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  1. #31
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    Ashtone Morgan signed today.

    Props to Ashtone, Mr TFC , and to Bez/Vanney.

    This is what the best teams do. Take care of the right guys quickly.

    Ashtone is TFC's Ed Kranepool (obscure reference, I know)
    “What the world needs is more geniuses with humility; there are so few of us left.”

  2. #32
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    Great goal, calmly taken on the volley.

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

  3. #33
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    Quote Originally Posted by ensco View Post
    Great goal, calmly taken on the volley.

    So happy for our guy.
    It was a nice calm goal. Exactly what he had to do. Must feel good for him

  4. #34
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    Was so happy for him.





  5. #35
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    Ashorne Morgan gave us stellar performances throughout the CCL run.

    Special hat tip to him - all those injuries and he just stuck with it - he gave us 90 minutes at the Azteca, and 90 minutes at Chivas, and never got beat once.

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

  6. #36
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    Yeah great performances. He was being attacked the whole night from Chivas and kept composure.

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    His goal against America is in my top 5 all-time.

  8. #38
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    He got in their heads.
    Never expected that from him

  9. #39
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    Ashtone getting some shine from Vanney and Bradley
    https://www.sportsnet.ca/soccer/toro...nsistent-play/

    To me it’s kind of a miracle that Ashtone didn’t lose his spot when Vanney came in and Ashtone got hurt repeatedly. It’d have been so easy for Vanney to move on, as he mostly did with everyone else he inherited.
    “What the world needs is more geniuses with humility; there are so few of us left.”

  10. #40
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    Quote Originally Posted by ensco View Post
    Ashtone getting some shine from Vanney and Bradley
    https://www.sportsnet.ca/soccer/toro...nsistent-play/

    To me it’s kind of a miracle that Ashtone didn’t lose his spot when Vanney came in and Ashtone got hurt repeatedly. It’d have been so easy for Vanney to move on, as he mostly did with everyone else he inherited.
    I'd say its a testament to how well respected a guy like Morgan is to the rest of the players....

    Remember hearing in the broadcast from one of the CCL games that when Jozy came in a couple years back, the 2 guys he said he was most looking for appreciation from were the hometown boys, Morgan and Osorio......something like that speaks big to me, especially considering neither one at the time (or now even) was a "top" player for us.....

  11. #41
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    Check out the RSL highlights last night. Our man got his first start out there, played 72 minutes, and whoa did he SHINE.

    Had a key outlet pass on the counter RSL’s second goal (the first was another GK back pass howler btw, strange we are seeing a lot of those)

    Then he had a critical header off the line preventing a certain goal.



    Always nice to be part of a clean sheet as a defender. If somebody watched the whole game they can give more colour.

    btw it was kind of a TFC 2016 scrimmage. Colorado subbed in Benezet and Beitashour got subbed in. Moor and Irwin (and Fraser of course) on the bench.

    All Ashtone does is battle battle battle, and when he gets the call … he delivers.
    Last edited by ensco; 07-25-2021 at 04:56 PM.
    “What the world needs is more geniuses with humility; there are so few of us left.”

  12. #42
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    Don’t know why we let him go.

  13. #43
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    Quote Originally Posted by jloome View Post
    Don’t know why we let him go.
    Incompetent back office?

  14. #44
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    Quote Originally Posted by BritSOL View Post
    Incompetent back office?
    Yeah, basically. Same with Dan Lovitz. He was a good utility player for us, rarely put a foot wrong. If I said I thought he'd improve at fullback at the same sort of rate Osorio did, I'd be lying, but he was both a good player for us and had upside to come, so why we let him go for nothing is just head scratching.

    I think Greg Vanney was a great coach, but he did not have an eye for youth development or see much value in depth players. I also think Ashtone was just undevalued; he'd had a couple of injuries, a stupid red card once healthy. But it's not like we're screamingly deep, considering he could probably play anywhere wide and inside on a pinch, like Lawrence. He had great read of the game.

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    The posts above romanticize Ashtone Morgan’s time here quite a bit. He’s not a starting left back on a contending team, period - now or then. Great hometown boy, and will never forget his CCL contribution but best for all parties involved to move on.

  16. #46
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    Quote Originally Posted by Smokecell View Post
    The posts above romanticize Ashtone Morgan’s time here quite a bit. He’s not a starting left back on a contending team, period - now or then. Great hometown boy, and will never forget his CCL contribution but best for all parties involved to move on.
    Couldn't agree more.

  17. #47
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    Quote Originally Posted by Smokecell View Post
    The posts above romanticize Ashtone Morgan’s time here quite a bit. He’s not a starting left back on a contending team, period - now or then. Great hometown boy, and will never forget his CCL contribution but best for all parties involved to move on.
    This is absurd. Show me where anybody is saying he should be a starter.

    He is an excellent depth player, who consistently played (and it seems still plays) well when inserted because of injuries or absences. These guys don’t grow on trees in MLS, and we should have kept him in that role.

    It isn’t always just about talent, there are people you don’t move to make a marginal upgrade. Ashtone is one of a kind, he remains the only guy we ever developed who stayed for any real period and is, by all accounts, a super high quality human being. These things matter.

    He also has shown incredible tenacity, I mean on an epic scale. He survived 5 regimes here. He was done here, multiple times, he had injuries, fell out of favour. Then he goes to RSL and was buried, he couldn’t get in the 18 there much last year. We all agree, it's not like he is a big talent.

    He just never lets any of it stop him. A role model when facing adversity for us all.

    Anyway, believe what you want, it's a free country. It's not like I have ever met him, but this kind of player, this kind of person, is important to me, as a fan. I hope he is a meaningful part of the setup here when his career is done.
    Last edited by ensco; 07-25-2021 at 10:30 PM.
    “What the world needs is more geniuses with humility; there are so few of us left.”

  18. #48
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    4 decent FB's should be enough on the squad - not sure you can carry 5 just to have a 3rd for the games during international breaks

    Not sure why Ash was let go but the 4 we have do the job - when healthy & here

    Lawrence is coming back today

  19. #49
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    Quote Originally Posted by ensco View Post
    This is absurd. Show me where anybody is saying he should be a starter.
    The point is that it was in everyone’s best interest for him to leave the club and pursue a greater role in the football world. That role was clearly not going to be here, nor should it have been. What’s absurd is suggesting that he should stay and essentially be a mascot.

  20. #50
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    Quote Originally Posted by Smokecell View Post
    The point is that it was in everyone’s best interest for him to leave the club and pursue a greater role in the football world. That role was clearly not going to be here, nor should it have been. What’s absurd is suggesting that he should stay and essentially be a mascot.
    Mascot?

    He made 125 appearances for us. He's had one start since moving to RSL and it's not because the guys ahead of him have been great.

    Even in spot appearances for them he's been solid, as he was for us.

    He was probably never going to win the fulltime job because there's always a dude a little better out there. In our case, it was Justin, who was a multiple league all-star already.

    But as Ensco says, you need your depth to actually BE depth. The dude was a really solid defender.

    (And people who say we don't need another Richie Williams, he was also great depth, which is why he actually starts occasionally in Columbus.)

    We can't try to sign two team of starters. And our depth has been shit for three years now (coincidentally around the time we started letting go just about everyone marginal at the end of their deal).

    Get rid of Warren Crevalle or Eric Avila or Joe Bendik? Fine. They were too inconsistent to not be damaging.

    But we've had a bunch of guys who never looked like starters but nevertheless performed with competent consistency. We need some of them now, quite obviously. Why the fuck anyone would let a Lovitz or Morgan get away in this league is beyond me.
    Last edited by jloome; 07-26-2021 at 09:53 AM.

  21. #51
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    I want to generalize this beyond any particular poster, this is not directed at anyone in particular...

    What I am advocating is adapting the non-North American football culture, it's what I have done, anyway.

    In most places, guys that are developed in the youth system and become first team players are automatically special, those that are also nice guys become real fan favourites, and those that are all of that and stay for more than 5 years .... are BELOVED. Management of those teams would not move on from guys like that for the sake of marginal upgrades.

    In most places, this is not something one would have to argue/discuss.
    Last edited by ensco; 07-26-2021 at 12:20 PM.
    “What the world needs is more geniuses with humility; there are so few of us left.”

  22. #52
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    Quote Originally Posted by ensco View Post
    I want to generalize this beyond any particular poster, this is not directed at anyone in particular...

    What I am advocating is adapting the non-North American football culture, it's what I have done, anyway.

    In most places, guys that are developed in the youth system and become first team players are automatically special, those that are also nice guys become real fan favourites, and those that are all of that and stay for more than 5 years .... are BELOVED. Management of those teams would not move on from guys like that for the sake of marginal upgrades.

    In most places, this is not something one would have to argue/discuss.
    This is not a thing. I get where you are going, but it's way too broad. The part I've bolded - 100% agreed but this is the case anywhere in any sport. The rest, not at all. Someone like Totti is what I'd call beloved, but for every Totti you have a Jack Wilshere. Sports is a business at the end of the day and the globe is too large to generalize and say that there's a formula that North Americans don't understand. Further, when talking about beloved, you'd be hard pressed to find a club anywhere in the world consider the 27th guy on a 30 man roster beloved.

    Btw, marginal? Dude Morgan was displaced by a guy who came in and taught MLS what a proper FB/WB looked like. Morrow in the 3-5-2 that Vanney ran in '17 was an absolute clinic on the position. You move on from guys like Morgan because they've already taken you as far as they can (he peaked in the #NastyLeftBack days). This is no slight on Ashtone Morgan, the guy deserved to compete for a greater role somewhere and keeping him here benefited neither himself/his career or the club.

  23. #53
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    ^Multiple things here I disagree with.

    Ashtone Morgan didn’t lose his spot at TFC to Justin Morrow (I don’t know why I have to keep repeating this… nobody is arguing he ever was or is a starter). He lost it to whomever you think was the depth replacement in 2020. In this case, Tony Gallagher on loan.

    Comparing Ashtone to Jack Wilshere, cmon, we are not talking about guys targeted to be World XI players at age 18. They are in a whole other galaxy in terms of pay and the fan expectation game. I am really not talking about Super League clubs. There is no such thing as a depth player on a Super League Club.

    Pick any club in the lower half of the table -Brighton, Burnley, Palace etc. Look at the utility depth players, find the ones that came up through the youth system, have been there for years, are likeable, on lowish wages, and still do the job when intermittently called upon.

    They are all …. Sorry I know you don’t seem to believe this…. BELOVED.
    Last edited by ensco; 07-26-2021 at 03:16 PM.
    “What the world needs is more geniuses with humility; there are so few of us left.”

  24. #54
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    Hat tip to jloome who pointed this out:



    Godspeed to Ashtone in the next part of his life.

    Also, he scored one of the great TFC goals, one that gets a bit lost in the noise... god knows Ashtone didn't score much, but THIS is how you go to the net



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

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    Congrats and good luck to Ashtone!

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    Rarely got beaten for pace, underrated generally.

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    I hope there is an appropriate entry-level coaching role for him here, if that is what he wants.
    “What the world needs is more geniuses with humility; there are so few of us left.”

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    I'm glad I got a chance to see him in Ottawa when Forge played Ottleti. He only came on as a late sub (unlike the Final), but it was good to see him one last time.

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    Quote Originally Posted by ensco View Post
    I hope there is an appropriate entry-level coaching role for him here, if that is what he wants.
    Both Bobby Smyrniotis and Michael Singh seem to have suggested Ashtone Morgan would be around, in Toronto?, post-retirement. That this likely won't be the last time seeing him; that an opportunity has presented itself. He did retire 'in-season', so I would not be surprised if he has/will become involved with TFC is some front-office capacity.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Mr. Inbetween View Post
    Both Bobby Smyrniotis and Michael Singh seem to have suggested Ashtone Morgan would be around, in Toronto?, post-retirement. That this likely won't be the last time seeing him; that an opportunity has presented itself. He did retire 'in-season', so I would not be surprised if he has/will become involved with TFC is some front-office capacity.
    He's opening a second branch of his coffee shop, the first did so well. That might also be what they're referring to.

 

 

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