Seba made an Instagram story post saying he has not returned and would return to TFC as a player if we asked him.
Seba made an Instagram story post saying he has not returned and would return to TFC as a player if we asked him.
The only way Seba comes back is if MLS makes an over 35 rule, where the Allocation Order no longer applies.
Sign him for Friday, just so that those of us who go have a reason to be interested…
btw this Juve Academy story is distressing. We have an academy problem. There is a ton of talent in the GTA and TFC is getting very little of it.
So the answer is that our most noteworthy player ever … is now recruiting young area players to skip by TFC?
Seba owns a lot of what happened here in 2019, and this past spring, but even still… this just feels of more of Bob's “my way or the highway” … and this has not landed where it should have. Seba should be in the TFC Academy setup.
Last edited by ensco; 09-24-2022 at 11:24 AM.
"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
As things are currently TFC are closer to "the world's worst club" then to an MLS Cup. This next transfer window could be the most important in club history in terms of setting a direction for the club over the next 4 years.
A little egg on the face of whatever journalistic integrity The Beezer- Steve Buffery has left?
I mean the story is in his back yard?
A basic... easy... fact to verify?
The crux...
"TFC’s all-time leading scorer is now reportedly officially retired and has joined the Juventus Academy in Toronto (which actually is in Vaughan)."
IIUC, a simple google search yields no such 'officially confirmed/confirming reports'?
Seems just one Italian web site makes some sort of mention; numero diez- report by Vittorio Mereu?
Whom in turn offers a twitter reference by Nicolo Schira?
Both apparently only indicating that retirement is being reflected upon or being considered by Seba?
Maybe my understanding of this is off?
Last edited by Mr. Inbetween; 09-24-2022 at 05:27 PM.
Down with the signing idea; easy way to satisfy almost all.
His and the other academies and their implications for TFC are an intriguing story; worth following and understanding.
Not so sure how 'a lot' of what happened with TFC in 2019, and this past spring is mostly on Seba? How so?
Seba was, it seems to me, poorly treated by TFC in 2018 and, since they left him twisting in a contract year, he engineered his exit to Saudi. I don’t blame him for that, Manning didn’t handle that right, but Manning probably blames Seba.
Then early this year, they gave Seba a tryout and he promptly left camp to go to Sampdoria. But not before Seba tried to negotiate a DP deal in the papers. Bradley was visibly irritated when discussing this with journos- he clearly felt taken advantage of. No idea if he is right to have felt that way, he may have been… but boy, he has been irritated at an awful lot of people, when you add it up.
So that’s my view about the backdrop around why the most popular, influential player in team history is now recruiting local players for someone else.
Manning, Bradley, Seba, none of them take a back seat to anyone in the “if you diss me, I will make you pay forever” department
There are going to be kids here, like a lot of kids, that absolutely worship Seba. He is going to be good at this.
Last edited by ensco; 09-24-2022 at 06:45 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
Alright, I follow your take on most of this; am mostly in agreement.
It sure does seem TFC 'never miss an opportunity to miss an opportunity'.
Not sure though if when Seba left for La Samp he did more so because once again TFC was still 'non committal'?
That is, about 'after' the try-out situation?
The club has gone down hill ever since Tim Leiweke left.
Manning and Bob are not a Masai Ujiri type which is what we need.
My position for some time has been that we do have guys like Lieweke; in the corporate shadows of MLSE.
They are... The King or Kingmaker Tanenbaum and his Trusted Hand Ujiri.
I don't believe, without them, their support, the current spend...
Whatever your take may be... choose a word... is acquiesced to, permitted, or endorsed...
By either Bell or Rogers; given each of their own ongoing situations and strategies.
Manning has overseen a massive decline in performance. How else could anyone account for the fact that 2018, 2021, and 2022 have seen 3 of the 4 worst goals against records since the clubs’ inception? Under four different managers, no less. Clearly there is are issues that radiate from the top all the way to the bottom and vice versa. It’s like the club is directly run by Bell and Rogers. Or it at least has the same infuriating feel to it.
luke singh just got his 2nd red card of the CPL season and is looking a lil out of his depth...
good thing ali curtis gave him a 4 year deal...
I felt that Luke looked like the type of player who could be eased into MLS slowly, alongside a real backline leader plus an authoritative keeper, and w/o expecting too much from him at first. I felt he was pushed into the deep end too quickly with TFC and that it really harmed him.
Thanks for the CPL update. Looks like "easing him in" might not be enough for him at this level.
When considering some of the variables with respect to judging Bob's performance, it's probably worth considering the snow job that Curtis sold Manning with respect to the immediate talent and value of some of our prospects.
I can see Bradley having been told part of his mandate is to integrate that group into the first team, taking a lot of personnel choices away from him in the first year. I can imagine Manning seeing that as part of a multi-prong argument that he's doing a good job to the board. "Our young prospects are worth $35m! They're just ready to break out, like Alphonso Davies..."
Perhaps Bob decided to give the man what he wants and let the natural roster/role bloodletting take place as a result.
I have to keep in mind how little we actually know of the internal politics there when I get pissed at the process.
On the one hand, I don’t think Bob would miss that sort of detail re: the quality of our youth players. But then again, he was stubbornly sticking to playing them for most of the year.
Here’s my crack pot theory: we are in salary cap hell on account of a boatload of bad contracts that could only partially be un-done via trades, buyouts, and transfers.
Kids were used this year because they are cheap. And being extra frugal in 2022 means a faster path to recovery later.
Youth was never a part of the long term plan but if anyone distinguished themselves it was an opportunity for an audition.
The lack of institutional history related to
a) youth development
&
b) goalkeeper development
has led to a lot of really bad media takes the last few years
"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
I’ve been attributing the situation partly to the manager/sporting director role. There wasn’t time to build a better roster before Bradley put on his coaching hat full time (and man, he had a lot to do on both fronts). Even so, the full back situation was puzzling. Two useful players there shown the door for a succession of kids who had never played there. It was a clean sweep, all-in commitment thing… but somehow I’d feel better if it wasn’t Bradley’s idea to sink with a bunch of players who obviously can’t swim.
good post.
i suspect a lot of this is right, especially considering the terrible value we have with the mavinga and bono contracts (they should be top 3 in their positions in the league on those wages, not massive liabilities).
i suspect we had to give up more than we let on to get rid of jozy, dwyer and lawrence, too.