I'd like to get a couple of players who can play as AMs and out wide, but unfortunately I don't think that kind of player fits into Nelsen's system. I think Nelsen's ideal system is modeled after a Redknapp system, which means he needs a dynamic second striker, a creative midfielder, and some good wide players yet. I think the big DP signing will be either a creative CM a la Pirlo or Xabi Alonso, or a second striker a la Forlan, Kaka, or Ronaldinho. The problem is that we're going into a world cup year, so there aren't a lot of good players who would be willing to make an MLS switch. You're basically limited to players who have retired from international duty if you want a big name, or someone who's a big deal, yet is from a country with no one who could possibly oust them from the NT squad even if they're playing like crap in a new "inferior" league. For example, Forlan would still get called up for Uruguay if he came here, even though they have Cavani and Suarez, whereas Ronaldinho or Kaka would have no chance of getting a call-up if they came to MLS. Same with Pirlo or Alonso.
I don't get why we have to wait for the transfer window to open before we open negotiations. Teams complete transfers all the time before the window opens, they just submit it officially after it opens. For example, Bayern signed Goetze before the CL final had even been played. van Wolfswinkel signed for Norwich back in the winter. Ajax signed Theo Janssen shortly after the season ended in May two years ago. Hell, we even announced Frings and Koevermans before the window opened here. The window just determines when the player can join your team. But it doesn't prevent you from negotiating and signing players
You can negotiate, even sign contracts, well before the window opens. You just can't formally transfer a player's registration and have him take the field for you. If the deals were done they'd be announced and, based on too many examples already this season (Peralta and Ben Haim most prominently), no deal is done until it's done no matter what TFC FO folks are briefing the press.
There is a strange relationship between TFC the media and completed contracts with targetted players. There seems to be no consistency, we hear about players that are very nearly signed...deal just about done and then nothing happens, we hear about some players that have redone deals and then we don't hear about others....it is a bit all over the map. Going back up a few posts, and with all due respect to Kurt Larson, I will actually believe that Earnshaw has re-upped when, either, there is an announcement or we see him suited up for the team again. Past observations/experience have me a bit skeptical about the way that particular situation has been handled.
Well both Earnshaw and the TFC website are under the assumption that Earnshaw will play against KC. http://www.torontofc.ca/news/2013/07/earnshaw-koevs-pairing-hold
Then I will stop doubting and move on to headshaking about the bizarrely inconsistent way this club conducts its business.
3 DPs (two crocked), Eckersley, and O'Dea... he's probably not lying. We've often run considerably higher than the base salary budget because of the very allocation money he's been stockpiling. Don't forget: we've had years of "you suck" allocation from missing the playoffs and at least one shot of CCL allocation as well before you even consider trades. Saying "over the cap", in a strictly limited sense, might not even be meaningful. Buy-out Frings and trade Hassli and suddenly there's $700K of budget space back. They negotiated new deals with Hall and Wiedeman (who was coming off GA and thus might be included in KP's reckoning of the budget position when he arrived). There's still a number of bad legacy contracts that the club is burdened with but I suspect he's presenting the case for the defense as plausibly as he can. Don't forget, they passed on drafting any (FREE!) GA's, managed to add Bekker, Welshman, Osorio, T. Morgan, and Bennett on (probable) league minimums, Russell on a ~$100K contract, were rumored to PAY A FEE for Richter, and Earnshaw, Bostock, and Ephraim all came in on loan all before the season really got going. That's having your hands tied? And HE picked up Califf through the re-entry draft and Cesar off what? Waivers or something? Neither of those guys were on super cheap deals. We've cut ties with something like 24 players since the end of last season and added 19 (including loans)... yet Payne and Nelsen continue to assert that there were 16 or 17 guaranteed contracts? Something doesn't add up. Whatever. None of that fits the narrative about KP's infallibility. They just better get his right.
You'd think that would fit in perfectly with TFC building its core now and adding the big DP-sized pieces later (which, in this case, would start around the time of the world cup), but noooo Leiwicke wants a DP now
Agreed, especially since we're apparently low on cap space. It would make more sense to add the core pieces now with the cap space that they've created, and then add the DP later when Koev is no longer taking up 368k and hopefully Eckersley is renegotiated and O'Dea likely gone. It makes no sense to add a major DP now with no support crew and have to wait till next winter (at best, more likely next summer) to add more core players.
Do players on guaranteed contracts who retire after June 30 free up cap space? http://www.torontofc.ca/news/2013/07/califf-announces-retirement
Here is the first of our new building blocks. http://www.torontofc.ca/news/2013/07/reds-acquire-defender-mark-bloom
not sure what to make of this...we loaned a defender from Atlanta. Young kid. Probably loan-to-own http://www.torontofc.ca/news/2013/07/reds-acquire-defender-mark-bloom EDIT: man, we posted at the same time.
Is he young? Story on tfc site says he is turning 26 this year......and no one has thought him to be MLS quality until now? He was team mvp in college which means he is "Berry" good!
Late bloomer? No pun intended. We'll find out soon enough how good he is. I wonder if he slots in to the LB position. Eckersley is coming back so he'll likely play RB, unless Nelson puts him at LB. I just hope he's an upgrade over Logan Emory.
I am not picking on you or your post but does this not sum up our 6 1/2 years of complete incompetence? We borrow a 26 year old from a lower division and we are wondering how he slots into the line up? Really?
Technically I was theorizing. From what I read he's a fullback. The article that reported the signing only states he's a defender. I have just a tad bit of confidence that Payne and co. know where he'll play. I hope he's a LB. I have some confidence in this signing only b/c Bloom comes recommended by Eric Wynalda. Chris Klute joined Colorado on Wynalda's recommendation and has been pretty good for them from what I gather. I think he even displaced Anthony Wallace from his starting spot. If Bloom is as good as Klute, then this signing will be good. I'd prefer Eckersley back at his natural RB position and O'Dea back at CB, preferrably paired with Caldwell. Henry hasn't been very reliable lately with his red card antics.
well looks like O'dea is gone and he's not very happy. Don't know much else. He's not in Kansas anymore, for sure Edit: From the TFC site: oronto FC will face Sporting Kansas City on Saturday night (Sportsnet 360 at 8:30 p.m. ET) without the services of team captain and Ireland international defender Darren O'Dea. The club has issued the following statement: "Darren O’Dea went back to Toronto to finalize a transfer. As per club policy we will not discuss terms and cannot provide any further information at this time." In O'Dea's absence the captain's armband will go to defender Steven Caldwell on Saturday.
Still trying to understand trading away Luis Silva... This clubs moves have always puzzled me: DP's that are CDM's. Dumping great goalkeepers for ones constantly injured. Alienating De Rosario. Now Silva...
that intervew makes it seem like it's what O'dea wanted. Which may be the case. But his tweet yesterday suggested otherwise. http://www.wakingthered.com/2013/7/13/4521178/darren-odea-finalising-transfer-away-from-toronto-fc