Parker is a very good CB and will continue to get National team call-ups in right situations. Tons of depth and choices at position but he is a solid player. It had to be nerve wracking running down his contract to last weeks as an injury could blow up negotiations and value. I wonder if that had something to do with Long getting called up ahead if him in last friendlies. Obviously, Long had a great year, too.
This. I dont want Palmer-Brown to Gale Agbossomounde himself, thats for sure. Im very concerned about that. I remember how high we were on him about that. Miazga at Nantes is incredibly.......incredibly disappointing, after looking like there might be something there. He needs out of that situation asap. Im glad he at least tried to take a challenging gig though. He needs to try again somewhere else, maybe germany. CCV, to be frank, id put Parker ahead of CCV right now. CCV is younger, but Parker is the better defender right now. Same goes for Glad
I didn't say these players are world class. I think they are all better, as good or very close to as good as Parker. Considering all the factors, they come before him in the CB rotation, IMO. Is there a place right now in the NT for Parker as a 7th or 8th CB? Why not, but I don't think there's much discussion about a player like Sean Johnson for 7th keeper or Alfredo Morales for 7th CM. Parker probably isn't even on the fringe of the NT. He's more of a second 23 player. Glad was not "bad" this past season. He had a slump from the previous season, but then again he was one of the absolute top CB's in the league in 2017. He was absolutely a NT level CB in 2017, and deserved to get NT caps. He consistently plays higher level football than Carter-Vickers, but one is on the books of Spurs, the other isn't. Its disingenuous when people like IE mention how he was benched. That leaves out how Petke makes crazy decisions that make no sense. Petke also benched the best LB in the league for a back up RB. Why should we regard his decisions? Glad was "good" this season. Not as good as 2017, but I don't know why the perception of him is around a "slump" he had. As for EPB, thats the way it goes when you are on loan. Miazga's dealing with the same thing at Nantes. Did he deserve to be banished from the first team? Vermes realizes the mistake he made not giving EPB more minutes, and is now integrating lesser talents, so they don't lose them for free eventually without having given them many minutes. I've also watched most of his games this season. He had a bad 30 minute stretch two weeks ago, and promptly lost his spot the next game. He's been mostly good in the games I've watched, but he's a loanee, so he makes for a very easy scapegoat after a loss. I'd stress that its important not to overreact to bad coaching decisions in replacement for watching these games and forming opinions. Many here don't do that.
Yeah, MLS GM's are going to have to start applying the same metrics that they apply to attackers to defenders when it comes to big contracts.
If MLS was a league where teams spent most of their money on the front 5 and left the back 6 to cheap American players, is it changing? Atlanta spent money (and found some bargains) on defense and NYRB has really committed to finding and paying a back 5. SKC was already there. Three of the best teams this past season. Will the last spots for Americans be priced out? Or will money be spread more evenly allowing for Americans in forward positions to break in in places?
That was also said about Horvath in Belgium and that he was in over his head. I know they’re not exactly the same situation because one was bought and the other is on loan but something can be said for being benched and having to go out and prove in practice you deserve the spot and then when you get a chance because it will come knowing you have to take it and hold it. That experience can be invaluable and push Miazga to grow as a player and person. I wouldn’t be so quick to jump the gun and say he needs to leave ASAP because he got benched.
thats fair, I think Miazga is good enough for Ligue 1, he just has a coach that does not favor him at all. That happens sometimes unfortunately.
Glad, CCV, Palmer-Browm, and Miazga need to find consistent playing. There's no point blabbing on how talented a CB is if he can't even get a consistent run at not exactly elite clubs. Brooks needs to somehow stay fit. As a player gets older, it becomes increasingly difficult to maintain decent form in face of niggling knacks. See, for example, Fabian Johnson.
I don’t necessarily disagree with you whole heartedly on all the other players.... The main point for dispute is whether or not Tim Parker is national team caliber or not. Now, I hear the Sean Johnson argument, but goalkeeper is much more, even for center back which would be second, important to maintain consistency. In this sense, a #2 will hardly ever see the field, unless there’s an injury or suspension. Whereas, there does need to still be some rotation with center back. For those reasons, we need depth. And sometimes we need some different tools in the toolbox. It’s not the prettiest... but sometimes a team, especially a team at the bottom of the pack, needs fighters. Parker is a fighter. He’s not a lock starter, but I like having him around. That said, I wish we would call in Alfredo Morales. After McKennie and Adams, we’re hurting in the center of the park. I think it’d be a damn shame to ignore him.
Glad got benched. In 4 of the last 5 matches, Petke went with someone else at CB. ------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------ The US has gotten crushed mainly along the flanks. Defending along that area is in need of major improvement.
Perhaps, but between the two, I favor Long at this point, and I expect that's a trend that will continue. Long is the best CB in the league, and Parker's probably the second-best.
I'd say only a handful can actually afford to pay it and even those would be hesitant to. There's a reason those incoming fees broke records. LAFC is doing a similar thing and could be where ATL is next year. But you're right: MLS in general could not attract that caliber of player in the past and ATL has been smart in bringing in Tata and establishing a South American pipeline. Blank was invited to MLS years ago but didn't want in during the "Fading Euro Star" DP era, but you don't get to what we have to day without those days. It'll take some time for other clubs to switch mentalities.
I see you put new model in quotes. Exactly my sentiments. All this analysis and comparison makes me wonder what happened to all those comparisons with the Keane/Donovan/Zardes Galaxy - that wasn't so long ago but it quickly disappeared in the rear view mirror.. There's a lot going on and people keep taking shots at a moving target. Next thing you know, Atlanta wins CCL and is off to the FIFA Club World Cup. Personally, I was disappointed to see Wenger and Vincent leaving the game. With more teams coming on and higher demands for quality players, my biggest worry is that teams will be too far under a 50/50 domestic/foreign split which I think will harm the product.
Top US-eligible xGChain. Ranked! Zusi(4th)_34.9 Feilhaber(6th)_33.3 Bradley(15th)_30.5 Bedoya(23rd)_28.5 Parkhurst(36th)_26.2 Adams(42nd)_25.3 Larentowicz(43rd)_25.0 Roldan(44nd)_25.0 Zardes(45th)_25.0 Davis(46th)_24.8 Ibarra(48th)_24.6 Delgado(53rd)_23.4 Besler(57th)_23.1 Rosenberry(61st)_22.6
Perhaps Zusi should have transitioned to attacking midfield rather than to fullback. He would have been a lot less defensively exposed. The list underlines why pressing Atlanta's backline was important and why supreme pressers, NYRB, owned them. Only 4 being in the 25-30 age-range highlights the 'Missing Generation' problem.
xG Chain is any pass that leads to a scoring chance? How about free kicks? Are Zusi and Bradley getting bumps from taking free kicks and corners?
I believe set pieces are included, so undoubtedly Zusi gets a bump. But so do most of the elite attackers as they generally also take the set pieces. I checked the key passes metric on WS. Zusi does well in the non-set-pieces categories.
FCD hired their academy director Luchi Gonzalez to replace Pereira. That's great news for us. He's the academy director, and American as a bonus. Looking to get more of a direct ROI on that program finally. Ferreira and Pomykol time! And get back on Hayes watch (was benched for no reason). Let's get an attacking version of NYRB going. Any FCD academy prospects on the precipice we should know about?