It always seemed like people liked him because he has orange hair and he's Atlanta's first homegrown. Every discussion about his playing time was always countered by Atlanta fans saying he needs to prove himself at the USL level and all that. I think the general fan base likes the idea of him being good one day, but no one really thinks of him as being ready for the first team right now. That's always the impression that I got.
Sounders fans love local boy Lamar Neagle. We cheer for him loudly. Doesn't mean we blindly think he deserves a starting spot.
Those stats don't even come close to proving anything other than the fact that one hardly played and the other had a definite role in the team this season. I would say, subjectively of course, that Carleton was the better player of the two based on their performances this season. Barco was disappointing -- especially based on his price tag -- while Carleton seemed to produce and make the most out of just about every touch he got with the first team.
I'll preface this with the statement that I don't really know what happened and that is part of my point. First of all, many are mentioning the two separate incidents and treating them as separate but related. I think it is more likely, given the severity of the punishment, that the team is treating it as one problem. I know that he said his account was hacked on the first occurrence. Maybe, maybe not but it raises the concern of addiction which is far more concerning than immaturity. I am sure that the team investigated the "hacking" to some degree and they probably came to one of 3 conclusions: innocent, guilty or not completely sure. If the team felt that he was guilty or were not sure, he probably got some sort of punishment/susended sentence and or warning on what would happen if it or something similar happened again. If that is the case, the partying incident is being treated like a 2nd offense. What makes this particularly bad for Carlton is the public nature of it all.
I'm curious about the details of what Carleton did to earn this punishment, but to a certain extent they don't matter nearly as much as the simple fact that he has not been able to maintain a productive relationship with his employer. Unless you believe Tata, Bocanegra and Eales have some reason to pick on him (I don't believe that), Carleton is responsible for nuking the most important professional relationships he has. Huge problem. Either this is some kind of Damascus Road moment for him, or his career is doomed.
In the past, MLS has looked the other way when teen prodigies were out of line. It is a good thing for the league and the player he is getting a dose of tough love. He needs it.
Fair enough. Can we at least agree that stating “Carleton outperformed Barco on the field this season” is quite the stretch?
Every time something like this happens, everyone wants a hero and a villain. The hero can do no wrong and the villain does no right. The reality is we have no idea what happened
He played 7 games the entire season. Tata repeatedly chose other players over him, no matter who was hurt or sick. He wasn’t going to play in the most important game when he clearly didn’t have the coaches confidence.
I just want to see the kid play. I don't care for theater. If he was partying before a game he wasn't dressing for or if he isn't at the team celebration, big deal. He hasn't violated his contract in any way. He probably doesn't like the team.
What if the best thing for the kid right now is to not play? To experience the consequences of unprofessional habits? To learn that being part of a team means a higher level of personal commitment?
Nope. You gotta be prepared to go. The team is paying you a salary to be ready to go. It's unprofessional to be out partying the night before ANY game. This isn't rocket science. Its basic professionalism. Now, he's learned this lesson the hard way. I don't know if there's more than this going on. For this severe of a punishment, one has to think there's more to it than this. Maybe he'd been warned previously..........................
From watching the Atlanta United victory parade today I got the distinct feeling that they are done with him. I expect him to be traded, sold or loaned out very soon.
Well it seems there's a track record of poor professionalism behind the scenes. It's not purely about performance. It's about showing up every day, staying dedicated to your craft and doing your job. Not even being allowed to attend the parade suggests serious flaws which haven't been made public.
I agree that’s what it looks like but I’ve heard plenty of stories about what really happened in these situations to know the organization often is no angel. That’s why I say we don’t know what happened and we shouldn’t be judging. Regardless, if this is an ongoing issue, it’s clear that Atlanta aren’t getting through to him and a move would be best.
ATL is buying winger Gonzalo Martinez for 17M from River Plate. http://www.espn.com/soccer/soccer-t...irms-atlanta-united-move-after-club-world-cup
From Carleton's perspective, if his alleged frustration at his playing time is true, he should be doing everything possible to get into Tata's/Boca's good graces. Given that they were willing to suspend their $15M signing, Carleton should know that the club takes professionalism seriously. His choice to break team policy and flaunt it on social media, doesn't bode well. Is it really more likely that ATL has it out for their own asset, making excuses for him not to play? If it continues to be a pattern, he will be lucky to have Brek Shea's career given the change in relative levels of the league particularly in AC's position over the past 5-10 years. Have to think anyone that sees this as solely ATL's fault and refuses to reflect on AC's chosen trajectory is being willfully ignorant of Carleton's potential pitfalls, especially when compared to his contemporaries who appear to be commensurate professionals a la McKennie, Cannon, Adams, Pulisic, and Sargent. These other young players have made their own luck, present themselves as humble and dedicated across all medias, and have been rewarded with more first team opportunities than Carleton. Hopefully it's a lesson learned and he can start next season fresh with a new coach or a new team. Wish him the best, but not counting on him making a USMNT roster unless he gets his head on straight.
"Outperformed" might have been the wrong word, since he wasn't given nearly as much opportunity to "perform" as Barco. I would say that Carleton showed better in his minutes than Barco did in his. I think it's completely understandable for him to be frustrated with his playing time. That said, I also pushed back against those who said he should make a scene and demand more minutes. Even though he earned more minutes, I was completely fine with the organization sticking to the [assumed] plan and holding him back a little this year. He still made big strides on the field even though most people agree that he should have played more. Next season is a completely different story, and there is no way he should be anything less than an important rotation player who plays in most games and starts in a lot of them. If he doesn't have the assurance that this is the case, then I officially hate ATL even for all of the good that they are doing. I have defended their decisions with AC up until this point, but not playing him much next year would be ridiculous, and he would have every right to do whatever it takes to get to a better situation. None of this touches on the discipline issue since I have no idea what is going on there. Is Andrew upset and pissed at the club over playing time, does he have a maturity issue, a substance abuse issue, does the club not think he's an impact player at the MLS level right now?? It's all pretty much up in the air right now, and that's a little sad given this kid's talent. AC AND the club need to get this sorted out yesterday.
Everyone matures differently. A 22 year old can have the same mentality as a 17 year old or vice versa. I guess it's all about who or what you are around with. I have friends my age group (I'm 21) who are very immature for their age. I have friends who are little younger (17-18) who are very mature for their age (have jobs, financially responsible, don't party everyday etc... vs the older group). I'm not saying that they are wrong for not having fun, but sometimes people just see life differently than others. Some want to grind and others... Well, want to get grinded on.