Eric Lichaj at Fatih Karagümrük SK

Limited is right. He started every knockout game at the 2011 Gold Cup under Bradley, then didn't make another US appearance until the Euro friendlies against Scotland and Austria in Nov. 13, where he played a combined 27 minutes. His next appearance came in the Puerto Rico friendly in May of this year, where he played 27 minutes. 54 minutes total under Klinsmann, so I think it's a pretty rash judgment to make any statements about his level of play with the US over the past 5 years.

 

has Klinsmann ever been asked why he doesn't consider Lichaj? has Lichaj been asked about why he thinks he has so few caps now?

 

I've asked Lichaj. I've even wrote about his response

 

Yeah, so, what'd he say?

 

He played the polish card....joking. I have no idea.

But it does seem odd that there are not many solid mid stage vets on the team. That is usually the best age for winning, 27-29, with some youth and old timers peppering things.

 

That's a weird definition of legend.

 

All the right things:

"I don't think I've been overlooked,” Lichaj said. “They've watched a few games and nothing has come of it. Maybe they didn't like what've they've seen or I didn't fit into the style that they wanted to play. I would love to play for them again and I've always enjoyed it. I can't put too much focus on it because if I was really desperate for that, it might take away from what I am doing here at Nottingham.

“I am doing well and if I keep improving hopefully I get recalled to see if the U.S. manager wants me. At the moment he doesn't so I can't complain, I just have to keep improving to see if I can get back in there.”

More in Brian's article, linked in a @GiallorossiYank post earlier in this thread: http://americansoccernow.com/articles/eric-lichaj-speaks-to-asn-about-usmnt-much-more

 

If those are the right things, I like it when guys say all the wrong things.

He was trying to be diplomatic and not ruffle any feathers, because we've seen what's happened to many players who do. He clearly thinks he's good enough, if many of us do. That's the way people think.

For players who haven't already been integrated, I don't think there's a level they can realistically attain in certain leagues/countries. It's exponentially more about the league/country players compete in, and the coach's original decision, as opposed to their extended form. Lichaj could become clearly the best fullback in the Championship, and I don't think that would change anything.

Best hope is a token appearance when several regulars aren't available, that forcing a change of plans, and then proving in front of everybody what's what. I suppose he also could get promoted with Forest, but they've never come close to that with him, it's largely out of his control, and he wasn't even getting call-ups when he was with Villa. That mind is pretty much made up.

 

Went 90 in a 2-0 loss to Reading

 

Starts:

Here's this afternoon's #NFFC line-up in full... pic.twitter.com/PaXajnFKPS

— Nottingham Forest (@NFFC) November 5, 2016

 

Has he gone native?:

🇺🇸 As #Thanksgiving is celebrated across the USA, #NFFC's own American @EricLichaj tells @beINSPORTSUSA if he has converted to English ways: pic.twitter.com/FuSuLIaf3D

— Nottingham Forest (@NFFC) November 24, 2016

 

that moustache is so creepy

 

He always does something weird for no shave November.

 

surely his wife can prevent this in the future

 

Fat face on the front page 😬 mine not @EricLichaj 😝 @ Katwalk Kouture https://t.co/6cdQguTUHm

— Kathryn Lichaj (@KatPerko) November 30, 2016

http://www.nottinghampost.com/notti...walk-kouture/story-29943178-detail/story.html

 

His wife seems really down to earth. A plus when the alternative is in the mags 24/7

 

Wouldn't that be a clothing shoppe?

 

I wanna see Lichaj called in. He deserves it

 

with so few NT opportunities I do wonder what might have been if Poland would have given him a call up some years ago

 

He'd have played in the Poland/Ukraine European Cup and probably have got offers out of that. Whether he'd have moved is another story. Over on the Danny Williams thread people were arguing that he'd sold himself short by moving to England's D2 and that he "should have held out for that life-altering offer".

Moving from a squad rotator for a mid-table BL1 side to a stater for a Chamionship hpromotion hopeful-but-not-probability was that life-altering offer, which is why he took it over clubs in Germany that are much bigger than Reading. Championship wages are very high by mainland Europe's standards - average losses of 13 million Sterling a year will do that.

He'd have stayed at Forest unless a better offer from England came in, ands I'm not sure one would have come. From what I've seen of him, he's a solid rather than outstanding full-back at that level. Apart from being able to play on both flanks he's not that mich better than what you'd find on an upper-third team in that division. Clubs won't spend transfer fees on that kind of player unless they have an injury crisis. They wait until the contract is up and make a Bosman offer.

 

Starts:

Here's tonight's #NFFC line-up in full... pic.twitter.com/ksOfOAJiCH

— Nottingham Forest (@NFFC) December 14, 2016

 

809184806655311872 is not a valid tweet id