On the wing, you have to track back and play defense alot depending on the formation. With Lee, i think hes used to being more the play maker instead of the guy to make hard runs and chuck nice crosses from the wing. I wonder if their Coach has thought about maybe playing him more centrally and offensively?
the question is do we want another justin mapp on an MLS field.??? as a fire fan, me saying this might sound odd... but, (if the article is correct) just like nguyen, Mapp NEVER plays defense... he shys away from everything... and his crossing is lack..... i like nguyen, as im an IU alum, but personally i dont feel he's a winger anyhow... at IU he played a withdrawn forward.... and succeeded at it...
With drawn forwards tend to be a little bit of play makers also, seems like the wing isnt meant for him.
agreed, i think he will create much more playing behind the strikers than on the wing. he is a creative attacker and thats a great position for him..
That looks like what Todd is trying. Not sure if all 3 goals he scored in Cup play came from this position. Can anyone closer to Randers enlighten us?
Whatever Colin Todd is saying about Will John then it wont matter next season, since he is not going to get his contract extended... and I personally think he will lose his job in January... According to the latest rumours, the new Randers head coach is probably going to be John Jensen.. .
A smaller, slower Justin Mapp. Let's not forget that, when Justin is on, he can race past anyone. BTW, it was his cross that McBride screwed up by positioning. Though, I believe, it was Justin's only good cross the entire game. PS. Yon Yensen?
Anyone who thinks Lee Nguyen wouldn't be useful to almost any MLS team doesn't watch that much MLS. I think Nguyen would compete for a starting job on the wing for several MLS clubs, and he'd be a valuable sub on those teams with great existing depth. The only team where I don't think he'd be at least an every-match sub is Houston, which already has Stuart Holden to play a role similar to what we'd see Nguyen play.
I dunno. If Lee is too small for - or plays small in - Denmark, he is probably way too small for MLS too. Maybe he should try some Asian leagues - they're usually very skilled but not as physical as MLS.
According to YanksAbroad.com Nguyen caused the final goal, an own goal, with a cross into the box that the defender knocked into his own net.
SønderjyskE v Randers FC, 1-4 (1-3) 0-1 Marc Nygaard (22) 0-2 Søren Berg (39) 1-2 Ken Ilsø (40) 1-3 Søren Berg (45) 1-4 Michael Stryger (Owngoal) (89) Attendance: 2,199 Highlights : TV2 Sport --
If there ever was a doubt that skill alone is insufficient, Freddy Adu catching splinters in France and Lee Nguyen deemed to be only of MLS material, should erase all doubts. Those guys are GOOD on the ball.
mapp has been on a total of 60 min this entire season... the rest of the time he was on the field i was pulling my hair out... Mapp does not work for the ball, his crosses (and corners) need major improvement... he doesnt hussle, and doesnt play defense.... he's not a suitable winger, if any position he's best suited for the middle (but Blanco is trumping him)... and Mapp held onto the ball too long, which is why BMB was offsides
MLS is a very physical league.... and the calls do not always come... nguyen would do fine, given enough time to adapt to the league... but then again i think he is better suited for a more fenese league...
I am not all that surprised about Freddy in France, obviously. However, Lee should be capable of doing well enough in Denmark. Being a rarely used back-up at Randers means that there's something else beside his athleticism - or lack thereof - that is keeping him on the bench.
He's actually one of Randers more regularly used subs as of late - just not starting in the league, unfortunately. He's been in 4 of their last 5 league games and started both of their cup games since mid-September. So he definitely seems to be in their plans and in some sort of positive regard - just not for the full 90.
this reminds me of when people are complaining about LD not playing up top..... teams continuely play Nguyen out wide.... while at IU he was incredibly effective playing a SS.... personally i see this scenario as nothing more then using him out of position... now he may not be their best option up top or in the middle, but that was where he was most solid when ive seen him live... i mean the kid would receive the ball and then break ankles with his cuts.... it was sick how quickly he'd cut and move
^^^Yes, its all about coaches reading where they play best at. Maybe Lee is being too nice, and not talking enough telling the coach where his strengths are. Trying him in the wing i am sure is hampering him, as it asks alot out of you defensively, and to me it sounds like Lee is the type to make plays, passes, and sometimes score, compared to wingers who just do crosses, run back and lpay D' if needed, and maybe come sometimes more in the middle for shots outside the box.
Off ESPN's listed lineups, I can't tell what formation Randers play but most teams in Europe play their central midfielders deeper - i.e. Empty Bucket/Y vs. Diamond - where they have to play at least 2-way. And, if Lee doesn't hustle back on defense or presents a physical challenge to his counterpart, then most coaches will be hesitant to field him centrally. This is similar to both Benny Feilhaber and Freddy Adu. Unless you're playing for a team like Werder (and you may, if Klaus Allofs has anything to do with it), which features a pure Diamond with Diego, you have to be very attentive tracking back. Wings have less demand to be defensively minded but there you need to be able to beat your marker one v. one and cross the ball accurately to boot. And, if you're a tweener, you are usually brought on in game specific situations. PS. This is why I've been more optimistic about the pro futures of people like Colin Clark (and, obviously, mistakenly, Justin Mapp) - these guys are prototypes for their position, which makes a coach's decision much easier. He knows where to play them and why he needs them on his roster. With tweeners - and the US seems to have more than a few of those, including Donovan and Dempsey - you can rotate them from spot to spot and never settle on anything specific for them. And, when a coach can't settle, then a player doesn't settle either ... and goes from club to club to club.
well put SFS... my point though was he played more of a striker that runs as though he plays in the middle.... at IU he was given all the freedom he wished for, and he became the Big Ten player of the year (as a freshmen)... but this type of player requires blue-collared physical types behind him in order to pick up the workload he would drop (ie. marking, getting back, etc...)... i think his downfall will be his physical game.... as for both Dempsey and LD, i think they were more solid for certain positions, but coaches dealing with fewer options were forced to play them else where.. LD moving from RM to CM then to FW primarily to fill the voids...