Mo had an outstanding match in the W1-0 in Italy. IIRC he was ranked the same as MB90 by the Italian press in that match. They praised his presence, range, and ball winning skills.
The concern with JJ was how well he played with Bradley. How is Jones being used in Turkey? 6? 8? And the formation.
I have a question to the HoustonHoyaFan as well... Since I have not seen Jones play for Besiktas this season, and can only read press clippings, apparently Jones is doing well and correct me if I am wrong, Besiktas are playing a 4-4-1-1 or a 4-5-1? It seems that Jones is playing an 8 with Atiba being a 6 and Sahan being a CAM? Is this correct? I am assuming he's playing an 8 role. Anybody been watching Jones?
I have not seen any of Jones' games. To the extent that football-lineups.com is accurate, here is how he lined up for the last 3 matches: http://www.football-lineups.com/match/170999/ April 11: could be an 8 or a 6. http://www.football-lineups.com/match/170983/ April 5: appears to be a 6. http://www.football-lineups.com/match/170980/ March 28: could be an 8 or a 6. But obviously, the visual lineup may not accurately reflect his actual role.
I'd put in Mix rather than Jones. . Mix could be the guy going foward and Bradley stays in the distribution role.
Repped for truth. But I do like the idea of playing Jones as an 8, with Beckerman/Cameron as the 6 with Bradley/Mix as a CAM in a 4-4-1-1. Also, I like the idea of Jones playing a backup 8 role for Bradley. As of now, my four CM's I think Klinsi would take are Bradley, Beckerman, Diskerud and Jones. Although if I had my way, I would take Feilhaber over Jones if he can't learn to play his given role correctly.
He has been playing primarily as a #8 in a BL1 style 4-2-3-1 double pivot. He plays a similar role to that on the USMNT when he is partnered with Bradley, Williams, or Dreds, not the #6 he plays when combined with Kljestan or Mix. As I mentioned in my PBP, Atiba has moved to RB/AMR since JJ joined the rotation, Kavlak plays as more of the #6. Sahan typically plays AMR or AML and has fantastic work rate on both sides of the ball. I have also been impressed with Atiba. Almedia their #9 is a Portugal fringe MNTer and plays the big target striker role. If we face him at the WC he is big, strong, and decent in the air but is fairly slow.
There is zero evidence that Jones refuses to play the #6 'correctly'. When asked to play the #6 by JK; (30min sub for Williams v A&B paired wth MB90), v Belgium with Kljestan, v Jamaica with Mix, and v Ukraine with Kljestan, Jones has played that role very, very well.
Note the similarities of both JJ's and MB90's views on playing with Kyle. The Jones + Beckerman W2-0 over Mexico's A team is a great comparison to the Bradely + Beckerman T2-2 v a Mexico B team. Jones doesn't want to replace his injured teammate, nor should he. He simply wants to play his own game, and Beckerman's inclusion in the Starting XI would allow him to do so. "I don't look to step up into [Bradley's] role. I try to play my own game and to help the team to win the game. Michael's an important player for us. We have been playing a long time together and we know each other good. But the guy who steps in for him needs to take his role. I try to help this guy who steps in," he said. He continued with a breakdown of how Beckerman's insertion into the line up would free him up: "When Kyle plays, he has more of the defense side and I can go more in front. But it's not important who plays with me. Both of us will try to make a better game than we did in Costa Rica." http://americansoccernow.com/articles/michael-bradley-s-absence-a-blessing-in-disguise
As I've stated elsewhere each has expressed however indirectly a preference for pairing with someone other than one another. That's partly why I prefer a diamond midfield for the Ghana match with mike at a-mid and jj at lcm.
Beckerman scares me as a lone D-Mid against this caliber of athleticism (Ghana, Germany) and passing (Portugal and Germany). If Kyle is out there, we need to play a double pivot. Though the KB-JJ pivot with MB as the CAM is something I could get behind. But if we are going to play both JJ and MB up the field, I'd prefer Edu or Williams as the DM.
That would be a back to the future moment. JK's first match as the USMNT coach, the T1-1 v Mexico Buddle Torres Bradley Donovan Jones Beckerman Castillo Boca Orozco Dolo Howard
Also, he was widely praised by Mexican media in the draw with Mexico at Azteca in the hex. Notice that both were bunker ball playing next to Bradley. Could it be the key to stop Ronaldo from penetrating up top on Brazil? Expect Edu on the squad in Brazil, yeah.
Bradley was a deer in headlights back then at that position---but now I'd be happy to give him a shot there. If that doesn't work out so well, I'd tinker with Mix there, Donovan, or even Corona.
True, Bradley isn't the type of guy who can take on men and isn't much of a scorer, so I doubt he'd be the guy in the #10 spot there. Yeah, that is the best place to put the injury prone and slowing Donovavn now, the CAM spot in the 4-2-3-1. However, he'll be a sub behind Dempsey who is too quality to be left on the bench. Mix has shown little in a creative capacity against top class opponents recently and isn't starting material in the WC. Donovan shouldn't be a true winger now, he's far too slow on the counter, instead he'll play more to the inside in a creative role from the right. FJ should be a winger on the left though, especially if we can put Cameron in the LB spot. With that speed, Shea is always an option too with his ability to run at men and might be worth a sub for the LW position if we need a goal.
I take a young Kelyn Rowe or Luis Silva over Jermaine Jones at this point. Jermaine is long in the tooth and can't recover as fast.
If by "Italian press" you mean the Gazetta dello Sport then yes they rated Edu and Bradley with a 6.5. Of course that was complete nonsense as Bradley actually did have an outstanding game vs Italy, and Edu did not.
Bradley's game in front of the ball is weak. So I don't see him ever playing there again. Unless a new coach comes in who, like Klinsmann in 2011 & 2012, has to figure out the player pool first.
This. This. This. ^That. Beckerman is looking more and more of an option each time he's paired with Bradley. He's the only one in the pool disciplined enough to play the destroyer role allowing Bradley to play his best role.
If I were building a new club team and needed to watch my budget, I might agree. But for the World Cup in 2 months... ??? No way. Jermaine Jones belongs on the US team. It's not even close. The debatable issue is if he should be a core starter or not. I've been critical of JJ's partnership with MB90; it hasn't been convincing. As a pure, defensively disciplined #6 with some mobility and athleticism in the Group phase matches, I think I'd rather try Edu or Williams, or ideally Cameron (but he is needed at RB). But if MB needed a break for whatever reason, JJ would be my first choice replacement. And if we needed a conservative 3-man central midfield with a #6 and dual #8's to hold a result, I'd also have JJ in there.
Are you serious? I can't comment on Rowe, but Silva has been given the '10' role for DCU, and prior to injury, just couldn't make much of it. He's not great at making his way back to defend either. Jones better than Silva in ALL aspects of his game...
Many folks have doubts about Jones. I mean, here's a entire thread dedicated to his potential lameness. The dude is almost 33 years old. 33 year olds take a lot longer to recover game-to-game than 23 year olds. In a tourney environment choose your long-tooth, overpaid veterans carefully. All I was saying was that Silva is creative midfielder that makes guys around him better. He's an unselfish attacking midfielder who makes brilliant passes and puts his teammates in incredibly awesome positions over and over again. He also a midfielder that can score near or away. He's also one of the few midfielders I've seen that can score for 40 yards out with an incredible drop-shot. He's a scoring threat from that far away. Rowe is U.S. National youth team product that is incredibly rugged, strong finisher. Plays with one of the biggest hearts I've seen in a long while. How much heart do you see currently on the USMNT? Remember the last half of the Mexico game? “Kelyn has that X factor,” says Heaps. “He has that ability to score goals as a midfielder which not many midfielders have. He’s a clinical finisher — he gets a chance to score, he does. He’s as good as any forward I’ve seen. He’s lethal when he has an opportunity. And competitively he’s got a higher desire than most.” Don't just listen to me...here's an article called, "A Case for Kelyn Rowe" by the Boston Globe - http://www.boston.com/sports/soccer/blog/2014/01/klinsmann_names_roster_for_january_us_camp.html Anyhow, just remember Jones is 33. Be careful what you wish for...For me installing Jones would be like the Italian national team hauling out Francesco Totti for the World Cup in Brazil. Oh wait..... check out what the Italian team just annouced - http://www.smh.com.au/sport/soccer/...totti-and-fellow-veterans-20140416-zqva7.html "MILAN Italy coach Cesare Prandelli has ruled veterans Francesco Totti, Luca Toni and Antonio Di Natale out of his World Cup squad for Brazil as he backed Giuseppe Rossi and a clutch of emerging younger players." I rest my case...