1. USA-Zebuel

    USA-Zebuel Member+

    Mar 26, 2013
    Club:
    Colón de Santa Fe
    Mixing speculation with old quotes. Nice tactic
     
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  2. Magikfute

    Magikfute Member

    Mar 9, 2001
    Lancaster, PA
    Club:
    DC United
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I don’t understand conversations that discuss how “committed” a player is. That seems like an unnecessarily oblique metric to determine whether or not to use a player. If a player hypothetically only wants to play some games, and I think that player will help me win those games, I’d call him in. The fact that a player had some reason he didn’t want to travel or play for some game last year or whenever has no bearing on the game I’m trying to win today.

    Now, if you think the player is not good enough, or makes the team worse because they aren’t familiar with the setup, or won’t give you enough effort when he plays, then you don’t call him. But it makes way more sense to me to evaluate the player in the context of the game in front of you than to carry some sort of grudge against a player for turning down a friendly in the past or trying to measure “commitment” instead of actual soccer performance.
     
  3. Paul Berry

    Paul Berry Member+

    Notts County and NYCFC
    United States
    Apr 18, 2015
    Nr Kingston NY
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    In many football cultures, willingness to represent your country under any circumstances is synonymous with patriotism.

    Hence the vitriolic attacks on Jamie Carragher when he retired from international football at 30, rather than travel halfway across the world to watch an England game from the sidelines, and further criticism when he said in his biography that he cared more about Liverpool winning than England (he was born in Liverpool into a family of Everton supporters).
     
  4. LouisZ

    LouisZ Member+

    Oct 14, 2010
    Southern California-USA
    Club:
    FC Barcelona
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    In all fairness, JK would throw anyone under the boss if he thinks the player is the culprit of not getting the win. Nevermind, if JK ran the player to the ground in previous matches.
     
  5. Bruce S

    Bruce S Member+

    Sep 10, 1999
    FYP
     
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  6. TheHoustonHoyaFan

    Oct 14, 2011
    Houston
    Club:
    FC Schalke 04
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    FYP, :questioning a player's manhood?

    While Arena said "it is very rare" for him to single out individual players for blame, after the game Monday he did say, "Landon [Donovan] showed no aggressiveness tonight. We got nothing from [DaMarcus] Beasley on the night."
    ...
    At his news conference Tuesday, Arena didn't back down about his team's disappointing play.

    On Beasley, he said: "If he's any kind of a player and a man, he understands that. If he doesn't, then he's not going to be able to help us in Games 2 or 3, either."


    http://articles.latimes.com/2006/jun/14/sports/sp-adande14
     
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  7. Bruce S

    Bruce S Member+

    Sep 10, 1999
    it's a bad move for any coach.
     
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  8. Force11

    Force11 Red Card

    United States
    Dec 24, 2018
    Still think he has much to offer. likely the best 30+ player In the pool right now.

    LB comes to mind. Antonee Robinson might not be good enough for another few years.

    btw, I was watching US vs Panama game on TV, and they kept talking about Bradley playing at a "high-level" or berhalter saying "Bradley is playing at a very high-level". And it just now reminded me of the original postings in this thread of Fabian Johnson playing at "high-level" and criticizing for Bradley not playing at a "high-level"

    The top soccer executives check these boards on a regular basis, that was my conclusion tonight.
     
  9. Sebsasour

    Sebsasour Member+

    New Mexico United
    May 26, 2012
    Albuquerque NM
    Club:
    Philadelphia Union
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    If he's still interested and better than the rest at his position (which he is), he should absolutely be called. 31 isn't ancient, and even though he's probably too old for Qatar, there's plenty of meaningful games in the meantime
     
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  10. rgli13

    rgli13 Member+

    Mar 23, 2005
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    fabian had a great world cup at rb. the entire rest of his national team career is some mixture of very unimpressive and seemingly uninterested.

    tony senneh was a better national team player (on the whole) than fab.
     
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  11. TheHoustonHoyaFan

    Oct 14, 2011
    Houston
    Club:
    FC Schalke 04
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Fab is our best ever offensive FB with 11 assists in 57 matches. Fab's assist rate is better than players like Bradley 22 in 143, Beasley 13 in 126, Dolo 10 in 87, Bedoya 11 in 66, JJ 10 in 69, Zusi 7 in 54, Yedlin 7 in 57, Kljestan 5 in 52, and Feilhaber 2 in 44.
     
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  12. rgli13

    rgli13 Member+

    Mar 23, 2005
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    but thats not 57 matches at fullback, is it? whatever, its super, i dont care about this argument at all. "assist rate". how about total goals for cms and we can celebrate diskerud as a top five or so player of all time...
     
  13. Bruce S

    Bruce S Member+

    Sep 10, 1999
    Sanneh had one hot tournament. He was one of our weaker players, but damn, he turned into Superman in the summer in 2002.
     
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  14. Konut

    Konut Member+

    May 31, 2010
    Club:
    FC Barcelona
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
  15. LouisZ

    LouisZ Member+

    Oct 14, 2010
    Southern California-USA
    Club:
    FC Barcelona
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I thought he said he wants to remain in midfield, not defense.
     
  16. adam tash

    adam tash Member+

    Jul 12, 2013
    Barcelona, Spain
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I'd still play him over many of the options GB has used.

    If he's healthy and playing he's in my 23...just another class than most of the rest of the pool.
     
  17. Konut

    Konut Member+

    May 31, 2010
    Club:
    FC Barcelona
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Agreed. I'm more interested than anything to see if he can still play at a top level. The competition at LB is pretty much Robinson, Ream, or playing Dest there, so there's definitely potential for FJ to make a comeback.

    Just a reminder for those that don't know - he was getting minutes with borussia mönchengladbach last season while they were in first place in the league before he got injured. That's really the last we've seen of him.
     
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  18. Mahtzo1

    Mahtzo1 Member+

    Jan 15, 2007
    So Cal
    There is no doubt that FJ has been a quality player. His problem has always been staying healthy. Unfortunately most don't have fewer problems with injuries as they age.
     
  19. LouisZ

    LouisZ Member+

    Oct 14, 2010
    Southern California-USA
    Club:
    FC Barcelona
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Not only healthy but also motivated. He doesn't like to play LB.
     
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  20. Mahtzo1

    Mahtzo1 Member+

    Jan 15, 2007
    So Cal
    the issue, of course is that there is an awful lot less room right now for a midfielder than there is for a left back
    I personally like him better at left back for the US. He was quite good there and that has always been a huge area of need. The question is do we spend the time convincing a him to play a postition he would rather not fill when there is a pretty decent chance that he won't be the first choice in 2022....even if healthy. outside back is no longer the desert it once was and it appears to be getting better.
     
  21. LouisZ

    LouisZ Member+

    Oct 14, 2010
    Southern California-USA
    Club:
    FC Barcelona
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Also, back in the days, he had to do a lot of defending as an LB. Now, I would like to think we will be dictating the pace outside of MX and CR.
     
  22. Paul Berry

    Paul Berry Member+

    Notts County and NYCFC
    United States
    Apr 18, 2015
    Nr Kingston NY
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Don't forget Canada. Canada is on the verge of becoming a top six CONCACAF team.
     
  23. LouisZ

    LouisZ Member+

    Oct 14, 2010
    Southern California-USA
    Club:
    FC Barcelona
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I don't think CAN has enough horses against ours. But, you never how well we will gel with GB in control
     
  24. Paul Berry

    Paul Berry Member+

    Notts County and NYCFC
    United States
    Apr 18, 2015
    Nr Kingston NY
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    As I said, top six in CONCACAF.
     
  25. rgli13

    rgli13 Member+

    Mar 23, 2005
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    this is a pretty popular phrase around here i dont really get. fab, jozy and aj appreciate the support, im sure (along with pomykal, adams and pulisic to some degree).

    but johannsson is the only one (of those first three, obviously 20 year olds have a little more leeway) who hasnt already taken a noticeable downturn when they DO play.

    i mean, rate who you rate and i still have faith in players that currently dont deserve it at the moment too (weah) but at some point "if hes healthy and playing" is as meaningless as "if found a new club" or "if he were better at soccer".
     

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