Can we kindly move the Klinsmann topic to the thread dedicated to it? https://www.bigsoccer.com/threads/containment-zone-the-klinnsman-donovan-fault-line.2090665/page-11
ElevenBravo's list is below. Given that the bar is set at Zardes (whom I rate for his work-rate and Inspector Clouseau effectiveness), it's hard to make an argument that broad experimentation wasn't highly warranted . There absolutely shouldn't be any reason to cross off any of the first 8 players from multiple camp looks because they're not great. Trust: 1. Jozy Altidore, 1989(32), Toronto FC *** 2. Josh Sargent, 2000*(22) Werder Bremen ***/***** Contenders: 1. Sebastian Soto, 2000*(22) Hannover 96 **/***** 2. Gyasi Zardes, 1991(30), Columbus Crew ** 3. Andrija Novakovich, 1996(25) Reading FC ** 4. Andrew Wooten, 1989(32) SV Sandhausen * 5. Bobby Wood, 1992(29), Hamburg * 6. Jordan Siebatcheu, 1996(26) Reims (*France Dual National – Prefers France*) * Olympic: 1. Jeremy Ebobisse, 1997*(25), Portland Timbers *** 2. Mason Toye, 1998*(23) Minnesota United *** 3. Jesus Ferreira, 2000*(21), FC Dallas [*Colombia dual national – Prefers USA*] *** 4. Haji Wright, 1998*(24), VVV Venlo *** 5. Brandon Vasquez, 1998*(24) Atlanta United ** 6. Ayo Akinola, 2000*(22), Toronto FC ** 7. Ricardo Pepi, 2003*(18) North Texas SC ** 8. Griffin Yow, 2002*(20) DC United ** 9. Alfonso Ocampo-Cavez, 2002*(20) Seattle Sounders ** 10. Justin Rennicks, 1999*(23) New England Revolution * 11. Benji Michel, 1997*(24) Real Salt Lake * -------------------------------------------------------- Pretenders: 1. Christian Ramirez, 1991(31), Los Angeles FC 2. Dom Dwyer, 1990(31), Orlando City 3. CJ Sapong, 1988(33), Chicago Fire 4. Teal Bunbury, 1990(32) New England Revolution 5. Juan Agudelo, 1992(29) New England Revolution 6. Terrence Boyd, 1991(31) Toronto FC 7. Jann George, 1992(29) Jahn Regensburg 8. Brian White, 1996(26) New York Red Bulls 9. Aron Johannsson, 1990(31) Hammarby Longshots: 1. Patrick Mullins, 1992(30) Toronto FC 2. Niki Jackson, 1995(26) Colorado Rapids 4. Erik Hurtado, 1990(31) Sporting Kansas City 5. Chris Wondolowski, 1983(39) San Jose Earthquakes Prospects: 1. Josh Pynadath, 2002*(20) Ajax Amsterdam. 2. George Acosta, 2000*(22) Boca Juniors 3. Nebiyou Perry, 1999*(22) FC Koln 4. Shaft Brewer, 1999*(22) Los Angeles FC 5. McKenzie Gaines, 1998*(24) Darmstadt 6. Isaiah Young, 1998*(24) Werder Bremen 7. Siad Haji, 1999*(22) San Jose Earthquakes 8. Pierre DaSilva, 1998(23) Orlando City SC 9. Dante Sealy, 2003(19) FC Dallas
3G picked a terrible roster for spots 9-23 for the Gold Cup. Just identifying what players to call in seems to be his weak suit. Not sure how much input Stewart has either. But in his first 7 months in charge, the players he has been working with have been sub-par at many spots. At the GC, and a little in the windows before, we have seen 3G slowly change his preferred starting 11. Baird was identified by 3G as talent, but after 4 games, he was dropped. Zimmerman, Zardes, Lima, Boyd were starters at the beginning of the GC and on the bench at the end. Their replacedments (at least for the first three) were better. 3G identified Lewis as NT quality in January, but by the end of the GC didn't feel he could handle a single minute. The optimistic take is that: even if 3G is terrible at scouting, he seems to be flexible enough to get the right players, give or take, from the ones he has been looking at for 2+ weeks. But he does cut bait on some guys pretty quickly and you have to wonder if they just didn't have enough time to overcome his preconceived bias. What 3G thinks of Zardes, Trapp, Djorde, Roldan, Boyd now is the interesting question. I'm sure he realizes not having any quality on a bench is a major problem in games against good opponents that matter. When players like Holmes, Brooks, Yedlin, and Adams miss an extended camp like the Gold Cup, it is now a pretty big negative. It is possible that what 3G thinks about these players would have changed for the better and having his opinion change would have been great for the team. Maybe his opinion is spot on with Brooks, we know he has strange ideas about Adams, but how the team functions and how it effects other players would have been useful. For example, Arriola seems important because he covers a lot of ground defensively. This looked important with Bradley and Ream on his side. But he also probably cost us 3-4 goals. But if Adams is in for Bradley, maybe Arriola's "work rate" is not needed and a player that can get 2-4 of those goals is more important.
I am not defending either's recent performance (or knocking it). But tell us - if we had a meaningful game this weekend - who would you replace them with and why ?
A sign that he's not picking inexperienced or second rate strikers. Soto has made 3 professional appearances. Ebobisse and Novakovich are average MLS standard strikers. Dwyer is a good MLS striker but a marginal international. Wright got 1 goal in 15 appearances in BL2. Wood will probably get a call just because there's no-one else. Altidore is still the best option up front Hopefully Sargent and Soto will mature into decent top-flight strikers and we won't have to worry about that position any more.
Sapong--when played at the position, has been the best striker over extended league minutes. Roldan--would switch up the formation to 4231, then play him in deep central midfield where he has been at his best. Morales is intriguing, but I wouldn't immediately go with him for a meaningful match. Ditto the young players.
The other striker options. Their not all perfect but there are several. Sargent should have played much much more. Nova, Wood (injury), he’ll even Rameriz looked better in the 5 seconds he saw the field. There are more options that should have been looked at. We haven’t tried other options and no one can say Zardes dominated and played well in those games. Yet he’s what we keep getting stuck with because of Greggs connection to him.
We don't have a meaningful game for 13 months... Adams for Bradley. Sapong for Altidore. The first is a no brainer. The second has been better in the same league that Altidore plays in. I get why you don't bring Sapong in, he is not young or experienced. But he can go 90' tomorrow and give you better than Zardes. Jozy can't go 90. The more important question is: who do you want to start in 13 months and are they integrated?
He actually over performed expectations, taking a team with the one of the lowest payrolls to one final and another within an Ola Kamara miskick of knocking off the Supporters Shield winner. Also beat league darlings Atlanta in the Benz. All of that under the specter of having the owner trying to move the team. And then look at Columbus now. Yes, he didn’t win a trophy in Columbus but I don’t think there is a manager that could have, everything considered.
I'm curious to know how Klinsmann "developed"Bobby Wood considering Wood was a grown-ass man the time they first met.
Clearly, 3G says that Jozy can't go 90. He never played him that much. 3G also clearly does not think Jozy can play 6 games in two weeks. At TFC speed, he can go 90. Or, Vanney will take Jozy at 50% speed for the whole second half. I don't know. But Berhalter doesn't think he can go 90 and has said so.
6 games in 2 weeks is different from 90 minutes fit. Berhalter actually said Jozy was as fit as he needed him to be. People inferred otherwise from the subs.
Fantastic point. I've brought it up before that you can easily play Weah or another talented attacking winger if you have a defensive triangle of Brooks, Adams, and Lichaj behind him. He doesn't have to run 10 miles a game to make last ditch tackles and maybe we'll get a meaningful goal out of the left wing! The system causes us to unnecessarily limit what we can do with our pool which, to me, is an indictment of the system. I understand it isn't exactly the same but there are some pieces Egg seems to view as key (Bradley, Ream, Arriola) that are going to limit us from being as good as we can be.
One other possible issue. Arriola plays on the right for club. Is he a better finisher/crosser starting right?
Dude, the issue is much less the methodology but the lack of comparison or baseline. How do you know the record is "mediocre" if you don't even have a list of coaches with better records? Are we supposed to take your word for it? Frankly, I find that any coach with more wins than losses is probably batting above average.
Egg doesn't view Ream as "key". He just doesn't have a left back. Everybody knows we don't have a left back.
We have plenty of left backs better than Ream. He has created this really strange left back role where somehow being left-footed and a passer are more important than being able to actually play that position. I feel like a blind man shouting in the rain but the fact that Lichaj wasn't even called into our 40 man roster and Ream was a starter is one of the most shocking things Egg has done period. Lichaj is a better defender, faster, actually plays LB at his club fairly regularly, is over a year younger, and has put in some very solid stints in a USMNT shirt at LB as recently as November 2017 against Portugal. Lichaj and Robinson are a better, younger, more talented version of Ream and Lovitz yet they both watched the Gold Cup from home. And to be clear, I like Ream fine as a center back. He should have been in the Omar role and is a good, logical alternative to Brooks when he's injured. But he's not a LB nor should he ever be played there.