too since the reward for watching a year of trialing was a 15% to 25% ticket increase.
    Oh I’m sure they’re all on the same page. I still think it’s foolish.

  15. #75
    Registered User
    Join Date
    Jul 2019
    Posts
    1,477
    Mentioned
    0 Post(s)
    Tagged
    0 Thread(s)

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by ag futbol View Post
    Early on in the season I thought Bob was saying stuff like this to protect Michael from criticism.... At this point though Bob must have blinders on. I haven't watched all of the pressers, but has Bob said anything negative about MB or said there's something MB could do better? I don't recall him saying something on those lines

  16. #76
    Registered User
    Join Date
    Apr 2009
    Location
    Scarborough
    Posts
    7,784
    Mentioned
    1 Post(s)
    Tagged
    0 Thread(s)

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by noxx98 View Post
    Early on in the season I thought Bob was saying stuff like this to protect Michael from criticism.... At this point though Bob must have blinders on. I haven't watched all of the pressers, but has Bob said anything negative about MB or said there's something MB could do better? I don't recall him saying something on those lines
    I don't think so and I watched a lot of them. At least not directly. He has mentioned things like midfielders getting caught high and such but nothing specific that I ever saw.

  17. #77
    RPB Member
    Join Date
    Jun 2015
    Posts
    2,362
    Mentioned
    0 Post(s)
    Tagged
    0 Thread(s)

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by noxx98 View Post
    Early on in the season I thought Bob was saying stuff like this to protect Michael from criticism.... At this point though Bob must have blinders on. I haven't watched all of the pressers, but has Bob said anything negative about MB or said there's something MB could do better? I don't recall him saying something on those lines
    He did mention his advancing years and that even this previous season the idea going in was not for him to play every game.

  18. #78
    Registered User
    Join Date
    Jun 2014
    Posts
    4,768
    Mentioned
    0 Post(s)
    Tagged
    0 Thread(s)

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by leedsandTFC View Post
    Michael Bradley was largely impressive for the most part this year.

    He also said that the plan wasn't fir him to play every minute, but injuries to a the other cms made it impossible to rotate.

    Again you need to touch grass, you sound like you're having a breakdown as you type.
    MB has been inconsistent this year. At times excellent, but for the most part largely a liability in transition and when defending.

    There should be no debate about his tremendous body of work for the club, especially when considering the team-friendly TAM deal. However, there should also be no debate about him being a lock starter next year.

    He is holding this team back, not only because he’s a defensive liability, but because the team is tactically limited to slow, predictable football when he is on the pitch.

    All good things must end, and that’s likely been the case since we saw the midfield excel with Oso-Delgado in 2020.

    His father being the manager is such a clusterfuck of a situation because he needs to move on or sit and probably shouldn’t hold the armband for basic conflict of interest reasons. MB was never going to be rotated out because this team never had more than three starting midfielders at a time and moved Priso.
    Last edited by portu; 10-11-2022 at 06:05 PM.

  19. #79
    Registered User
    Join Date
    May 2008
    Location
    F5
    Posts
    15,304
    Mentioned
    0 Post(s)
    Tagged
    0 Thread(s)

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by portu View Post
    MB has been inconsistent this year. At times excellent, but for the most part largely a liability in transition and when defending.

    There should be no debate about his tremendous body of work for the club, especially when considering the team-friendly TAM deal. However, there should also be no debate about him being a lock starter next year.

    He is holding this team back, not only because he’s a defensive liability, but because the team is tactically limited to slow, predictable football when he is on the pitch.

    All good things must end, and that’s likely been the case since we saw the midfield excel with Oso-Delgado in 2020.
    Totally agree with this.

    Someone should sit down with Michael and ask how long he wants to do this. And if he wants to risk tarnishing the legacy he built with the club

  20. #80
    Registered User
    Join Date
    Mar 2014
    Posts
    2,845
    Mentioned
    0 Post(s)
    Tagged
    0 Thread(s)

    Default

    I'm in the middle of the two extremes on Michael Bradley.( Edit: Damn, this is a lot longer than I thought)

    Yes, he was amazing in his prime here. A top 3 player for us all-time. I'd say overall, second most impactful player in team's history after Giovinco. Yes, he was A LOT better this season than the last couple seasons. With that said, he was far from being an elite midfielder this season as Bob basically alludes to in his quote about his son. I have to give credit to MB for his ability to keep healthy and fit to play all those minutes. While I do feel he would have been better with some 'load management' minutes off, hats off to him for being able and committed to doing it.

    Also, as I said in a previous post, I don't buy Bob's comment that he was basically forced to play MB all of those minutes. There were many opportunities to take him off within a game, even rest him for a game here or there, and he never did. To me, it's a "I know I shouldn't and didn't have to play him all those minutes, but I wanted to, so I found an excuse to play him".

    We had the whole youth movement, tried players out of position all the time, but the one position he didn't experiment at was MB's spot. Bob simply had a lack of desire to even consider not having MB playing. Heck, as ridiculous as Armas's decision to try Auro at DM last year was, at least he tried something else there. If this truly was a "building year" to "see what we have", why didn't we see what we have at CM. Bradley's not going to be our starting midfielder in 2024 (at least he shouldn't be), but we didn't try to see what any of our options were. Heck, even after we were eliminated, he still played every minute. We threw on Hugo Mbongue from TFC2 in the last game at forward to give him a few minutes at MLS level before next season, but we couldn't throw on anyone else? Why not give Nelson/Kerr/JMR the last 20 minutes of that game and see what they can do as a CM. What was the worst that could happen, instead of the 4-0 loss we had in the last game of a miserable season, it could've been 5 or 6-0 instead? At least, we'd have 20 minutes of footage of something different.

    MB did have moments where he demonstrated his class, with some great passes, that two goal game that surprised me, etc. He was much better than 20/21 MB and the arrival of the Italians did seem to spark his game.

    If had to rate his season overall, it'd be "Good". Not "Amazing" like peak MB, not "Impressive" like BB said in his assessment. He didn't make the team any worse this season (we were all around bad, he didn't make us worse), but he also didn't make us any better. He was Satisfactory. Which to me, if you have a player who is not raising the level of the team, not lowering it either, but just keeping it at the same level is a reason to see if you can try someone else who can, if your goal is to be an elite team. We're not a West Ham, who is fine with that mid-table ranking in the EPL. We're TFC with all our money who needs to be a top of the table team. Satisfactory isn't good enough. Try something, so we can be better than Satisfactory.

    However, like I said earlier, Bob simply didn't have the desire to consider an alternative, hence why a MB-replacement/alternative was never acquired. MB still has a role on this team. I don't want him off the team. However, I don't want him to be our 34 game starting midfielder. To me, he should be in that Cheyrou role. A starter here and there when needed through injuries/suspension/rotation (~6-10 a season) when you need him and that second half sub (~10-20 times) to ice/calm a game down with his veteran presence. If he's playing 30 minutes a game in a veteran role, he can maximize his class, by having maximum freshness because his energy level isn't depleted and he has recovery time. Playing him 3050 minutes is not helping this team because when you need him, he's not effective because he's been overused unnecessarily. At his age, he's not going to win many footraces. But stick a fresh MB in at minute 70 and maybe he doesn't lose that battle against another player who's been playing 70 minutes already (whereas a MB who has played 70 minutes is going to lose that ball bc he's tired too). Maximize his disadvantage (speed) by putting him in later when others are tired.

  21. #81
    Registered User
    Join Date
    Jun 2014
    Posts
    4,768
    Mentioned
    0 Post(s)
    Tagged
    0 Thread(s)

    Default

    MB should really be playing further up the pitch. I think I said it earlier in the season, but he can’t play deep because he can’t defend in transition point blank.

    The best place for him would be as a pressing 10. Less defensive responsibility, more forward passes. The stats have him in the 90th percentile of MLS midfielders in progressive passing and well in the bottom half for aerials, tackles, pressures and interceptions.

    You also wonder if he is playing at 90-100% capacity or constantly running on 70% full tank given all the minutes he’s playing. But even then the difference in strengths is so stark that it’s obvious he shouldn’t be playing in defensive transition.

  22. #82
    RPB Member
    Join Date
    Apr 2012
    Location
    116
    Posts
    21,718
    Mentioned
    0 Post(s)
    Tagged
    0 Thread(s)

    Default

    Was today locker cleanout / meet with the press day?

    Didn't see any videos...

  23. #83
    RPB Member
    Join Date
    Jun 2015
    Posts
    2,362
    Mentioned
    0 Post(s)
    Tagged
    0 Thread(s)

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by OgtheDim View Post
    Was today locker cleanout / meet with the press day?

    Didn't see any videos...
    Tomorrow

  24. #84
    Registered User
    Join Date
    Jun 2012
    Location
    North York ON
    Posts
    1,067
    Mentioned
    0 Post(s)
    Tagged
    0 Thread(s)

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by noxx98 View Post
    Early on in the season I thought Bob was saying stuff like this to protect Michael from criticism.... At this point though Bob must have blinders on. I haven't watched all of the pressers, but has Bob said anything negative about MB or said there's something MB could do better? I don't recall him saying something on those lines
    Quite the opposite. He went out of his way to try to blame Pozuelo on a goal that was 100% Bradley's fault. That was a telling sign on his feelings on both, as blaming Pozuelo for what was a blatant MB fuck up where Pozuelo wasn't even slightly at fault was staggering. That was my first big moment of doubt, it was almost surreal and very very telling about where he was with both players

  25. #85
    Registered User
    Join Date
    May 2008
    Posts
    17,172
    Mentioned
    1 Post(s)
    Tagged
    0 Thread(s)

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by JoesphNdo View Post
    Quite the opposite. He went out of his way to try to blame Pozuelo on a goal that was 100% Bradley's fault. That was a telling sign on his feelings on both, as blaming Pozuelo for what was a blatant MB fuck up where Pozuelo wasn't even slightly at fault was staggering. That was my first big moment of doubt, it was almost surreal and very very telling about where he was with both players
    That was a red letter moment for me too.

    Nobody here doesn’t appreciate what MB did for this club. His 2017 final performance was one of the most incredible performances we will ever see.

    He is a very smart cookie and is playing conservatively now to protect his advanced stats (hat tip to ag futbol I think who first pointed this out). But he is failing the eyesite test, mostly

    You can have older forwards and older CBs. But midfielders run and run and run, and speed was never MB's game to begin with. For laughs, maybe I will list the ages of all the starting MFs this weekend…

    Really, how many MFs aged 35+ not named Luka Modric are there in world football?
    Last edited by ensco; 10-11-2022 at 10:20 PM.
    “What the world needs is more geniuses with humility; there are so few of us left.”

  26. #86
    Registered User
    Join Date
    May 2011
    Posts
    632
    Mentioned
    0 Post(s)
    Tagged
    0 Thread(s)

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by JoesphNdo View Post
    Quite the opposite. He went out of his way to try to blame Pozuelo on a goal that was 100% Bradley's fault. That was a telling sign on his feelings on both, as blaming Pozuelo for what was a blatant MB fuck up where Pozuelo wasn't even slightly at fault was staggering. That was my first big moment of doubt, it was almost surreal and very very telling about where he was with both players
    Which game was this?

  27. #87
    Registered User
    Join Date
    Jul 2019
    Posts
    1,477
    Mentioned
    0 Post(s)
    Tagged
    0 Thread(s)

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by ensco View Post
    Really, how many MFs aged 35+ not named Luka Modric are there in world football?
    https://www.transfermarkt.com/spiele..._id=0&yt0=Show
    Here's the list of 34+ midfielders. After Modric, Busguets, Cuadrado and Rakitic it goes down hill pretty fast...

  28. #88
    Registered User
    Join Date
    Jul 2019
    Posts
    1,477
    Mentioned
    0 Post(s)
    Tagged
    0 Thread(s)

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by spe18 View Post
    Which game was this?
    There was a game where Pozuelo made a bad pass in the build up of play that resulted in a turnover. Bradley did a poor job defending/recovering. I maybe wouldn't say 100% was MB's fault, but he could have done better. In the post game, BB was asked about the goal and he mentioned Pozuelo, another midfielder and a defender as having errors in the defending but didn't mention MB.

  29. #89
    Registered User
    Join Date
    May 2008
    Location
    F5
    Posts
    15,304
    Mentioned
    0 Post(s)
    Tagged
    0 Thread(s)

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by noxx98 View Post
    There was a game where Pozuelo made a bad pass in the build up of play that resulted in a turnover. Bradley did a poor job defending/recovering. I maybe wouldn't say 100% was MB's fault, but he could have done better. In the post game, BB was asked about the goal and he mentioned Pozuelo, another midfielder and a defender as having errors in the defending but didn't mention MB.
    Listening to BB describe it you’d think Pozuelo led MB off a cliff to die like some sort of lemming.

    It was slightly tight but a totally workable situation. One that you’d expect the captain of the team to handle. He got caught in possession and the team got punished for it.

  30. #90
    Registered User
    Join Date
    May 2008
    Posts
    17,172
    Mentioned
    1 Post(s)
    Tagged
    0 Thread(s)

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by noxx98 View Post
    https://www.transfermarkt.com/spiele..._id=0&yt0=Show
    Here's the list of 34+ midfielders. After Modric, Busguets, Cuadrado and Rakitic it goes down hill pretty fast...
    Thanks. That's elite transfermarkt skills there! Do you work for Bill Manning?

    When you start looking on that list for MFs 36 years and older and starting (which MB will be mid next season) …

    … in the top 100 guys on that list, it's Modric, Moutinho (Wolves), David Silva (Real Sociedad), Steven Davis (Rangers), Andreas Guardado (Betis - he has only started 3 of 8 games this year, but he starts for El Tri, so he counts), Fernandinho (now in the Brazilian league), and a guy named Martinez in the Ecuadorian league. Nobody in MLS.

    That's 7 guys in all of world football, 6 of whom were/are prominent players or stars at a far higher level than MB ever was.
    Last edited by ensco; 10-12-2022 at 05:28 AM.
    “What the world needs is more geniuses with humility; there are so few of us left.”

 

 

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •