Only thing that was accurate was the age being right...Originally Posted by ensco
Only thing that was accurate was the age being right...
I guess either core player means something different to Hernandez or that core player fell through and this was back up plan #1.
I just thought the same. Has Hernandes lost his marbles or was that another deal that fell through?
No, I think they see him as an important player. I mean, he had nine goals and six assists in one season in 2022. He clearly has ability and they're gambling he just didn't fit in Atlanta.
He can play anywhere across the front. He's traditionally played on the left or in the hole because Columbus liked his shooting from distance, but he's right-footed and could play any of the front three behind a striker, or in a central midfield role.
He fits what they want, which is a speedy multi-position midfielder.
I think calling him a "core" player publicly was probably more about flattering the player and getting the deal done, setting the tone that Herdman values all of his players, and sending the message to the higher-ups that they're getting value for money.
That and possibly overhype. But I think he's a good player, so I'm clearly a little less underwhelmed than most. I think he'll start most games because we need the speed, and he's more dangerous than any of our current midfielders (assuming we categorize Insigne and Fede as forwards).
Or if we categorize them as dangerous.
I think we all need a bit of reality check. If coello is a core player on this team then Ettiene Jr definitely is.
I don’t see anything wrong in how Hernandez handled everything. I think fans just went a little too wild with speculation and hope.
HAHAHA, good to start the day with a laugh. (Yes, I'm just starting my day. I'm a novelist, we start our day by avoiding work for as long as possible).
Who knows, maybe we get five-plus goals out of him, and maybe Owusu keeps scoring.
Then the only thing keeping Hernandez from a successful acquisition record will be getting some value out of Mailula.
I'm not sure why; we have no cap space, no budget left and no board support for expensive players. We were going to get a player another team didn't want anymore. That doesn't always equate with a loss.
I'll be interested to see why he's inconsistent though, whether it's temperament or concentration or what. He was lethal in 2022, he scored the winner for Columbus in their final a few years back, he had five in a season from a handful of games for the Red Bull when he was in his early 20s. So there's some real talent there and he has jets.
I think half the value Herdman will see is his transitional speed, which we lack. With him, or Richie, or Spicer out there we always have a way to advance the ball very quickly. And JMR has been pretty good at the same for the last few games.
There's a method to it. He's not going to assault the scoring charts but he could put a few away and unbalance other teams.
Our current midfielders? Only defensively.
I'm not especially upset about the trade, especially if Atlanta is eating cap hit. He seems like a gamble, but there's upside, I don't especially see a nailed on starter though unless, as someone suggested, he could take over Osos role and we drop Oso further back but it seems this guy is more of a winger? Either way, I neither love nor hate this, will definitely see how it plays out.
But I do have to admit your comment was my first instinct, too, and I truly hope they aren't that stupid and shortsighted but...you can only judge a horse by the races it has run and all that...
Welcome to Toronto FC Derrick Etienne Jr.! Great piece of business. According to Neil Davidson, Atlanta is picking up most of his salary this year and part of it next year.
We are basically getting the top 2023 MLS free agent for nothing. He needs to find his form and a change of scenery was just what the doctor ordered.
Thrilled to welcome this young man to Toronto.
Columbus fans say he's very talented but massively inconsistent. He runs hot and cold.
He had one really good season going into free agency, which prompted Atlanta to take him on. Then he couldn't hold down a starting spot, blew a few chances, lost confidence.
I'd say he's a gamble as a starter but better depth than a lot of what we've got now. Perhaps Herdman things methodological change can improve his consistency. To our benefit, he's going into prime years for his position.
I wonder how Herdman plans to use him; that'll be interesting. Don't think he's a wingback type; more likely they put him underneath the striker, beside Insigne and replacing him when he can't play.
Probably looks like this if things ever settle (with Insgine probably drifting out to the left more often):
—————-Owusu——-
————-Insigne————-
Laryea--Oso-Flores—Berna
—-Gomis—Long—O’Neill
————-SJ————
Next step: sign RCB?
They might even let us play with 11. (I assume you meant to put the new guy next to insigne...)
Now THAT is decent business.
There’s always room for improvement, lol
I take these sorts of whispers with a bucket of salt. Until the league has clear public disclosures guys are always going to whisper in the ear of the press and spew BS.
My last straw was Manning standing up and telling us Osorio was the 3rd DP after they denied that was the plan earlier.
could or could not be a good signing...we'll see...2022 was his peak with 9 goals 6 assists for columbus...came up big for them when they won the cup in 2020 including scoring in the final...5th club in 10 seasons for him
This is the quote from Davidsons article
"
Etienne made US$676,250 last season, according to the MLS Players Association. But he will only count the senior minimum charge (US$89,716) against the Toronto salary cap with Atlanta covering half of his salary in 2026, according to a TFC spokesperson."
A decent bet, if that is actually the case.
So, the next question is.... Where/what is the outgoing move?
If nothing else from this deal, it is finally nice being on the side of a trade where we get a player without paying most of his salary, instead of shipping out a player, and paying most of his salary.
So, this wasn't the planned move. This was a pivot to appease us.
Also, wouldn't be surprised if the guys out are CPL loans.
Check out this tweet at https://twitter.com/JohnMolinaro/status/1783186695677993191
I truly, truly, truly hope this pivot was a 'we had both guys on a shortlist, and he ticks every box we wanted' not a 'oh fuck, weve embarassed ourselves, best appease the fans in the short term even if it's bad in the long term, whoever the fuck is available get them signed now'. I truly hope that, though do so knowing the latter has been the MO of this front office since Bez left, and that makes me very nervous
They said back in pre-season that they shifted to having multiple players lined up so that they weren't stretching trying to get a deal done with a player, and could pivot if needed. I feel like the international player or players team may have been pushing for more and we walked away and went with a opportunity that presented more value. At least that is how my optimist mindset is choosing to see it.
cap hit + gam for almost 2 seasons of this guy is gonna be 630K (max 800K if he performs well). club options for the two seasons after, too.
is move to atl clearly didn't pan out, which does happen.
but in 2022 he had 9 goals and 6 assists in 2200 mins for the crew.
high upside and low risk with this deal.
The outgoing guys scream CPL/USL loan, maybe a Perruzza again.
Remember The Man, The Legend, The Goal 5-12-07 and All That #9 Left On The Pitch, Thanks For The Memories !!!
Sounds about right for what we’ve got to offer, which is to take a mistake off Atlanta’s hands and offer a new beginning. Money is something we don’t have to offer, which is, I suspect, part of the problem we have trouble getting deals over the line.
If, as Davidson reports, he’ll only count against the cap at the league minimum this season and Atlanta will pay part of his salary next season, then it’s difficult to fault the deal.
In terms of salary budget it’s looking like we won’t have much of that until the Italians are gone (and the Italians were a huge mistake, Manning’s, it seems most likely).
In terms of the player, he has been very inconsistent, about a one in ten scorer, 5th club in ten years and he was back in NextPro this season. But he’s fast and Herdman needs speed. As pointed out often here, Oso as a good soldier filling in for Insigne when he’s (often) injured is not a good idea. I hope we see Oso further back in the midfield right away.
Another thought is that Etienne has over 30 caps for Haiti so probably Herdman has seen him and liked what he saw.
“Core player” for several years means, I guess, that we expect him in Toronto for quite a while (that would be a first for him - 3 seasons is the most he’s had anywhere), but he’s not necessarily a starter.
Last edited by los sonadores; 04-24-2024 at 01:51 PM.
Nah, as mentioned above, he's the backup for the guy we didn't get.
Still, decent upside, quick, creates dangerous situations. Fills a hole we have, which is some transitional speed in midfield, and can play either side of the pitch. They used him inverted to more success at Columbus.
Yawn. Did Mullins stay in shape? Can we get him back?
I am going to confuse Etienne with CJ Sapong and Dom Dwyer, until and unless he gives us a reason to do otherwise. (Yes, I know, Etienne is younger. But he has been around forever, feels like he is 30+, in terms of MLS career trajectory).
(I already think Mailula and Gallardo are the same person.)
Last edited by ensco; 04-24-2024 at 01:47 PM.
"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
My main complaint is this is just another project for this team to take on and we have so many projects on this team.
Mailula, Owusu, Coello, Longstaff, Gomis, Servania, Thompson...
I would much rather this have been more of a sure thing signing like Long or Deybi Flores.
So was this really the right long-term move or the move that gets made by a guy who knows if this season doesn’t work out he’s looking for a new job?
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