From Tom Bogert's latest insider notebook:
"Free agent and USMNT goalkeeper Sean Johnson will soon decide on his new club. NYCFC and Toronto FC are the frontrunners, but nothing is decided or agreed upon yet. There's interest from Belgian powerhouse Anderlecht as well"
https://www.mlssoccer.com/news/insid...s-arango-opoku
What this club really needs, is foundational parts that can be in their prime for 4-5 years or more. Prevent us from doing massive tear-downs every other cycle. If Kaye’s up for the job, he’s at least in the demographic where it could happen. But we need more guys like this.Originally Posted by ensco
This is only worth chasing so hard or paying so much before it’s not worth it in my eyes. I would have option B ready to strike if needed.
Johnson is fine but there have been other good keeper signings in this league too (for far less money).
Very.
We have this allegedly full and competent scouting staff, and a manager with a global resume, and so far we've had the top scorer in the Polish league, a retread striker albeit a decent one, and youth keeper.
I'm not seeing much real scouting going on, despite our allegedly full scouting department.
Why didn't we go in for Evanilson, or someone of that magnitude, like Portland? As a third DP, a guy like that who's pretty much guaranteed to post 15 goals would remove any doubt about who our starter upfront is. (I know, he's a mid, but it's the stature and obvious potential I'm referencing.)
Still no left back or defensive midfielders even being rumored.
I mean, we're better off than last year. But it's a bit disconcerting more isn't being done.
Lots of cards being kept very close to the chest in this one...
That's not how club press releases work. You don't put 'meaningless' statements on paper, because verified quotes last forever. You put your actual position on paper. It was very much a meaningful statement, or they wouldn't have made it.
Lmao this season is going to be interesting
I think they have to be targeting multiple u22 initiative players. They can't be spending an entire transfer window just chasing guys Bob has dealt with in the past, I don't believe that's the case.
But the fact that we're not hearing them going in for anyone suggests perhaps they're avoiding competition, which leans towards young prospects.
I hope. God help us if this is all laissez-faire bullshit, like the Mo Johston era. I don't believe that either, seems antithetical to both Bradleys' natures.
We need to judge when the dust clears in February. They have definitely been adept at keeping information close, so who knows what's going on. I think a good keeper alone and we're a playoff team. But will need more to challenge. Hopefully SJ gets settled one way or another imminently.
Yeah, we need backup targets. They should be looking in Eastern Europe. So many good players there who don't get a look until they've gone through for or five sub leagues first.
I'm sure they have some. I think Johnson's secondary save numbers are why they love him. We're setting up, as Leedstfc alluded to yesterday, to lower our xGA by letting less through to the keeper and making sure he's a guy who can clean up loose shit.
So I suspect they REALLY want Sean Johnson.
Contracts over the line, please, Bob the Builder. I will say that this team should at least be fun to watch again from the defending side and not a butt-clench all day long.
Thanks for alerting us to this. Great interview. Really pulling for Mark.
“What the world needs is more geniuses with humility; there are so few of us left.”
Anybody got an updated guess at our cap position, pro forma for Diomande?
“What the world needs is more geniuses with humility; there are so few of us left.”
No idea. Anyone? They release so little.
LA Fan reactions to Dio are interesting. Several think he's good enough to win the Golden Boot, if he holds it together. One notes that he did, indeed, go into the league's substance abuse program before leaving.
https://old.reddit.com/r/MLS/comment...mande_toronto/
So if that stuff is worked out...
Another commenter on one of the LA sites said if he had addiction issues it wasn't alcohol, and he thought it was actually a mental health thing, as the program also includes behavioral therapy.
The mental health stuff, in turn, was on account of being unable to account with American life as someone devoutly Muslim, particularly being separated from family.
So he's an interesting cat.
A lot of all that happened in 2020.....
It's interesting that he wound up spending most that time in the Middle East. As someone devoutly Islamic, it might have helped the guy through some stuff to be around a supportive community.
Noxx is your man
Very interesting. MLSE seems to be unusually good in support/helping players adjust to being here. And here (Toronto) is not short on devoutly Islamic life.
I figured since MLS is re-thinking allocation money and how it's used plus never really stated what the increase in GAM was to be in Year of the Apple #1 that it doesn't really matter too much at the moment. It's all up in the air.
that's a good point.
Ronaldo Nazario Ate all the pies, every last one of them. I hope we can all agree on that much. Big boy is living the life….
No, the only correct answer is Collin Samuel.
But maybe Ayo snuck one in before they were gone.
If I am going to disagree with myself it would be Ali Gerba
Ali and Collin both had those reps. Haha. Maybe they need to settle it in a head to head pie eating competition.
This club has had difficulty in signing non DP players in recent years, whether it's incompetent scouting, players not wanting to play in Toronto, or whatever other reason. There has to be a re think in how the roster is built. In my view the club should should emphasize their academy with the goal of building the bulk of the squad using local players from Southern Ontario, which is the soccer hotbed of Canada. Instead of chasing marginal American and foreign players focus on local players who will want to play close to home. The TFC Academy should be the go to academy for all Ontario players.
You do realize that today the situation is the polar opposite, right? Something like 10 of the CMNT players in Qatar had TFC Academy tryouts and were passed over. Starters- Tajon, Johnston, others (there is a list out there). Hell, the one that made it got cut (MAK). The only success story is Oso - kind of.
Then there is the fact that kids want a shot at Europe, and they don’t see TFC providing that to their young players, they see the exact opposite. Guys getting sold to Orlando and Colorado without having a say in where they go.
The best players here, and their parents, will have learned from the World Cup and TFC roster construction that they should do anything BUT come to TFC.
TFC Academy is a complete failure, starting with their decision to operate in opposition to Sigma, and probably needs a total rethink.
Last edited by ensco; 01-13-2023 at 06:55 PM.
“What the world needs is more geniuses with humility; there are so few of us left.”
There are 2 sides to the Sigma thing - Sigma exists largely now to piss off TFC & its beginning to cut into their capability.
Regardless, in theory 2 TFC academy grads are getting sold the next few weeks to Europe - we shall see if it happens but the idea that the academy is forever shite is kinda tenuous.
What the academy isn't is Philly or NYRB good. Nor can it seem to grow a decent CB.
The only reason that the academy has produced next to no players for the first team is the lack of quality throughout the coaching staff.
B B and company are only concerned with the first team squad and the rest of the coaches have their own little fiefdom and have not a clue as to how to progress talent.
This is why the most talented kids go elsewhere and let the privileged money parents have a good time until the kids drop down to CPL/ or lower maybe universities.
This will not change until a lot of money is put into top coaching for the academy.
I can think of three class coaches going back to Europe from TFC ——wonder why?
Also, please note that TFC is under no contractual obligation to be a CMNT feeder club. Winning is the goal here, if we develop the next big national superstar that is fantastic. The reality is that they are only at TFC for a season or two though. Personally, I would rather win an MLS Cup than sell the next Alphonso Davies to random European club 4.
The thing to keep in mind about young players and the GTA is, scouts existed in the GTA before TFC, they exist after TFC. Many are based off connections to various ex-pat communities or what have you but nonetheless. And a lot of it was based on the fact the biggest player in town (CSA / OSA) couldn’t be counted on. So now TFC is here and many of the same dynamics exist.
And even then, if you look at the nature of our club (big budget, splashy signings, angsty fan base (rightfully so given the Mo Johnston / Tom Anselmi years)) it’s going to be tough to do youth development right given the incentives involved.
But I agree with ENSCO that if we are going to do this right it needs to be housecleaning and a rethink.
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