Here is my take on Jones, the guy can play but he is a role player, that is why he looks so much better with schalke but for us because we are more of a work in progress team, he doesn't stand out. His individual performance is just average. Players like MB, FJ, Cam, Herc stand out because of their individual game. I think this is the same condition that is happening with Jozy.
How can you look at that and disagree? It's not up for debate. Their relative positions are obvious, with Williams playing the 6. Do you also disagree that 2+2=4?
First part first. I dissent in part and concur in part. I find it difficult to see how one can say Bradley was the deepest of the three tonight. That was Williams for certain. Jones and Mikey were dual 8s, at least until the subs started flying late. Mikey would lead counter attacks. Williams never did this. However, I thought the Bradley-Jones pairing was pretty effective, even while Williams was having his worst game. Though some of the chances did come with Jones playing down the left late (like the ball into Kljestan he headed down for Mikey), not all of them did. Jones' run led to Gatt's shot, and JJ made a nice long cross field pass to spring Gatt that was wasted. Agree we didn't get much possession from the wing forward, especially Gatt and Herc. It got better when Sacha came in and later, when Jones pushed wide after Mix came in and we went with two up top. For me: Bradley = MOTM. Very good, got stronger as the game went on. Though I did think he'd do better with some counters that petered out. Jones = Good on balance. Really started creating chances late, but that was more of a LM at the time. Still, had a great engine and was getting stronger as the game wore on, as was Bradley. I'd love to see him as the #6 with Bradley + a more offensive CM (Kljestan, Mix, Zusi, or even LD/Clint) but I understand he doesn't stay put enough to suit JK, and I get why we didn't do it at Russia. Williams. His poorest effort at DM. Everyone has a bad game sometime. Had some nice moments, like the pass to Goodson, but the two mistakes were glaring. And had a couple of other turnovers that weren't punished but could have been. He's young, I'll live with it. Edu. Thought he did his job late, though that one sequence where he coughed up the ball was scary. Diskerud. Nice technique on the goal. Good to see him back in the mix (no pun). I rated Kljestan and Gatt as wingers.
You have flat out lost your mind. Williams was the 6. Both the data, and you know, watching the actual match makes this obvious. Does anyone else here think that Bradley was the 6 and Williams an 8? Anyone?
I really don't like that midfield deployment. To me, Jones and Williams are redundant. The whole is LESS than the sum of the parts. One other thing...how many friggin' times did we play the ball IN to pressure? It was like a scrimmage in which the team gets more points if they pass into and out of a double team than if they hit the open man. We're too easy to defend because we are incredibly slow at moving the ball from side to side.
Those aren't mutually exclusive. And you're kidding yourself if you believe for a minute that Klinsmann will sit any of his three players who play regularly at excellent clubs. Dempsey, Jones, and Bradley are shoo-ins. It doesn't matter what anyone believes...that's all pie in the sky stuff because it's just not happening.
Says the guy with a Romney avatar? Jones+Bradley has not worked after 2 years and 2 coaches of trying to make it work. The team is better when it's 1 of them, not both.
Jones and Bradley don't work well together, mostly to Jones constantly trying to do too much when he's out there. Jones should be cover for Bradley. He's a very good club player, but he loses his mind internationally for us, and becomes less effective on the whole. There's nothing wrong with having that cover, either. Injuries, cards, whatever-I like the idea of having Jones ready if Mikey can't.
It "has not worked", eh? That's a questionable evaluation given that Bradley and Jones were the two guys creating chances at an away game against a very good Russian team. Not to mention that Klinsmann views Jones as a team leader. It may not be what you want, but you aren't making the decisions. There's probably a reason or two why Klinsmann is paid to make those decisions and why we sit behind keyboards and talk about them.
They only started creating chances when Jones was pushed out wide, and when the personnel on the field dictated that he had to defer to Bradley in the center. For the bulk of the game, Jones was his typical self-trying to do too much, and generally getting in the way. They don't work well together at all.
Well, you just said yourself that they were creating chances when Jones was pushed out wide, so you're contradicting yourself when you say that "they don't work well together at all."
Not really. They don't work well when they're paired together centrally because Jones thinks he can be the 6, 8 and 10 all at once. He got pushed wide based on who was left on the field, and the game situation. He was 20 yards away from Mikey. That's a dishonest conclusion to draw if that's the evidence you're using.
If Holden recovers his previous form I could see him replacing Jones. A Williams/Holden/Bradley midfield would without a doubt be more dynamic. JK is a huge fan of Stu as well. But, all depends on if Stu regains previous form.
Struggled as a whole getting an early grip on the game but got stronger as it went on. 2nd wonder volley this year by MB. Nice strike by Mix too. First weak game by Williams. I thought JJ was better than I think most here did, but he tries to do too much sometimes. Thought Gomez was decent if out of his normal Nats' position. Thought Gatt was meh.
Why not send Jones to LW or RW then? If him not wanting to defend is true, I don't see the negatives in trying that out in the 4-3-3 Klinsmann hopes to play. In theory he would track back when need to and hopefully combine with the mids/forwards. As for the game, the transition is still too slow however that has its reasons be it systems/players. It's a shame Johnson is at a much needed Lb spot, otherwise it would be something to try out.
Not sure where to put this, but I was shocked at how badly we pressed as a team. Our forwards would press and our CM's would leave their forward outlet wide open. Our CM's would press and our DM's and defenders would leave their forward outlet wide open. Rinse and repeat for 90 minutes. Everyone constantly reacting to the pass to the open outlet rather than anticipating and closing down the options. This team will get shredded if it doesn't figure this out.
Go to those maps and click on Defensive. You will see Bradley with one recovery in the box and maybe a couple tackles in the defensive third. Williams has a ton, far more than either Bradley of Jones. Bradley often came back to distribute, but he wasn't sitting back and defending deep.