I'm hoping the kid we drafted can be decent.Originally Posted by jloome
Jalen watson, I think he's a left back and was taken to the preseason camp.
Not a ft starter but depth and ability to fill in would be nice.
I'm hoping the kid we drafted can be decent.
Jalen watson, I think he's a left back and was taken to the preseason camp.
Not a ft starter but depth and ability to fill in would be nice.
So, at the moment, would we be lining up something like this?
-------------------------Jiminez(Diomande)
----------Insigne-------Oso(Vasquez)-------Bernardeschi(Kerr)
----------------------Kaye------Bradley(Nelson)
Lareya(Thompson)----Hedges(O’Neill)-----MacNaughton-----JMR(Chung)
-------------------------Romero(Gavran)
Beginning to think this is actually the plan. Whatever the heck JMR is or is not, he has become a poster child for anyone telling top GTA prospects NOT to sign with TFC.
They may feel they have to give him a real run of games, solely to protect the rep of the Academy. So that, if he doesn't make it, it isn't "their" fault.
“What the world needs is more geniuses with humility; there are so few of us left.”
That makes the most sense.
It’s not at all bad but over a season (and less) a team is only as good as it’s bench/depth and we’ve got next to nothing there.
They should just ring the register if someone’s offering.
Not sure that was ever real, but even the idea that they might have had a big offer, and got greedy, really hurts them. They haven’t sold a single young player to Europe ever (ex Edu, whose situation was very different, ie obviously irrelevant to GTA players evaluating options)
Last edited by ensco; 01-23-2023 at 09:04 PM.
“What the world needs is more geniuses with humility; there are so few of us left.”
Again, after looking at the sort of values Anderlecht buys and sells at, they don't seem like a club that would go in for Jayden Nelsen at multi-millions. But that's who he trialled with.
They buy to sell. They buy guys they know will be effective and that MAY be sellable for a profit. But they usually sell in the same kind of ranges (3M-10M, mostly) as MLS clubs. They usually buy prospects in the $1M and below ranges, from smaller clubs.
So I'm not sure they'd drop $5M on him. Equally JMR might have done well at Liverpool (he was too young for them to sign at that point) but he's 18 now. If he'd impressed them enough to make a $7M-plus offer (and some outlets have suggested we might want $15M for him) they'd probably have done it, because he's not counted against their fair play allowances anyway, as a youth player.
He'd be in the PL2 already, playing with their U21s.
The problem may be Jayden doesn't look like a starter in MLS, let alone Europe, and JMR hasn't played close to enough to justify what they're asking.
michael singh said on TTID podcast that a striker, CB, LB and Gk should be announced relatively soon.
didn't say anything about other positions, i'd imagine they'd be willing to wait a bit for depth as long as they get the starters all in asap.
Be interesting to see what they do with Themi Antonoglu as he's projected by a lot of pundits to make it at the MLS level, either as a fullback or a DM.
yes, i'd hope he gets some minutes as a depth piece this year.
MS also said that sean johnson is in cali right now with the USMNT, same as TFC (obv hinting that they'd hook up after the camp finished ina week).
Found out that ex-NY and Montreal LB Ambroise Oyongo is a free agent. I wonder if he'd be open to a return to MLS. Didn't make the Cameroon squad for Qatar but was a starter for their Third Round Qualifier against Algeria back in March.
This is the lane I expected BB to be swimming in. He may be finding it a lot more crowded than he expected…
https://www.mlssoccer.com/news/minne...mikael-marques
“What the world needs is more geniuses with humility; there are so few of us left.”
My guess on the striker is Alberth Ellis, the former winger/striker for Houston. He had a decent first year in France but his second was slowed after a knee injury and he went cold when he came back from it, so Bordeaux is selling him.
Said the other day an MLS team had come in for him, and it's not Houston based on budget.
Another possibility, although he's expected to go to Atlanta, is Giorgos Giakoumakis from Celtic and the Greek national team. The rumor is Atlanta but they apparently haven't bid yet.
It's Dallas or San Jose on Ellis apparently
Giorgos seems set to go to Urawa - I don't know where or why we'd get another striker until we moved one out, though...
Found this image of the Zolos v TFC friendly. Can't make out any of our new player trialists.
Checks out; Diomande at striker, Rosted at CB, & Johnson at GK.
The LB is a question though.
No, that’s from last year. you can tell by Alex Bono’s slightly improved positioning
Found this image of the Zolos v TFC friendly. Can't make out any of our new player trialists.
I think there's another striker potentially...but we'll see
I know that it 'sounds boring', and it 'isn't anybody's favourite', but just thinking about one of mine and Burt's favourite number, 'the one that nobody picks'...
Last edited by Mr. Inbetween; 01-24-2023 at 10:31 AM.
He needs more than depth minutes. He's 21.
This club has to start acting like players over age 19 are ready or close to it, or move them along.
The league is becoming a paying league now, and there are too many playable prospects at that age elsewhere. People aren't holding onto 21-year-old defenders because of their massive development potential, even if they have some still.
I think the standard in most top leagues now is if a kid is 22 and hasn't made the first team full-time, they get a couple of loans to try and prove themselves worthy and then they're released or sold.
Maybe we're still a few years away from that here, maybe it should be 23 or 24, like with Noble. But if at 21 and as hyped as he is, Themi can't breakthrough and look dependable as a backup this year? Loan him somewhere he'll play at a decent level (not the CPL or USL) and then make a final decision.
I know players keep developing, but if they haven't done enough by 22 to at least compete for a spot, it seems unlikely it will happen most of the time, in most leagues.
I'd also note it's rare for youth players we release to ever stick elsewhere. Chapman is back, in the USL, after flaming out at Dundee. Hamilton is in the CSL after flaming out in Ireland. Julian Dunn blew his knee out and looks done at HamKam. He was listed as rehab'd by December but still has yet to make an appearance and his deal is done this year.
We have to move them up faster and press them more and earlier.
Last edited by jloome; 01-24-2023 at 10:48 AM.
looks like signings around the league finally started to pick up the last couple days.
let's hope for at least 2 signings announced this week!
JMR has 13 appearances, total, in three years.
I’m going to bet one of our youth players will surprise us this year. I’m just not going to bet on which one, lol.
I'm going to take a wild guess that SJ is announced on Thursday after the USMNT game Wednesday night. Fingers crossed.
Anyone following this Berna talk on Juve - I have a feeling it won't impact us in the sense that if he's out for a month, it shouldn't be season ending but that sounds like it is what could happen.
Same old Juve ... always cheating!
Same old Juve ... always cheating!
Same old Juve ... always cheating!
Same old Juve ... always cheating!
If a suspension for Berna means that club gets everything it deserves, so be it.
again, if anything, I think it'll be a slap on the wrist.
kinda more interested in how Chiellini's going to suss out given he was the ringleader. Not to disparage him, but Fede does not seem like the brightest bulb even for soccer players in terms of business.
Juventus is the easy scapegoat. Not even close to the only club cheating on wages and expense bills.
Lets not talk about all the "levers" Barcelona are pulling to not go bankrupt, or PSG/City sponsorship money essentially coming from their owners.
Last edited by Richard; 01-24-2023 at 12:03 PM.
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