Official Tommy Thompson Thread [R]

Discussion in 'San Jose Earthquakes' started by fadedtoblack, Jan 17, 2014.

  1. JazzyJ

    JazzyJ BigSoccer Supporter

    Jun 25, 2003
    xbhaskarx, Sactown Soccer and mjlee22 repped this.
  2. xbhaskarx

    xbhaskarx Member+

    San Jose Earthquakes
    United States
    Feb 13, 2010
    NorCal
    Club:
    San Jose Earthquakes
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
  3. xbhaskarx

    xbhaskarx Member+

    San Jose Earthquakes
    United States
    Feb 13, 2010
    NorCal
    Club:
    San Jose Earthquakes
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Honore de Ballsac repped this.
  4. Tom Szabo

    Tom Szabo Member

    Dec 31, 2014
    Club:
    San Jose Earthquakes
    I hope he has been practicing his ball striking technique as much as his dance moves. I finally learned how to kick the ball at the age of 44 so it should be way easier at his age.
     
  5. JazzyJ

    JazzyJ BigSoccer Supporter

    Jun 25, 2003
    #2130 JazzyJ, Jan 23, 2018
    Last edited: Jan 23, 2018
    His dance moves look pretty rusty. He's recycling the moves he had as a middle-schooler. And yes, I hope he's been practicing the heck out of his shooting!
     
  6. JazzyJ

    JazzyJ BigSoccer Supporter

    Jun 25, 2003
  7. Giggsy1986

    Giggsy1986 Member+

    Jan 27, 2014
    Club:
    Manchester United FC
    Too bad he is so god damn slow...... it’s almost cringe worthy
     
  8. JazzyJ

    JazzyJ BigSoccer Supporter

    Jun 25, 2003
    Again? With the Tommy slow stuff? He is not a burner but has average speed.
     
  9. Giggsy1986

    Giggsy1986 Member+

    Jan 27, 2014
    Club:
    Manchester United FC
    He can't get seperation... he is at his peak.
     
  10. Earthshaker

    Earthshaker BigSoccer Supporter

    Sep 12, 2005
    The hills above town
    Club:
    San Jose Earthquakes
    Nat'l Team:
    United States

    Quick enough.
     
  11. JazzyJ

    JazzyJ BigSoccer Supporter

    Jun 25, 2003
    Yep. Tommy was 2nd on the team in assists per 90 last year and about half of them were plays where he beat a guy to the end line and crossed laterally across the box. So he's not a burner but hardly "so damn / cringeworthy slow".
     
  12. bsman

    bsman Member+

    May 30, 2001
    MadCity
    Club:
    San Jose Earthquakes
    [​IMG]
    Forget it - he's rolling... :rolleyes:
     
    DotMPP repped this.
  13. jeff_adams

    jeff_adams Member+

    Dec 16, 1999
    Monterey, Ca
    He is on getting his shots off. His long windup allows defenders to block his shots too often.
     
  14. JazzyJ

    JazzyJ BigSoccer Supporter

    Jun 25, 2003
    #2139 JazzyJ, Jan 26, 2018
    Last edited: Jan 26, 2018
    That is true but correctable, and that is different than what Giggsy's talking about, which is about having burst speed. He also needs to be better at making little moves in the box to win space. That could be a strong point for him with all his technical skill and trickery. He just needs to get more confident and composed in the box. If he had a regular starting spot for a season I think you'd start to see it. The back heel in the preseason match is an example. And then his shot needs to be better as well.

    So those three things would all improve his effectiveness around goal and they are all correctable. He is not "at his peak".
     
    xbhaskarx repped this.
  15. Tom Szabo

    Tom Szabo Member

    Dec 31, 2014
    Club:
    San Jose Earthquakes
    I think the main thing is that he simply needs to learn how to shoot quickly with power and accuracy. This can be learned but it requires dedicated effort. Probably hundreds of hours working on it by yourself as the team really doesn't have the time to take individual players aside and work with them 1-on-1. That said, the team should have coaches who can provide Tommy with the training regimen to work on his own and then to continually evaluate his improvement in this area. Hopefully he has continued to work on this in the past few months and during the offseason, we shall see soon. Bottom line is that without an effective shot, I don't see him being a high level player in this league and he will be used only in a limited capacity. He could perhaps go to a league where a pure #10 is still effective, if such a league even exists anymore.
     
  16. xbhaskarx

    xbhaskarx Member+

    San Jose Earthquakes
    United States
    Feb 13, 2010
    NorCal
    Club:
    San Jose Earthquakes
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Why are people even bothering to respond to Giggsy? He is the reason the ignore feature was created.

    As far as TT is concerned, I was worried about his shot as well, but now that he looks more like an 8 than a purely attacking player, I don't think it's as big of a deal (not that he shouldn't keep working at it)...
     
    RocktheCasbah4, bballshawn and bsman repped this.
  17. mjlee22

    mjlee22 Quake & Landon fan

    Nov 24, 2003
    near Palo Alto, CA
    Club:
    San Jose Earthquakes
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
  18. don gagliardi

    don gagliardi Member+

    San Jose Earthquakes
    Feb 28, 2004
    san jose
    Club:
    San Jose Earthquakes
    In Atlanta.
     
    mjlee22 repped this.
  19. xbhaskarx

    xbhaskarx Member+

    San Jose Earthquakes
    United States
    Feb 13, 2010
    NorCal
    Club:
    San Jose Earthquakes
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
  20. Quakes05

    Quakes05 Member+

    Oct 1, 2005
    birthplace of MLS
    can't believe we're still having this debate and folks are still donning the TT-colored-glasses. I'm telling you good people, he's a nice kid I'm sure, simply not MLS-level, never has been, never will be, despite ample opportunities to prove the naysayers (like me) wrong. I don't know what it is about Tommy one-goal that inspires such confidence and devotion. I'll never understand it.
     
  21. JazzyJ

    JazzyJ BigSoccer Supporter

    Jun 25, 2003
    He hasn't been playing forward. He's been playing more of a 2-way outside mid position mostly. He was 2nd on the team last year in assists per 90 and, of all the team's attacking mids, IMO he's the best defender. You'll notice that on his highlight video, if you actually watch it, many of the first several plays are defensive plays fairly deep in the Quakes half.
     
  22. Quakes05

    Quakes05 Member+

    Oct 1, 2005
    birthplace of MLS
    Sorry Jazzy we just see this player differently, despite your stats. For me, debating the on field merits of TT for the upcoming season is pure small team deja vu.
     
  23. JazzyJ

    JazzyJ BigSoccer Supporter

    Jun 25, 2003
    No sense in recycling this debate. Watch the video. And remember, he's 22.

     
  24. Quakes05

    Quakes05 Member+

    Oct 1, 2005
    birthplace of MLS
    yeah for me he's the standard bearer for our small team purgatory - wish I was wrong. maybe he has break out year this year. I would love to be wrong.
     
  25. JazzyJ

    JazzyJ BigSoccer Supporter

    Jun 25, 2003
    He broke out last year - 2nd on the team in assists per 90, after not having any goals or assists in previous years.
     

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