O'Brien update

John's hammy problem has been going on for EIGHT months now.

Twellman recovered from a 3rd degree tear in 7 weeks.

Something is not right with this cat.

 

I know this reply is a month too late and i'm only picking out one inconsequential part of your thread, the rest of which I agreed with, but this lineup boggles my mind. Maybe since its been a couple years your just not experienced enough with making completly speculative future - Nats lineups. Supposed to be a smiley face after that period, but I can't figure out how to insert it.

Anyway --- starting with the Defense ( I don't know if this would be your starting 100% healthy lineup for right now or 2006) Mastro and Dolo should not be playing in a three man D -- if this is right now it should be Boca - Pope - Gibbs. If its 2006 it should be Boca (or Spector) - Gibbs - Russel (or whoever else shows up in the next two years) My point is I'm completly baffled, for lack of a better word to how you could possibly pick Mastro and Dolo. Baffled. The Midfield I like although your discounting DMB way too early in the game --- he could turn into a world beater at PSV. And its interesting that you put Dempsey at Rmid i'd never thought about him there. Very intersting what he could bring to a game from that position, especially in a 3-4-3 where u'd need a good defensive, technically skilled, two way player, with size, who can score and he'd free up JOB and Donovan to create. Which could be very scary. SO I like your midfield, I commend you on that, but the rest I must tear apart. The Forwards-- the only one I can agree with you on is Donovan. I'm a real Mathis fan too and I can see why u'd put him there, but then u'd have two no three forwards who like to drop back into midfield collect and run at the defense. And who create, but for who Kirovski? Kirovski I must dropkick. McBride, Casey, Arnaud, Johnson, Buddle, Cooper, Eskandarian those are all the forwards I can think of off the top of my head who I rate ahead of Kirovski for the Nats team. Yes he's looked good in MLS, but he's been consistently terrible for the U.S. If he was ever first choice for us in 2006 --- I don't know what i'd do, but it'd be something drastic. Even if this is a lineup for the Nats today -- I'd rather cap Arnaud ( i keep mentioning his name, but is Arnaud American lol i have no idea) then play Kirovski, acatully i'd rather make this a 3-5-2 and put another midfielder DMB???? into the lineup then play Kirovski. But that's just me and there was just something about that lineup that made me comment on it one month late, when the topic has been dead for awhile.

 

Twellman has never been fully back to his pre-injury form since the injury though.

 

Maybe he needs to sack up.

 

Of all people that need to sack up, it's not O'Brien.

 

Look, we need JOB to healthy. Ajax needs JOB to be healthy. But he won't do it!!! Why not? Obviously, he's just not man enough to be healthy. He needs to do what we need him to do. What kind of girly-man nancy-boy would choose to be injured all the time like this?

 

No sack!!! No sack!!! No sack!!!

 

From the Ajax website today:

John O'Brien, who is supposed to play with the team of Van den Brom en Grim [referring to Jong Ajax] tomorrow, left the field early. "My hamstring", explained the American, "I don't think I can play tomorrow, but the injury is not serious."

Sounds like he's frustratingly close, and yet so far....
http://www.ajax.nl/show/id=1322/contentid=36183 (see bottom of page)

 

From Soccer365
http://www.soccer365.com/US_NEWS/Americans_Abroad/page_93_78376.shtml

(since tmeuz's link is in Dutch)

O’Brien Suffers Practice Knock 17/08/04
Ajax started their morning session with several hobbling stars in action, including U.S. cornerstone player John O’Brien, but the flame-haired handyman saw his training cut short thanks to that nagging hamstring injury.

The American Abroad had been expected to make the match squad for Wednesday’s Young Ajax contest with amateur side Telstar, but he wasn’t so sure now.

”I do not think that I can play tomorrow,” he told the club website. “But the injury is not major."

O’Brien has been out of first team action since slipping awkwardly on the Amsterdam Arena turf during a vital 2-1 victory over title rivals PSV Eindhoven in January.

 

i think we need him healthy a lot more than ajax does they can replace him pretty easily

 

since no one else commented on this, this is good news.

the injury that has kept him out was his achilles, so it would seem that that injury is gone.

and johnny o referred to this hamstring injury as nothing.

 

an interview with him on ajaxusa

http://www.ajax-usa.com/interviews/john-o-brien-august-2004.html

 

thanks for the Find asta - I'm gonna post this over in USA N&A - while giving you credit for the initial posting

 

Every time I read anything about John O'Brien I get upset. There's just so much talent there that is unavailable and he's got to be so frustrated.

 

I love this quote:

Interested Johnny? Don't feel pressured or anything but did you catch the US performance last night? Especially in midfield?

I think Arena is slightly more than "interested" more like "praying".

 

cool. you can take credit tho

btw do you know why BS stopped us from being able to use the [size] command? =\


just for fun everyone...let us just imagine that johnny o is being tested by some higher power right now and in the near future he will be back to full fitness and never have a major injury again. wouldn't it be nice?

​

 

You could've spared the Lennon "Imagine" reference, but I'm with you on the sentiment.

 

Ajax site says that O'Brien came out on the field with the regulars during training today, although he trained apart.

He's getting there....

http://www.ajax.nl/show/id=1322/contentid=36218

 

The discusion refers to training exercises. Machine translation:

Then also John O'Brien left the group to work in another angle for itsconvalescence. The remaining seven players will stand in a circle and had in hightempo three balls to each other overgooien. Hilarity allom, because as soon as you have thrown away a ball must you catch thereand play on to someone without ball. Regularly the gelach concerning the complete field were hear.

Then René Wormhoudt judged that the muscles were smooth enough, the zevental should stop. Rafael of of the speed and O'Brien continued working quietly and wantCoort empty once again a row of ten balls ready for Anastasiou andStekelenburg. Wesley Sneijder, TOMs the mul and Julien Escudé were jointly with the two-high rollingmill, they ensured of the bankje the necessary mental support.

 

I think it was easier to understand in Dutc. And I don't speak a word of it

 

It says that John left the main group to work on his own rehabilitation.

 

Yes! That is hilarious!