He's probably out of our price range, and I'm surprised he can't catch on in Europe, but I would love to see him in an Earthquakes jersey. We have a very good history developing deep-lying two-way midfielders. http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story?id=498958&cc=5901 (sorry for the double-post; mods, please merge)
All I know is Benny NEEDS to be in the starting line up of whatever club he ends up with. Sitting on the bench at Derby hasn't helped him.
He probably wants to stay in Europe but if we could get him that would be amazing and a welcome addition that isn't focused on just defense.
Me too. Feilhaber has that special attitude that he can do whatever he wants. He would be a great pressence in our midfield.
What's also nice is that Feilhaber is now only 22. Assuming that he joins the San Jose Earthquakes this season, gels with the team and decides to stay for a while, he'll still be around for when The [Corporate name] Epicenter at San José opens in 2010 or 2011. GO SAN JOSE EARTHQUAKES!!! -G
yeah, I guess I'd take him. If you like the sort of player that would instantly be one of the league's best and run our team from the center of the field. if that's the sort of player you're looking for than I guess I'd be OK with it.
that'll be the tricky part. cuz if he gels he could be looking at another payday across the pond. it worked for cory gibbs. the better he plays the shorter he'd be here, IMO. but really ... what are the odds we get him? don't the galaxy have first dibs just because?
I guess my original post just got buried See this post for the explanation on allocation and the order. https://www.bigsoccer.com/forum/showpost.php?p=13651705&postcount=13 I too would love to Feilhaber in the middle for the Earthquakes. I was pretty impressed with him when he played at Spartan last year vs. China...
This would be a great signing and worth some cash. It would like getting Donovan the last time around.
It would certainly be a pleaseant surprise if we managed to get him. But I doubt Quakes magement will splash the cash while we're still at Buck Shaw.
I'd certainly crap my pants if we got Feilhaber. He is such a fun player to watch. The only way I could describe his style of play would be "silky smooth". He hustles like all hell too. I've been so disappointed that he isn't getting playing time at Derby. What a joke, those other Derby players really suck ass (except for our boy, Eddie). I doubt that he would sign for MLS though. I'm not going to get my hopes up. If he signs somewhere else, I hope its with a team that's featured on FSC at least.
uh, I have to disagree. Eddie Lewis is not very good. Maybe he was good on the Quakes, but not 5 years older in a better league. Also, Benny doesn't really hustle. You must be thinking of his middie partner, Michael Bradley. Benny does a very Dempsey-esque "slow trot," with occasional bursts of running. I would describe him as efficient, with a mediocre workrate. This is probably a major factor hurting his playing time at Derby, as crappy English teams are about workrate more than possession.
I cast my (emotional) vote... YES!!!... what a great player now, with so much upside... he would definitely be the offensive midfielder the Quakes need... The only question is what kind of check he would be looking for...
indeed, if he's coming to MLS this is one we should throw the bank at. Tel Aviv got turned down once, i dont think it hurt their pocket books though. Its entirely realistic they come back with a second, more aggressive bid. But I truely.....truely hope he is an option. He would be a massive upgrade for our team and a possible center mid headpiece for the next decade. Lock him up Frank!
I've not seen him play at Derby, but have read some posts in YanksAbroad questioning his work-rate. That to me is a red-flag, so I would take an objective look at the and ball possession stats. I'm not a NO, but not a YES either.
Perhaps playing for Derby discourages one's work-rate these days. Would a favorable change of scenery improve upon this?
If we could get Feilhaber . . . How much would he cost against our cap? I'm guessing $400k What would we do with Grabavoy? We could play him at right side middie. Would signing Feilhaber preclude signing a serious striker? On the whole, I think Feilhaber would be good to have. The question is what does he cost, in terms of money, roster fit, and opportunity. I'm sure that Frank and JD have a much firmer grip on these issues than I do. I'd be happy to get Feilhaber, but I trust Frank and JD to make the right call. GOOOOOO QUAAAAAAKES!!!!!! - Mark
Not really that interesting. His actions haven't shown that he has a good head on his shoulders. He has a poor (mediocre on a good day) work rate. He can pass, though nothing special in the last several months. This is the kicker for me, he has no defence whatsoever. Good SJ teams are built around a strong defensive spine. Always have been. Unless he works on this part of his game a lot he will be a liability in mid field. Especially since, in the first couple of years at least, we probably won't have the skill players required to consistently controll the ball for the majority of games. He seems to be an emotionally driven player with lots of potential, not a driven mature professional like we need. Yeah, he's 22, but I haven't seen him step up at all in the (admittedly only 2) Derby games that I've watched. Almost as if he expects his teammates to addapt to him and his style of play. If we do get him, I hope we don't pay over 150K.
I'll vote yes, conditionally. It'd be great for the Quakes to get a player with some name recognition (I don't mean Beckham, Figo type of recognition, but US Nat fans know him). It is true that we have a couple of decent options in the midfield with Vide and Grabavoy, but you need competition for spots and coverage for injuries/suspensions. If he does come at full price tag ($400,000) I would be skeptical. As stated boy others above, I'll trust Doyle an Yallop to make the right call. Although, this may all be moot if, as tradition dictates, the Quakes are treated like lower-caste members of the league and don't even get the chance to consider BF.