If Ayo is our starting striker next season we're in deep shit. He's still young and learning and nowhere near the quality we can get in that spot. We need a Tati Castellanos or a Raul Ruidiaz, a stone cold finisher who's a lock to compete for the Golden Boot.Originally Posted by portu
Feels like we’re trying to go the high end playmaker / support striker with TAM striker route. Not sure I love it.
But could be the practicality of having to offload Altidore and Solteldo, plus bringing in a certain high priced Italian.
I don't know. BB got his supporters shield with Adama diamante as his starting striker. If the wingers are productive the striker just has to be supporting them.
We also don't really know what Jordan Peruzza's level is. With the right opportunity he could be just what we need.
I'm not certain the LAFC model is what is going to be tried here.
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Lots of pieces yet to be brought in. Isigne would be wonderful - without a steady starting CB brought in, that would be pointless.
we need 2 CBs, a LB, at least 1 (maybe 2) strikers. maybe a CM as well
I can see that.
2022 is more going to be judged on whether we can keep out goals then score. Sure, its nice to win 3-2 rather then lose 2-0 but winning 3-0 is even better.
Right winger, too, ideally
Italian twitter is blowing up this morning with reports that Insigne has accepted our offer and will move to Toronto at season's end.
Check out this tweet at https://twitter.com/footballitalia/status/1475790073971064842?s=20
I may need to tease this theory out more but something tells me Larry T & Bogers ain't so happy with how the current safe/spendthrift Dallas/Vancouver leadership approach within MLS is working out & that's why the Insigne salary is going to be something outrageous.
Nothing like blowing through the current highest salary consensus to say "Eff you Dalllas/Vancouver - we got a WC coming up next year & in our town in 4 with a probable expansion of our stadium to 40K - we ain't gonna capitalise on that if we are a feeder league".
^I used to think this, then changed my mind when Bez left and Curtis came in. I thought TFC would become, not Dallas, but not the top spending team.
I guess the reality is we became a team that spent poorly.
I still don’t get how Insigne makes sense at these types of dollars, in terms of building the marketing presence. He is not a Del Piero, a Pirlo, a Baggio, in terms of wattage, not even close. I know others will argue this point, but Giovinco had higher name recognition in 2015 than Insigne has now. Napoli is just not Juve or a Milan team.
But I assume Bogers understands the investment side of this better than I do. I guess.
Last edited by ensco; 12-28-2021 at 10:23 AM.
“What the world needs is more geniuses with humility; there are so few of us left.”
Plus something to keep in mind:
"Date of birth/Age:Jun 4, 1991 (30)"
So he'll be already 31 when playing his first match for TFC, if coming here after the Serie A has finished.
Interestingly enough, Ali Curtis' LinkedIn profile today still shows him as GM and SVP of TFC.
I guess he'll eventually get around to updating his profile... in about 2 weeks. :-)
I think Insigne's name recognition in the GTA is on par or greater than Giovinco in 2015, mainly because of his accomplishments with the Italian Men's National Team. The Azzurri have a massive following in Southern Ontario.
Yep, I think Woodbridge is probably exploding right now. Won't surprise me to see every home game sellout next season.
This makes little sense to me except from sort of what Ogthedim said, I'd take that line though maybe less aggressive to the other owners.
The only way this makes any sense to me is if Bogers are looking at 2026 as a perfect storm. World cups give MLS a boost in general, but 2026 is potentially special. Not only will Toronto host games, but Canada will likely be a competitive team. Not win the tournament competitive, but maybe pull off an upset result, get out of the groups and not be a whipping boy competitive. So it's possible Bogers are looking at that and thinking the best way to approach things is to make that expansion to 40k permanent and sell those seats - easier said than done
So I think the could be this, it's 2026 and Toronto hosts some WC games. Canada has some exciting games that really capture the imagination, and the sales pitch to the public is
- See that world class 40k stadium? That's on your doorstep, and that atmosphere - that's on your doorstep too. The world cup feel is here every week
- Those players from Canada and other teams you just discovered? Some of them play here, some for TFC, some for other teams
- MLS continues to grow but your local team? It has some household-ish name players and is one of the absolute crown jewels of the league. It's either contenting for or winning championships, and they play an exciting brand of football. They may even be winning Concacaf champions leagues
It could be that they see that as the dream pitch and the dream opportunity to turn TFC into a 40k attendance team with competitive TV viewership numbers, and they see their way of getting there as spending like crazy now to get some championships, some names and some excitement around the team before 2026 comes
I still see that as ambitious, unlikely and somewhat of a way too good to be true scenario but it would explain the otherwise inexplicable numbers being thrown around on this deal IF they were true (Though I STILL have a very hard time believing them and any of this)
If this report is legitimate, it will generate excitement and put bums in the seats at BMO. It should also have a very positive impact on the pitch.
I am surprised at the numbers being floated in the article though. 9.5 million Euros per season for 5 years!
This is just so wrong on every level.
Italian and Fifa playing demos (anyone under 30) on lock now. Already got 3 different IG messages this morning from more casual fans about this. Some people won’t understand how big this is and that’s fine, but it’s literally the best possible player TFC could ever hope to get from all angles. Hell of a way to start the offseason
Obviously with all the silverware Giovinco won as a starter for the Azzurri. His name was on the lips of all kinds of teams like Spurs before we snuck in and snatched him fresh off his loan from the powerhouse Parma.
Pre Euro there might have been an argument but Insigne is now a Cavaliere for a reason. He sentenced the world's top rated team with an outside of the box curler just a few months ago. This is massive.
Check out this tweet at [URL]https://twitter.com/MichaelSingh94/status/1475858395051839495?s=20[/URL]
So I guess the deal is done? Bloody Big Deal!!
Check out this tweet at https://twitter.com/MichaelSingh94/status/1475858395051839495?t=R_zHEFNO7kKlpIZ7dKS_FA&s=19
"Why can't we be great?"
This city owes that man so much. I hope he never pays for a beer whenever he's here.
I do sort of wonder if this changes Giovinco's willingness to accept a lower salary at all...
Diomande was an exceptional striker by MLS levels; the dude scored one-in-two for Bradley, he's just streaky. In their supporters shield run he scored 12 goals in 18 appearances.
Somehow I don't think we're getting that out of Jordan Peruzza.
By "per sources" he means two stories in Italy this morning that quote anonymous sources.
So really it's "per sources I have no idea even exist or not."
Given that both had strikingly different contract figures, both likely well above what any MLS club would pay, I'd be leaning towards non-existent or, at best, not particularly reliable.
Neither here nor there on likelihood, but most of the reporting about this pursuit has been a steaming pile.
Dude, you're getting sucked into the hype. Even if he does end up here, it won't be on anything like the money quoted this morning.
People have to learn that aggregator news sites with minimal staff or mostly freelancers basically just makeup stories and they attempt to be plausible while doing so.
But 90% of these stories turn out to be either bullshit or grossly factually inaccurate.
We had Soteldo in multiple stories for months on a SALARY of $6M a season when he was actually making $1.7M.
If no one comes in for him from another club we'll get him, but bona fide offers and agreements on salary, again, are not legal until he's within the Bosman window.
It's as likely these stories are originating in TFC's offices as anywhere, as it probably stands any offer they HAVE made in good stead to have competitors thinking he's already overpriced for their needs.
Does anyone really think MLS, a single-entity league that has to approve every deal, is going to start paying DPs at the same level as Premiership strikers? Because that's what this alleged offer would do, put him on potentially higher wages than Alexander Lacazette gets at Arsenal.
It's bullshit. They've like quoted him something similar to what Vela gets, in the $7M a season range. Various interested parties are attempting to massage the money northward.
But none of it likely amounts to accurate reporting.
We got one CB last week
For what it's worth, Twellman says Gio was making more than reported.
Check out this tweet at https://twitter.com/TaylorTwellman/status/1475847980863401992
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