Thursday 28 Nov 2019

Philadelphia Union co-owner Richie Graham on why he's betting bigger on soccer

https://www.mlssoccer.com/post/2019...r-richie-graham-why-hes-betting-bigger-soccer

 

Just now getting around to this? The Atlanta braintrust fleeced NUFC. I maintained he shouldn’t have been bought for a penny over what Lainez went to Betis for. MLS is screwed in the future because:

1) there are pretty much zero successful transfers out of MLS to the PL in recent times.
2) the Atlanta exec was dead set on establishing the market. To the detriment of future transfers.

What this means is American players (of course) will still be overlooked and international players will be bought only on the cheap by PL teams. It’s definitely going to be Championship and lower doing the actual buying of MLS talent, if any.

The article is clearly favoriting Benitez over Bruce and positing all would have been well if Rafa had stayed. I bet to differ. Almiron has zero confidence on the pitch. And it began back in February, not in August. He’s had a terrible time adapting. Honestly he looked like a college football player moving up to the NFL. So used to being the big fish in a small pond, but can’t quite seem to grasp that the tricks that got you noticed at State U. where you’re the best player in the team, aren’t worth even attempting in the NFL where everybody you face was the best player on their team, not some juco transfer who’s washing cars down at the local dealership after graduation.

Thx,

Jay!

 

Joelinton was bought for way more than Almiron and he is a striker who was bought to score goals unlike Almiron. A defender has scored more goals than Joelinton, that is just how bad that team is. I know they want to concentrate only on Almiron because he was bought from MLS but that has nothing to do with where Almiron comes from, it has everything to do with the team simply not performing as a whole.

 

Jurgen Locadia (15.3 million pounds), Davy Klaassen (24.3 million pounds), Alireza Jahanbakhsh (17.1 million pounds), Vincent Janssen (19.8 million pounds), Memphis Depay (30.6 million pounds), and Jordy Clasie (13.5 million pounds) all bombed in the EPL coming from the Eredivisie in the past few years. Yes, there have been a few 10+ million pound players that have been starters (Wijnaldum, Sanchez, and possibly Propper) but there are more flops (even at the less than 10 million point) than success stories. Yet none of those players have caused anyone to ask what that means for Dutch teams, has it? Articles like the one we are talking about aren't worth the time of day because it is clearly written because it is about MLS and is a way to capitalize on the "f America" or "f MLS" attitude (depending on where the reader is from). If Almiron came straight from Argentina we wouldn't see an article about "what do his woes mean for Superliga teams". If a kid that couldn't do shit at Benfica or Inter came to MLS and scored a goal every 104 minutes we'd hear stories about how bad MLS is. Same kid does that in Brazil and the internet is ablaze with how we should all be basking in the wonder that is Gabigol right now.

 

Disagree. Almiron is simply not Prem quality as a provider. When they had Perez, Joselu (LOL) and Rondon as the strike force he wasn’t getting them the ball. He doesn’t cross, he doesn’t shoot accurately. He doesn’t create chances. Several players on the team realized this last season and clearly stopped passing him the ball. It was frustrating as he would get open, but what he does with the ball once he gets it is not worth $27M. And it reflects poorly on the rest of the MLS. PL Teams won’t do business if they know they have overpay because some exec worked for Tottenham once and is trying to set a market.

Thx,

Jay!

 

But transferring players within Europe does not usually have the same impediments that transferring from the Americas has, either. And this is an emerging market, not an established one. With ATL setting the price point at £24M name another MLS player who's going to be able to move for that number now. Vela and Martinez who have already been to Europe with middling success? Vela’s too old to command that fee. Quite simply Atlanta fleeced Newcastle. And that will show in upcoming transfers from MLS to the Premier League.

Thx,

Jay!

 

Bullshit. Bad transfers have been going on forever. Real Madrid paid a record (for the time) transfer fee for Edwing Congo. (Who?).... it was a total flop but it didn't damage the reputation of overall Colombian Footballers or the league itself.

The problem (if there is one) with this transfer is that PL club have more money than brains.

Paying a transfer fee of 30 million is absurd for middle of the pack players, but you can see these transfers way too common now.

 

Almiron is not a flop reckons this local rag.

https://www.shieldsgazette.com/spor...cog-newcastle-united-machine-view-usa-1325590

 

"The view from the USA" does not exactly read like a local view point. The reality is that Almiron is not a good fit for the what the team is doing nor is has he done particularly well. The people who know what is going on will realize it is because Newcastle is poorly managed as other high profile MLS transfers have done well (Davies is Bayern's ranked 3rd and 4th respectively in Bundesliga and Champions League by whoscored, and Steffan has been ranked above for keepers that started every game and keepers overall).
But Jayrockers is probably correct that it will have a negative impact on transfers I don't think it will be all that large. The Brit's have a great league and the worlds biggest stash of money to buy players, but took decades for many in the UK to realize their knowledge of the game was dated. Many Brit's still think the Paul Clement is a better manager than Bob Bradley despite that fact that latter has improved teams everywhere he has managed around the world (including Swansea's record btw) while the former has never managed outside England nor done particularly well as the manager at any of his jobs. One guy is graduate from one of the top University's in the world (same one as his former assistant Jesse Marsch attended) and the other was a PE teacher who's dad played for England.
However these days analytics analytics increasingly drive decisions. Furthermore importing top coaches and talent from around the world has helped change the countries view on soccer. England's youth teams are filled with talented, technical players and some of the younger coaches look promising.

 

I wonder what will happen when Premier League academies are no longer able to sign young Dutch, Spanish and French players following Brexit. It will even things up globally.

 

20 years ago.

I can go back and say MLS transfers are quite the steal based on Howard, Friedel and Dempsey.

Almirons success in MLS and subsequent failure at Newcastle, under both Rafa Benitez and Steve Bruce, will not help MLS to PL transfers. It will especially hurt Americans. Outside the City Football Group who can move numbers around on a balance sheet to their own delight, evidently.

Thx,

Jay!

 

Obtaining a work permit, and the fallout from Brexit will have a much bigger impact than Almiron. Yedlin has largely been a success at Newcastle after all.

 

it was just one example. As I said, there are a lot of huge transfers that don't pay off every year. It doesn't diminish the quality of the league, any league.

You say that it is going to hurt the transfer market for the league. I have to see more concrete evidence of that happening before

 

I don't think Benitez would agree he failed. And Bruce is teaching him to play a new position.

One assist, one goal, and things could really turn around.

But Pulisic isn't exactly harming Americans' chances.

Most MLS transfers these days have performance related targets. Newcastle must wish they'd put down less up front.

 

They will pay those prices again when MLS once again has a promising hot prospect. Right now there really isn't one that demands those prices. Maybe in two or three more years it could be Brian Rodriguez if he does well in LAFC/MLS. He is certainly doing well with Uruguay NT and is only 19 unlike Almiron who was 24 years old when he left MLS.

 

Wait a few weeks.

Garber is stoking up the Argentina -> MLS elevator (powered by the SUM).

 

$500 million would put Cincy in the top 20 worldwide.

 

Didn’t play in MLS.

Thx,

Jay!

 

This is the biggest problem. He is a finished product. Not paying for potential but paying for what he can deliver. And obviously he could deliver much more in an easier league. MayBe it’s easier for defenders and goalkeepers to translate their skills across the pond, but Miggy has done nothing to prove that Offense in MLS will translate to Offense in the Prem.

Thx,

Jay!

 

If Almiron was a finished product by 24 then he certainly wasn't developed by MLS but by Super Liga Argentina. He came to MLS as a finished product.

Let's wait and see on the younger DPs coming in to the league like Brian Rodriguez, Barco, Chacon etc who came in under 20 years old. See how they do and how much they go for and how they perform in Europe.

 

If Newcastle made a bad signing, that's on Newcastle, their scouts and front office and nobody else.

 

So what was that whole thing about Almiron being a flop and making it harder for MLS to sell players?