You got me curious enough to flip through Derby's reserve team match reports -- I only count three goals. Although English clubs typically have lousy websites, so they might have omitted something. Doyle's contract at Derby expires at the end of the season and I would expect him to be released at that point. I wouldn't be surprised if he comes to MLS and gets some playing time there in the second half of the season.
I agree that there's a range of opinion, which is fine, but I tend to share your view. The one point where we might disagree is that U20 soccer doesn't count much for me. Sal Zizzo was good at that level, but when he was on my team last year he really didn't add much.
Doyle was struggling with injuries in the fall, so I suspect that's 3 goals in not too many games. His Derby profile describes him as having been "a regular on the scoresheet for the reserves in their title-winning Central Division campaign." http://www.dcfc.co.uk/page/FirstTeamProfilesDetail/0,,10270~52441,00.html
It looks like he's played in about 10 games so far. http://www.dcfc.co.uk/page/ReserveFixtures/0,,10270,00.html Doyle's first match post-injury was the third match on the list.
Well, that's disappointing to see. I wonder if there's any reason why he was (reportedly) scoring goals last year but not this one. At any rate, I stand corrected. It would've been better for me to say this: "As an example, I happen to think Conor Doyle is a pretty useful player, but I'm not sure I get much return on him if he only plays reserve soccer, even if he were to rack up a bunch of goals."
I have to admit I haven't followed his progress super closely this season. I know that last season, Derby were often using a 4-2-3-1 and Doyle was deployed as a wide AM in that formation. I don't think it was a great situation for him because competition to be the lone striker is always difficult, but I don't think he's especially well suited to be a wide player. These days he's rarely making the bench and he's fallen behind a younger striker named Callum Ball. He was a speculative, low-risk signing and he just hasn't made much progress in terms of breaking into the team. The writing is on the wall for him, I'm afraid. With regards to your team, I think Doyle is either going to have to drop down a league in England or go to MLS, which actually bodes well for his playing time. I think we won't see much from him through the summer, but we've seen him with the U-20s and he's not total chopped liver or anything. So while I sound rather pessimistic on him, I think it's entirely possible he'll turn out to be a nice 17th round pick by the end of 2012 if he can find a club this summer that will give him a good run of games.
It wouldn't shock me if Derby kept him around for a bit longer. For instance, here's a fairly recent quote from manager Nigel Clough (Jan 24): "Conor has done as well as anybody in training in the last few weeks. He has been superb but he just cannot get in that 16 at the moment." http://www.thisisderbyshire.co.uk/Loan-deal-cards-Rams-Maguire/story-15019644-detail/story.html Bottom line is that it's very tough to break in at this level. Another one of Derby's forwards hasn't gotten into a game since November, even though he was capped twice by Scotland last year.
Nice words from the manager. Players like Doyle haven't benefited from the reduction of the matchday squad from 18 to 16.
I was thinking overnight about what Giff and I would do if Onyewu injury required him to miss substantially more than the reported 8 weeks. If he's back in May, then no problem. Darius Barnes fills in and Onyewu takes over in May and finishes the year. Our depth covers that just fine. But what if, like Holden, Onyewu is out until late summer or fall? Is our team deep enough and flexiblie enough to cover the loss of our 1st Round selection for more than half the year? I think our backup plan would be a 4-5-1, or more specifically, either the very fashionable 4-2-3-1 or a 4-1-4-1. The 4-1-4-1 Option: -------------------Casey------------------- Tierney------Wondo----Arnaud-------Lahoud ------------------Jewsbury----------------- Ashe--------Ihemelu----Wynne------Franklin ------------------Friedel------------------- Subs: Pickens (GK), Barnes (CB, LB), Thorrington (DM, CM), Finlay (RM, LM), Schuler (str), Grella (str). The 4-2-3-1 Option: -------------------Casey------------------ --Wondo----------Arnaud---------Lahoud-- ------------Jewsbury--Thorrington--------- Ashe--------Ihemelu----Wynne------Franklin ------------------Friedel------------------- Subs: Pickens (GK), Barnes (CB, LB), Tierney (DM, CM, LM), Finlay (RM, LM), Schuler (str), Grella (str). Wondo has played this kind of attacking mid in a 4-5-1 before. Lahoud is a good winger, in addition to his experience last year at DM and RB. The back 5 are strong and deep. Casey is a capable single striker, and Schuler or Grella would be change of pace options up top. Tierney has played all over the Rev's lineup the last 2 years and is one of the more versatile players around. I don't think we would play a 4-4-2, as we don't have a dominant CM to play only 2 central mids. But the 4-5-1 alternatives are balanced and coherent. In fact, some of you 3-5-2 skeptics might actually prefer the 4-5-1 options. I really do like the depth and flexibility of the squad Giff and I selected. I wonder how other teams would adjust if their 1st round draft pick was out for more than half the season? Interesting challenge for you all.
I'd watch to see how Portland does with Jewsbury at DM. If his performance is satisfactory, it would suggest option 1 is viable. If not then you need to think about getting him some help.
It isn't a 1st rounder injured, like Holden and Onyewu, but Sean may have lost a projected starting winger in Danny Cruz. According to the following linked Washington Post story, a badly injured ankle, possibly fractured. http://www.washingtonpost.com/sport...ston-battery/2012/02/29/gIQApcRWjR_story.html
X-rays are negative. Sounds like an occasion for Wells Thompson to be sent in as a sub to extract a little justice.
So my guys had a good leap year, with Boca and Altidore playing well against Italy and Adu, corona, and sarkodie winning against Mexico. However, lee Nguyen has been waived by the whitecaps. If he doesn't find a team soon, my bench goes from 'meh' to 'ugh'
I'd single out Corona as a pleasant surprise against Mexico. He more than held his own. Along these lines, I can't resist pointing out how well my guys Diskerud and Agudelo played, while Okugo got a runout after subbing in for the impressive Morales. Wondering if the issue was his salary, or if he really isn't good enough.
Yeah re: Cruz. I was very happy to see him start and apparently he was playing extremely well on the wing up until the injury. By all accounts he was causing such fits the opposition decided to just hack him to pieces. Great. Glad I drafted another winger in case of emergency. RE: Nguyen. That's just bad luck, and this seems to happen every year with this draft that by the time the season starts, someone goes a player down due to a cut. I would also be interested to hear more about this. Was it salary, or just the 'Caps being too crowded in attack for him to hang around. I mean they are loaded up there: Hassli, Le Toux, Mattocks, Camilo, Tan, Salgado, Barbara, Chiumiento, Harris. All guys he was competing with who are already signed. Tough going. Maybe he latches on somewhere else who need ACM help. EDIT: DCU tweeted that its a bone bruise and not a fracture. Thank the lord. Hopefully he's back soon.
Good news! Cruz was on my list of players who might fit the RM position in our 3-5-2, but he didn't fall to the round we would have taken him at. Hope he has a good year, and maybe I'll get another shot at him next year.
For what it is worth, I'm trying the MLS Fantasy game as one way to measure the team I drafted. It provides a $100 million budget and 15 roster spots -- 2 keepers, 5 defenders, 5 midfielders, and 3 forwards. I can't get a full 15 to match my BS draft, as that would cost beyond the game's budget, the distribution of my MLS guys doesn't fit into the MLS Fantasy format, and of course I cannot use any of my non-MLS draft picks. But I selected 11 of my 18 BS draft picks for the MLS Fantasy game, 9 as starters and 2 as subs (Pickens, Ihemelu, Wynne, Franklin, Ashe, Barnes, Thorrington, Lahoud, Wondo, Casey, and Finlay). I couldn't choose Friedel, Onyewu, Billy Schuler, or Grella, since they are non-MLS. I couldn't fit Jewsbury or Arnaud in due to high MLS Game prices that would have left me short of the full 15-man roster. I couldn't take Tierney, as he was listed as a defender and it was either him or Barnes as my maximum 5th defender; Barnes cost less. I selected 2 different starters who I could afford -- both were guys I was ready to draft with my next BS pick, but were taken before I came up again (Clyde Simms and Luis Silva). Filling out my 15-man roster, my last two MLS Fantasy picks were Philly Union deep and cheap bench guys (keeper Harrison and midfielder Jordan). This MLS Fantasy team is called TeamMrMartinBS. Anyone else interested in testing our teams using the MLS Fantasy format?
Re: MLS Fantasy League as Draft Test OK, I've been playing more with the MLS Fantasy thing, to see how useful it might be. I've set up two private leagues within the MLS Fantasy system. I can't send out invites to any of you Draft participants, as I don't know your emails. However, if you are interested and you set up your own BIG Soccer Draft version team in the MLS Fantasy game, you can join one of these two private leagues: 1. BSClassicLeague -- set up to rank weekly points among league members. Code to join is 1395-751 2. BSHeadtoHeadLeague -- set up to provide head-to-head games between league members. Code to join is 1395-752 The link to the MLS fantasy game registration is: http://www.mlssoccer.com/fantasy I've also adjusted my 15-player team to get a full XI plus 1 sub from the 14 MLS players I drafted. I dropped Casey, Wynne, Simms, and Luis Silva and replaced them with Arnaud, Jewsbury, and Tierney to get to 12 of my draft picks. I also added Chandler Hoffman as a low-cost sub striker. Sacrificing Casey and his high cost, allowed me to afford more of my other Draft guys. In the end, I only needed 3 low-cost Philly Union backups to complete my roster within the Fantasy Game rules. Philly is my favorite MLS team. My starting XI is now: Pickens; Franklin, Ihemelu, Tierney, Ashe; Lahoud, Arnaud, Jewsbury, Thorrington; Wondolowski, Finlay. Barnes is my defensive sub, plus the 3 low-cost Philly subs who are not from my Draft squad. Of the 12 teams in our 2012 Draft, 9 of them have 13 or more MLS players -- Susa/Barca, Harper, KC-IA, ATL, Sean, Balerion/Kyle, Hararea, Me/Giff, and Neuwerld. Joe Cleats has 11 MLS guys and FC Coulibaly and Chris E have only 10 each. If you are interested, try and maximize the number of your draftees, especially in your XI, and fill in with players you were about to draft or low-cost scrubs from a favorite team.
Re: MLS Fantasy League as Draft Test http://www.yanks-abroad.com/get.php?mode=blog&entry=273 Hat trick for Wooten. I know it is just a U23 game for his club, but between that and getting some time with the big team he's looking like an outstanding pick for Joe Cleets.
With MLS underway, there are some stats from both the US and overseas action. Giff and I had 8 starters go 90 minutes this past week -- Friedel, Ihemelu, Wynne, Franklin, Ashe, Jewsbury, Arnaud, and Wondo. 3 starters did not play -- Onyewu, Lahoud, and Casey. 4 of our subs played -- Pickens 90, Finley 78 (for injured Duka), Grella 90, and Billy Schuler ? minutes in a pre-season friendly. 3 subs did not play -- Tierney, Barnes, and Thorrington. Wondo (league match winner for SJ) and Schuler (friendly winner for Hammarby) scored goals.
For FC Coulibaly last week looked like this: Starters with club teams (7): Buddle, LaBrocca, Cherundolo, Marshall, Soares, Cronin, MacMath Goals(1): Buddle Subs with club teams (1): Wenger Matchday squad but DNP (3): Lichaj, G. Farfan, Taylor Injury: Fabian Johnson hurt in pre-game warmups. Not serious from what I gather. Callups to U23s: Boyd, Taylor
My team looked like so: Starters: (8) Jones, Demerit, Parkhurst, Loyd, Delagarza, Farfan, Corrales, Cannon Goals: (2) Sapong, Loyd Subs: (3) Sapong, Cruz, Thompson DNP: (6, 2 if you disregard those who had no games)Edu/Pause/Johnson/Ochoa - no games this weekend, Burling, Hoffman Injury: (0) U23: (1) Jeffrey EDIT: Forgot about Sean Johnson Happy enough. Was concerned not to see Spaong start but ummm, yeah, I think he's shown that it is a necessity. Jones was patrolling for Schalke who had another good win to move up in the Bundesliga table. Demerit anchored a clean-sheet for Vancouver and Joe Cannon, Loyd got a goal in FCD's win and Corrales started for SJ in their 1-0 win with a clean sheet. Would've been nice to have the Fire play and for Edu to get the start to bolster my week one standing but still a nice output. Jeffrey in another U23 camp for the big tourney is good news too.
Its interesting coming back and looking at this. We struck out on Lletget, but Boyd may be the steal of the draft and I think Fabian Johnson is confirming that selecting him as high as we did was not a bad move. It is also good to note that our backup goalkeeper Steve Clark is quickly becoming one many consider the best keeper in the norwegian tippeligian - He is leading all goalies in stats and has been named motm 3 or 4 times now in 12 games. Here are his highlights from the game yesterday against Josh Gatt's Molde team <a href="http://www.socceroverthere.com/?p=9283">Molde FK vs. Hønefoss Highlights « Over There</a>
