Pulisic's better moments have come when running thru mid at players rather than working the wings vs. high level fb's. Also, putting him at winger means he has to help out defending wide deep areas where he is too far from goal and has little impact. Adams isn't the "natural position" 6 that a lot of people think. He had a stinker today vs. Koln in 35 mins at that position. He gets a pass with the score being what it was and due to a slew of subs (Covid rules). Hwvr, the good part of his game today came from knowing when to press and passing/moving outside in, not at all from game management at the back. For Adams the 6 position is classic "comfort zone" syndrome. That's not to condemn Adams at his tender age. He might come good eventually but at the moment he is far behind Laimer at Leipzig.
Don't think anyone else is claiming Adams had a 'stinker'. Reyna appears to have the grit and skillset to play the 10 in a 433. Putting him and one of Holmes, Pomykal, or Aaronson in front of Adams should generate enough creativity to get Pulisic the ball. The problem in using both Reyna and Pulisic as wings in a 433 is that flank defense would likely suffer. If the idea is to use them together then a x-mas tree or Dortmund's 3421 would seem the better choice.
The thing about Puli wide, is that the single best attribute in his game comes into play out wide. But, managers don't seem to want to exploit it. When Puli has the ball out wide, there is no defender in the world (I said it) that can stop him from getting to the end line and playing a dangerous ball across the 6. He can do it every time. If his teammates played off of that and made well timed runs every time Puli had the ball, there would be lots of goals and millions of corners. But, his teammates are surprised when he plays those balls across that are begging to be finished. And, his managers apparently want him doing other things. If Puli's team (whatever team that may be) wanted to. They could have a well-weighted pass that crosses the 6, every time Puli got the ball wide. That would be a weapon.
I'm not sure I said anything different, except that I'm measuring him on more than goals. When he's on the pitch, the ball moves quicker through the midfield and he's shown he can create some danger. Still, Reyna's better and will be much better. I think Pomykal is better. Duane Holmes may be but I'm less certain there. I think in a couple of years, he's really only seeing time in a B team capacity, but I also don't think that he's a weakness against Honduras or something in the Hex.
A young talent speaking about the difference between youth football and play with/versus adults: https://www.si.com/soccer/mancheste...a-and-directors-input-on-youth-academy-set-up
I thought the commentators that went on and on about how Gio could have squared to Hummels, completely missed that a defender had the pass cut out. Hummels didn't seem at all upset or even mildly disappointed. I thought it was an excellent shot and headed in except for a great save. I've seen Gio described as "slow". He blew by two lines of defenders with the ball on that play.
Lletjet will turn and take space with the ball. It is a simple thing, but something many that Gregg has played just don't do. Lletjet is focused on progressing the ball forward quickly. He has had some serious brain farts though. He gave away the ball cheaply for Mexico's third and he totally mistimed his run for the Johnson giveaway versus CR. He seems to play better for the USMNT than in MLS. But maybe he would be better on a team like NYRB than in LA. Pomykal takes space. He is better than Lletjet in MLS already but has been injured quite a bit. Holmes takes space and progresses the ball playing on a good Championship team, but has not been called in since June. Green and Nagbe are good at turning, but don't usually create danger after doing so. Reyna plays in those spaces, but usually moves there from some other position. Not many other YAs mids that turn and take space well that I can think of. I would really like to see Holmes integrated. I've seen clips where Otasowie is doing it, but I think of him more as a CB. We will see where and how he plays in the EPL as he will probably get some minutes.
I know I'm Pomykal's biggest fan, but I really want to see what he can do with the national team. He's an absolute pest on defense, both with a high work rate and effective. He's aggressive and press-resistant, at least for an American. He can make the long pass, but he's also pretty dynamite in terms of attacking off the dribble in the final third. Like most young players, just needs to add the killer instinct and finish more. I think he's just a younger and more talented version of Holmes in a lot of ways. Or Holmes with more offensive talent. Duane's got more experience and a few more battle scars, which is valuable. But either way, though I'd probably play Gio at the 10 and keep Morris on the pitch, Pomykal is exactly the guy I actually want at that 10. Offensive ability without losing anything on the defensive side.
Bremen have been picking up some priceless points since the return of the season. Might Sarg and Bremen have a Great Escape in them? Its starting to look like they might
Pomykal and Holmes have both been prone to injury, but whichever is healthy would be in my midfield. Here is what Gregg says he wants after talking about his 6 being none of this really: “A dynamic three in midfield who can cover ground, press in a 4-3-3, aggressive. We’re leaning toward using really dynamic players to cover the top three, and then you can start imagining guys who can cover ground, win balls and arrive in the penalty box as decent for that profile.” Pomykal and Holmes both fit that. If you drop Adams to the 6, and have dual 8's of two of McKennie/Holmes/Pomykal, that is three dynamic players that can cover ground and win balls and arrive in the box. Pomykal looks too good for MLS and Holmes actually looks too good for the Championship. Injuries might keep them at their current levels. But either or both could be playing in a Top 4 league soon. Not sure Pomykal wants to, but assuming he does. Both should be integrated into the USMNT and it is mystery that they have not been.
IF YOU’RE GOING TO PLAY A CAM IT ABSOLUTELY HAS TO BE REYNA. ALL OF YOU GUYS WHO ARE OBSESSED WITH THE POSITION HAVE THE GOAT AMERICAN CAM RIGHT IN FRONT OF YOUR FACE AND YOU WANT TO PLAY HIM AT WING. Ageism?
I think Pomykal is over rated. I don't see any aspect of the game where Pomykal is better than Holmes while Holmes is quicker, faster, reads the game better, has better vision and strikes the ball better... better distribution, service, and finishing. Here is video of the two. Two things to note... First, the difference in speed of play and amount of time player has on the ball. Second is what types of long ball they play. Holmes ball are driven and Pomykal's are floated.
Both are minor leaguers but Pomykal is 20 and Holmes is 25. while possibly a late bloomer, I’m doubtful about mid-20s career minor leaguers. hopefully, Pomykal moves soon and plays at a higher club level.
The Championship is better than MLS. Pomykal is a pretty good MLS player, and Holmes is a very good Championship player. While Pomykal has time to grow, I think Holmes is a notch better than Pomykal right now, and if you're trying to win a game now, Holmes has a good skillset. McKennie and Adams very rarely carry the ball upfield, whereas that's one of Holmes' strengths, so I can see him playing in a midfield 3 with WM/TA, or a 3 with Reyna and TA.
The Championship is better than MLS as a whole. The top end of talent in MLS is as good as the overall top end in the Championship -- Vela, etc. and plenty of MLS teams could compete, but overall the Champ is better on a player for player and team by basis. That said, it doesn't mean Holmes is better than Pomykal, and having seen a decent amount of both, I don't think he is. Pomykal, when healthy, was absolutely dominating midfields for a very young, low payroll FC Dallas team. He wasn't a mediocre young player playing a limited role; he was absolutely controlling the center of the field on both sides of the ball. FC Dallas just couldn't get someone to score until Ondrasek got himself up to speed. The thing that was missing in MLS -- but he always had as a youth -- was the attacking in the final third. I've seen it from him with the USMNT, and then at the beginning of this year, in limited time, he absolutely showed it. Holmes is a guy with a similar tireless work rate, similarly can play ball control on both sides in the middle of the pitch, and similarly is smaller. His issue was (and still is) the same as Pomykal's -- he really wasn't delivering goals and assists on his play. And he never has. To be fair to Holmes, much like Pomykal, right before another injury took him out (and then COVID took the season out), Holmes was on his best productivity run, ever. So never say never to improvement. But if you just look at the attacking skillset, Pomykal simply has more in his toolbox. He's able to make guys miss, push guys one on one, finish, play in tight space -- just more than Holmes can. Holmes is not untalented, but he's not super dynamic offensively aside from a few nice passes. And, combined with Holmes being 5 years older than Pomykal, the nice early 2020 play is much more likely to be permanent improvement for Pomykal. Which is all not to say Holmes shouldn't get his shot. But in some odd world where I had to pick one to come in or play, with no additional input, I'm taking Pomykal as my bet.
Pomykal vs Holmes. It's a mugs game superlatively comparing across federations. They're both pint-sized, dynamic terriers who nevertheless, have had durability issues. Would like to see both get additional Nats minutes.
Erik-Palmer Brown!! CB[442]_5/5 duels_88% passing_10/11 long passes_5 ints_92 touches_(SS_8.0_Man of the Match) Make him the deep-lying playmaker.
I just want to chime in on the Paxton vs Holmes debate that it is criminal how few minutes either of them have seen in a US shirt when we are playing the likes of Delgado and LLeget as supposed attacking mids. For all the attention we put elsewhere, the most advanced midfielder, (whatever we want to call that role), has consistently been the spot attacks go to die under GGG. There is room to call up both of these dudes and let them battle it out for spots.
Ledezma excels at it IMO. I'm not saying he is ready to get a call up at this point but that is his game.
now that there is interesting. Im talking John Spector CAM amounts of interesting (I will never, ever forget that series of games West Ham played him there, it made me wonder what could have been). Lets see how that goes.
Just to be clear, EPB was listed as having played CB in the match. I'd certainly be interested in seeing play some cdm for the National Team, though. If he keeps up his run of performances perhaps a move to an strong B2 team could be in the offing. I remember Spector's nice run of matches in midfield, which none of his club or NT coaches subsequently followed up.
Holmes is an slightly-above-average Championship player. He seems a "very good Championship player" to some of us because most of our players in the Championship have been below average. Holmes is a B2B/AM player with two goals and three assists in 2,215 minutes played. That's ok but not impressive for his position.