"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
Not the only way to examine this. I get worried by the application of analytics to GKs in a salary capped league, where there is so much variability around lineups week to week.
There were pretty good stats out there supporting Bono, but we all knew Bono was failing the eyesight test for years.
Lots of GKs bounce back in their 30s. Not saying Hamid will. But frankly it might be more likely than Diomande.
It will amuse if the outcome of all this is a Bono for Hamid swap.
Last edited by ensco; 01-14-2023 at 04:30 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
I would start looking for Serbian u-22's. Their national team just named 3 23 and under MLS players to their squad for their next set of friendlies. That will not go unseen by players and agents.
Euro 2020/1 - Italy wins --> Manning searches for Italian players
World Cup 2022 - Argentina wins
Manning is probably looking up Argentinians as we speak.
Probably too late and wouldn't get any on a free transfer lol.
A legit question tho- does management target one person they think they need and assume they'll acquire them ..being too stubborn to look at other options?
I feel like this is what's happening with Sean Johnson - did tfc not consider alternative options ? Are they being way too arrogant or stubborn?
Also kinda speaks to how unattractive TFC must be for Johnson to wait it out.
I suspect TFC is unattractive to not just Sean Johnson. I also wonder how much cap space is left after signing Hedges, which may explain the lack of signings.
Some posters were saying TFC needed to sign 6 or 7 players this window. Right now I would be happy if we could just sign a keeper. Just not Hamid.
If they only bring in one more player this offseason, I won't be watching in 2023. And I think that's the case for another 100 k people.
This team has 7 capable starters and no goalie. They need 2 midfielders, 3 defenders and a goalie. Like we're not even close. They have turned diehards like me who watched every minute of every game for 4 seasons into being completely being turned off by the league, their over expansion and their politics.
Bringing in one only one more player would be highly unlikely. We haven’t a starting keeper or a left back of any kind, and we need another starting centre half, and someone to back up Micheal at the very minimum. Personally I think, beyond those 4 singings, how we add depth now and in the summer will probably go a long way to determining this season.
Bob did win the shield not long ago so I don’t think he’s an idiot. I do think he’s been given carte blanche with time, tearing down the roster and remaking it … and that’s been frustrating to watch and also inexplicable to many in the current football world where the manager (including Bob himself in the Premier League) is gone if they don’t deliver after two or three weeks. That’s not at all been the situation here.
League expansion and politics have nothing much to do issues of whether our FO knows what they’re doing or not.
I believe that BB is trying to bring in new players however there must be cap constraints in play. This is why the club needs to revamp their academy so that it becomes the 1st choice for local players from Southern Ontario. Some will be sold on to the better European leagues, however those not at that level will stay and form the backbone of the team (I.e. Osorio).
The current strategy of building the roster around mainly American and foreign players in a salary cap league is not working. The club needs to focus on Canadian players from the area who will want to play close to home, in front of friends and family.
What is it with people only watching teams that are perfect? Like, did all of Napoli's support take off the last 33 years?!?!?!
Gawd, people, if that was true, none of us from 2007 would still be around.
I want them to be better. I bemoan certain decisions. I think BB is stuck in his ways & MB is going to be a boat anchor on this team.
But I'm still going to watch them.
Anyways, going into this offseason, I thought we needed to sign 5 players
GK
CB
RB
DM
Forward depth
We've since been added the need for
CB
LB
By my reckoning, we have 2 of those signed. Slower then I would prefer but at least there has been movement.
Worrisome that the one obvious GK target may not get here. Somewhat worrisome that the team is relying upon resigning RL for RB. Really worrisome to me that this team seems to think MB is an every day starter still.
I think the thing I notice most is the lack of verve, insight, creativity.
We all like the Hedges signing, and would be happy with SJ, great, O'Neill was a decent punt too, but at some level that stuff is obvious and is just about outspending other bidders. League FAs are tough from a cap mgmt POV.
Much as I would be excited by Miller or Adekugbe, they would also be, let's face it, failures of imagination. (But I wouldn't complain!)
Finding talent in the less illuminated corners? The stuff that's harder? The stuff we all thought BB had in edge in? BB's track record here on that is JJ and ... Rosted, maybe? That seems like serious underperformance in three windows, unless they are about to shock and awe and unveil 3-4 of those guys in the next two weeks.
"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
That's what a true fan does. I will watch every game this season even if they end up last. People are frustrated with the lack of activity and just need to vent. Not just the lack of signings but the lack of any news or info on the club. Did they fire the entire marketing dept?
I think however a long term strategy for roster construction needs to be put in place. Right now it feels as if they are flying by the seat of their pants with no vision or strategy. Count me amongst those not happy with the current mgmt team.
Last edited by NK Toronto; 01-15-2023 at 11:17 AM.
I’m not at all against the current signings, but of course the proof will be in the pudding. Like others, I’d like to see some clear reach and imagination at play in the signings we still have to make. It’d be difficult to go the under-23 DP route and consequent 2 or 3 low cap hit young signings without some real scouting and sporting director competence/vision/flair … waiting for that necessary element.
The longer the Sean Johnson thing drags, the more we gotta start looking for alternatives. If this comes through for the Rapids, TFC could consider Zac MacMath as a stop gap starter. He isn't exactly a world beater, but we can't go into the season with Tomas Romero as the unquestioned number 1.
Check out this tweet at https://twitter.com/mlsnetwork/status/1614667420882407427?s=20&t=0CSYjwb8qXCdUxnylQGsiw
What is the linkage to the Austrian keeper story. Doesn’t MacMath play for RSL?
EDIT and side note: Colorado's GK William Yarbrough is a Mexico-US dual national and was the subject of a pretty fierce duel between Mexico and the US when he was a U 20 player (Mexico won that round, but he eventually became a US senior player).
Point of the story: Bradley was the US U20 coach and then the US senior manager in that period …. So there is a decent chance Bradley and Yarbrough (and MB, who was a U20 player under Bob don’t forget) have all known each other a long time …
Last edited by ensco; 01-15-2023 at 01:09 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
After today Hugo Lloris may be available on a free transfer. Gave up a Bono like goal against Arsenal. Even on a TAM deal I wouldn't take him. He looks finished.
Why I am optimistic despite the gaps:
1. We are not signing every position gap ASAP, putting some more thought into it - when we did this before everyone was negative, now negative we aren't doing it sheesh.
2. We are not going to have any more Insigne or Berna level signings - Rousted level/type are what we should be looking for and what we should be expecting, salary cap just straight up locks us into this.
3. We no longer leak every thought the FO has regarding players to reporters, this likely screwed us so many times in negotiations before.
4. We filled our biggest gap from last year, at CB, so that even if we get hodge-podge signings from the rest of the window, we will very likely be much better this season as we haven't lost much that was good about last season.
So, Larin is apparently about to be transferred for “a small sum”. Hmmm
https://www.voetbalnieuws.be/news/69...de-transfer-af
"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
Agree.
But if there is one thing I know from years on the CMNT boards, its that a large number of people wouldn’t want this!
He is streaky, and he has never really shaken the problems he got into in Orlando, in these parts…
but I think he might be perfect for Italians. He isn’t just a target man either, he plays excellent combination football up front.
"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
Normally, I am the first on the "lol. Lazy scouting" train. But if we can convince Larin to come back as a cheap 3rd DP and open up those two u-22 spots, I am absolutely down. If you are giving him 3 million and not opening up those spots, I would definitely question it.
This probably isn’t out of the realm of being possible. Forgot we already traded our 2nd spot in the allocation order when we moved up to being back Richie so that’s a potential hindrance. Appears we are now 11th. I’d be happy if we landed Larin.