I used to drive thru NC about three times per year and they had the most beautiful rest areas of any state.
Getting back to YA, I think the problem for Dest may be that selling clubs may not have adjusted their demands based on diminished circumstances of buying clubs. I am not one who thinks Dest should stay at Ajax. Hopefully Ajax adjust their demands.
I wouldn’t be shocked if we see incentives and sell on’s added to the deals. That way they increase the $ received down the road and drop the initial offering price.
How about Charlotte Villa? Then they could get some fans from up in Virginia, as well as that emanating championship glow.
It needs to have some reference to Charlotte, or preferably the Carolinas. Calling it Queen City FC is getting too cute.
I wish he had gone to RBL. They might have messed around and pulled the double with him scoring at the rate he does.
Good news - per BVBBuzz, it looks like Gio is already back to training. Give him the start this weekend!!!
I think McKennie has played well when he has played as an 8 for Gregg. He has not played well as a 10. There have even been games where he started as an 8 or 10 then switched during the game. In those games, he was good as an 8 and poor as a 10. Gregg keeps trying him as a 10. Tedesco and Wagner also have tried him as a 10. He has parts of his game that work there. He played there in U19 ball and was awesome. Maybe someday it comes. Maybe he just likes to run too much and needs to be further back and in the middle of the action more. He is 21, far from the finished product. BTW, Williams probably had his best game that night too. Opara and CJ Sapong also.
I kind of doubt McKennie will ever be a 10. He may get stuck there but he plays the 10 position like Michael Bradley did - defensively with an occasional good pass or late run. He can do all that from farther back and the late runs are more devastating from deeper anyway.
Yea he isn’t a ten. Same with Danny Williams. There used there to press higher up but it’s not the best use of their game. Him and Adams will make great duel 8s if they can get down their timing.
The more I think about Soto, the more I think he either has one of the worst agents, or a terrible personality, because it seems that he is destined to find himself in these horrible club situations. It’s pretty desperate to go from u20 World Cup standout, to having fight for scraps from Norwich City, and whatever bootleg team he’s certain to be loaned to.
I'm inclined to think that he's been getting a curious strain of advice from his agent - although this move reeks a bit of status seeking or cash now over a better move for his overall career. If I had to guess, I'd bet that part of the plan with a few of these players was to get over to Europe quick and then try to force a move to a better team / a team that will pay more once there -- and like immediately, no even trying to prove much with their team or give the team a chance to sign them. I can't imagine that goes over well with teams, and I suspect that some decide to cut bait and some eventually get pissed. I don't have any real details with Hannover, but Mendez, Gloster and Soto all seemed to follow that pattern. I don't know if there's something different in how they handled it or if Hannover just decided to put their foot down, but there it is. Then he honestly seemed to sulk a bit. I know there was an injury in there, but he didn't seem to suddenly go out and prove he deserved better. I may be overprojecting here. But his career path doesn't really have anything in there where he actually plays and proves anything. This move to Norwich doesn't guarantee much of that either, since he can't play in England.
Idk man. Norwich have a good coach, play a good brand of soccer and take youth development seriously. It might not have been the best move but it’s not necessarily a bad move either.
Except he can't play for Norwich. So he's either playing U23 ... or getting loaned out to a team on the continent who has no investment in his future. He turns 20 in July. He's played less than 300 non U-19 minutes in his career. And he's going to somewhere where he needs to be loaned until he becomes a USMNT regular?
Yea the loan part is unfortunate but they do have some interest in the loan going well. Their spending money on him. It might be a short leash but those teams have relationships they need to maintain. Their bringing him in on loan to help. The level of the team he’s being loaned to is key. The higher the team the harder it will be for him on loan. Lower level teams generally take talent wherever or however they can get it. Norwich sent players on loan then brought them back after a year and they played a big role. Hopefully they pick well again.
Hopefully they do. I've seen so many loans where it's clear the receiving club has no interest in the player unless they are head and shoulders above everyone else. It's a tough spot for a player who hasn't played much.
Norwich has a long pedigree. I see they have a guy on loan to St Truiden where Durkin plays. I could see Soto at St. Truiden on loan. If he can put some goals in he can move up. Perhaps Norwich take a good look at him before loaning him out. Not sure why people were expecting so much from him post Hannover. He was a good finisher for u20's but his time in Germany seemed problematic. He needs to do well somewhere and we'll see.
The whole loan army scheme isn't necessarily bad. Imo, it looks a more above-board version of third-party ownership in South American soccer. Some years ago, I read that Chelsea had made a profit on almost each and everyone of its loan army players. If the player valuations are being significantly improved then the players likely being improved. Apparently the system has been quite the money spinner for the likes of Chelsea and ManCity. Matt Miazga has settled in nicely at his latest loan club, Reading. The coaches and fans reportedly have taken to him. He has captained the team a number of times. There's been talk of his being ready for jump up to the EPL, though not with Chelsea. EPB has settled in nicely with his latest loan club in Austria. He's a starter. His opta numbers have been good. In interviews, he has stated he loved Vienna. And he's being mentored by ManCity's player liaison, Joleon Lescott. Zak Steffen is set to get promoted to his parent club, ManCity. Norwich City's manager and most of the backroom staff are German. So, perhaps that's the connection a small EPL club would have with a player like Soto. He signed a 3-year deal, so they at least have incentive to help him develop.