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  1. #2071
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    Quote Originally Posted by portu View Post
    Individual players generate transient buzz, teams and competition prestige maintain it.

    The Insigne numbers are beyond ridiculous relative to whatever new revenue streams might come from media or stadium dollars. He either isn’t coming or MLSE is throwing the consideration of profitability out the window. I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s the latter.

    They’re losing money regardless so why not lose money in style and with an all out gamble, it’s not like they can’t absorb the losses anyway.
    Yes. Agree. Beckham and Zlatan created buzz and did move the needle - but not to the extent required to get a massive TV audience. That requires a top level competition. Maybe the new thing with Mexico will do that. It at least gives MLS a shot at saying it’s big league.

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    Quote Originally Posted by MightyDM View Post
    Agree. But having sat through all of this since 2007 - and NASL, by the way - I’m a bit skeptical. Beckham and Zlatan weren’t used to move the needle, but not in that way. Insigne isn’t them, from a TV perspective.

    Perhaps it is a plan around 2026, and the new competition with Mexico, and perhaps it will get attention. But you’d need some of the key CMNT and USMNT players to be playing in MLS, not Europe for that to really work. And that isn’t happening.

    I hope it is, I hope the league continues to improve, and becomes of global force. But seems unlikely ATM despite whatever plans MLSE might have.
    The guy who said we need international games against other clubs is right. That’s the way to move the needle now.

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    If I had to guess at what is going on:

    -I think the bosses got their heads turned by the momentum in CMNT ratings (158,000 for the Mexico game at the Azteca, 338,000 vs Panama, 713,000 vs CR, 1.153 M for Mexico game in Edmonton)
    -I think Manning read the room, he is a canny operator, who had a damn close call on the Curtis fiasco, and knows he doesn't have that long a runway here anymore anyway
    -I think he made a battlefield decision to go big and totally switch up his messaging/approach, and become the bald Tim Leiweke

    Or something like that
    Last edited by ensco; 01-03-2022 at 10:58 AM.
    “What the world needs is more geniuses with humility; there are so few of us left.”

  4. #2074
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    A 2022 world cup with both USNT and CMNT qualified will give a lot more legitimacy to MLS for North American casuals. Spending now positions TFC as the MLS glamour team before a 2023 jump in MLS viewership.Spend now to ensure you are the North American equivalent of Barca or Man City or insert fav eurosnob club here and enjoy the jersey sales going forward
    Last edited by Gringo Starr; 01-03-2022 at 01:19 PM.

  5. #2075
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    MLSE is playing the long game. That's what made them buy into MLS in the first place. Eventually viewership will make their investment worthwhile. In the meantime keeping TFC from sliding into irrelevance is the short term goal.

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    As fascinating as all the financial talk is, we got a SuperDraft coming! This mock draft has us taking a (probable) GA goalkeeper at 3.

    https://www.topdrawersoccer.com/coll...on-10_aid50354

  7. #2077
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    Quote Originally Posted by MikeForbes View Post
    As fascinating as all the financial talk is, we got a SuperDraft coming! This mock draft has us taking a (probable) GA goalkeeper at 3.

    https://www.topdrawersoccer.com/coll...on-10_aid50354

    I like that pick. I've been saying for years that if I was picking in the draft I would just take the best CB or GK available at whatever spots I had. Chances are they won't pan out but if they do then it's a huge win.

  8. #2078
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    Quote Originally Posted by MikeForbes View Post
    As fascinating as all the financial talk is, we got a SuperDraft coming! This mock draft has us taking a (probable) GA goalkeeper at 3.

    https://www.topdrawersoccer.com/coll...on-10_aid50354
    not that i know any of these guys i can see us picking a GA keeper with our pick

  9. #2079
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    Quote Originally Posted by ensco View Post
    If I had to guess at what is going on:

    -I think the bosses got their heads turned by the momentum in CMNT ratings (158,000 for the Mexico game at the Azteca, 338,000 vs Panama, 713,000 vs CR, 1.153 M for Mexico game in Edmonton)
    -I think Manning read the room, he is a canny operator, who had a damn close call on the Curtis fiasco, and knows he doesn't have that long a runway here anymore anyway
    -I think he made a battlefield decision to go big and totally switch up his messaging/approach, and become the bald Tim Leiweke

    Or something like that
    I think this is fairly accurate especially the part where CMNT turned heads. If 1.1m watched live then a big percentage watched on demand or watched highlights. The swing from 338,000 to 1.1m two games later featuring the same teams does it for me. 300k people expected to lose and when it never happened, 800k more people got word and had to tune in. That’s a definite hype and marketing reason.

    Anyways I hope all these rumors come to fruition or they better get a few more crisis negotiators on the Ontario government’s payroll as people will be looking for a ledge. You can also hedge that if some of these rumors don’t pan out Manning gone. You can’t pump the tires this much and survive coming out empty handed.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Ultra & Proud View Post
    I like that pick. I've been saying for years that if I was picking in the draft I would just take the best CB or GK available at whatever spots I had. Chances are they won't pan out but if they do then it's a huge win.
    Agreed. I also don't like the idea of wasting salary cap on Borjan so taking a GK with a nice pedigree in the draft appeals to me.

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    Quote Originally Posted by MikeForbes View Post
    As fascinating as all the financial talk is, we got a SuperDraft coming! This mock draft has us taking a (probable) GA goalkeeper at 3.

    https://www.topdrawersoccer.com/coll...on-10_aid50354
    I want to click that link so bad but after years of disappointment it’s probably best I don’t.

  12. #2082
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    Quote Originally Posted by Mr. Inbetween View Post
    Share some of your sentiments jabbronies; lots of crazy. Unless something really nasty has happened to cause a complete breakdown with the coach, management and/or ownership at Napoli, I do not see LI coming here to TFC until the SerieA season's over; end of May earliest and w/o any R&R. I even think like you he would be gangster enough to help the team politically and absorb any Ultra backlash; just any other year, but not this one given the circumstances. I think it would damage his general football standing and any legacy w/Napoli at this time. LI is their Captain... he is/was a poster boy for Siamo il Napoli; even if he is being subbed or coming on off the bench more frequently these days. How beloved he still is and his value can be debated; e.g. insert Altidore here They are 3rd! still in the Scudetto hunt, even though if Inter's form continues no team will be able to challenge IMO. He or Napoli have WC qualifying, Europa and Scudetto to resolve, which only begin to get squared away starting March IMO. Why does he walk away from those now? Maybe he's being pushed, maybe SerieA/Team finances are in more of a mess then some think, maybe he's part of the mercenary lot.
    I haven't followed Serie A in years, so I started looking at game sheets from the past couples of months to get a sense of how his current role in the club. It did seem like recently he was coming off the bench more often than starting. I saw in a couple instances he wasn't in the lineup. So I assumed maybe injury? or maybe he's just not in the plans anymore?

    If he comes here in June - he's going to be burned out by the time the WC comes along, assuming Italy even makes it.
    He's going to finish the grueling portion of the Italian season and he's going to come into the grueling portion of the MLS season (The heat and travel alone are going to kill him if he comes in July) and then right into the WC.
    If he comes now, he gets "a break" and he can ease into MLS and the quirks of it all

    I mean, coming to MLS is a step down and if that's what he wants, does he step down now or hold off until June? Loyalty's aside, If he's not seen as integral to Napoli's plans, why finish the season there? Why not start being the top dog here where he is being sold as the guy who will lead the club to North American success (MLS and CCL?) as opposed to holding off?

    Anyways. I'm with you. He'll be here in July, won't integrate until August. I hope I'm wrong.
    Last edited by jabbronies; 01-03-2022 at 12:06 PM.

  13. #2083
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    Quote Originally Posted by MikeForbes View Post
    Agreed. I also don't like the idea of wasting salary cap on Borjan so taking a GK with a nice pedigree in the draft appeals to me.
    I'm only good with it if we could offload Bono and give Borjan his contract but that's about it.

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    I doubt we take a keeper. For the 3rd pick, I'd want someone who has a chance at actually being a decent sub, instead of someone never taking the field. For the 3rd keeper, I feel it's more likely we sign Andreas Vaikla from TFC2. He's played in Europe (top tier in Sweden, Finland, and Estonia), 3 appearances in the UEFA Champions League, has 3 national team caps for Estonia (all before age of 20, so he's still eligible to switch to Canada), plus born and raised in Canada so he's domestic. I was surprised he came to TFC2 (even though he played little in the couple of years prior - I think he had injury issues). I could see it as he was promised a first team contract for this season, just had to wait for Silva to expire, so joined TFC2.

  15. #2085
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    Quote Originally Posted by jabbronies View Post
    I haven't followed Serie A in years, so I started looking at game sheets from the past couples of months to get a sense of how his current role in the club. It did seem like recently he was coming off the bench more often than starting. I saw in a couple instances he wasn't in the lineup. So I assumed maybe injury? or maybe he's just not in the plans anymore?

    If he comes here in June - he's going to be burned out by the time the WC comes along, assuming Italy even makes it.
    He's going to finish the grueling portion of the Italian season and he's going to come into the grueling portion of the MLS season (The heat and travel alone are going to kill him if he comes in July) and then right into the WC.
    If he comes now, he gets "a break" and he can ease into MLS and the quirks of it all

    I mean, coming to MLS is a step down and if that's what he wants, does he step down now or hold off until June? Loyalty's aside, If he's not seen as integral to Napoli's plans, why finish the season there? Why not start being the top dog here where he is being sold as the guy who will lead the club to North American success (MLS and CCL?) as opposed to holding off?

    Anyways. I'm with you. He'll be here in July, won't integrate until August. I hope I'm wrong.
    My father followed it well enough; some of it rubbed off on me. He was Laziale in a sea of Romanista extended family and siblings; including his twin brother!
    It wasn't till his late 60's when a nephew-in-law joined the family did he have some backing and understanding within the clan.
    In his youth he had a special place in his heart for two teams... Grande Torino- never, ever Juve, for the original template they gave the National team and Napoli because after the war he did some university time there before joining Italy's reconstituted Air Force under NATO.

    I get it and am with you. A part of me too hopes he is more of the mercenary ilk.
    I just do not see it. His situation is unique, a local boy, Captain, it is the South, it is Napoli, it is a thing, and with what are pending... the various competition runs. It is a legacy matter, why potentially stain that with the core if nothing drastic has happened to push? He is a / their version of Maldini and Totti.

  16. #2086
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    Quote Originally Posted by jabbronies View Post
    I haven't followed Serie A in years, so I started looking at game sheets from the past couples of months to get a sense of how his current role in the club. It did seem like recently he was coming off the bench more often than starting. I saw in a couple instances he wasn't in the lineup. So I assumed maybe injury? or maybe he's just not in the plans anymore?
    He's been battling some minor injuries the past month and also just recovered from COVID. Transfermarkt has a good game by game breakdown here: https://www.transfermarkt.us/lorenzo...spieler/133964

    Prior to this season he's been relatively healthy. The last time he was out for an extended run of games was 2014/15.

  17. #2087
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    Quote Originally Posted by MikeForbes View Post
    As fascinating as all the financial talk is, we got a SuperDraft coming! This mock draft has us taking a (probable) GA goalkeeper at 3.

    https://www.topdrawersoccer.com/coll...on-10_aid50354
    I’m too lazy to look through this but my hope is, that if there are any former sigma fc grads that are highly related, we pick them up. They have a much better record of producing pros than most, plus they’re local.

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    Quote Originally Posted by ag futbol View Post
    I’m too lazy to look through this but my hope is, that if there are any former sigma fc grads that are highly related, we pick them up. They have a much better record of producing pros than most, plus they’re local.
    They had two Canadians listed, both from the GTA. Tani Oluwaseyi https://redstormsports.com/sports/me...oluwaseyi/4427 and Mohamed Omar https://und.com/roster/mohamed-omar/.

    Neither are Sigma grads, but Omar came up through the TFC academy and played at Berkshire Academy. I think that's where Shaff and Achara played in highschool.

    EDIT: Apparently Alistair Johnston's brother is also draft eligible: https://umterps.com/sports/mens-socc...-johnston/9671
    Last edited by noxx98; 01-03-2022 at 01:31 PM.

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    Quote Originally Posted by reggie View Post
    not that i know any of these guys i can see us picking a GA keeper with our pick
    Edit. Spelling

    La Difesa first! The Italian Model! Tried, tested and true. Always, all day long! It is what gets you to any showtime. There always seems to be plenty of attack flash options around. Never enough stalwarts for the back.
    Last edited by Mr. Inbetween; 01-03-2022 at 11:24 PM.

  20. #2090
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    The problem with the MLS in terms of TV viewers , unlike the other North American sports leagues in the other sports , the MLS has to compete with other soccer leagues in the world and other soccer competitions all over the world . What other hockey leagues for example is the NHL competing with for viewers? There really isn’t any , this is the main problem the MLS will always have. They just did a study in the US and found that soccer as a whole combining all the soccer leagues and competitions in the world that people in the US watch and follow is closing in on baseball which at the moment is fourth in terms of popularity in the US. Therefore soccer as a whole is a top four sport popularity wise in the US and easily close to a top four sport in Canada popularity wise , but the MLS is only a portion of the soccer Canadians and Americans consume , there is so much competition within soccer itself that the other sports don’t have to really worry about.

  21. #2091
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    Quote Originally Posted by ensco View Post
    If I had to guess at what is going on:

    -I think the bosses got their heads turned by the momentum in CMNT ratings (158,000 for the Mexico game at the Azteca, 338,000 vs Panama, 713,000 vs CR, 1.153 M for Mexico game in Edmonton)
    -I think Manning read the room, he is a canny operator, who had a damn close call on the Curtis fiasco, and knows he doesn't have that long a runway here anymore anyway
    -I think he made a battlefield decision to go big and totally switch up his messaging/approach, and become the bald Tim Leiweke

    Or something like that

    ensco, great reference mentions of the CNMT and F1 numbers. These are the sort of metrics that would perk the suits.
    To be clear, Manning is frosty, but I do not consider him a suit per say in a layer cake sense; he is a cut out.
    He well could be the instigator; his hill to die on. I think he is the convenient pawn in this case.

  22. #2092
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    Quote Originally Posted by SoccMan2 View Post
    The problem with the MLS in terms of TV viewers , unlike the other North American sports leagues in the other sports , the MLS has to compete with other soccer leagues in the world and other soccer competitions all over the world . What other hockey leagues for example is the NHL competing with for viewers? There really isn’t any , this is the main problem the MLS will always have. They just did a study in the US and found that soccer as a whole combining all the soccer leagues and competitions in the world that people in the US watch and follow is closing in on baseball which at the moment is fourth in terms of popularity in the US. Therefore soccer as a whole is a top four sport popularity wise in the US and easily close to a top four sport in Canada popularity wise , but the MLS is only a portion of the soccer Canadians and Americans consume , there is so much competition within soccer itself that the other sports don’t have to really worry about.
    Edit.
    Did not even cross my mind. A great thought. Very true. Excellent share.
    I suspect the fight will always be... to be the sixth best league in the world.
    Last edited by Mr. Inbetween; 01-03-2022 at 01:46 PM.

  23. #2093
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    Quote Originally Posted by MikeForbes View Post
    Agreed. I also don't like the idea of wasting salary cap on Borjan so taking a GK with a nice pedigree in the draft appeals to me.
    The intensity that Borjan brings with him would be worth every penny. At 34 his age doesn't seem to line up with us though, MTL is likely the team interested in him with Ccl play on the horizon. I hope it is us though. For the draft I hope we just take the best Canadian available and take a flyer on one of our own.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Gringo Starr View Post
    The intensity that Borjan brings with him would be worth every penny. At 34 his age doesn't seem to line up with us though, MTL is likely the team interested in him with Ccl play on the horizon. I hope it is us though. For the draft I hope we just take the best Canadian available and take a flyer on one of our own.
    Watching the CMNT I see how easily and consistently Borjan can kick a ball 30 yards or more and land it perfectly at the feet of his teammates. Perhaps Bono has ruined my eyesight and I have forgot this is actually a skill most goal keepers possess but I’d sign Borjan just for this reason and be happy. I just cannot tolerate Bono punting the ball out of bounds over and over like it’s a grenade and he needs to get rid to save humanity.

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    Thought experiment. What if this was TFC instead of Augsburg buying Pepi?

    Which would you prefer? Pepi or Insigne?

    “What the world needs is more geniuses with humility; there are so few of us left.”

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    I would prefer Pepi because of age and upside. Anyway we're maybe 30 years away from something like that to happen within MLS.

    What's the record for transfer fee(GAM/TAM/SPAM etc.) between MLS teams? Is it even $5M?

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    Meeting is Rome seems to be re-scheduled for the 10th now, Manning tested postitive for Covid

    https://www.tuttonapoli.net/in-primo...ovid-19-491643

    Initially scheduled for tomorrow evening in Rome , the transfer market summit between Insigne's entourage and Toronto has skipped. This was reported by Ciro Venerato, Rai Sport 's market expert , according to whom the president of the Canadian club, expected tomorrow in Italy, tested positive at Covid-19. A few hours ago, the molecular test passed and the trip canceled. Bill Manning is asymptomatic and already had a positive daughter for a few days. He hopes to negativize himself in the next few days to set a new summit for January 10th. Covid permitting

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    (You know, I'm looking at that emoticon & it does remind me a lot of Seba talking to a ref)

 

 

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