It's time to stop playing Freddy out of position

Discussion in 'USA Men' started by soccersonoma10, Mar 28, 2012.

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  1. LouisZ

    LouisZ Member+

    Oct 14, 2010
    Southern California-USA
    Club:
    FC Barcelona
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    No kidding! but you know who is my dark horse for the right mid?....GATT, Chandler is tougher, better defense, speed are about the same, but Gatt may be better offensively.
     
  2. Real Corona

    Real Corona Member+

    Jan 19, 2008
    Colorado
    Club:
    FC Metalist Kharkiv
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I need to see Gatt against top competition before I crown him the new savior. Chandler is going against the top competition in the Bundesliga whereas Gatt is facing a relatively weak Tippeligaen. Maybe several years down the line we can have both on the right side.
     
  3. soccersonoma10

    Apr 26, 2007
    the reality is we have quite a few players who are more ready to contribute on the left wing than shea. klinsmann gave him a lot of time in the friendlies, but he will call up the big boys once qualifying starts
     
  4. Marko72

    Marko72 Member+

    Aug 30, 2005
    New York
    Apart from Johnson, Donovan and Dempsey, who? Most of the others we're talking about are unproven prospects. Fairly good prospects mostly, but so was/is Shea.

    FWIW, my ideal scenario would be that Shea transfer to a more challenging league where he's quickly and successfully converted to left back, but in the absence of that happening, we've got Johnson who we may need soon enough at LB, the veterans Donovan and Dempsey that we'd probably rather use centrally or right, Shea, and some kids like Gyau or Gatt (on the right) who have as many question marks and exclamation points.
     
  5. soccersonoma10

    Apr 26, 2007
    I think Beasley deserves to play on the left, or at least get a run. He has been playing very well in Mexico
     
  6. IndividualEleven

    Mar 16, 2006
    Chandler, Johnson, Dempsey, Beasley, Castillo, and Donovan. The first five are playing at a significantly higher level than Shea.
     
  7. comoesa

    comoesa Member+

    Aug 13, 2010
    Christen Press's armpit
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Shea and Gatt are playing in leagues of relatively the same level.
     
  8. Real Corona

    Real Corona Member+

    Jan 19, 2008
    Colorado
    Club:
    FC Metalist Kharkiv
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I don't disagree with that
     
  9. Marko72

    Marko72 Member+

    Aug 30, 2005
    New York
    Yes but unless we get a pair of strong fullbacks that we didn't foresee, that crosses Chandler and Johnson off the list in the near future. Or maybe just one, with the possibility of Lichaj. Beasley and Castillo have been tried (albeit Castillo was playing fullback in his Klinsi-era Nats appearances) and I assume will be tried a little more.

    I wouldn't be surprised if either were a help, though I can't imagine either of them really lifting our attack to the next level. Or at least, I'd still rather see Johnson and/or Chandler in the attack if we could spare them in the back.
     
  10. Real Corona

    Real Corona Member+

    Jan 19, 2008
    Colorado
    Club:
    FC Metalist Kharkiv
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    You think Castillo is better than Shea?
     
  11. IndividualEleven

    Mar 16, 2006
    Eric Lichaj is back and has experience at left back. Eric Lichaj and Cherundolo provide short term options(next two years) on how Klinsmann wants to use Chandler and Johnson.

    I see Beasley and Castillo as midfield options as the first has no experience at left back at club level and the latter didn't particularly excel there.
     
  12. IndividualEleven

    Mar 16, 2006
    He's starting and excelling in a much better league. And Shea hasn't exactly set the field alight at international level.
     
  13. Otergod

    Otergod Member+

    Sep 20, 2007
    indianapolis
    Club:
    Chicago Fire
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    to be fair, neither has Castillo
     
  14. soccersonoma10

    Apr 26, 2007
    castillo has got significantly less chances to impress at the international level. and i have seen quite a few xolos games this year, castillo's level of play for his club is a lot higher than shea's, and he is in a tougher league. unfortunately he kinda plays a wing back position often, which the USMNT doesn't really use. but he is creative, fast, and a good dribbler, 3 things that shea really isn't. i think that beasley should be next in line though
     
  15. TheHoustonHoyaFan

    Oct 14, 2011
    Houston
    Club:
    FC Schalke 04
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Shea still has the most chances created (by a rarge margin) of any player in the Klinsmann era. There is a reason that when Donovan became unavailable for the Italy friendly, JK plucked Shea from the U23 camp preparing for a Mexico match the same day as the Italy match. He did not go and get Castillo or DMB or any other choice.

    In these discussions some of us forget that certain players suit certain schemes much better than other players. JK's 4-2-3-1 is heavily dependant on 2 way wingers who will run all day at the oppposing team and will also track back and defend all day. Shea may be raw but he is an absolute horse!

    Back to Freddy. Now that he has increased his workrate he appears to have caught JK's eye but he can only play 1 position in the scheme and that is the #10 which is Depmsey's slot. Hopefully Freddy can be called as and used as a late match sub.
     
    1 person likes this.
  16. Marko72

    Marko72 Member+

    Aug 30, 2005
    New York
    To be clear, I was referring to Beasley and Castillo as wingers, not fullbacks, though I might not have expressed that clearly. I see both as legitimate depth candidates, but I see them both as downgrades from Johnson in an attack role. In other words, I don't think they make us better, just deeper.
     
  17. Real Corona

    Real Corona Member+

    Jan 19, 2008
    Colorado
    Club:
    FC Metalist Kharkiv
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Pretty much his spot
     
  18. nicklaino

    nicklaino Member+

    Feb 14, 2012
    Brooklyn, NY
    Club:
    Manchester United FC
    I just found this. If we are talking about Freddy Adu I always felt from the beginning that he should be playing a left wing mid.
     
  19. nobody

    nobody Member+

    Jun 20, 2000
    I wouldn't be surprised to see Freddy given a shot on the left with Shea being less than impressive his last few run outs and Johnson seeming to slip regularly into the left back spot at club level.

    If I had to fill the whole thing out, I think this would be worth a shot:

    ...............Altidore
    ........Adu Dempsey Donovan
    ............Jones Bradley
    Johnson Bocanegra Ream Chandler
    ................Howard
     
  20. soccersonoma10

    Apr 26, 2007
    if you want to go down that road, i would say that shea has significantly more bad giveaways than anyone in the klinsmann era
     
  21. Real Corona

    Real Corona Member+

    Jan 19, 2008
    Colorado
    Club:
    FC Metalist Kharkiv
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Do you have a way to quantify that or are you just going to say it?
     
  22. soccersonoma10

    Apr 26, 2007
    do you watch him play for the national team? that's all the quantification you should need
     
  23. Real Corona

    Real Corona Member+

    Jan 19, 2008
    Colorado
    Club:
    FC Metalist Kharkiv
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Well there is my answer indeed.
     
  24. LouisZ

    LouisZ Member+

    Oct 14, 2010
    Southern California-USA
    Club:
    FC Barcelona
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Adu doesn't have the size or defense to play the wing with the big boys. But as so many have said...he is only 22. I think his only position is the number 10, which right now is Demps.
     
    1 person likes this.
  25. Otergod

    Otergod Member+

    Sep 20, 2007
    indianapolis
    Club:
    Chicago Fire
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    true enough and most of them have been as a wingback. Still, if you are on the outside looking in and you are given a chance, you have to make the most of it. His play hasnt impressed me, but being played out of position is never favorable... just look at williams.
     

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