Sacha Kljestan at Anderlecht [R]

Discussion in 'Yanks Abroad' started by prowazekii, Jun 3, 2010.

  1. m vann

    m vann Moderator
    Staff Member

    Colorado Rapids, Celtic FC, & Louisville City
    Sep 10, 2002
    Denver, CO
    Club:
    Celtic FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Anderlecht have 4 or 5 guys currently playing in the African Cup of Nations. I assume that's why Sacha's been asked to stay.
     
  2. The Irish Rover

    The Irish Rover Member+

    Aug 1, 2010
    Dublin
    Club:
    Manchester United FC
    Nat'l Team:
    Ireland Republic
    #2452 The Irish Rover, Jan 20, 2015
    Last edited: Jan 20, 2015
    It's no secret that the coach favours a 4-4-2 which doesn't really suit Sasha, or at least suits other players more than it suits him. That doesn't mean that the coach doesn't respect a) his abilities or b) his character. If he thinks that Sasha is a good backup to his preferred starter(s), offers good tactical variations, and is a good influence in the dressing-room, why not ask him to stay?

    As for "8 minutes a match here or there," he's dressed for all 22 league games, with 5 starts and 6 sub appearances, getting garbage minutes in 3 of those. His average is 40' per league appearance this season.
    He's also dressed for all 6 Champions League games, with 2 starts (against Arsenal and Dortmund) and 2 sub appearances (getting 25' in one and a garbage 7' in the other). Omitting the garbage minutes, he averages 62' per CL appearance.
    More significantly, as MVann noted they've lost a few important players to the African Cup of Nations and they're still in the Europa League. With an attractive draw against Dynamo Moscow, they must fancy their chances of making the last 16, in which case he's surely worth keeping around, especially given his 30 appearances in all European competitions.

    IMO those stats tend to support my thesis: a respected pro that still offers good options whose coach is simply going in another direction.
     
  3. sidefootsitter

    sidefootsitter Member+

    Oct 14, 2004
    I am not sure if Dynamo Moscow is an easy draw. Their cash payroll in PPP must be six-ten times greater than Anderlecht's (Kuranyi is on $7M/Y, probably net, without having to worry about a 55% Belgian tax rate ... of course, recently the RPL management declared that they will not convert rubles into dollars or Euros according to the current ~ 65/$1 exchange rate and will arbitrarily set it at around 45 ... to which, the players responded with a threat of a law suit). Dynamo is owned by the FOV's (Friends of Vovan) and have, by connection, unlimited funds.

    As to Sacha, there's something to be said about a guy who shows up for work every day.
     
  4. afgrijselijkheid

    Dec 29, 2002
    mokum
    Club:
    AFC Ajax
    Yeah, there is nothing easy about drawing Dinamo.
     
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  5. The Irish Rover

    The Irish Rover Member+

    Aug 1, 2010
    Dublin
    Club:
    Manchester United FC
    Nat'l Team:
    Ireland Republic
    #2455 The Irish Rover, Jan 20, 2015
    Last edited: Jan 20, 2015
    In the UK "fancy their chances" means that they don't fear the opposition at all or think they're slight favourites, not that they think the opposition are easy.

    So easy draw, no, but they will still be fairly confident. The first leg is at home, and Russian teams are very poor travelers historically (so are foreigners going to Russia though :D), and the general turmoil in Russia will take its toll. Added to which, the fallout from the currency collapse is going to create a lot of ill-will (rumour is that the foreigners will be paid in $/Euros but not the Russian players, which ain't going to help morale) and, of course, the president's son is in the squad which is never a good sign.

    I don't follow Russian football so I can't comment on their Russian players, but few of the foreigners there - Valbuena and maybe Kuranyi apart - are any better than what Anderlecht have. IIRC you do know the Russian game, so maybe your perspective differs.

    Anderlecht would be 60-40 favourites in my book.
     
  6. The Irish Rover

    The Irish Rover Member+

    Aug 1, 2010
    Dublin
    Club:
    Manchester United FC
    Nat'l Team:
    Ireland Republic
    From my experience in this neck of the woods, it's definitely net. ;)
     
  7. sidefootsitter

    sidefootsitter Member+

    Oct 14, 2004
    Dinamo (Dynamo) has several decent internationals and most of the Russian national team members who are not at Zenit or CSKA (and both of those have largely gone foreign since they have the money).

    On paper, they have a very good team but, at the same time, they're a typical Russian squad - excellent skill level, superb attacking movement, good enough athletes, prone to several mind-numbingly stupid mistakes per match. If you saw any of Russia's play during the last World Cup (and Capello hasn't gotten paid since then), you pretty much saw a close copy of Dinamo M.

    PS. In their last group match, Russia dominated Algeria, who took Germany into the extra time in the 1/16th, but then Akinfeyev allowed a free header off a set piece and out they went.
     
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  8. Suyuntuy

    Suyuntuy Member+

    Jul 16, 2007
    Vancouver, Canada
    Dynamo still has to do their winter shopping, though. And they have Granat, one of the best CBs in the league, and Kokorin, a staple of their national team. I give the edge to them, even with all their troubles.
     
  9. freisland

    freisland Member+

    Jan 31, 2001
    you mean "nyet?"
     
  10. tomásbernal

    tomásbernal Member+

    Sep 4, 2007
    Club:
    Portland Timbers
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Oh, god, freisland, no. *shakes head*
     
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  11. Hobo

    Hobo Member+

    Apr 29, 2007
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    net works in German for nicht meaning not/nothing
    And nett means nice
     
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  12. LouisianaViking07/09

    Aug 15, 2009
    How much is Sacha earning at Anderlecht?

    Has Kuranyi been worth that $$$? I haven't heard anything since he dropped from Germany
     
  13. Suyuntuy

    Suyuntuy Member+

    Jul 16, 2007
    Vancouver, Canada
    He and Kokorin scored 7 last season, each, to put Dinamo in the Top 4.
     
  14. freisland

    freisland Member+

    Jan 31, 2001
    awwwww man. I was feeling pretty good about that...

    sigh.
     
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  15. The Irish Rover

    The Irish Rover Member+

    Aug 1, 2010
    Dublin
    Club:
    Manchester United FC
    Nat'l Team:
    Ireland Republic
    And you forgot to put in the ;)

    ;)
     
  16. Higher Learning

    Jul 1, 2009
    San Jose
    Club:
    San Jose Earthquakes
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
  17. irish56

    irish56 Member+

    Oct 30, 2006
    indy
    Club:
    Los Angeles Galaxy
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Talking about knowing where to be
     
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  18. m vann

    m vann Moderator
    Staff Member

    Colorado Rapids, Celtic FC, & Louisville City
    Sep 10, 2002
    Denver, CO
    Club:
    Celtic FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
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  19. afgrijselijkheid

    Dec 29, 2002
    mokum
    Club:
    AFC Ajax

    I liked his reaction to the crowd, who then started shrugging their shoulders back at him. Nice moment.
     
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  20. tomásbernal

    tomásbernal Member+

    Sep 4, 2007
    Club:
    Portland Timbers
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
  21. sidefootsitter

    sidefootsitter Member+

    Oct 14, 2004
    Sacha is on slightly more than $1M, I believe. ~ $1.2M gross.

    Kuranyi's been fairly good, scored 47 for Dinamo M so far.

    What about "brutto/netto"? 'I remember that from those Nescafe cups from back in the day.

    Oh and Anderlecht just signed Marko Marin, ex-'Gladbach, ex-Werder, ex-Chelsea, ex-Sevilla ... well, Chelsea is still paying for him, apparently.
     
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  22. LouisianaViking07/09

    Aug 15, 2009
    Damn pretty good salary for Belgian league right. The highest paid player can't be making more than 2 million right? Any idea how much he was making when he first signed with them?
     
  23. Placid Casual

    Placid Casual Member+

    Apr 2, 2004
    Bentley's Roof
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  24. Gorando

    Gorando Member

    Anderlecht
    Belgium
    Mar 12, 2008
    Belgium
    Club:
    Juventus FC
    Nat'l Team:
    Belgium
    The highest paid players in the Belgian league make about 1.5M euro.
     
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  25. ttrevett

    ttrevett Member+

    Apr 2, 2002
    Atlanta, GA
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
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