Amen to this. The Galaxy Gaffer now has to make some very tough choices. The team has looked best recently with players like Lleget and young Garcia playing in the center. Gio will then pair with Gordon. The back four played fairly well and organized last match as did Rowe although I did hold my breath a few times when Van Damme made his wild forays up the field. Gerrard has to sit and Keane needs to come in as a 75 minute sub. I truly doubt the Gaffer will do this but the season will be short if he doesn't. There must be a locker room issue and eluded to by Kevin Baxter. The Ego's are obviously in control.
The "repeated shots on our goal" issue was because there was a huge hole in the spine. I don't think Keane deserves a pass on the Donovan issue until he starts acting like a captain again and proves that he is a bigger man than his ego seems to suggest. As captain he needs to pull his mates together. As the captain he also needs to be the voice with the public like Baxter no matter how pissed he is about whatever. If he can't do that then the arm band should be given to someone else who can do his duties.
Keane is being pissy because we haven't extended him another year is my suspicion. I doubt he is unhappy with any teammates. Team looks bad when we try to play all our "name players". We are a better team when half of them are injured.
Maybe that's it. He's worried that Landon might stick around through next year and thus Keane won't get a contract extension or not the contract extension he wants, having to share the wealth with LD. Or maybe he's mad it's being realized he hasn't been able to win a championship without LD. Hate to think Keano would have this attitude, though.
If there is a deal in place with sponsors/TV, then it would have to be quite vague when it comes to what constitutes a proper "big" DP signing. I think the league FO is more important because they are the ones coordinating the actual player's entry into the league and which team can/will sign him. For Gerrard's example, I think he wanted to play in, at most, two possible cities- NY and LA, and it might have just been LA. Thus the league, if it wants him as an MLS star, is going to push him hard onto LA, assuming LA was even resistant at all to begin with. Seattle is not a destination club in this league for huge names-- 2nd or 3rd rate US city, plastic pitch, horrible weather, no winning history, no big "brand". The next huge player that wants to come over is not going to Seattle. He's going to NY or LA, to maintain his own big reputation. For example, if/when Cristiano or Zlatan comes, I don't think he will come with much left in the tank. I also don't think he's going to Seattle or Toronto. If he wants to come only to LA, and he's not a good fit football-wise and as a result we initially somehow reject him, how does the league resolve that? It will be much easier with LAFC around, but they so far have the advantage of not being the club that historically takes huge stars. Hopefully they do actually go that route and take some of the pressure off of us, but that would also require us explicitly changing our strategy and identity, which may seem like too much of a risk to the Galaxy FO when it comes to marketability, which still matters a ton compared to actual results in MLS.
I see no reason to believe that Bruce wasn't very happy to get Gerrard. He is exactly the type player that Bruce tends to be enamored with - lots of experience, good reputation as a leader, classy behavior on and off the field. I remembered when he was asked about the process of getting SG Bruce replied "who wouldn't want Gerrard?" and for what its worth Bruce seemed quite genuine when he asked the question. I guess this is my long-winded way of saying I don't think the league pushed Gerrard on Bruce. More likely Klein and Bruce were both relieved and patting themselves on the back for getting Stevie G, especially since we had a lot of big holes to fill due to recent departures like Juninho, Omar, Landon, .... And its not like we have the most pro-active scouting department that was going to find cheaper, younger players to fill the holes. Bruce assumed Stevie would be great and based on his lineup decisions over the past two seasons apparently his assessment still hasn't changed.
If I remember it correctly there was a 10 year TimeWarnerCable deal done by AEGs Tim Leiwecke that basically requires the G's to fill all their DP slots at all times (that was before the TAM/GAM thing), preferably of corse with players that drive the ratings up.
Also, this team needs to move on with these players this off season for roster building reasons (performance, age, salary, team balance) Kennedy Cole Leonardo VanDamme (contract? / $) Larentowicz Gerrard Keane Magee Gordon If Gordon doesn't retire, I wouldn't mind having him as a sub and squad player again next year tough. Keane would need to accept a non DP contract, loss of captaincy and starting spot and don't throw a fit, so that's probably not gonna happen. I wouldn't mind it as well if Bruce step down/up from the sideline duty and somebody is brought in to rejuvenate the G's tactics, approaches, scouting etc to a more modern way. That doesn't diminish any of his countless accomplishments for the G's, US Soccer and the sport in general in any way. the G's core for 2017 should be Rowe AJDLG JVD? Rogers (LB) Mendiola Lledget Boateng Dos Santos Zardes
I'm sorry but I have a hard time buying the idea that he is jealous of Landon. I mean he was captain during LD's tenure and since his (Keane's) initial arrival he has been known to lose it on a teammate from time to time. I think the dude is just tired of losing and dropping points. Especially when this team has been so dominate for so long. The guy hasn't had consistent service since the midfield lost Juninho and Sarvas. If this team played up to its potential they would easily be owning this league but that is just not happening which is frustrating for all. Still I think we might be reading to much into the not talking to the press.
It doesn't have to be jealously. He could be pissed off that he hasnt had his contract renewed and we gave a contract to a retired ex player on a whim. Something is wrong. Baxter has been good, I think it's worth posting and discussing. Keane should be talking to the media after games especially with this form the team is in. He's our captain.
After hearing Landon's post-game interview, yep, there is definitely something going on. That's the impression I get, anyway.
My interview with #LAGalaxy midfielder @landondonovan for @SpectrumSN after #DALvLA. pic.twitter.com/t2lQIC3ody— Adam Serrano (@AdamSerrano) October 2, 2016
Almost certainly out of here due to not be resigned or picked up from the expansion draft are the following,... Kennedy Cole Leonardo Larentowicz Gerrard Gordon ----------- We should be playing 4-4-2 diamond -----------------Keane--Gio -----------------------LD Boateng-------------------------Llegett ---------------------Baggio Rogers--Van Damme--Steres--AJ -----------------------Rowe Gerrard comes off the bench or doesn't play at all Landon starts over Gerrard and takes his midfield spot Gordo and Magee are super subs
Yup, exactly what I mean. If there is a deal, it's like this (max out number of DPs every year), rather than the network being able to somehow dictate a certain unquantifiable "level" of superstar that is signed as a DP. The MLS FO is who plays a huge role in where a big star lands, and I think for any big star coming here in retirement years, LA is always going to be on the table, even when all DP slots are filled, even if the club is resistant. I actually don't think the Galaxy FO was resistant to Gerrard. Their strategy basically dovetails with the league wanting big stars in big markets. And I think if Bruce was at all resistant, it was only slightly, and he probably was a bit too optimistic about how Gerrard might still thrive given the level of the league, despite the fact that he really didn't have a great spot in our system due to his limitations. Once he got here, it became Bruce's job to work around the fact that they now have an "undroppable" legend playing somewhere in CM. I've beaten this horse to death elsewhere. My point is that even if LA as a club were resistant, the league would have worked very hard to "convince" the club in some way to get the deal done, for the sake of a legend bringing more notoriety to the league. And LA would have acquiesced. That's the state of this league. And given the Galaxy's apparent strategy, there probably wasn't that much convincing necessary. If that strategy doesn't change, then in a few years there won't be that much to separate the two LA clubs in terms of current on-field success.
I didn't mean to suggest that Seattle or Toronto have displaced LAG as a destination club for a star that wants to be here. I merely meant that I THINK the league doesn't care if we go looking for the Big Name player on the tail end of his career, or if we adopted a different strategy toward building a winning club. For lots of reasons, the TV deal and the LA sports market, I don't see current management departing from the "galactico" strategy. I only meant that it isn't being done under pressure from the league.
The funny thing (to me) is that at the start of the year I was excited about Stevie G and pretty down on Cole. Now I want to see Gerrard gone but wouldn't mind seeing Cole around for another year. I certainly haven't seen any Los Dos defenders that come close to his level as yet, and have doubts that our crack scouting department will find a better left back.
Sad that Sorto was not able to continue developing. I really thought having a second team in the USL would help him get to the first team in a couple seasons
This tells me that Landon and others see what we are seeing and know exactly who the goats are for these losses. It's time for a man in the mirror conversation with a few of the players.
This is what I think - Keane is pouting about the lack of extension. What an absolute bust Gerrard has been, I really hate watching him, even when he has a fairly good spell like he did in the first have of this game. He is like a ball and chain around the neck of the team, too slow, not dynamic enough, little energy, yet he opens up well enough in the middle to suck in all of the players to pass him the ball, which goes nowhere. I blame him for everything even when it's not his fault. He's just not a player who is fun to watch - it's such a boring, slow, uncreative drag. Cadaver said it - it's too late to get him into shape, he should sit on the bench, or better yet just go home to Liverpool early. I watch all the other MLS teams, and really most of them look like they could run circles around us. We look like we just started the season and don't know how to play together. I think the season actually ended these last two games - I don't see us coming back from where we are. Haven't seen you guys talk about the Lletget take down in the box in the first half. Unfortunately, that was one of our best chances. Not a foul? Those comments by Landon were really weird. Maybe Gio doesn't like playing with Keane. It sure seems like it on the field. Bruce, you can see who is playing well and with effort. Do your job and don't just roll out the balls and plug the stars into the starting lineup. Do your freaking job. If that means sitting Keane and Gerrard, or Gio or Landon or whatever, do it. We lost Gyasi, and we had some injuries. Our rent-a-star DeJong decamped for good. Buck up.
It's good that you're rational enough to admit that.. If people are unhappy he was signed (I sure was), that's on the Galaxy (and MLS). If people are unhappy when he's playing poorly, that's on Bruce. He was done before he came, and it was obvious in 14-15. If he'd had anything substantial left you can bet Liverpool would have squeezed it out of him as much as they could have, as their fans mostly wanted it. I was pleasantly surprised to even get the attacking production out of him this year, and I'm even still not ruling out him producing in the playoff run, because, well, because MLS (unlikely, as he's probably totally depleted). However over the course of the entire season Bruce has not figured out how to fit him into the lineup properly even when he's in form, as it requires specific midfield personnel, and asking specific roles from Gio and Keane, which seems impossible. The club needs to look at itself with pride and say that it's too good for gimmicky marketing signings. And what works best for marketing ultimately when competing here against another LA club is winning. Bruce will likely be gone soon, so that's totally on Chris Klein and AEG.
Agree. The club has a position as one of the top teams in MLS and the responsibility to sign guys to the team who have something left, and not put an anchor on the field for the rest of the team to drag around. There are plenty of men out there who would take a fraction of 6 million dollars and play 10 times better. At some point the product on the field matters as much as the jersey replicas sold.
In retrospect, while I understand the "good" reasons for releasing Nigel De Jong, it sure smells of "throwing in the towel" on the season.
Seems pretty obvious. No one could actually believe a center midfield pairing of Gerrad and Larentowicz would be successful in 2016, especially in a league like MLS where athleticism, effort, and high pressure are a premium.