All that matters is that it's possible.
No matter what happens with Giovinco now, he won't be here in a few years and the team needs to get on with what's next and get used to the new MLS way. Unless of course someone else comes up with a newer, more successful way and then we'll copy that like everyone else.
Evidence of a plan might have included bringing in competent TAM players last year suitable to replace VV or Seba, for example. Other evidence of a plan might be public statements consistent with their actions. "Minor changes" does not mean "we have a cunning plan to replace the best player in the league and have a new DP target lined up.” We haven't seen either, unless Oso is replacing VV in which case his contract could be said to be evidence of a plan.
Last edited by MightyDM; 01-29-2019 at 09:59 PM.
I cant agree that we need to get rid of Seba without a proper replacement. Down the road, yes, he will retire hopefully a red. And after proper homework is done, yes bring in others. But not now. Unless they have been brilliantly hiding a brilliant DP acquisition. And neither of us think that is true.
This will cause them to panic and bring in someone like Atiba Hutchison, I bet.
"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
No way they panic and go Hutchinson. Neither has that reputation. Maybe grab a bunch of young Auro/Jansen types on loan with options to buy though. That wouldn't surprise me.
Up to this point we've basically only seen posturing by Gio's side. Bill Manning has decided it's ML$E's turn. Speaking to the media saying how much it would be great to have him here blah blah blah but we are very far apart in the numbers is a great deal of posturing. I think at the end of the day a lot of factors come into a players decision to accept an offer and it's not always just getting the $/year that you wanted and on the flip side, you don't want to have to pay a big transfer fee and then a slightly less number than what Gio's asking to some other DP you bring in to replace Gio. It's way to early to tell what will happen but I think they'll re-sign him. Gut feel.
You know whose reputation I would pay attention to? The owners.
TV networks.
They will never admit it, never, but I think what they want is the same ratings for less money. They tried more money for more ratings and, excepting the 2016 ECF and the MLS Cups, it didn’t work, and cannot have left them feeling like outspending the league is a winning strategy. Ratings for your average game against the Revs or whomever remain at Poker/Darts levels.
But they won’t want a tear-it-down marketing story. They want this to be a nice little niche property and they do care, a little, and Manning has to be careful, this isn't the NBA or NHL where there is an Auston Matthews type reward for bottoming out. In the way that suit environments work, Manning will feel all this, even if he isn’t being told it.
Last edited by ensco; 01-29-2019 at 09:20 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
It’s worth saying Barco hasn’t panned out yet (at a $15 million transfer fee). He’s had his issues off field too. The new Martinez may go the same way, we don’t know. At this point Atlanta is 50/50 on their DPs, until proven otherwise. We’ll see how they do without Almiron.
I’m not convinced Atlanta is the “new” model yet.
They literally won the MLS cup in there 2nd year, have never not ever made the playoffs, have the best young DPS in the game; have the MLS record transfer fee (almiron) and sell out 48 + k with the nicest stadium and the best fans. They are also projected to be the best team this year and have a world class coach. Definition of a team you should model after.
[QUOTE=JoesphNdo;1885780]Anyone who drops the team 1 full season removed from being the best MLS team of all time when it's still in the top spenders in the league (maybe still top in terms of wage spend!?) with a very strong squad compared to the rest of the league isn't worth worrying about - the team can't dominate every year so fans like that were going to drop off at some stage and there's no stopping it.
Yes. They are called Torontonians.
Families and date night fans filled the stadium.
(And strangely parts of the South End recently ..section 115, 116)
Lose a Giovinco who is worth the price of admission, and don't replace him with someone of equal name recognition and skill set to keep winning, and BMO attendance will drop to levels not seen since the days when we were young and drunk every weekend...
I'm sure the FO is aware that the club cannot afford a team that's not competitive. That's a given.
They’ve done great for sure. May have been a perfect storm though. I think Almiron was the lynch pin. We’ll see this year.
My point was also not to dispute how they’ve done as a team. I’m just saying Barco hasn’t lived up to billing. We don’t know about Pity yet. It’s not as easy as some suggestions here to take a young South American DP at a big transfer (thus hiding their actual cost), and making it a success.
Last edited by Canary10; 01-29-2019 at 10:14 PM.
What worries me is Toronto’s history of doing things on the cheap. Argos to BMO. Jays 94 - 2016. Harold Ballard Leafs. Gazzillions of other examples. Tom L “why can’t we be great” is the exception, not the rule here.
can we please jus sign somebody,so we can stop this paranoia
Be nice to get a rumour of a decent AM. Heck, if I was TFC, I'd leak about interest in somebody they are not really interested in anymore just to get people talking about what type of player is going to be playing.
I have this recurring memory of the Chivas fans in an uproar at Gio's antics in the CCL final. Madre de dios they hated him! Then he turns their keeper inside out and scores the goal to even the tie.
I hope against all odds that he stays.
"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
Fellaini is an interesting comparable. He is on the verge of moving from Man Utd to China.
He is 31 years old and has 18 months left on a deal that pays him 10M euros a year. The new contract will be around 15M euros a year for 3 years. The transfer fee is 12M euros.
I can sort of see TFC's argument for a USD 10M fee. But Giovinco has 12 months not 18 months left, TFC are not Man Utd, Seba has been in the club football wilderness for 4 years, and Seba didn’t just play in a World Cup semi final.
"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
Hell yeah I'm surprised the FO isn't leaking possible signings to change the conversation
this was nice to read this morning (and thanks to denime as always): https://www.thestar.com/sports/socce...hat-price.html
^Atlanta and Seattle always get this “best fans” nonsense.
What they have is massive stadiums that they mostly fill at $10-15 a pop.
They have an interesting entertainment model, and maybe some of those people will grow into “fans”, but neither of them hold a candle to us or Portland in terms of “fans” as the world commonly uses the phrase.
I would also rate SKC and LAFC ahead of Atlanta or Seattle.
"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
There's talk in this thread of people abandoning the team and us struggling to be at half capacity next season if we sell Seba because we'll 'only' still be near or at the top of wage spend in the league, 'only' have one of the better squads in the league and are a full one season removed from winning the treble (and not even a year removed from making the CL final) and being arguably the best team MLS has ever seen
Let's not break our arms patting ourselves on the back for how we have the 'best' fans compared to a team like Seattle that's drawn 35k+ every year since their inception. That's even ignoring the fact that 'best' fans is something you cannot possible measure and will always be 100% clouded by personal bias
Last edited by JoesphNdo; 01-30-2019 at 09:25 AM.