I think the party he was talking about was where you assume that no matter who comes in as coach and no matter what new players are brought in, Onyewu will be 'a few notches below' and not in a favorable system.
IIRC, there were matches in which Silva or Nesta was not available, and the CB who got the call was not Gooch. There is nothing debatable about this observation.
There were 2 matches in which Silva was unavailable, and Kaladze played in both of them. Which isn't terribly surprising, considering he's been at the team for 8 years. However, Kaladze is on the outs, so for the past few months it would have been between Favalli and Gooch; Favalli hasn't always looked that great (especially at 38) and Gooch would definitely have seen PT. @SFS: Partly what uniteo said, but I also don't think that Leo will be leaving. He's well-liked at the club, and has done very well with the limited resources at his disposal. He's given Berlusconi a list of things that would need to be met in order for him to stay, so it's up to Berlusconi at this point.
This. With his crystal ball, SFS already knows that Leonardo is getting canned, who is going to replace him, and what players they are going to bring in that are "a couple of notches above Gooch." This is just another example of said poster applying his "expertise" on a situation he has no idea about. It's baseless speculation at best. That being said, it should come as a surprise to nobody.
I don't doubt that Gooch would have gotten some PT had he not been injured. My disagreement with Pavlov was whether Gooch was ever Milan's third choice CB when everyone is healthy and available.
An English-language article discussing the Milan defensive issues, roster changes, and the potential for Leonardo to be fired or even to resign in order to return to Brazil.
Have you seen Favali and Oddo's performances this year. Gooch would be an upgrade. He just needs the chance and some confidence.
Gooch would have played plenty this season if it weren't for his injury. I think he would have had every chance of establishing himself as the third CB.
"The Headhunter" to get the boot at Milan http://www.corrieredellosport.it/ca...65/Berlusconi:+«Leonardo+andrà+via+dal+Milan»
Kinda surprised, actually. Although I guess this means that Berlusconi didn't want to meet Leonardo's demands. /waits for SFS to come and rub it in my face
Perhaps this is an example of why it's a better idea to post congenially, rather than confrontationally.
Who knows? We didn't seen enough of a healthy Onyewu to know if Leonardo liked him or did not. It may depend how much money a new manager has to know whether he'll bring in preferred players.
It's not a very rich club, and I doubt they could get much money for Gooch. Considering his relatively cheap wages, and low transfer value - I'd imagine odds are Milan would ask the new Manager to try and use him - especially considering his age. I mean, what's the down side of this? It's really a low-risk/high-reward proposition.
Well it wouldn't be a matter of selling Onyewu really, but it may be that a new manager may have a transfer fund and with CB departures, little Milan track record for OO, and some favorites from elsewhere (e.g., Hodgson bringing Bredeland), new CBs could be bought, knocking Gooch down to 5th or 6th. One could argue that from a USMNT perspective, 2011 is relatively irrelevant, of course.
I would consider that person to be foolish, considering the Gold Cup that actually matters is next year (Confed Cup berth on the line).
First, the value of Confederations Cup performance prior to WC year has yet to be determined. If we are 3 and out and seem out-prepared in SA, then I say it's over-rated. Second, I find it hard to believe that Gold Cup performance is reliant on Onyewu getting much Milan playing time.
The beef with SFS was that he thinks it's almost a for sure thing that the coach will have no place in his squad for Gooch. It's fine to not like what he brings to the table, doesn't mean that the coaches don't see value in Gooch--especially if he has a good summer.
You'd have to think that Milan will spend a fortune in trying to fix their midfield before doing anything else. This isn't like the other bigger clubs where they can just spend where they want. I think Milan would have to be more surgical. Besides, they tracked Gooch for 2 years before offering him a contract IIRC. The ConFed was just the final clue in why they picked him up. I agree with the other poster that 2011 will be pretty important. We only play Mexico in a meaningful match 3 times over 4 years, and that will be one of those matches. The stakes for that match are HUGE. Thats why I love the ConFec Cup tie in. It makes the Gold Cup an actually meaningful tournament. I also agree that playing time for AC Milan isn't as important, because Onyewu can simply play himself into shape over a camp and multiple matches leading up to a semi-final/final.
I don't think that Gooch getting Gold Cup time is reliant on his Milan playing time, but 2011 is not irrelevant. I also don't think that the Confed Cup was anything BUT a good thing for the USMNT. 5 games against elite opponents? Sounds like some damn good preparation to me, and better than anything else available. If they crash out of SA, it doesn't necessarily mean that the Confed Cup is "over-rated". And, as much as some people want to downgrade everything that isn't the World Cup and discount the FIFA rankings, those things actually can have a huge impact on the World Cup. How did FIFA dish out the 7 seeds (aside from SA) this time around? The top 7 teams in the October '09 rankings. So winning the Gold Cup and playing in the Confed Cup (both of which helped the US move up in the rankings) actually can have some impact on our next World Cup campaign. But let's get back on topic...woo for Gooch being back in training. AC Milan have matches against Fiorentina (5/1) and Genova (5/9) before Gooch would have to leave for camp. Wonder if he'll make the bench or even appear given the injury woes.