Michael Parkhurst at Nordsjaelland (Denmark) discussion thread [R]

You're right. These CL games have definitely helped him with exposure. Also playing on a trophy winning team adds more shine. I'd imagine transfers from DK to Germany are more popular than say DK to France.

 

I have looked at transfers from Superliga clubs (including their academies) the past two years ... and here are where they went (not including loan deals or moves to other clubs in Scandinavia).... it is perhaps worth mentioning that just about all players moving from Denmark to Italy are defenders :

Germany : 10 players
Italy : 8
Holland : 8
England : 5
Russia : 5
Spain : 4
France : 4
.

 

Guess who got yet another assist today?

 

League leading right?

 

If you ask me, then Parkhurst should move to Spain if he gets an offer from a La Liga team... he would fit right in there and do well... though he is not slow, he is not fast or physical enough for England, Germany I don't think is the right place for him either and frankly he is too good for Holland ... Perhaps Italy or France, if there are no La Liga teams making a bid, but really he should move to Spain for his own good... I mean, he is both younger and better than his team-mate Mtiliga who used to play for Málaga in La Liga.
.

 

Superliga 2012/13, round 16 (of 33) :

FC Nordsjælland v Randers FC, 2-2 (1-1)
0-1 Alexander Fischer (1)
1-1 Søren Christensen (4)
1-2 Ronnie Schwartz (72)
2-2 Nicolai Stokholm (pen) (82)
Lineups and match stats from Football-Lineups.com

As you probably have noticed, then FC Nordsjælland is not really a physical strong team and their tough schedule with CL and Superliga games now perhaps seem to have worn them out a bit, at least when you look at their performance in this match...

Parkhurst and young Okore did not look too good when Randers took the lead in the very first minute, and Okore made some unusual mistakes throughout this match and later told the Danish NT coach that he need some rest due to an injury, so he will not be playing for Denmark in the NT friendly this week against Turkey. Parkhurst on the other hand managed to rectify his mistake only a few minutes after Randers took the lead, when he made the assist for the equalizer.

Unfortunately for FCN, both their full backs, Parkhurst and Mtiliga, were later booked and are both serving a one-match ban in the next match against AGF Aarhus, just as FCN are also going to be missing their key offensive player Mikkel Beckmann who suffered an injury (sprained ankle) and is out for two weeks. It is still unsure if their key centre back Okore will be able to play, but FCN now do seem to suffer due to a tough schedule. The Randers players simply seemed more energetic as the match progressed and also seemed like they were going to take home the win, if not for the late penalty, that FCN captain Nicolai Stokholm was able to take advantage of. But a tough match and hard earned 2-2 result for the defending champions who are now having problems keeping up with FC København at the top of the table, while Randers really have impressed so far this season, especially considerening that they were playing 1. Division last season...

Highlights : Superliga TV
.

 

Ceres, you might want to double-check your facts, as Parkhurst rarely fouls and certainly never gets booked. This must be a case of mistaken identity.

 

Is there a sight in English that covers scoring/assists in the Danish league?

 

I doubt so... but there is a Danish one here :

Assists :
http://www.superstats.dk/maal/assist?aar=2012/2013

goals (mål) and assists :
http://www.superstats.dk/maal/plus-assist?aar=2012/2013
.

 

Does Parkhurst have a foreign passport? I want to say he has an Irish one.

 

He does:

http://www.yanks-abroad.com/content.php?mode=shortcorner&entry=128

 

Then Spain is open. Only problem is that some of the lower clubs have some trouble paying wages now and again.

 

I think Parkie will look for one last big payday - and he will go the highest bidder. Netherlands, Belgium, second divisions of England/Germany are all possibilities. I don't think he will stay in Denmark because the higher-tax rate for natives kicks-in after five years, and he's already been there 4 years.

 

Apparently the answer is yes, he is leading the league in assists.

That's quite remarkable really for a player that many US fans still seem to think is more of a CB or a purely defensive fullback.

 

Good point. The solid CL play and Irish passport could even get a bottom half PL club to bid for him but I douby it occurs

 

Note that he's done it at a higher rate per minute than anyone else in the top 11, the only 1 averaging more than 1 assist per 200 minutes played.

The goal he assists on is around the 0:40 mark.

 

... if you click on the small arrows beside the 'Min. per assist', you will notice that the now former FC København left back Bryan Oviedo is averaging 1 assist per 130 minutes played... but then he only got to play 6 games in the Superliga this season, before was sold to Everton for around $5.7 million.
.

 

FWIW, Oviedo got in for half hour today for Everton (vs. Reading) and got a so-s0 "6" from WhoScored and the same from SkySports.

 

Could Nordsjaelland offer him a nice 3 year contract on par with a lower team in a top 4 league?

 

I'd imagie not for a nearly 30 year old defender. But even better, would he accept it?

 

Considering that they are going to make around $18 million on playing CL group stage, they of course could afford to throw more money at their key players, to make them stay, but they have said, that they are not going to raise wages or change strategy, but stick to what they do best and use most of the CL money on youth development, now they just don't have to worry so much about money in the future....

I believe that the absolute top wages at FCN deliberately are kept at around $250k a year, and they wont change this "salary cap", because they do not want players who are only at the club to cash in and they strongly believe that their players work better as a team, if they earn just about the same. It is also their strategy to attract good players who perhaps have made a wrong turn at a bigger club or in a bigger league, often fringe NT players or former youth internationals who want a second chance to prove that they really should be playing in bigger leagues. On the other hand FCN are not going to stand in their way, if their players eventually get a good offer from a bigger club..... and you have to admit that their strategy has worked more than well so far...
.

 

That is a problem that is going to get worse before getting better.

 

Parkie only makes 250k/year? He could make that much in MLS, easy.