Maybe he meant Anding. It's hard to tell those fast, hard-working guys with little ball skill apart, y'know.
I know Hack has his Cruz-mancrush and all, but starting him over McInerney? WTF is Tannenwald thinking?
Mapp filled the role fairly well. I honestly think our attack suffered without him as a wide option, despite how streaky he was. I'd say that's more of a result of him crossing often rather than well. Maybe I'm thinking too much in the past where he couldn't land a cross. I'll give you this, Sheanon very well could have improved his crossing and my memory could be fading.
This may not be significant but at the training yesterday, the coaches consistently told the players to keep the ball on the ground. There may be an effort to play possession this year. We will see. Sheanon has trouble with long passes up the field. He has always been able to open up space and get a good cross off.
He had at least two assists from crosses from open play last season, both to Jack Mac (NE & HOU). That's one more then the American Pele had all of last season........
I don't think he's overrated, but I do think this is a make or break year for him. He's got to take a (significant) step forward this year, or he's going to be gone. I think he's going to be a starter for the first ~15 games or so. If he doesn't have a minimum of 7-8 goals by then, look for the team to make a change. They're certainly constituted that no forward should think their job can withstand any kind of prolonged lack of production.
Your assumption would put Jack at 17 goals for the year (.5 gpg) over a 34 game season. I think that might be setting the bar a little high for someone who will is just this year a presumed full-time starter. Only three players (Wondo, Cooper, Saborio) made it to 17 goals last season.
I said awhile back that I expect 25-30 goals combined from Jack Mac and Marfan. I stand by that. Honestly, I am very, very optimistic about this team. 38 days and counting.
The optimism I get, but then why are you calling to bench Jack if he's not on pace to compete for the golden boot 15 games in?
I don't necessarily think that, but I do see a glut of forwards, and I think that's the path you're going to see the team go down. It's a bit of prognostication on my part, not necessarily what I think is best for the team. That being said, if he's not taken a step forward, if he's on three goals fifteen games in, he's got to go, IMO. I don't mean he's got to be benched, they've got to deal him and go with one of the many other options they've got. It seems that the team has a lot of lottery tickets this year, at forward, in midfield, left back and backup CB. I wouldn't be surprised to see some of these kids get jobs at the expense of guys like Lahoud, Keon, etc etc. If someone doesn't perform, the team seems very excited about guys like Anding, Wheeler, Okai etc. Seems like Sheanon, MacMath, Marfan, BC and Okugo's jobs are safe, and just about everyone else is up for evaluation based on play.
I don't place Mac over either Seba or Casey at this point. If Hack wants to play with three Fwds then I think Mac can work well with the other two. It will be interesting to see which players make the roster and if any of the new people do well enough to alter Hack's plans. If someone who is not currently projected in the 11 supplants another player would Hack go to a 4-4-2 instead of the 4-3-3 it seems he wants will he adjust or just stick with what he wants. In all the stuff being asked of Hack I haven't heard if he was asked if he would change tactics to suit his players rather than trying to make the players fit his style a la king Peter.
I think you can safely add Le Toux , Casey, and Parke to your list. There is absolutely NO way they will not be on the field.
Now no, down the road maybe. Le Toux is a better all around option that Jack is right now. Jack still has things to work on and fortunately he is still young and has plenty of time. If you told me I had to pick one over the other I am taking Seba and I wouldn't even hesitate.
I'm sorry but this is ludicrous. Maybe Jack does about 12-15 goals or so over the entire season if he starts regularly, is given another forward to pair with, the planets align, and he does not get himself injured. Marfan produced 2 goals in 2011 in 1460 minutes, and only 1 goal this past season in 2802 minutes. He's a midfielder - a rather average one at that - currently being played out of position. How on earth does he find a dozen plus goals this year on one of the most offensively inept teams in the league? Snowball's chance, my friend.
As good a chance as Soumare has of being one of the U's starting CB's? I kid, I kid. On a more serious note I do agree that getting 8-12 goals out Marfan is a littlle unrealistic. That said, I can see him creating 10-15 goals this season (scores 5-6, and dishes out 5-10 helpers). In my mind that is much more realistic. As for Jack Mac, I'd say based off of his performance last season (more like half of last season), I'd realistically expect him to chip in a minimum of 10 goals. A realistic expectation for him I would imagine would be 10-15 goals this season. The real question is how many goals can we realistically expect Seba and Casey to chip in? And then there's the production of the subs in Hop & Hoff? The contributions of those players will have a greater, more significant, impact on the level of success that our team will have this season.
Well if you makes you feel any better.......I'm an Eternal Pessimist when it comes to my other favorite teams (Bills & Sabres). There's only so much room for pessimism, and it's already taken up and then some by those teams.
It looks like our forward unit is going to keep changing until we find something that works. I expect Hack to try everything. This could be very exciting.
I like Jack a lot, and I hope he starts this year, but I do think there are certain aspects to his game that he needs to improve on, especially his dribbling. However, his positioning is excellent, he makes great runs, and he's very good in the air, especially considering he is under 6'.
I agree he has great positioning, but anytime he has the ball at his feet expect it to be going the other way......all his touches should be shots on goal and nothing else and he will have a great season.