Landon Donovan - Eddie Johnson's Perfect Partner

[USvsIRELAND]

We have the perfect partner for Eddie Johnson under our noses. The kid can score, and has brilliant touch.

--------------------EJ---------------------------------
------------------------Donovan-----------------------


Should be our front line.

Anyway thats my opinion. I think we should play both Beasley and Lewis in the midfield somehow. Donovan is not effective as a central midfield or out on the right. Here he has a free role where he mostly flourishes.


Anyway Discuss Nicely. :D

[Namdynamo]

We have the perfect partner for Eddie Johnson under our noses. The kid can score, and has brilliant touch.

--------------------EJ---------------------------------
------------------------Donovan-----------------------


Should be our front line.

Anyway thats my opinion. I think we should play both Beasley and Lewis in the midfield somehow. Donovan is not effective as a central midfield or out on the right. Here he has a free role where he mostly flourishes.


Anyway Discuss Nicely. :D

And put in Dempsey as attacking mid, perfect.

[SteveMcCartney]

i don't understand why BA keep putting Donovan in the midfield ? he plays dangerously upfront.

[USvsIRELAND]

2 People who consecutively agree with me!

on Bigsoccer!

Unbelievable.

But yeah, this is the answer to our problems. We dont need an unproven someone else.

[SABuffalo786]

------------------------McBride/Ching-----------------
--------------------EJ---------------------------------
------------------------Donovan-----------------------


I like this better. EJ alone is nowhere near as effective as he would be with a target guy winning balls for him.

You can still have Donovan in the free role, but Eddie's potential is maximized when he runs off a target man.


And thus the streak ends. :D

[appoo]

Donovan not an effective midfielder?

ONE ********ING MATCH!

[USvsIRELAND]

I like this better. EJ alone is nowhere near as effective as he would be with a target guy winning balls for him.

You can still have Donovan in the free role, but Eddie's potential is maximized when he runs off a target man.


And thus the streak ends. :D

LOL. I'm going to have to respectfully disagree.

[USvsIRELAND]

Donovan not an effective midfielder?

ONE ********ING MATCH!

Out of all the games Donovan has played midfield I have always felt that he was more suited to a free role.

And I guess ure talking about the Mexico match?? I donno what BA was doing sticking our best player(arguably) on the wing.

[Asprilla9]

let's see, if you score an MLS brace....you get to be GAM's strike partner:

week one: Edson Buddle.
week two: Landon Donovan.
week three: ???? I'm hoping Robin Fraser finds a way to get two in, that way we'll have to consider him.

i'm all for trying LD-GAM, i just don't know who you plug in as your #10 shirt. Reyna??? it's possible. JOB?? MAYBE. and that's BIG maybe. unfortunately you could describe his entire career the same way. Clintinho?? doubtful. i think you see the problem here.....there are no suitable replacements for attacking mid.

the way i see it, after LD, our only true #10s are really, really, really young. we're talking Szetela, Martino, and Adu .... these guys are still a ways off. i think just from a pragmatic perspective we're probably better off keeping LD at AMid ... and just inserting Ching or Buddle, or Wolff....okay, or McBride into that other forward position.

[Bruce S]

Donovan is better at forward.The USA is better with Donovan in midfield.

[sidefootsitter]

Donovan is better at forward.The USA is better with Donovan in midfield. I'll remain convinced when he dominates someone better than the ReAlBundy. If you go by that game alone, Cobi Jones should be your right side midfielder.

[StillKickin]

the way i see it, after LD, our only true #10s are really, really, really young. we're talking Szetela, Martino, and Adu ....

Uh, Martino is older than Donovan. And Martino is NOWHERE near the answer.

[USvsIRELAND]

let's see, if you score an MLS brace....you get to be GAM's strike partner: .

Except he has over 50 caps and has scored loadsa goals and played forward for USA in a World Cup..........


i'm all for trying LD-GAM, i just don't know who you plug in as your #10 shirt. Reyna??? it's possible. JOB?? MAYBE. and that's BIG maybe. unfortunately you could describe his entire career the same way. Clintinho?? doubtful. i think you see the problem here.....there are no suitable replacements for attacking mid.

Clint Dempsey.

He has loadsa time to get used to play USMNT #10 position in Gold Cup and Friendlies and some Hex games.

[USvsIRELAND]

Donovan is better at forward.The USA is better with Donovan in midfield.

Could be true.

[Dr Jay]

And put in Dempsey as attacking mid, perfect.


As much as I like Dempsey, he has not yet shown the vision to be an attacking mid. His decision making is not mature. While its great to have a player with the skill to go 1 v 1 successfully, your attacking mid needs to play with the head up, and be able to break down the defense with passing as well as dribbling. Until Clint shows that ability, we are all going to be scratching our heads trying to figure out where to play him.

[USvsIRELAND]

As much as I like Dempsey, he has not yet shown the vision to be an attacking mid. His decision making is not mature. While its great to have a player with the skill to go 1 v 1 successfully, your attacking mid needs to play with the head up, and be able to break down the defense with passing as well as dribbling. Until Clint shows that ability, we are all going to be scratching our heads trying to figure out where to play him.

He needs to see alot of playing time in the Gold Cup. That will help him.

[SUDano]

That first goal vs Guatamala showed how these two could work well going at goal. Landon's flick on to the speedy EJ showed these guys could make a great duo. Problem is who takes on the central midfield role. Reyna slows us down. My only option is a healthy JOB with Mastro behind him.

[twenty]

Ok, I think that Landon is much better at forward. It's a bit rash to say he's ineffective in midfield, because he's good anywhere he plays. But he seems to play too cautiously in midfield. He makes too many back and square passes, instead of turning. At times he's been more aggressive and looked to turn more and that's when he's been most effective. But most times, he just plays like he's afraid of losing the ball. At forward, he won't have to worry about losing the ball. He can just create, free from all the added responsibility that comes with being an AM.

The big problem with this idea for now is that we wouldn't really have anybody to replace LD at AM, so for now, we probably won't be able to play LD at forward. The only other guys I can see really see playing AM in the near future are O'brien and Dempsey. O'brien may be healthy someday. Dempsey was given a more attacking role yesterday and he was the best player on the field.

[spot]

This is what the Gold Cup is good for. I'd love to see Landon and EJ play up top during the Gold Cup. Let Pablo and Dempsey play in central midfield. At some point the US has to stop being afraid of not "looking like we belong" and just go for it.

[StillKickin]

Ok, I think that Landon is much better at forward. It's a bit rash to say he's ineffective in midfield, because he's good anywhere he plays. But he seems to play too cautiously in midfield. He makes too many back and square passes, instead of turning. At times he's been more aggressive and looked to turn more and that's when he's been most effective. But most times, he just plays like he's afraid of losing the ball. At forward, he won't have to worry about losing the ball. He can just create, free from all the added responsibility that comes with being an AM.

The big problem with this idea for now is that we wouldn't really have anybody to replace LD at AM, so for now, we probably won't be able to play LD at forward. The only other guys I can see really see playing AM in the near future are O'brien and Dempsey. O'brien may be healthy someday. Dempsey was given a more attacking role yesterday and he was the best player on the field.
I agree that it's better when Landon is just free to be Landon, create and score and all that, without a lot of the added responsibility that comes with having to worry about everyone else (which comes with being captain, "team built around him" kind of thing) . And Dempsey was impressive yesterday, but I still don't see him as a playmaker kind of guy. I'm wondering if that responsibility would hamper him as well?