I apologize if this has already been discussed, but what happened to Videira? He seemed to bring an attacking mentality (something not in oversupply) in the games he started, but he seems to have virtually disappeared. I would hope that we would see more, rather than less, of a player who at least showed the potential to play the ball into advanced positions.
Videira has been underwhelming in his brief minutes this season. Then again, he's been played out of position most of the time.
Simple answer: He's not that good. We've seen rookies who are raw or unaccustomed to the speed of play, but still have the look that they'll turn into very good players. Videira doesn't have the look.
What ever do you mean? If you read this board, there's a certain contingent that thinks Michael Videira has bags of potential and is the next big star in this league. I am one of those skeptics that was shot down in another thread because I have yet to see evidence as such to-date. The uber-sunshine clique seems to ignore the fact Videira has contributed very little to this season's New England Revolution. But hey, as Monty eloquently put it, don't let the facts get in the way of a good argument!
I don't know...I think he's shown more promise then a lot of other young players on the team. We'll know more next year, but I expect he'll see a lot more minutes if (when) JL and Ralston are gone.
Serious question - will you consider it a good sign/acceptable to you if Videira is starting for the Revs at AM all season in 2010?
I agree, with Miked9. He looked really lethargic. But was that when they tried to use him up top? Maybe he was out of position. But he was getting his lunch eaten on every ball.
If he plays well enough that it gives Ralston time to heal and not rush back then at the rate they pay him, its acceptable. On the other hand if he can put up 5 goals and 12 assists on the year, then I would say "Ralston who?" Honestly though, a player does not have to be a starter to be an acceptable signing. He just needs to be able to contribute and play well and be a spot starter when needed and not have play drop considerably, much like Dorman before Demspey left. He came in, played well and helped out. I don't really think we have had that off the bench since. The Revs have subs but not the same caliber
Fair enough. However, as you said 5g/12a means Videira (or whomever plays there) is producing. That's good enough for me.
Statistics are often misleading in the world of soccer. I care a lot more about the whole product numbers: how many goals did we score how many did we allow, what's our record, than I do about individual statistics. I'd rather evaluate a player's performance with my eyes than with the numbers. What I've seen of Videira tells me that he has OK field vision, but that he hasn't been on the same page with his teammates (which should come with time). Ralston, on the other hand, has good field vision and good chemistry with his teammates, so I can't see Videira replacing him directly. Really strongly agree with your second point. Improving your 12th or 13th player is almost as important as improving on your starters.
Even if you play out of position, you should at least look like you belong on the field and be able to show some skill and promise while your out there. He simply did not show any of that.