Thumbs down to throwing a fit... While I have some sympathy for McBride (hey, I'd like to play in the Premiership, as well!), let's be honest for a moment: McHead scores TWO goals for the U.S. at the WORLD CUP (i.e., he's one of the U.S.' best players CURRENTLY, even if he's in his mid-30s). He is under contract to the league until AT LEAST Dec 31, 2003. He signed that contract BEFORE the World Cup, while MLS stuck with him after TWO near career-ending injuries/surgeries. He is a valuable asset to MLS as a marketing tool and to Columbus as their best (and certainly most marketable) player. Now a Premiership team comes and asks for his services -- in the MIDDLE OF THE FREAKIN' MLS SEASON -- while offering a relative pittance, and MLS is just supposed to let him go? Why, in heaven's name? Simply because he wants to be let out of his contract? What about the Columbus fans who would like to see McBride bring them the MLS Cup come October? And what kind of a message does that send to any other Euro clubs interested in DMB, Clint or other budding stars if MLS is simply willing to let McBride, star of the U.S. MNT, World Cup Quarterfinalist, walk away from an existing contract for peanuts? "Hey, if you get the player you want to act up and throw a fit, MLS will fold like a cheap tent." Thanks, but no thanks. McBride can leave on a free after next season (or whenever the last exercised option expires), it's in his contract. That's how Sanneh got to Europe, and what's good enough for Tony, should be good enough for McBride. Until then, MLS has the OPTION, not the OBLIGATION, to sell him. If MLS doesn't get a good price, it's their right to keep him. We are a capitalist country, last time I checked; even MLS has the right to keep players under contract. It's not as though Brian is slaving away for a cruel taskmaster... Sheesh.
Hayles to West Brom? West Brom is talking to Fulham about acquiring forward Bryan Hayles. This might cloud McBride's talks with West Brom. http://www.soccernet.com/england/news/2002/0805/20020805ffchayles.html
The reason this will work out so well for McBride and MLS, IMO is when Brian performs well, which I am pretty sure he will produce, as he has scored 3 goals in the World Cup, and basically assisted on JOB's with his rocket header. When he becomes a valuable asset to WBA, an indespensable one. Then maybe, March rolls around, it's time for a new MLS season, but WBA is fighting to stay up, and they need McBride...that is when MLS has the transfer bargaining chip they need. I don't think it would be real difficult to get 4-5 million pounds out of a team desperate to stay up, do you?? Someone mentioned Sanneh leaving on a free transfer. I don't know if he left without offers from Euro teams...in that case, there was nothing MLS could do. Otherwise, they better not make it common practice, that is just bad business. They will lose out on at least a million bucks by just letting McBride leave, when they can throw a little money into the league coffers.
Re: Thumbs down to throwing a fit... Umm...I believe they are requesting his services after the end of the season.
Re: Re: Thumbs down to throwing a fit... Nope, WB (allegedly) wants him on a loan after the season, which I'm fine with. McBride, however, is ticked off at Garber/MLS/U.S. Soccer/ "the powers that be"/Anschutz/Hunt (have I forgotten anyone else?) because they earlier told Moyes over at Everton to take his token offer and shove it where the sun don't shine. McBride seems to feel that he's entitled to join Everton after the World Cup and before the end of the MLS season (without a significant transfer fee, I might add!) simply because he's "paid his dues." That's not the way it works, folks. And nor should it. Wasn't as though MLS was calling McBride for a refund after he was diagnosed with a career-threatening blood clot, TWICE. If MLS honored his contract then, he should honor his now -- without grumbling about it. If Everton didn't offer enough to MLS to make it worth it from MLS' business perspective, why doesn't McBride take it up with Everton? As I said, it would be setting a very, very bad precedent if MLS allowed a "superstar" under contract to pretty much negotiate his own free transfer.
Follow the thread. Dude, read my post. Re-read the thread. Then answer your own question. McHead isn't upset because of WB's loan request, he's ticked off because EVERTON's low-ball transfer offer (effective immediately) was spurned. The Premiership club I referred to in my earlier post was Everton, not WB, so your point doesn't apply. Hence the "Nope," as in: "I don't think so."
Re: Follow the thread. Why is it that whenever you question someone's post on this board they automatically respond with a dickweed comment like this? If you were referring to "Everton's offer," it was only clear to you. Everton never made an offer to the league, lowball or not.
diablo, Everton reportedly, reportedly, did make an offer for McBride which Everton turned down. MLS has, to my knowledge, never officially confirmed in print they got and turned down the offer from Everton. But the offer was made by all other accounts.
I'll assume you meant "which MLS turned down." By what other accounts? Agents? In case you didn't know it, agents tend to be full of ************. Here's an exact quote from Gazidis: We haven't had a single approach on Brian McBride. I can say that unequivocally,'' Gazidis said. "We have had agents telling us offers exist. Those offers have not been quantifiable. If we receive an offer for Brian and it's quantifiable, then I'll respond to it.'' Note the word "quantifiable"... Not "justifiable" Not "high enough" In other words, nothing was discussed between the league and the teams. No offer was made. All of which is not relevant to the point I was making to Maverick.
Yes, meant to say MLS turned down. My apologies. Trying to do three things at once rarely works. Well, I've been told otherwise by other people outside MLS HQ. Guess we'll have to agree to disagree whether an offer was made or not.
Sigh... As to the first point, maybe if you found a way to critique posts without dismissing (i.e., disrespecting) them out of hand, then you wouldn't get the same reaction all the time. As to the second point, I trust Buff and his sources more than I trust IG's and DG's "official press clippings." What goes on behind the scenes is at least as important as what the MLS front office CONFIRMS to the inquiring press. IG's statement was nothing more than another way of saying "no comment." Remember all the hoopla over contraction in the off-season? Nothing was "quantifiable" there for the longest time, either, but it ultimately happened, right? Additionally, facts on the ground may have changed substantially since IG first made the statement.
Re: Sigh... Buff's sources promised to keep talking as long as Buff stopped merging their posts into his.