Though there was a lot more to the O'Neill story, including a rumor at least that his Dad was involved in the deteriorating relationship between the team and Shane.
I noticed this too. What I took from it is Aigner had a simple tap in goal all squared up and was a bit resentful at Badji taking the shot. Aigner is also a very non-excitable dude in general. The guy is such a weapon... I just want to see him on the field.
Alright, alright, alright... (spoken with different tone and intention than Matthew McConaughey's slick David Wooderson character in Dazed and Confused). After seeing quite a few unsubstantiated jabs flying about Stefan Aigner's work ethic in this thread and the TFC match thread, it's time that someone raised a deserved (albeit bare minimum) counterpoint. Yes, of course, the facts note that Aigner hasn't played much since arriving last year and that nagging injuries continue to at least play some role in that absence. That much is fair, real, and documented. Thus, the frustration with his status and lack of playing for a key offensive TAM attacker is certainly legitimate. However, we've seen accusations on here with broadbrush conclusions that there's a lack of effort in practice, general disinterest, MLS contract milking, and, shall we say, subpar physiological integrity. Most of these jabs are unfounded to date and based on loose assumptions, interpretation of body language from afar, and even speculative hearsay from others who don't know the whole story. Some of the accusations may someday turn out to be valid. But they may also turn out to be completely hollow and unfair. We just don't know yet. Unless any of us know the true nature of the injury and know Aigner or coaching staff personally, I don't think there's enough info to draw such harsh conclusions (I'd say accusing a pro athlete of disinterest and little work ethic meets the "harsh" criteria quite easily). Yet, a lot of this unfounded speculation stems from the RFO's lack of transparency on Aigner's condition. And, as we all know, when there's a void of information, we tend to try to fill in that void with speculation and assumptions (that's what this forum is all about, right?! ;-) ). Nonetheless, if anything, blame the RFO's lack of transparency. Aside from him physically not being on the pitch, most of this piling on seems to be (surprisingly) based on two 30-second incidents: (1) him leaving a practice mid-way last Tuesday (which was tweeted last week by BW reps or Matt Pollard) and the resulting hearsay speculation on why and what was discussed with staff when he did; and (2) his body language after Badji's 3rd goal against Phila. Yet, is it fair to conclude he's milking his contract, has little/no work ethic, etc. if you cannot answer these questions?? ---What is the true nature of his injury? (Is he milking it, or could it really just be a true, nagging strain that keeps getting inflamed, a la Gashi's strains?) ---What was this "10-day sickness" he had in preseason (per Hudson) and how did that affect where he is today? ---What are the practice arrangements made between him and Hudson/staff and what specifically was discussed with staff when he now-infamously left practice last week? (Did he bail in disinterest? Or did his injury simply resurface enough to be very bothersome or a risk if he continued?) ---What was on his mind when he appeared disinterested after Badji's goal? (Was he being an aloof dick? Or was he simply bummed when he noticed the injury resurface during that match? (remember, he barely practiced after that match)). Point is, there could be MANY explanations for this situation and his behavior. And while there's enough facts out there to be very frustrated with his absence (regardless of cause), there's just not yet enough known (by us) to throw around harsh attacks on his ethics. At least not in my opinion. There. Done. Don't take this personally if you're on the Aigner doghouse committee. Just felt it was time this needed to be said. DISCLAIMER: I'm as anxious as anyone to see Aigner on the pitch for a full 90. I'm similarly frustrated with his absence since arriving. I'm also in the dark on the injuries or their implications. I do not know Aigner or any player/coach personally. I'm not a Deutschlander. I'm not a Russian bot.
Well here's the two pieces of info I've been told about Aigner this season: 1 - From a week or so ago: The coaches have left it up to him largely to decide when he's 100% and ready to play 2 - From Saturday: Aigner was told in practice on Tuesday that if he wasn't going to go 100% (and I'm paraphrasing here) that he didn't need to finish practice, at which point Aigner chose to leave. Now both of those are secondhand reports but they're both from people who would know (the latter was from somebody who was at practice on Tuesday). Take them for what they're worth.
I consider myself pretty firmly on the “Aigner Doghouse Committee,” but you’re making a very level headed, fair counterpoint...none of which I can disagree with. A “wait and see” approach is almost always prudent in these type circumstances, particularly given the lack of confirmed info surrounding him. I agree that there has been a decided lack of info from the RFO, which naturally lends itself to speculation...but thus far, it feels like this version of the RFO has been fairly transparent regarding injury issues. If someone has been hurt (Ford, Wilson, Marlon), they have more or less come out and said it....which makes the continued mystery surrounding Aigner’s availability a bit more head scratching. In fact, we have had far more “Aigner should be a full go” or “He’s getting very close” from Hudson in interviews than anything else. So hearing “Should be available” to “Not in the 18” is definitely an inconsistent message. Again....conjecture, but that’s what we do here! Secondly, I have heard similar things as JasonMa regarding the staff’s approach with Aigner’s playing time (ie. letting him make the call based on how he feels). This goes back to last summer when it was weeks upon weeks waiting for his debut (this has been touched on before). While in Germany he had an instance of being forced back from injury too early....so the staff (understandably) played it cautious, did not want him to feel pressured in his return and thus left it up to him....which led to the long delay in his debut (again, understandable). Ultimately, what was a wise/judicious approach regarding his availability last season....seems to be carrying over this year and developing into a common trend.
It's the "take them for what they're worth" part that is the bone of contention that prompted my above post. In the absence of more backstory and detail on the injury situation, these two reports really don't mean anything, frankly. When raised as a neutral point, these reports are benign. But when raised in the context of a thread that's deriding the guy, they can be misinterpreted and the harsh rumors start spreading (as already started happening by some on these threads). I'd say both of these pieces of info don't hold nearly enough water to be used for drawing any legit conclusions either way. Unless your source is with the club, was part of the practice conversation, and knows the whole backstory, being at practice or being a reporter at practice also isn't enough to go on. We've all been to practices and even daily beat reporters have been admittedly in the dark on much of this injury stuff. If both matters are/were Aigner's choice per your source (for playing or for leaving practice Tuesday because he's not at 100%), what does it matter? One could easily argue that if the guy is truly injured and felt that more play is only aggravating the injury, this would be a legit and very wise response by him. It's either that or he's a complete slacker milking an MLS contract in the US. Either way, the point is is we do not know enough -- nor do most reporters -- to draw any conclusions on his status or his work ethic.
Yea, while I understand and agree with most of your response, I will respectfully disagree with the notion that the RFO has been open and forthright with injury updates this year so far. In addition to the cryptic, hot/cold nature of the Aigner status mystery all along, we were pretty much left in the dark for many weeks on Gashi... until they came out to reveal (after fans finally questioned the RFO) he suffered a second calf strain on the other leg. Likewise, although both Hairston and Wilson obviously became quite injured and left the match on live TV, it took 7 days for the RFO to reveal any details whatsoever on their status. 7 days. For obvious injuries. And even then, we were left to speculate on Wilson despite getting a more detailed summary on Hairston. And again, it took fans grilling them on social media before anything was said on either. Think about how the Broncos, Nugs, Avs, etc. would handle a clear injury to a starter (ie, an MRI the next day and an official report release afterward). Rapids? Nada. And, then there's the unknowns of Miller's supposed injury, etc. or even the non-injury situations that affect player status (altitude fitness, players abroad for green card paperwork, etc.). Basically, while I dig the fresh air brought by the new RFO and the transparency on other matters, we're often left with in the dark relying on speculation and conjecture on the status of several players... which is GREAT for forums like this, but is often not so good for finding the truth or closely following a club. OK, I've babbled enough on this topic... Aigner or otherwise. Counterpoint was made and will shut up. Thanks for indulging, and no offense intended!
He has shown a lot in a few minutes. It would be a shame if he can't get on the field more for whatever reason. He looks for the pass, he makes excellent runs, and can finish. It's not like the Rapids have a lot of guys who can do any of those things, much less all three.
Agreed. He hasn't had a ton of minutes, but really impressed with what he showed last year. Am really looking forward to how he and Gashi could mesh with the new Badji (and the little bit we saw of Boli). It is hard to see how they all get on the field at the same time. rod.
My view on Aigner isn't too nuanced. 1. He isn't on the pitch. I don't terribly care why he isn't on the pitch. I simply note that he isn't there. 2. Players who aren't in the game can't score goals or snag assists. I know, that's deep into Captain Obvious territory. 3. The Rapids need somebody who can help the team score goals. 4. FIFA's last Big Count survey came up with 265 million players actively involved in soccer in the world. Unless they are on the pitch or at least in the 18, none of them can help the Rapids score goals. 5. If Aigner isn't going to play, he might as well be one of the 265 million.
Mea Culpa - And apologies to Aigner and anyone who reads this thread since I have cast his attitude/motivation in a bad light without solid evidence. I may very have interpreted the second hand report by JasonMa incorrectly. I looked at as if he was choosing to not participate in the whole training session because of his attitude. It could very well be that physically he couldn't go all out because of a "knock," or something else that caused him to be cautious. I went down the negative path due to my interpretation of his body language following Badji third goal v the Union. Truly I found it to be odd and concerning. But as someone pointed out, he's not an overly emotional dude. Still, I am frustrated by the lack of info from either Hudson or the FO. They can and should at least talk about his current situation and give a timetable as to when he might be available for selection. Until then, I will consider him not ready to be in the 18. That's too bad because he really can add something to the attack as well as holding more possession.
I, too, am concerned about the lack of information forthcoming from the club about injuries, readiness, timetable for return of those who are injured. It's beginning to remind me of the NHL: "lower body injury, not available at this time." Well, is that a broken leg, an amputated foot, a high ankle sprain, or gout?
Funny how these rumors come about for basically any Rapid "DP type" signing that doesn't perform to expectations. Always places the blame on the player and RFO deflects any responsibility from their side. Maybe it has changed with RFO turnover but given start of this season and remarks on both Aigner/ Gashi, sure looks like a continuation of this old blame the player BS.
Colorado Rapids Practice Notes for this week include Price, Martinez, Wilson, Mason, Aigner, Jackson, and Ford #Rapids96 https://t.co/4Vn78J8eEv pic.twitter.com/geNzkWku9r— Burgundy Wave (@Burgundywave) April 17, 2018
Not sure what I think of these reports since basically they amount to a fan guessing in a blog. I would much rather he/she talk about lineups, performances etc then guess at injury stuff.
"Hey, if you can’t say something good about someone...sit right here by me." I wish I could take credit, but Teddy Roosevelt's daughter has been cited as the source.
Rest, range of motion, then fitness.....he is getting there. We tend to 'lump' all injuries into a cookie cutter recovery. Not so fast. Not all recoveries are the same. I also note that when signed he thought he would be "Da Man" on the squad, and that job has been taken away. Maybe he is just kinda' getting his young brain around that?
NEWS: Rapids loan rookie forward @nick_jackson9 to @SwitchbacksFC.➡️ https://t.co/WqK8gUga3W pic.twitter.com/r1NnYrokbz— Colorado Rapids (@ColoradoRapids) April 21, 2018
Heading to the Switchbacks will allow Niki to train with #Rapids96 when needed, and per the right of recall, Jackson can be called back in to the first team at any point during the remainder of the MLS regular season. https://t.co/UnLlBnH2Oe— Ryan Madden (@Ry_Madden) April 21, 2018
After last night, my faith in this new regime is starting to flag. We have enough games under our belt now to see what kind of team we have. Unfortunately the outlook isn't good. We still have a team that reliably finds ways to lose games, and we've seen that happen enough this year that it can't be bushed off as bad luck anymore. Hudson doesn't deserve a free pass anymore and we should start to really question his decisions and his ability.
I disagree about last night. Before Howard's big blunder, the team was looking strong. The two handballs took us from leaving with at least a point, to a drubbing. This was a game lost by two players who should have known better, and I hope they both get verbally reamed for it.
Agreed, though in the specific case of last night I think the players were at fault, not Hudson. That said, the continuing inability to stay mentally focused for 90 minutes is an issue the coaching staff has to fix now. Not "5-6 games to see the team we really have" or anything.
The Rapids aren't the only team that has had to play most of a game with a player (or players) down this season. Now that the refs are more comfortable with VAR, they have less hesitation to issue red cards. This is something all the players in league will have to adapt to. Closer enforcement is something I support since in the long run it will cut down on fouls and make the league more technical. But the process can make for some ugly games, that's for sure.