Parks and recreation in Lisbon: Keaton at NYCFC (on loan from Benfica)

Is he really slow or does he just look slow because of that clunky gait? Don't get me wrong, he's by no means fast but on his run he didn't get caught by the fullback. I think he's got adequate speed for a guy his size in the middle of the park. His stride by definition is going to eat up more distance per step than most.

 

I don't think he's Omar Gonzalez slow, but he's no Wes McKennie moving around the field in CM.

I think he could play as a #8 at his current athleticism. We have many offensive first #8's in our player pool, are they out of the player pool due to their lack of defense? And maybe he learns to position himself smarter and pick his spots offensively better as he gets older. He's not lacking in size to be physical in midfield.

Not like we are discussing a NT player for next months qualifiers, he's got time to improve. There are good tools there in his game.

 

In my opinion, he has plenty of pace (especially for a 6/8). You can see it in the short bursts. He did, however play a pretty timid game by his standards. I'd mark that down to gaining familiarity with his team and his team with him.

I was worried he would have lost a lot of form due to his extended hiatus from competitive footy. Worried no more.

edit: In my mind, I have always considered Keaton to be Brek Shea with skill on the ball. However, a poster in the Benfica form called him a young Eric Dier. I can live with that.

 

I was thinking the same, he did look like someone that didn't know his teammates and vice-versa.

 

He's nothing like Dier, they are probably just comparing him to Dier because Dier played in Portugal.

Don't agree with the Shea comparisons either. Shea is very fast, maybe size and that they are from Texas. Shea was always more of an outside player, Parks an inside player. Shea is more athletic, Parks more technical.

 

I don't necessarily agree with the Dier comparison. But I can live with it. I'm sticking to my guns on the Shea comparison. What are you going to do about it?

 

Nothing lol, I was just giving my opinion that its not applicable. You can think whatever you want.

 

Thanks!

 

I need amend myself and back up some of the hype on this kid just from my own personal opinion. He looks like a good player. He looks like he has talent and a little bit of cockiness. He has that Texas in him, I don't undervalue that.

I just think he's gonna need to be a transcendent talent to really play to his potential, because his playing style might not find itself fitting into many manager's plans in Europe proper. He might fit into a 4-2-3-1 as a box-to-box or an 8, but he has penalty box try shit in him and could be a goal-getter.

 

He could always take a leaf from Klinsman's book - there! I said it! Shoot me! - and hire a specialist sprint coach, Klinsman did that and got his 100 metres time down from 11.7 seconds to 11.0 seconds. He doesn't have to be Usain Bolt- type fast, just faster "out of the blocks" than the others.

That fractional difference could be crucial in a dozen or so cases per season - goals scored, interceptions made, etc.

 

'fraid I'm gonna have to open a can o' whoopass.

 

He couldn't be less like Dier if he tried. The next crunching tackle he makes will be the 1st I've ever seen. I don't really have a good comparison right now. He likes an incisive pass forward but doesn't run with the ball as much as Harry Winks does. They both like to get in the box late and will make runs off the ball.

I'm going to have to see more before I can really figure him out but he has some outstanding tools and if he gets the kind of minutes I'm anticipating from him this season the Benfica first team isn't out of the question next season.

 

From what I've seen, which is very little, he reminds me of dempsey in his Rev days. A bit slow, great size and tries shit.

 

I think you got something there.

 

I have not seen anything close to enough of Keaton to say this, but based on a fair amount of what is written here, he sounds like Lampard-lite (and I thought I wouldn't make a Fat Frank joke all summer).

 

In defense of the anonymous Portuguese poster who I unwittingly put in the BS crosshairs, he said a 18 year old Eric Dier. I doubt there are many on here who watched him much back then.
I took it to be less a comparison of playing styles than a commentary on Keaton's ceiling.

 

We can call him the White Dempsey or the American Dempsey!!!!

 

The Texan Dempsey?

 

Yea I see that too. I just don't know how much is behind the curtain.

 

He's from Texas as well? That's too funny. How about "The White Texan Dempsey"? Let's push this joke to the limit.

 

I don't get the joke. Are you in "black drogba" territory here?

 

Yep. Just rolling with that meme.

 

From watching the film, I would say ussoccer97531's description is pretty accurate. All of his impressive plays happened in the offensive third. Defensively, it needs work. He obviously looks good enough for the level he's at. Like I said in my evaluation in December, I think he is an offensive player and should play there.

 

It's funny you all brought up Dempsey. I've never seen him play but just from the description that is who I thought of. Don't discount a similarly sized white kid with skill playing with a lot of Hispanic teammates in Dallas leagues having Dempsey for an idol.

So if Pulisic is Landon's replacement this kid can be Clint's!

 

Starts early morning