Lol. He's been a slacker (his own admission that he took being a pro for granted) and Vanney doesn't cut space for slackers. I wouldn't call that "bad" coaching. Maybe Bez thinks a change of scenery and a different coach can bring him around. We'll see. I predict he ends up in USL or CPL, or out of pro soccer altogether.
MLS is a tough, physical league, that emphasizes speed, and features plastic fields, grueling travel, extreme weather, and incompetent refs. - NK Toronto
but in this case Bez knows more about Hamilton than curtis does about Mullins
Doubt bez would bring in a lazy player
we already have boyd to fill the "at one point showed promise" spot
I really hope that Shaffelburg continues to develop...he seems like a good kid and I like the spark that he has brought to the Reds in the last while. But the really important point about him is the burst of creativity he has brought, not on the field, but here on the Boards. The nicknames are amazing--Schadenfreude, Shuffleburg, Shaff Man, ShuffleDemon (I added that one!).
Let the Shuffle Monster reign:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tCM51jEPK8Q
(Sorry it is not the best song, but so on point)
... or he thinks of him as a project to be turned around. His wages are low, the risk is minimal.
Nothing about this trade is very important, however we're missing more important news to talk about so we are focusing on a pretty marginal player being traded for another marginal player, neither of whom are likely to play much (except given the "TFC curse" they will of course play Hamilton against us and he'll score.).
MLS is a tough, physical league, that emphasizes speed, and features plastic fields, grueling travel, extreme weather, and incompetent refs. - NK Toronto
How many games this season have our backup strikers featured versus our starting one(s)? How many games did they start?
When marginal players are playing more than the starters out of necessity they aren’t exactly marginal anymore.
It’s an unfortunate move, because it doesn’t appeal to the “Jozy’s Gotta Go” crowd or the “Capable and/or Versatile Backup Striker” crowd.
It’s just trading one player who doesn’t cut it for another who probably won’t, given how Mullins has played lately.
It's pretty telling that after a couple of starts Vanney opted not to start him any more, even though we have been short-staffed.
I think he ran out of chances, plain and simple.
I'm all for giving opportunities for Canadian youth, however not everyone is going to be the next DeRo. It would be wonderful if a change of scene turns him around. However, its much more likely that he won't be in MLS much longer.
My feelings exactly.
MLS is a tough, physical league, that emphasizes speed, and features plastic fields, grueling travel, extreme weather, and incompetent refs. - NK Toronto
It wasn’t even not starting Hamilton, just not starting a striker period. Hamilton/Boyd/Akinola haven’t been “a couple of starts,” they’ve started most of the games this season featuring a striker.
If that’s the case moving forward, you need a substitute who can somewhat contribute in an appreciable way. We don’t have anyone who can do that — Hamilton, Akinola, Boyd, and now Mullins.
If Mullins somehow picks up his best form he could be somewhat useful in that role, but otherwise he’s as deadweight as our regular “bench” (not bench this season) players. If he plays like he has played, we still have no strikers worth playing.
FWIW - Mullins scoring a goal every 117 minutes in 2018/2019 combined, post-injury. Hamilton a goal every 247 minutes with way, way more minutes than Mullins during that span. Not saying he is better or worse but those goals per minutes metrics don't go in Hamilton's favor either.
Neither being good isn't a real problem. It's not like anyone would offer anything better for Hamilton than this guy anyway. It's probably more an addition by subtraction move.
Technically though 1 goal every 117 minutes isn't bad but I think the more minutes he gets, that number gets worse.
Unless the Reds have something planned for it, trading their 8th international spot to the Crew for the rest of the year is no really a big deal to me. Heck they still have one open with only 6 currently on the roster. It says it all when in the past the likes of a Mariano Mino filled the 8th int spot at one point.
Remember The Man, The Legend, The Goal 5-12-07 and All That #9 Left On The Pitch, Thanks For The Memories !!!
He's not that good and showed that on TFC2. Even in a two striker setup he's not going to turn into a goal scoring machine. He might benefit if another striker draws off defenders giving him space. He's not going to have a lot of goals or assists though, even in an ideal situation.
Bez recognizes this and in his interview talked about Hamilton as "depth." He's not exactly planning on him to be the next Messi or a key part of the Crew's squad.
Last edited by Oldtimer; 07-11-2019 at 07:22 PM.
Hamilton is one of those guys people will always think is just about to break out but never will. People will still be thinking that a couple years from now when he's serving them ice caps through the Tim's drive-thru window.
Big question is how come Hamilton gets so much love and such a long leash when Osorio is better, does more, did more, and actually earns his place out there yet gets shit on even when he plays well?
Uhhh yeah that's just false about his time at TFC II. 5 goals and 2 assists in 9 games in 2017 and 8 goals and 1 assist in 10 games in 2018. He's an MLS level player. I'm not sure he ever progresses past a bench MLS player but to suggest he struggled at the USL level is not true.
I have no faith in TFC youth development considering they couldn't recognize Kaye's potential while giving contracts and opportunities to so many flops. Hamilton needs to move on to get a fair chance.
Hamilton has a nose for goal. You can’t teach that really, it’s instinct. He can finish. Many strikers we have had cannot do either. But he is ineffective in a one striker set up - is it lack of talent? Effort? Desire to do the physical dirty work needed? I don’t think any of us can say - but there is a parallel to Jozy and Sunderland. The same things were said about him there (Dozy Jozy) and then when he came here and played in a “2” with Seba his career took off. Hamilton can be the same kind of player. It’s why he has been a more effective sub than starter - he is brought on in circumstances where we need a goal and are playing a two up front. He’s not a hold up player at the moment. Maybe he will develop into one when he gets the desire / strength / experience, like Jozy did - but it doesn’t meant he is not a striker.
Any guesses who is the unnamed player that Columbus gets first right of refusal on?