anyways, hopefully a sean johnson announcement today.
True, wikipedia isn't the best source, but like Mr.I I tried to verify it. He only played in two official matches. Maybe he played in some unofficial and/or reserve games, but in terms of Eliteserien matches, he only played two.
Norwegian Football Federation has him down as two appearances - https://www.fotball.no/fotballdata/p...fiksId=3891524
As does soccerway (which in my opinion is one of the best stats sites), which has the full lineups for all of Odds matches - https://int.soccerway.com/players/ad...omande/231756/
Historically, his MLS stats are great. His fitness recently looks to be a concern. Hopefully, we get a case of the former not the latter. This is like an Altidore-type. High uncertainty-high reward. When he plays, he can beast. The question is will he be able to play.
Everyone was asking for depth. We signed a depth player. Not every signing is gonna be Lorenzo Insigne or a CMNT player.
Yep, I'm good with this signing (assuming price is right). If we can get first half 2022 season Jimenez combined with a prior-MLS-level-Diomande (even if he's only healthy for half a season), we'll have great production at the front combined with the Italians.
Of course, we could get a 2nd-half of 2022 Jimenez plus an oft-injured Diomande, so I understand the worry some have. It's a risk-reward situation.
Last edited by rydermike; 01-13-2023 at 11:25 AM.
The problem with Jimenez wasn't his form per se, but once Poz left and the DPs arrived we started playing a system that did not suit him at all. He probably has to go, but if he stays I will be rooting for him to succeed because we badly need production, or at least a threat at striker that can draw defenders from FB/LI.
Bob is not talking about Diomande like he is a depth player.
“He is a proven striker with vast experience playing in MLS and Europe. His smart runs, athletic presence, and skill to finish in the box will immediately impact our attack.”
“What the world needs is more geniuses with humility; there are so few of us left.”
He might be our starting striker at this point. Everyone is saying Ayo is gone but I thought Jimenez would of been gone by now the chemistry with Bern & Insigne is just not.
Makes no sense to get rid of Jimenez now. JJ is a different player and adds more things. Plus the guy knows how to play watching him.
Ayo should be on the trading block. Still remember last season when Berna played him through 1 on 1, he had tons of time and just ran the ball right into the keeper. ugh.
if im being honest i still expect both our strikers from last season to be moved on.
bob was very unhappy with both of them.
as of now a fully fit jiminez would start with dio as an option off the bench / starting in multi game weeks (bob used him as an impact sub at LAFC too, almost half his games there in 2019 were off the bench).
No, he's not. A coach doesn't come out in a pre-season press conference and stress the player's importance to improving the attack when he's a 60 min. player.
(And I have no problem with that. He was still at LAFC in 2022, two-and-a-half seasons ago. Two washed out years in the Middle East is less a concern than age, and he's only 32, not 42. He's a very good striker at the MLS level, if he gets the right service. And he's worked with BB before).
I get the urge to always play the reasonable advocate, but I covered press conferences for 24 years. I highly doubt he sees him, after that statement, as a backup.
He will be competing to start with JJ and Ayo.
You can't go by listed weight to determine if someone's mass is healthy. Like Jozy, who mentored him, he could just as easily be overbulked with muscle, which weighs more than fat.
Either way, if it's enough weight to affect his sprint times, the team will address it.
Sometimes, people seem to look at MLS like it's high school. These guys go through beep tests regularly, fat content tests regularly. They have a team dedicated to keeping them at peak operating fitness. This isn't MLB in 1992, with John Kruk drinking a six-pack before batting cleanup. Times have changed.
Last edited by jloome; 01-13-2023 at 11:46 AM.
well in modern football, depth players will start some games as there are so many games, multi game weeks.
but even in 2019 10 of his 25 appearances were off the bench. bob likes him as an impact sub.
but i suspect you're right that he will get some starts. hopefully we don't have to run any of our starters into the ground this year.
I am for productive and challenging depth; especially at a probable bargain price. Seems like it should work out as so. Bob expects so. I really would like and would enjoy JJ to click with Lolo and Fede and thrive. I want Akinola to garner the best possible trade return. I do not understand any need to muddy any stats on Diomande by the club; by any proxy 'front office type'. Suppose it is as jloome may suggest... just a matter lazy journalism; no spin.
I think Bob is playing the numbers game, moneyballing it. He knows he's going to get most of his goals from Insigne, Bernadeschi and Osorio. We're probably the only team in the league with three midfielder who, if fit, are a bet to reach double digits in goals AND potentially assists.
So if he gets nine or 10 out of one of the strikers, seven out of a second and three or four out the third, he gets twenty goals from the striker position. As long as he can interchange them without upsetting others' responsibilities, he gets his goals and he gets some roster flexibility, as JJ and Ayo can both spot as wide forwards as well.
EDIT: Some interesting numbers on Diomande's last tour from mlssoccer
https://www.mlssoccer.com/news/your-...-at-toronto-fc
Last edited by jloome; 01-13-2023 at 11:58 AM.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MUzqndWmfh0
good interview with MAK.
seems an incredibly intelligent and thoughtful guy, happy to see him representing us.
Bob expects everyone to put the work in. If you do, and show that you're excelling he'll give you time on the pitch. AD is definitely a depth signing but that doesn't mean he will be relegated as a sub. Let the competition for minutes begin.
At this stage we have (new signing, TFCII):
GK:Romero, Gavran, Ranjitsingh
FB: Laryea, Marshall-Rutty, Thompson, Chung, Antonoglu, Franklin
CB:Hedges, O'Neill, MacNaughton, Singh, Pearlman (throwing him in as a future potential)
M: Insigne, Bernadeschi, Osorio, Bradley, Kaye, Vazquez, Nelson
FW: Jimenez, Akinola, Diomande, Peruzza, Kerr, Mbongue
Rumourwise we have Rosted and Johnson which are huge areas of need.
If I had the keys, I think I would focus on a dependable and fast LB to help cover for the lack of speed that we have at CB, sort of a LCB type guy (Kamal Miller-esque but much better defensively). This also allows our RB's to bomb up the pitch and be that extra inverted winger. With a full offseason Jimenez should be in a much better state and in addition I would hope that Akinola has had just that extra amount of recovery fitness time that he clearly still needed. With Dio, we've added some decent depth which allows us to look to trade someone like Akinola.
Although we're not getting the rumours we want, the signing of Dio to me shows that they're doing what they need to do to continue to shore up the roster. It may seem like nothing is happening but clearly things have progressed this offseason so far.
^
Thoughtful, succinct, recapitulation of some of the on-goings.
Are we back to the “who ate all the pies?” days when it comes to discussing player fitness and assuming certain body types couldn’t possibly be fit? Past glories included picking on Wayne Rooney who literally had a six-pack and sub 6% body fat and was outrageously fit.
I don’t think Ayo’s issues are anything to do with fitness. I just think he had a couple of good runs of form which everyone assume was his standard, when in fact they were outliers. He’s still developing and not as far along as some assumed.
Ayo looks like the most gassed player after 15 minutes coming on as second half substitute amongst players who have played the entire match.
His bad form is partly because of fitness and not being up to standard.
Really? Two guaranteed years for a striker on the wrong side of 30 with a recent injury history?
Depending on the dollars (I am going to assume $250K)… Diomande is a perfectly good signing. A moneyball player if he works out, an easy-ish contract to deal with if not.
I just feel that the sum total of Bob's work on signings (excluding the Italians and CPL/Academy players)isn’t what I expected: O'Neill, Jiminez and now Diomande. None younger than 28. Feels thin, so far.
“What the world needs is more geniuses with humility; there are so few of us left.”