There's a difference between trading a player and dumping them - You trade a player if he's pretty good and think you can get a pretty good player in a different position - Any number of teams might want Burch - Yet at this point, I'd say he's on "OK" - What kind of "OK" player would we need at this point?
He's the only guy who can take a good corner, He won a open cup game all by himself, and he's got a pretty good upside.
Whoa. He takes good corners, usually, but isn't the only guy. I was at the Open Cup game, Burch scored on two screaming free kicks, but he didn't "win the game by himself." Actually, if you want to play that game, I would say Craig Thompson "won" the game because he came in for the second half and played right back for the first time in a DCU kit and "prevented" any goals. I do agree that Burch can improve -- to what level I don't know.
I've always liked burch. Lots of people here want to see him gone; I just want to see him find his place on the team (which may not be left back)
I don't know anyone who wants to see him gone. I just think there are other players we need to protect more than him.
What I notice from Burch is slowness -- slowness of foot and of thought. As someone mentioned in an earlier thread, he needs too long to set up his beauteous crosses, so he is often dispossessed. He's also too slow getting back, and thus potentially a liability as outside back where he really should play. All this said, I don't know how much coaching and conditioning could do to help him. Considering what we'd likely get in trade (and how well Boswell and Carroll have done after a slow year at DCU), I'd say keep him and push him harder in the off season to see if we can't turn him into a better version of what we have now -- an adequate player with a way above average ability to cross deep from the left side.
Burch needs to stay. He has potential to be a lot better than what he has been, just needs to understand his role and play to his abilities better. Sure, he is slower than your average outside defender, but shit, Dennis Irwin wasn't exactly the worlds fastest fullback either, and he had a decent career... I agree with John L that the sort of player we could get in return for Burch in a potential trade would not be worth the effort, might as well keep him and focus on his development in training...
Thats the understatement of the year. If Burch becomes half the player Irwin was. Then he'll have a decent career.
Depends on what you got in return either straight up or as a package deal. I wouldn't rule out any trades as a GM because you never know when you'll get a Hershel Walker type offer.
I'm not at all advocating cutting the guy, but what makes you think this statement is any truer for him than any other youngish player?
I want to see him around next year. He looked much more comfortable defending this year and I think he'll improve even more next year as a lot of aspects of defending become automatic. He'll also learn to integrate into the attack better. And mostly he'd be helped by a consistent and solid central defensive pairing. On the upside he's already got a cannon shot, the 2nd best long-distance service on the team, far above average ball skills, and has been tremendous on set piece delivery. DCU has stuck with him through 2 year of OTJT, it would be silly to sacrifice that and send him to another team.
I think he has potential as the poster you quoted said, because seriously how good he was playing for us in 07' before the end of the season was amazing! His touch, passing, and long passes were great! Since then he dropped in qualilty, on his small sided passing, creativity, and his defense. His long passing which was his biggest strength completely went to S' hit too. He has potential because at one time in his career he was showing it. I rewatched the match vs, Chivas where he got the red' card, which was BS, and IMO he was our best offensive attack coming from the back.
I've been very critical of certain aspects of Burch's game that dramatically diminish his effectiveness. I don't think he's starting left back quality, even for MLS. Maybe he will be eventually, but he isn't now. Nonetheless, he's not going anywhere, nor should he. Why? Because he's dirt cheap, and we don't have any cap space. You agree with me that he's not currently good enough to start at left back in this league? Fine. You wanna replace him with someone better? Well, the question you have to face isn't "who could we get who could play left back better?" The question is "who could we get who could play left back better, and only cost $33,000 (the senior roster minimum) a year?" Good luck with that.
I don't buy the "no cap space" line. I think it's a given that Martinez is gone (being benched for our most important game would signal it's over), and I'm still inclined to think that Bennie ain't coming back. That's over $350k right there. I would imagine we could find someone with that kind of cash (not that I think we need it for that position). I do agree that he's good value for what we pay him, but think that he could be replaced given the right situation.
If you free the cap space by dumping Martinez, and use that cap space to find a replacement for Burch, what cap space to you use to find a replacement for Martinez? From his recent interview with Goff, we'll know about Olsen in 2-3 months, I guess. I too expect that Bennie is done, which makes me really sad, but anyway. If he is done, *that* would definitely make some money available without creating a new hole. (emphasis on "new"; obviously we miss Bennie already) Simms is currently at just $55k; his contract ends now, so if we're hanging onto him, he'll cost more.
Keep Burch and get a coaching team that could actually teach him to play his position, he's got a lot of potential!