John Anthony Brooks at Hoffenheim

Discussion in 'Yanks Abroad' started by Pagefan, Dec 14, 2009.

  1. Ger90

    Ger90 Member+

    May 13, 2016
    Club:
    FC Bayern München
    Nat'l Team:
    Germany
     
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  2. Tigerpunk

    Tigerpunk Member+

    Jun 17, 2004
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  3. wixson7

    wixson7 Member+

    May 12, 2009
    boulder
    I'm ok with this. Don't really need him for Gold Cup, if he needs to rest it for preseason. But would sure like to have him commanding the back line and finding a long term CB partner, this summer would have been a good oppty.

    Still could happen but i'm totally fine with him sitting out the last few games in the BL.
     
  4. Jazzy Altidore

    Jazzy Altidore Member+

    Sep 2, 2009
    San Francisco
    Club:
    Los Angeles Galaxy
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I’m quite certain we will need him once we run into Costa Rica or Mexico. This is quite bad.
     
  5. ArsenalMetro

    ArsenalMetro Member+

    United States
    Aug 5, 2008
    Chicago, IL
    Club:
    Arsenal FC
    If the US has any intention of winning it, then yes, they do.
     
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  6. Jazzy Altidore

    Jazzy Altidore Member+

    Sep 2, 2009
    San Francisco
    Club:
    Los Angeles Galaxy
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Brooks is our only center-back that can actually dribble the ball with ease and transition into offense quickly. He's very good at this, even by Bundesliga standards. Without him, opposing teams can easily pressure our backline into making mistakes, and we get bogged down in our defensive third.
     
  7. Suyuntuy

    Suyuntuy Member+

    Jul 16, 2007
    Vancouver, Canada
    Actually JAB is exactly not needed against those two, IMO. We need him much more against physical teams like Panama & Jamaica.
     
  8. Jazzy Altidore

    Jazzy Altidore Member+

    Sep 2, 2009
    San Francisco
    Club:
    Los Angeles Galaxy
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    He’s especially needed against quality teams that can bother us with possession and high pressing, along with his defense. That’s Mexico and CR.

    Jamaica and Panama can be handled by our other centerbacks because they typically don’t press our defensive line. They sit back, absorb pressure, and counter.
     
  9. DHC1

    DHC1 Member+

    Jun 3, 2002
    NYC
    Let's assume that a team is building around Brooks as a foundational player, warts and all.

    What would a smart coach do to amplify his strengths while minimizing his weaknesses? what kind of formation, system and partners (both on the back line and in Central Midfield) would you want? what formations, system and partners would you avoid?
     
  10. adam tash

    adam tash Member+

    Jul 12, 2013
    Barcelona, Spain
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    1. his CB partner should be very fast and alert - quick to cover for his relative lack of footspeed - but doesnt need to be great in the air or tall. I dont think it really matters too much what attributes his fullbacks have - they just need to be competent at what their roles require - sound up and down the touchlines both sides of the ball.

    2. I would play out of the back through brooks - he's a great long-passer and distributor. So a "6" or QB midfielder a la trapp bradley who drops back between the CBs is unnecessary and actually detrimental. I would play with more ahtletic and imposing center mids that can take advantage of Brooks' passing to spring quick attacks that start from the back - so adams, mckennie, etc. the dmid doesnt need to be a great distrubutor but should be able to snuff out everything a la canouse and adams.

    I think brooks can be quite a weapon - he can distribute from the back and allow the midfield to be more agressive and forward thinking. I hat the midfield dropping back to pass the ball...that should be the backiline's job...and brooks can handle it.
     
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  11. ArsenalMetro

    ArsenalMetro Member+

    United States
    Aug 5, 2008
    Chicago, IL
    Club:
    Arsenal FC
    Completely agree with both points. Point 1 is why Brooks and Miazga don't and won't work well together.

    Miazga can replace Brooks in a starting XI, and then the 6 dropping back makes more sense because Miazga can't pass as well, but they can't play together.

    Flaws and all, that's why someone like Aaron Long would pair well with Brooks. Open to other suggestions there, but he comes to mind first for me for obvious reasons.
     
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  12. DHC1

    DHC1 Member+

    Jun 3, 2002
    NYC
    Given that this is the YA section, I wasn't looking for USMNT suggestions only!

    I do think that having a regista doesn't amplify his strengths and that it's important to have a ball-winner in front of him, particularly for transitional plays.
     
  13. felloveranddidanadu

    Plymouth Argyle FC
    Dec 12, 2009
    Club:
    San Jose Frogs
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Very detailed question but I'll give it a shot.

    Strengths:
    + Distribution from the back
    + Stepping up from defense
    + Recovery tackles
    + Positioning
    + Set piece headers

    Weaknesses:
    - 1-v-1 defending in space, due to his...
    - poor later movement and...
    - ocasional suicidal mental lapses

    I think the above combination of strengths/weaknesses do not really dovetail nicely into a "you're this player, this is your position" kind of guy. You could play him in a central cover role, where he is tasked with staying a little deeper than his partner to limit him getting isolated and give him more cover to spray passes, but then, inevitably he will get isolated as the last man, will have to cover little whippet forwards running across him, and his passes will need to go 40 yards instead of 30, knocking a few % of his completion rate.

    So, I'd try him out there, hoping he can grow into it, but probably first I'd want to see him paired with a more mobile guy (basically akin to what JK did with Alvarado), someone who can race back and cover for his mistakes, kind of like a small and big forward idea. I'd use him as a first point of distribution from the back and have two center mids "levering" in front of him, one always showing and the other always making a forward run. I'd spread outside backs wide to give him more angles and would have one attacker always making a run in behind to a) give him an always there option on a deadly over the top ball and b) spread opposition D out. If he gets pressured, which he does often, he can just hoof it toward the runner if needed, instead of out or back, where pressure mounts and you can see him beginning to fold. It's these moments, after a mistake, that he needs to work out to stop from compounding that mistake

    JB is one of my favorite USMNT players though, because he's truly elegant, smart, and a leader and seems like he can raise his game to any level. But it also seems like he's missing a bit mentally-- which if he can solve means he'll be playing for a top 8 club instead of a top 20.
     
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  14. DHC1

    DHC1 Member+

    Jun 3, 2002
    NYC
    I think his positioning is questionable in transition but is quite good when the defense is set, if that makes sense.
     
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  15. Jazzy Altidore

    Jazzy Altidore Member+

    Sep 2, 2009
    San Francisco
    Club:
    Los Angeles Galaxy
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    If you are talking about the national team, Brooks is by far the most complete center-back we have in the pool, occasional brain farts aside. Then we have the additional core players of Adams at the 6, McKennie at the 8, Pulisic at a 10, and Yedlin at right-back.

    Regarding Brooks' partner, that is an open question. I would lean toward Miazga, but CCV has apparently been in good form, and to the extent his passing is still weak (90% completion stat aside), Brooks would help mask those flaws by taking the responsibility to move the ball out of the back.

    As usual, LB is an open question, but I see no better option that Robinson given his youth and upside. I don't think you ditch a promising young left back because he struggled against Colombia and Brazil, two of the top international teams in the world, especially considering those were likely the most talented attacking players he's ever matched up against. I hope we can get a stable back four working together in the Gold Cup and build it as a foundation going forward, with Horvath or Steffen, depending who wins out that battle.

    And I'd go with a 4-4-2 because I haven't seen we have the players for something more complex.
     
  16. Ger90

    Ger90 Member+

    May 13, 2016
    Club:
    FC Bayern München
    Nat'l Team:
    Germany
     
  17. freisland

    freisland Member+

    Jan 31, 2001
    A comfortable football player is a bad football player...
     
  18. LouisianaViking07/09

    Aug 15, 2009
    starting for a semi-big club like Wolfsburg ain't too shabby for a Yank.
     
  19. freisland

    freisland Member+

    Jan 31, 2001
    Yeah, I was being glib. Wolfs is great - and ever since Reyna they've been very yank-friendly, so I'm sure they are nice to Brooks...
     
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  20. adam tash

    adam tash Member+

    Jul 12, 2013
    Barcelona, Spain
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    comfortable doesn't necessarily mean lacking ambition...

    I think Brooks' has a higher level of performance that he can show...and probably feels that Wolfsburg is as good as anywhere to show it. If he goes to a bigger club now, it might not be easy for him to play, etc....

    Hopefully, he plans to put in a good season and move to a bigger club next year....
     
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  21. LouisianaViking07/09

    Aug 15, 2009
    I never know about you ;)
     
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  22. freisland

    freisland Member+

    Jan 31, 2001
    Yeah, sorry, I was just kind of being a dick. "A comfortable footballer is a bad footballer" is something an Austrian coach of my youth used to shout at us... I think Wolfs is a great fit for him and for a CD who is probably not quite "tippy-top" tier, it allows JAB to play a fairly elegant game for a big man.
     
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  23. sakibomb523

    sakibomb523 Member+

    Oct 13, 2009
    Orange County
    Club:
    AS Roma
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Fabian Johnson probably disagrees
     
  24. Suyuntuy

    Suyuntuy Member+

    Jul 16, 2007
    Vancouver, Canada
    When Johnson was with Wolfsburg he wasn't a Yank yet, he had been with the German U-21 and had yet to switch --which only happened when he was with Hoffenheim.
     
  25. adam tash

    adam tash Member+

    Jul 12, 2013
    Barcelona, Spain
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    no i get you...too comfortable is not good....i think that's partially why many players (all?) who never leave MLS fail to reach that "next level"....they take the easy comfortable choice....

    this Austrian coach you mention...was he friends with Jurgen Klinsmann by any chance? lol
     

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