True, but would it be too much to ask of them to pick a player would might actually suit up and play some games?
The only draftee that has impressed me is Mehdi Ballouchy. IMO, he's more skillful than 90% of the league. He's also their #10. That pick was roughly a gagillion times better than their previous years'.
He has tremendous natural ability and uses it very well when defending. That's where his current superlatives end. * He hasn't shown he can settle the ball once he steals it. * His crosses are crap. * He isn't good in the air. * He's often out of position. Granted, SN could probably turn him into something special. However, all that long run late against us showed was he can run in a straight line really fast.
Or bring in an unproven kid for $75,000 at forward, especially when he's got two US national team forwards at not much more: F-M Noonan, Pat $78,717 $89,342 M Dempsey, Clint $75,863 $86,488
They did and it turned out, for what ever reason, he didn't. The fact that all these arguments about us waiving our number one draft pick from 2006 are---RETROSPECTIVES---makes them look smart but meaningless. It's been reported that SN and PM had their eye on this kids for a number of years and were high on his----POTENTIAL. It didn't work out so they dumped him. BIG DEAL. He's not the first 1st round pick to not make the grade in MLS. Nicol and Mariner have done exceptionally well in the draft and in developing players from deep in the draft---not just 1st rounders. It's a shame that this kid didn't work out. As to the draft pick we traded for an Allocation--the jury is still out on the issue
And if we start losing again, will you crawl back under the rock and hide? This was the Red Bull, with missing players, that we squeaked a win out over. We had some noce passing but it didn't lead to much. We still have the same problems, it will just take a better team to really expose them.
The problem is that it was an unnecessary gamble and poor use of a first round pick. Everyone knew that Oliveira was damaged goods and that’s why everyone was shocked when he was picked so high. I really think he could have waited for the supplementary round, or at least 2rd or 3rd rounds. The 1st round is a poor choice to take a flyer on a guy that’s damaged goods when there are other less risky players available. I'm going to assume that SN saw something in the guy that made him think he would be a big star and was well worth given up a quaintly young player for a CHANCE he could have been come though. I do hope it works out for him someplace else. I think Ballouchy has great ball skills, but has not been able to show much more then that yet. IMO, by far and away the best rookie has been Sacha Kljestan for Chivas. Great field vision smart accurate passing definitely our to be a player for the USMNT in the future.
This isn't exactly a case of hindsight being 20/20. NOBODY thought the kid was first round material when the Revs took him, and they were right. Well, it IS actually a big deal. I said it the day of the draft, and I'll say it again. Five years from now, we're going to look back at that draft and wonder how in the world we could pass on Altidore twice. I know... they don't want to spend the time or effort to develop a 16-year old kid. Fine. But I don't want to hear any complaints five years from now when Twellman, Noonan, and Dempsey are all playing for different teams.
Worth another laugh: Revs Reinforce Bench (From "Drafting For Dummies" - the first ever MLS self-help knowhow book. Get yours now!) Sometimes the most ludicrous, far-fetched fantasies contain nuggets of truth...
It's not hind sight or "retrospectives" if people were questioning this pick right after it happened, and have been proven right since. I didn't like the draft pick when it happened, and I was even more against the stupid trading of pick #13. And so far, the people that felt that way have been proven right. That doesn't make it hindsight.
NOBODY??? Obviously Steve Nicol and Paul Mariner did. As to all those who were quick to say they didn't like this pick at the time of the draft I will remind you all that the consensue on the Noonan pick was almost outrage that our coaching staff could be so dumb and people were none to happy when they picked Dempsey either. I'll say it again---Drafting is at best a crap shoot. From his track record so far in drafting and developing players I'm willing to give Steve Nicol the benefit of the doubt. He knows more about this process than any of us sitting out here taking potshots at his decisions. He thought this kid was worth being drafted that high--and now he's gone---for reasons WE HAVE NOT BEEN TOLD. The only real statement that can be made is just that---"he didn't work out".
I don't remember all that much talk about not liking Dempsey or Noonan's pick. Some were against it but it wasn't anything close to how people were against the de Oliveira pick (and giving up the subsequent pick as well). Doc, I think that's part of the frustration for many of us is not only the bust of the first pick, but also the giving away of the second pick, which to this point has had no fruition.
I can understand your angst at our number one draft pick being a bust. If---as our coaches felt---he had turned out to be a candidate for ROTY---we'd all be happy and singing Nicols praise. Thats what I mean by a crap shoot. MOST of his calls have worked out---for what ever reason---this one didn't. As to the wisdom of trading a high draft pick for an Allocation--the jury is still out. The Revs have two roster openings, Cap space and an Allocation. Thats a good position to be in. It will be interesting to see what they have in mind.
I can't remember any dislike of the Dempsey pick either, but there was definitely frustration after Noonan's selection. I recall much was made of the scout who compared Noonan to Wolde Harris in a way that was "not meant as a compliment." Pat definitely had dirt heaped on him by multiple parties after the draft. That said, de Oliveira had that much more of a consensus against him after the draft, and the criticism does seem to have been borne out. However, I still think right now the difference between us picking de Oliveira and us picking Sturgis or someone else is minimal - our fortunes this season wouldn't likely be different with a different pick. But I also agree with Mike that we may well be kicking ourselves in a few years time.
In case nobody else has thought of it yet, it's always possible that if his knee heals he could be in camp next preseason, unless the decision to release him was based on ability rather than health. Or that Brasil crashed in the WC damn frogs... GO PORTUGAL ^!^^!
I remember people bitching about not taking Gaven and taking Dempsey. The Dempsey pick was similar to that of the De Oliveira pick because draft experts thought the Revs could have gotten him later. The only difference was that Dempsey was healthy.
All I know is that if a healthy de Oliveira were 1/2 as good as he is in WWSM 2006, we made a huge mistake. Kidding, of course, but as with others here, I'm disappointed that we didn't get a chance to see him.
I was coming on here to find out about Leandro and was surprised(somewhat) to see that he had been waived. His last season at UAB was injury riddled. Hope he can eventually make it back because he could be a very good player.