If DMB finishes that chance in the opening minutes, do you have that same viewpoint of contributing nothing? It was his pass, you do realize that right?
Benny's good for two or five great plays a game. That's why he's in the EPL. His potential is far and away the highest of any American's save Altidore's. But over the course of a game, for 90 minutes, your midfield wins more than it loses if it dominates the flow or the possession of the game. Not many managers will stand for their team to be led astray on every third possession, or even every other pass, and that's what got Feilhaber out of the mix at Hamburg. At this point already, one-sixth of the way into the season, Derby's midfield has to stop the other team's midfield from completely dominating the games, or Derby will be lucky to get six wins this season. That kind of concern just isn't Feilhaber's strength, and it wouldn't be why you played him. But he manufactures opportunities, no question. On the other hand, here's Lewis: first game, fresh in off the train or bus, bang, here's a goal. Isn't this what we were hoping for from Benny? Next season, in the CCC, Feilhaber will be a different story. he can thread his passes against Hull and Sheffield United, and Derby can win games 3-1, no problem, and that is really the team's plan, anyway. The cash they've generated this year is outrageous. They'll go down, but then they're in great position to crawl right back up for another $100 million or whtever the slice will be. So for the next five years, say, Derby, like Birmingham and Watford, is in great shape financially. On the other hand, you're playing for $100 million next year, too. So you fight like a panther to stay up. That's why Demerit was such a good story last year; in a losing, rotten situation, hopeless, he became his team's most critical player. But BF and Demerit were made by different factories; Lewis is much closer to Demerit's mold than BF is, so his weight is already felt. And I've got a bet going on Lewis v. BF minutes with several posters, some of whom reacted with the usual troll scorn when I first suggested Lewis would play more. The bets do not allow for injury, so if Lewis pulls a hamstring, I'm out. No safety net. And for some weird reason, I just don't think luck holds a lot for Eddie, so I've got my fingers crossed. He's like a McBride, blooming late. But in the mud rather than the spotlight.
You're glib, and that's a good trait to possess (especially when trying to present syllogistic argument via the written word). But it doesn't disguise the apparent fact that you seem to take pleasure in emphasizing Benny's shortcomings while never making mention of Lewis's (in this case) or Reyna's, for example. I'm going to guess that you'll come back with a claim of full awareness in regards to other players' weaknesses, but, aside from being completely immaterial, that's a bit of an empty statement when given the volume of posts in which you point out one specific player's faults. Don't you think?
You're absolutely nuts. If Lewis is known for anything it's his crosses and I have yet to see someone post that he cannot put in a good cross. And to call him a scrapper is equally well wide of the mark. He has been an effective winger for so many years now, contributing a goal here and there and sending in great crosses from the wing. Mis-used how? Rigid approaches???? WTF are you talking about?
Exactly the post I was going to write. You (Sean, not Mason) are either delusional or a liar. As I once asked you to name the coaches that ruined Benny (do you know who ran his team at strikers? Or how many training sessions he had a UCLA? How about at HSV?) I now ask you to quote dozens of posts in this forum that says Lewis can't cross. As I posted before, he his a prototypical touchline mid - with good cross and deadballs. The only worry on Lewis is that he may be running out of gas. A couple of Leeds posters have posted that he seemed to be early in the year, and he will have to run like Hunt for Derby. The worry has to be the wheels. Now, how about naming those coaches and linking those posts. It's one thing to have opions, it's another thing to consistently make crap up just to do it. And Eddie's been misused his whole career - because Arena was stupid enough to play him as a touchline LM? Arena is the one who brought him back after his brief strike-breaking appearance. Do you just re-type lines you heard on Arliss and make them about soccer? Arena's brief experiment of Lewis at LB (what did he have, a total of 7 or 8 games there - maybe a few more?) certainly misused Lewis. But to suggest that was his "whole career" is either more lies or inability to recall more than 6 months at a time.
Never. Three things about that crack me up every time. 1) The supposedly infallible Spanish announcers were completely off on a tangent about the headclash preceding the goal. Totally caught out on that (if it was a USA guy he owuld have been reamed for centuries) 2) Sanchez lucking glum in that awful shirt 3) "Talk to me Jesus!!!!!"
Yeah...that goal came out of nowhere. Brought a tear to my eye...honestly couldn't believe it when I saw it the first time. Hopefully you'll be seeing him in Derby Co. before too long. He has the ability. And to add to your list of funny things...why in the crap was Oswaldo hollering at his RB after the goal? Amazing goal, RB (guy covering the far post) totally not involved in nor responsible for the goal, so he stands there in disbelief after the goal only to have Dirty Sanchez crawl up his butt about something. What the heck...
Anybody know why the heck this game wound up being aired at 2 a.m., rather than 1:30, on FSC? My DVR recording cut off in the 62nd minute, right as the game was really heating up (and right before the winning goal was scored, apparently)... Gggrrr...
Actualy, most Mexicans hate that announcer he gets all sorts of complaints. He always calls the wrong guy and doesnt seem to know anything about soccer. My mostly Spanish speaking friend makes me change the channel if theres an English alternative. I know hes not good but the American announcers are so lame and monotone youd think you were watching golf.
I think it's because of the Serie A coverage. Two BPL, then two italian matches. I don't know why the game started late. I was able to add an extra hour to mine. I thought Lewis did really well, but when he came out he was gassed.
My favorite part is 1. I love how the Mexican announcer is just wittering on about something (my Spanish isn't that good) as the ball comes rocketing in and then just blows a gasket: "Golazo! Golazo! Azo, azo, azo!" I watch it over again just as much for the commentary just as much for the goal. I actually watched the match after it was being shown (dvr) because I had to take my family on a picnic. My buddy called me when we were driving back to give me an update. Benny scored about a minute into the conversation. My buddy said something like, "Oh my god" and was silent for like two minutes. I kept on asking him what happened, and he couldn't speak. That was awesome. Not WC 2002 awesome, but pretty close.
I don't speak much Spanish, but that guy is so much better than the American announcers that I would rather watch games that he calls over most U.S. announcers. Maybe it helps that I don't understand much Spanish.
I believe so, all competitive matches. EDIT: sorry I guess it is just Prem matches. Also from a Derby forum on why Benny wasn't available for the Saturday match:
Take THAT Seanie Blue! Seriously, this explanation makes sense. It didn't make sense that he wasn't playing or on the bench.
there was a lower division USL final match on earlier that evening that went to overtime and penalties, pushing back the rest of the night's schedule.