When do you think he has played well for the USMNT? To me, he has looked sub-par out there since he became a starter in 2016. I only loked up the numbers for that reason. I dont disagree that his skill set might be best suited to being out wide if he has similar level or better players centrally. Unfortunately, the USMNT team doesn't. We have some competent wingers and we could also out playmaker types out there. Right now, my choice would be Weah and Morris, but would heavily consider Holmes and Weah with Arriola as depth. Ledezma and Pomykal could be options in the near future. Llanez could blow up any minute and de la Fuente probably isnt too much further off. Ledezma is the only one I think I would consider as a true central attacking option in the near future and maybe Reyna down the road.
Playing CP centrally and allowing to roam to find the weaknesses does that. As we saw against Mexico, a decent coach will make adjustments to exploit our weaknesses. They would certainly do the same sure up their own.
I concur, cap him now! Seriously though, after his last game I thought this thread should be back at the top for a bit so we can all reflect on why we are all here. These brief moments of having our common dreams come true, before we return to arguing with each other over Michael Bradley and Donovan Vs. Dempsey.
CP should actually probably be playing 9 or a "Landon withdrawn forward." I don't see where he is some awesome slick 10 (his transfermarkt stats show 7G and just 2A......why am I playing someone with few assists as the 10????). I see a more polished Landon. He led the team in goals in 2017. If we are struggling with the unappetizing Jozy vs Zardes lackluster competition, or not sure if Sargent (or Soto) is ready, CP is ready and can play CF. If he is not made for a target slot, play someone who is and run him off them. I can see some people saying, woah, but we play 433 or 451. Do we play it well? Half the problem is we seem to set up systems and shoehorn people into slots, as opposed to find a way to get the best people on the field at the same time in the most dangerous positions. If need 2 forwards and wing mids, I don't care if that doesn't fit some theory you had on where this might go. working prototype: and if Yedlin is either not subbed in or watches his man, we beat Chile 1-0
If Landon were playing in the modern era (for a smart coach) his best position would be right where CP plays now, in-cutting winger using pace to get on through balls and score goals. 9s do a lot of work you don’t want CP doing... you want a 9 to occupy that central space drawing defenders, and you want CP making angled runs targeting gaps in the defensive line off of that center forward. With his dribbling technique and quickness you want him 1 on 1 with defenders, just like in the City match yesterday... you don’t want him playing hold up or having 2/3/4 defenders around him or even looking to unlock defenses from a deeper central position. He’s right where he should be.
To me the 10 should be Reyna. His skill set is suited to the spot. His youth stats show a pattern of more assists than goals. The only trepidations on this are expressed by footdraggers who think you have to accumulate a first team rep before the NT can take a risk. This is not how Landon, Beasley, Green, or even Pulisic were treated. Pulisic Robinson McKinney/Reyna/Morales Morris Lichaj ? Long Cannon Steffen One way of dealing with Robinson and Dest's defensive issues is push them up to wing mid, where they are not so vulnerable, have help behind, and can still use their attacking abilities. Re Pulisic my theory is that if you have a "Landon" or "Dempsey" type all-arounder, and are dissatisfied at 9, that's your 9. If you have a 9, they can be a wing or a 10. But I don't get fussing over CF choices, not considering him there, but then playing him LF anyway. If he's going up front why not solve the biggest problem? We then have plenty of Zardes/Jozy/Weah/Arriola/Robinson/Dest/Boyd/etc. people who could play wide. What we need is one guy who can run and finish in a central forward slot. I don't get setting up the team to have Pulisic trying to set up some donkey in the middle. Have a slightly weaker wide player trying to feed Pulisic. Long term the solution may be Sargent or Soto, but they're not there yet.
This sounds nice in theory but I am sick of CP or Morris having more goals than whoever gets the central slot. You're assuming CP is setting up someone good. He's setting up Jozy or Zardes. He's drawing people from those 2. The reality is CP, Morris, and even Arriola were outscoring our CFs at Gold Cup. Our CFs at Gold Cup went dry the whole knockout round. You say, well, this is how in-cut wingers work. Problem is, when we play Mexico or similar good teams, we need a 9 who can finish the rare chance they get. We don't need CP unlocks the defense and Zardes shanks it. I might buy your theory if Sargent was ready. Sargent will finish his chances. But Sargent is one of the rare kids where I am like, he needs fitness, he needs seasoning. if not him, you need to come up with a high quality 9 where it's not all this effort to get the ball forward only for a donkey to be in the key finishing slot. Our problem is not creating chances, it's finishing them.
Am I the only one drooling at the thought of Reyna and Pulisic combining with each other, both having been brought up in the BVB youth system, both accustomed to combining with the same people at Dortmund; I gotta think they are going to mesh very quickly.
re my lineup, i actually would like to see even more of the kids, holmes, some of the backs like CCV and richards. to me this is a team in transition GB is holding back by not going younger. not having gone young some of the key people aren't even capped yet. i would take a chance on reyna because he's already getting B.1 time at a big club. the others, it's like i would like to see a nice 30 minute sub chance where they shined. or a friendly start. it's like when you do a lineup you have to fight or wrestle with his lackidaisical attitude towards the young players. the very fact he won't cap or play them much, or has made odd choices of which ones to fasttrack, messes you up. you can only guess who will do how well if they got a chance.
I think you should set up to get the most out of your best talent, and by moving CP to a 9 position I think it’s obvious that’s not setting him up for success. Having CP wide left as a Salah-esque winger/forward — primary goal threat, possibility to combine and get assists, tracks back and does work but has freedom to combine with both the CF and the fullback — is the best position for his skillset IMO. The 9 can afford to be the work in progress/lesser player, because that alone I think will allow you to get more out of the likes of CP & Reyna. We’ve seen similar things in the past with the US squad, lesser/experimental 9s which were successfully used as foils to get more out of the likes of Dempsey, and Donovan especially. And in doing so Donovan elevated those guys at times... I think that’s a benefit CP could provide for lesser 9s. But I agree with some of your other points.
Played really well against Man City. He had a nice goal and should have had a second. 1276262484823945222 is not a valid tweet id
Especially attracting so much attention in CONCACAF.. Him trying to hold the ball with the referees we have will be a nightmare.
I and directly in the opposite camp. Adding more youth to Pulisic, Gio, Dest, Morris attack is the wrong approach. I'd say the 6-8 midfield is crucial (#1) and passing out of the back (#2) if our 4 difference makers are to win the day for us. I think Adams is a no brainer in there but his partner in crime in c-dmid will be crucial to the defence and the cb's will be crucial to a good offense. Just so you understand why I bring this up, Berhalter is thinking in terms of McKennie "arriving late in the box" and our midfielders "managing those moments when possession turns" over like Liverpool midfielders do. I think the key for Pulisic and Gio will be whether or not we are able to get our best passers into the back line. Hummels gave Pulisic his first assist at Dortmund and just recently set up Gio's assist to Haaland in the crucial match up vs. Leipzig for 2nd place in BL. Can we afford to play a back line with Sands and Brooks (and Ream) in it for offense or are they compromised defensively at that higher level we will see in R16 Qatar (if we qualify)? That's a hard one.
Ideally Sargent is setting up Puli, Reyna and Morris and cleaning up a few scraps. Sargent is much more playmaker than poacher.
that's what you think because he plays for Bremen in their system. Sargent is actually a good poacher.
Sometimes people will put it on streamable after it is taken down. I would try his twitter account over the next day or so.
If you watch Napoli or Lazio play this is what they do. Even Juve has been doing this a bit lately with Dybala or CR7 since Higuain has been injured.
i think this is spot on, if not worded exactly how i would put it. ideally, pulisic/reyna and morris/weah/whoever with sarge as the hub. occupying defenders, making space, combining, winning balls- i think he will be more than a playmaker (and i wouldnt call it scraps- but i think sarge is gonna tap a lot of balls in for us), but just like donovan/dempsey before them our attack is not cf/st based. someone just needs to get that message to berhalter.
On a good team a lot of those passes Sargent makes with his back to goal will elicit return passes. On Bremen they usually result in bad touches or bad shots when a pass to an open teammate is available. That’s how he just scored. Someone returned the pass and he scored.
The message unheard.. The question is when and if Greg is capable of adjusting his dream to a dream of actually winning games that matter.