Wednesday:
• Tim Bolton
Wheater: No Rafa...
Reports say that Tim Bolton deal is etched.
Ream will battle former Middlesborough phenom David Wheater for playing time at Bolton with Wheater getting the first call obviously to replace The Overrated Gary Cahill. Wheater is a little bit like an Omar Gonzalez. Tall fellow, susceptible to speedy play, strong in the air, not the most offensively accomplished.
To this writer, he also appears to have bouts with confidence issue–Ream is of course no stranger to these.
Who you calling yellow, Friedel?!
• Landon-Brad Take I
Landon goes up against Brad Friedel today–finally–in the Prem.
This would normally be the type of game where Everton come out victors. A midweek game, during a grueling early January stretch where everyone’s counting out the Toffees just before they make their second half of the year run.
Not this time though.
The Spurs are home. Big help. They’ve got the motivation of drawing even with mighty United if they get three points here. And they’re relatively healthy.
What to look for in this one?
Two things: 1) The Spurs lone key injury is Scott Parker. Nobody has been bossing the central midfield for Everton this campaign. This is a game where Fellaini should be able to step up, something he hasn’t really done all year and continually 2) with Parker out, can someone get behind the Spurs backline.
Your best candidate there is Donovan and then you make have your Great American Moment.
• “leeds, leeds, leeds” smh
Unfortunate....
Robbie Rogers heading to Leeds as yet another club takes a chance on a player with all the tools, but none of the calculation. Jared Dubois put it aply on Twitter with this comment, “Robbie Rogers to Leeds. There’s a sucker born every minute…”
Columbus Crew faithful call him, “The Unicorn,” mythical, mystic creature that no one is sure exists.
TSG will say he’s got the Lady Big Hat Effect.
You know what we’re talking about.
A girl walks down the street, flowing blond locks drifting out of a enormous and enveloping chapeau. Legs? Check. Figure? Oh, yes.
And then she comes closer and you realize–again–you’ve been fooled. That hat is distracting from what lies just below it. You move on.
...but true. (Yikes!)
Will Rogers change his complexion at Leeds? (You also of course have the “Lady Big Hat, Big Coat” effect….that’s a player like Edgar Castillo. You’re so desperate to glance at a good looking woman that just one small piece of something. her hair or her chest catches your eye. For Castillo that was of course, “plays leftback.”
If you’re a follower of the US team, it’s been clear for over 4 years now, that Rogers possesses traits to succeed at higher club-level then Columbus Crew part-timer and international team stand-by. Rogers is done in by the same things time and time again, one dribble too many and typically in the wrong direction.
Can he grow in a different environment? Will he grow up in a different environment?
• Mosey Edu
Sochaux with a new bid launched for Maurice Edu? Go eastward young California to the land where Carlos Bocanegra once prowled.
Edu plays, right now, in about 8-12 consequential games a year–whenever ‘Gers plays Celtic and whoever they play in European competition. That’s no way to build a resume at a young age. Move on.
Bold move...finally...
• Boyd move
Perhaps heading westward? Former Rangers player Kris Boyd to sure up the forward spot for the Dynamo. Would be a tremendous signing. One that the management in H-town could finally hang their hat on.
Subscribe to TSG via RSS
Posted by John on 2012/01/11 at 11:18 AM
Telling that most Colombus fans aren’t up in arms over Robbie leaving. Perplexing fellow to be sure.
Posted by Alex on 2012/01/11 at 11:39 AM
I remember once upon a time when Cameron Diaz was hot… Around the same time Robbie Rogers was our next great LW…
I kid, kinda. I’ll admit I kinda like Rogers, when he’s on his game he’s a joy to watch. Maybe a change of scenery will do him good. I don’t expect much from him at the Intl. level but it would be good for the guy to put together a solid career.
Posted by dth on 2012/01/11 at 11:59 AM
Robbie Rogers possesses most of the tools to be a star, except he doesn’t have the brain/personality that someone like a Clint Dempsey has. Been saying it for ages, but it’s true. The signs were pretty obvious early in his career–at Heereenveen at the same time as Michael Bradley, but Rogers dropped out of what was a pretty darn good learning situation. Say what you will about Bradley, but he rarely wastes similar opportunities even though he has less natural talent than a guy like Rogers.
I’m also a skeptic on Edu, but I suppose we’ll have to see there. I’ll defer to the market.
Posted by Mantis Toboggan on 2012/01/11 at 2:47 PM
Stupid premise question; so using SCIENCE which USMNT player’s (lets spilt it up into current, former, and inanimate objects) brain would you put into Robbie Rogers body?
Posted by Crow on 2012/01/11 at 4:00 PM
Christopher Sullivan
Posted by dth on 2012/01/11 at 6:20 PM
Clint Dempsey’s.
Posted by GeorgeCross on 2012/01/11 at 6:38 PM
Roy Wergele.
Posted by thebostinian on 2012/01/11 at 7:02 PM
In terms of industry? Brian McBride. But Robbie Diaz isn’t a striker, so I’d gotta go with Deuce.
Posted by Martin on 2012/01/11 at 9:57 PM
Eric Wynalda
Posted by mbw on 2012/01/11 at 10:09 PM
Landon Donovan (mid-career model).
Posted by Alex on 2012/01/12 at 2:06 AM
I like the LD suggestion. What about young Eddie Lewis? Or Steve Cherundolo
Posted by Martin on 2012/01/11 at 10:02 PM
Alex,
So if Cameron Diaz told you she wanted a break from all these celebrity types and needed to spend the night with a real man so she could remember what it was like, you would turn her down because she no longer meets your standards?
Thank God there are still people with integrity in the world.
Posted by Alex on 2012/01/12 at 2:07 AM
Thank you its difficult but a man has standards!!!
Posted by Gregorio on 2012/01/12 at 6:04 AM
You guys just made me spit out my morning coffee. yeah doing Cameron is like doing Roseanne Barr!
* The word “Doing” is referrencing dating, at no time did the comments mean to impuign the the character of these fine actresses.
Posted by Crow on 2012/01/11 at 12:21 PM
I used to spend my summers in Leeds- Todd Margaret
Seriously, the Robbie Rogers metaphor is classic.
Posted by John on 2012/01/11 at 1:09 PM
As long as we are doing a Robbie Rogers to Cameron Diaz comparison, the movies are apt.
First on the scene we have “The Mask” in which Robbie is exotic, new, fresh faced and full of potential.
Then we have “My Best Friends Wedding” in which Robbie stars in a not so great team that some people like
We move onto… “Something about Mary” in which Robbie has started to expand his presence. Not nearly as exotic as in “The Mask” but he shows his versatility around the pitch and people are lusting after him.
Then we move onto the “Being John Malkovich” phase, in which Robbie is a contributor to a larger ensemble cast (the USMNT) but doesn’t necessarily stand out with the great people around him.
Then we go to his “Any Given Sunday” phase in which he is …. ok… but not great…. a continuing trend as we move through the…
Charlie’s Angels
Charlie’s Angles 2
phase in which he does a sequel of the exact same game, something not that many people wanted to see in the first place.
At this point now he is doing voiceover work (Shrek, Shrek 2, Shrek 3, Shrek Christmas Holiday, Donkey’s Caroling Christmas-tacular), essentially phoning it in on the playing a part role.
Now at this point “Knight and Day” and “What happens in Vegas” and “The Holiday” he is essentially playing himself, not really doing anything out of his stride and we accept his limitations for what they are.
Posted by Alex on 2012/01/11 at 1:46 PM
That metaphor worked on so many level
Posted by John on 2012/01/11 at 2:11 PM
BTW: The “Gangs of New York” metaphor for Robbie Rogers is the 2009 Gold Cup, in which he was good at parts, bad at others and everyone thought that the production was going to win the whole thing only to lose to Mexico (Chicago).
Posted by Freegle on 2012/01/11 at 6:47 PM
Ah the Lady big hat… AKA the far/from lady. Pretty from far, but far from pretty. Yet I digress.
Solid move from Robbie. He’s still young enough that a change of scenery may be all he needs to come around. Here’s hoping he puts it all together. (Or, here’s hoping they put him at LB and make him learn how to play it… that would be useful)
Suspect move from Leeds, who if they are serious about working their way back to the Premier League, have little use for an athlete who can’t really play soccer. He’s the Kwame Brown of US Soccer. Teams repeatedly fall in love with his natural gifts that you can’t learn and overlook that he has never bothered to hone the skills that you can.
Posted by dth on 2012/01/11 at 7:33 PM
Why’s it so suspect? They’re getting him on a free. I’d be surprised if his wages were exorbitant. It’s like picking up Kwame Brown for peanuts–in most cases, Kwame Brown doesn’t figure it out and you shrug, drop him, and no one cares (except for hyper-obsessive American fans). In some cases, you get a Darko (i.e. a once-maligned player who matures into a vaguely competent contributor) and even a Zach Randolph.
Posted by Freegle on 2012/01/11 at 7:43 PM
It’s only money right? For a team that learned hard lessons about overspending on players that didn’t help them succeed, one would think they’d be more careful than to take a flyer on a non-EU who we all seem to agree is not that a good soccer player.
Posted by dth on 2012/01/11 at 9:12 PM
I can’t speak to their overall financial picture, but the occasional flyer on a player of this type isn’t too damaging on the downside.
Posted by Martin on 2012/01/11 at 10:23 PM
Freegle,
“one would think they’d be more careful than to take a flyer on a non-EU who we all seem to agree is not that a good soccer player.”
We do not know who else was available to Leeds and we don’t know the financial terms. It’s a two and a half year contract and, for all we know, it’s loaded with incentive clauses and other provisions that make it easy for them to cut their losses if Rogers flames out. He may have been the best combination of talent, skill, potential, and price available to them at this time.
They will almost definitely have to go through the appeals process ( if he doesn’t qualify for a permit right off) yet seem confident of success. That tells me they feel he is worth all this trouble. I always felt what Rogers mostly needed was to get he head screwed on right. If anything will do it this will.
As for “we all seem to agree is not that a good soccer player.”
I seem to remember most people thinking Sacha was a stupid, embarassing bozo before he went to Anderlecht and carved out what seems to be a pretty good career at this point.
I can’t imagine the sheer outrage if Bornstein or Conor Casey ever revive their careers.
Posted by Martin on 2012/01/13 at 5:41 PM
Freegle,
By the way, I just read this and I thought of you:
http://www.yorkshireeveningpost.co.uk/sport/leeds-united/latest-whites-news/leeds_united_klinsmann_influence_convinced_robbie_rogers_to_sign_for_whites_1_4137820
Posted by dth on 2012/01/11 at 9:18 PM
one general note on MLS draft: any team that makes decisions based on the combine is pretty suspect IMO.
Posted by mccul105 on 2012/01/11 at 11:58 PM
I would generally agree with that, except in the case of guys from smaller schools and the international players that teams haven’t really had a good look at.
If memory serves me…Cardozo was one of those guys that no one really knew a lot about but impressed in the combine last time. Just an example.
Posted by cfig on 2012/01/12 at 9:44 AM
Since it hasn’t been mentioned in discussion of the spectacular metaphor (which is totally deserved BTW), Boyd to the Dynamo intrigues me.
Guy is a poacher, something I’m totally on board with, but the word is he’s a bit lazy away from the ball and that’s something that generally doesn’t sit well with Kinnear. We’ll see what happens…
Posted by John on 2012/01/12 at 10:01 AM
Kenny Cooper from Timbers to the NYRB for a 2013 First round pick and (according to sources) a bunch of money.
Posted by dth on 2012/01/12 at 10:07 AM
RUN JUAN RUN.
Posted by John on 2012/01/12 at 10:11 AM
I’m pretty ok (and I would think most Timbers fans are as well) with this. His slowness did not really fit in with the way the Timbers wanted to play.
Posted by dth on 2012/01/12 at 10:11 AM
Oh yeah, Cooper at this point is not a terribly useful player. Typical NYRB move. If I were Agudelo’s agent, I’d start seriously casting about for deals.
Posted by John on 2012/01/12 at 10:27 AM
Really another bizarre move for NYRB. They potentially (and probably) are losing Ream to Bolton. Marquez is a non-factor in the back and now they have Keel and ?????? with no cover in the back.
Posted by John on 2012/01/12 at 10:28 AM
Ah I didn’t see they had signed Holgersson.
Posted by dth on 2012/01/12 at 10:33 AM
Looks like Agudelo might be leaving:
https://twitter.com/?q=juan+agudelo#!/SoccerByIves/status/157505719787200512
Twitter speculation says Stuttgart. Bundesliga is good. Heckuva job, NYRB. Heckuva job.
Posted by mbw on 2012/01/12 at 10:37 AM
Either Agudelo’s out the door, or the NYRB front office actually consists of feces-throwing monkeys. . . .
Posted by John on 2012/01/12 at 10:40 AM
I’m going with both.
Posted by Nick on 2012/01/13 at 2:35 PM
mbw – I’m not sure those two are mutually exclusive…
Posted by dth on 2012/01/12 at 10:08 AM
Wenger to l’Impact. Guessing Jesse Marsch is his mentor’s protege.
Posted by dth on 2012/01/12 at 10:12 AM
I’ll go further and guess Mattocks gets traded.
Posted by John on 2012/01/12 at 10:14 AM
Seems that he doesn’t fit what Vancouver needs necessarily.
Posted by John on 2012/01/12 at 10:17 AM
Hmmmm, Kelyn Rowe to the Revs…..
Posted by dth on 2012/01/12 at 10:22 AM
Don’t think that’s wonderful for Rowe’s development. Would’ve liked him better in Toronto.
Posted by John on 2012/01/12 at 10:26 AM
I think the Revs needed Mattocks and Vancouver could have used Rowe more…
Posted by dth on 2012/01/12 at 10:27 AM
Nah, Vancouver needed Wenger. Vancouver’s already got Chiumento in the same position.
Posted by John on 2012/01/12 at 10:30 AM
Forgot about Chiumento actually.
Posted by John on 2012/01/12 at 10:41 AM
Well, Timbers needed Defense and they got defense… maybe.
Andrew Jean-Baptiste.
Posted by John on 2012/01/12 at 10:51 AM
Timbers need defense and they got defense. Granted the kid is one of those “big size but not enough skill” players. However he is only 19 and the FO has hinted at another signing for defense as well.
Posted by Crow on 2012/01/12 at 11:55 AM
Rumours that Danny Mwanga is being shopped from Jeff Carlisle. The Increasingly Poor Decisions of Piotr Nowak.