http://espn.go.com/sports/soccer/bl...landon-donovan-second-loan-everton-five-aside Stats for Landon's Evertonian spell. It's an absolute pleasure to watch him growing even at age 29. Becoming more and more a playmaker. The US needs it. Interesting that he's growing more and more into a #10. Needs to continue to be in the US midfield, not upfront as a result.
it's why he'll have a place on the US team for the next TWO world cup cycles. Yes, you heard it here first. Landon in Russia!
Normally I like stats, but in this case they don't begin to do justice to what Donovan brought to Everton. Watching Everton before his arrival was depressing. He helped transform the team. He was a spark they needed, and in many ways I thought this stint was more impressive than the last.
Echoing the last few posts...for the 2nd straight time, Landon has raised his game and been one of the very best players in the Prem, capable of helping (almost) any team win games. It's pretty amazing. There was a Neil Simon play a long time ago about a couple that got together one weekend a year for an affair. That's like Landon and Everton.
You are thinking of the 1975 comedy play by Bernard Slade called "Same time next year". But it's a great analogy!
Did he get a lap or something after the Blackpool game? I know he didn't play but I assume he was there?
haha Thanks for the memories. It was great relief to learn Donovan had swine flu and hadn't suddenly lost 2 steps of pace.
Yes, he was there - check his twitter and you'll see him getting hugged by Heitinga on the pitch. He got a standing ovation from sold out Goodison.
This is bull. I never got the logic here. So Donovan can start and do very well against Man U, Arsenal, Aston Villa, Man City and ruin Ashley Cole twice but he can't play for those teams against easier opponents? Bull. Landon could start at Man U. Go watch some of the vision he has displayed on this loan. Not many in the EPL have his vision. [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7rfThWljsYY"]LD Assist - YouTube[/ame] Landon is much better than Aaron Lennon so he definitely starts at Tottenham. Same thing with Theo Walcott at Arsenal.
Donovan to Walcott is a better comparison than Donovan to Lennon, though Landon is not as fast as either of those players. Lennon is used to run at defenders on the flanks and create space in the defense. He's not used to attack or create chances the way that Walcott is expected to do. Lennon would never be played at forward, a position both Walcott and Donovan play from time to time. The two Spurs players that Donovan would really be competing with are Gareth Bale and Rafael Van der Vaart. He would not start ahead of either of those guys, but could be used as a first of the bench sub.
I think it's a difference between could and would. I'm pretty confident that Donovan could be a useful starter for any team in the Prem (maybe not quite as good as some guys he'd replace, maybe a bit better than others), but I'm doubt that in the real world he would get to start. The better the team, the tougher the competition. At most of the top teams, he wouldn't be clearly better than the people he'd be competing with, so a manager wouldn't be inclined to upset the applecart by starting a new guy. That's particularly the case at City, Man U, and Tottenham. Given the substandard performances by Arsenal and Chelsea lately, there's a chance that any plausibly capable new acquisition might get on the field to shake things up. But then again, I don't really understand what Villas-Boas is trying to do at Chelsea other than alienate the players and the fans, so who knows.
We'd been having this same discussion at Grand Old Team. The consensus over there (just as another reference) was that he'd start at anyone not named: Man U, Man City and Spurs. Spurs for the reasons mentioned above. Man City/Man U since they have a bench loaded with talent. However, folks did say that he'd see ample time at Man U off the bench since Fergie tends to like to mix things up. Arsenal and Chelsea did see a little bit more debate, though in both occassions Landon won out. The rationale was that he is a more proven entity than Walcott, and his smarts would get him in the Chelsea side over their aging and not creative wingers. However, Wenger tends to not play anyone who is a) young and b) French, so who knows? Everyone else seemed like he'd start, and on some sides he'd walk in - like Newcastle, where they have no wingers to speak of. Same goes for Liverpool - Kuyt stinks.
Landon would be a good fit for Arsenal, IMO. After losing Nasri and Fabregas, and replacing both with just Arteta, they could use another guy to provide the magical pass and create the plays for the forwards. Just like Cesc usually remained in the center while Samir opened to the right, Mikel could remain central while Landon does the rightward run.
Fairly certain Wenger's record speaks for itself, and it's probably best for this thread that we not start a "So-and-so is a bad manager because they hypothetically wouldn't start a player I like" digression.
Not at all degrading Wenger to lift Donovan. Just saying he would be fired at any other club in the world. It will get worse when RVP leaves this summer. They don't replace Nasri or Fabregas and they rely on an over-hyped young English midfielder, who is injured again. Arsenal could use some players in the 26-32 age range instead of being a youth squad. That'll be my last comment on that.
Oh, in the real world those teams don't even think about him because he is American. I get it. But if we are talking ability I think he is better than a lot of the starters on the top teams in the PL. Donovan actually outran Lennon at a few points and caused him to turn over the ball the other week. It was nice to watch.
If LD chose a different career path, or wasn't hog tied by Garber and went full time to the EPL years ago, I'd wager he'd be a key component at a top 5-7 club right now. But, we'll likely never know. Do hope he goes back to Everton or another EPL club full time next winter though, and it sounds like he wants to.
I don't want to sidetrack this, but at what point did Garber hog tie Donovan? MLS/Garber valued Donovan, correctly I might add, as a player that would be a key component at a top 5-7 club. Those players are valuable. It wasn't anyone on this side of the pond that got Donovan's value as a soccer player wrong.