apparently also trained at Fulham last year http://www.mlssoccer.com/news/artic...ack-shane-oneill-training-sheffield-wednesday
http://www.swfc.co.uk/news/article/shane-oneill-chases-american-dream-2086308.aspx Right off the bat the Owls are calling this a trial while the Rapids are calling this training. But we all know training = trials no matter how one club spins it. Anyway, it's inevitable to Shane will bolt to Europe sooner than later. As Rapids STH, I would hate to see Shane bolt as there is some good young talent at the club. However, with the mess that is the Rapids and ineptitude of its FO, he would be better served cutting his teeth elsewhere. I don't want his growth stunted and that's exactly what could happen if the Rapids don't get their shit together. With that said, Shane also has to decide if he's a CB or a d-mid. He sees himself as d-mid and still holds out hope that's where future lies. While a decent d-mid, its pretty evident if he wants a senior international future, with the US, CB is the better option.
Rapids youngster Shane O'Neill started for Sheffield Wed reserves on Tuesday, alongside one - wait for it - Royston Drenthe. Soccer is weird— Charles Boehm (@cboehm) November 20, 2014
This is definitely a trial. Nearly all of these "training" stints our guys do in Europe is just them training at practice. Wednesday threw Shane into a reserve game immediately.
The coaching situation, I think, can be ironed out if the FO hires a reputable #2 to sit on the bench. It was sink or swim for Pablo and while I was irritated at the decisions Pablo made, I cannot put it all on him. Supposedly, the Rapids are in the process of reevaluating the coaching staff. That should be priority #1 or #1B, IMO. With that said, guys like Shane, Dillon Powers, Chris Klute, and Clint Irwin, all experienced varying degrees of regression last season. I think that was directly related to the clusterf*** created by the FO. All of those guys could have earned 1st caps with a good season.
From what I've heard (just don't know how credible the source) is that Shane has been very impressive. Apparently, SWFC had not planned on him playing for the reserves but they were eager to see him in game action after he impressed in just a few short training sessions with the Senior team. This is a trial - no bones about it. Shane will be there until Dec.4th so there is ample opportunity to really put him thru the ringer and properly evaluate him. I would not be surprised in the least if they made an offer. After all, he would not need a WP.
Maybe this is just me, but if O'Neill isn't impressive in a reserve team game for a Championship side, then he isn't that good of a player most likely. I don't want to get into the MLS vs. Championship argument again, but whether or not you think MLS is better than the Championship or the other way around, the quality of the leagues isn't that much different, and I'd find it pretty worrying if O'Neill started playing MLS reserve games. I know this is just for Sheffield Wednesday to test where he is, but he really should be impressing at this club. Its not such a high quality club or league, and thats speaking about the first team.
Are you referring to that one reserve team appearance with whatever team he was training with for like a week? Clearly very different circumstances.
It is different - no doubt. Shane, apparently impressed in his match (according to my source) and Juan did not, according to Wolverhampton. On a serious note, not that it matters much, but the U-21 match, a friendly at that, featured several 1st teamers needing minutes for various reasons like Drethe, Dielna, McCabe, Corry, and Lavery. So it's not like Shane was banging the ball around with a bunch of hacks. Anyways, I agree, Shane should be impressing and hopefully it continues in this training/trial. His MLS season was poor and very little of it was his direct doing. Early on he played RB, CB, and some d-mid. He was often moving around in games which is all on the inexperience of Mastroeni as manager. It was hard to settle into a role. He missed most of the second half of the season with a knee injury that many thought should have put him on the shelf for the season. If Shane is rounding into form in this trial/training all the better. He's a talent and as much as I'd love to see him back in Colorado, I am not blinded by the fact that the club is in tatters and he's better served moving abroad sooner than later.
The difference in circumstances is that O'Neill was just ending his season and Agudelo hadn't played or even regularly trained with a professional club for many months. Clearly you can't expect a player to be at his best when he's had that much time off without playing. Lets get back to O'Neill though.
What makes you think he wasn't impressive? Seriously, do you have a source? OK, so why do you keep on doing it?
I didn't say he wasn't impressive. I said that it would be very troubling if he wasn't, so I'm not going to get excited about something that should be expected of him. You seem to be trying to provoke an argument, but I won't go there. Not in this thread at least. This is a player playing in MLS who's went over to the Championship. If we were to talk about the level that he's playing at on this trial, then comparisons need to be made between the two leagues to prove any type of point at all about the level of play that O'Neill's experienced. I'm not trying to have an argument about the two leagues, instead trying to prove a point about O'Neill.
I think the Rapids/MLS will seriously consider an offer (they'd get 75% of fee since he's HG player). I'm not sure how much longer is left on Shane's contract (he signed June 2012), but they can't risk eventually losing him on a free. Especially since he has an EU passport and Championship teams would pay him quite a bit more than the Rapids would (he currently makes $67K).
FYP. When I read your last sentence I did a double-take, because $67k p.a is upper League 2 money. League 1 CBs earn around £1,000 per week, or $81k, and sometimes a good deal more. A player with his profile - just turned 21, 50 MLS games in two seasons, a dozen USA U-21 caps and monitored by Ireland IIRC - would be right up a Championship club's street. He'll start on about $150k a year in that division quite easily, with a trigger clause based on appearances. Within 18 months he could be on $200k basic, plus bonuses. MLS does seriously underpay its players.
I think it should be the case that a guy that is starting week in and out for an MLS side (apart from Chivas) should be able to slot right into a Champ'ship reserve side and do well. I would be surprised if this wasn't the case. I think there are some across the pond who have absolutely no idea what level MLS is at currently, and when a starter comes to them and plays well, they are shocked. Better that than the opposite IMO.
Just about any MLS starting CB would be easily good enough for the reserve team of a team that is (exactly) mid-table in the Championship. not necessarily the case for other positions IMO, but certainly for CBs. A player with O'Neill's profile could reasonably expect to be no.3 in the depth chart of a bottom-half Championship side by the end of January (he will need time to adjust to the pace & aggression of the Championship). With his Irish passport, I'm certain he'll get an offer in England. The transfer fee will be the main obstacle.