I'm glad Walker wasn't taken. Hopefully, Jonny will be given a chance to compete to be the #1 keeper for the MetroStars; he'll win it. Now we should focus on getting a solid back line for the MetroStars. Walker had one bad game last year for the MetroStars -- against DC. Much of our problem on defense was the failure of the back four to mark the forwards well and react to counter-attacks. DC with three in back was more consistent and stronger than the MetroStars were with four. DC could also bring Hendrickson off the bench to fill in if Nelson, Namoff or Petke were suspended, had national team duty or were injured. Is there a "Chad Marshall" in there for us in the draft? Midfield is stacked with seven competing for four spots ... Guevara, Gaven, Magee, Gilberto, Clark, Lisi and Vaca. We have to hope that Wolyniec can repeat his performance and that Glen and Taylor can pick their performances up (and not get injured).
I agree with Aris that we all have an agenda. For my part, I like Bob, and think he's a good coach. On the front office, their goal is to make this the best organization in MLS, to win games, and to build a stadium. Even being as objective as possible, you can't give them exceptional marks on any of those 3 counts. I am neutral on Nick, but I just don't see the logic of the last 2 weeks of their handling of Walker. It's like a "Metro pull pin, threaten to throw Grenade" philosophy. Word is they are trying to silently shop Pope. Why silently shop Pope and noisily shop Walker? It's like the Tim Howard jersey retirement all over again. Either say you are going to do it, and do it, or just don't say it. As bad as Walker was at times, if Eddie Pope was so great, why are we getting rid of him? One of the critiques Ives mentioned in his latest article was that Walker wasn't a good leader and didn't organize the defense. Eddie Pope was the captain of the National Team and is the best defender in the history of MLS. He, somehow, escapes public responsibility for important things like leading the team and organizing the defense? As the team captain and central defender? The team wins and loses as a unit. Eddie deserves an equal share of blame, yet it's all falling on Walker. (and no, I'm not his agent). I like Walker, but if Bob and the team decided that we could get quality goalkeeping for less money by letting him go, I would stand behind that decision even if I'm sorry to see him leave. I just don't see where bashing him around in the press makes any of the options Metro had (keep him, lose him in expansion draft, trade him to another MLS team) better. Why not hold one's tongue for 2 weeks, have him possibly leave in the expansion draft (or trade him), and then bash him? Just wondering why this organization does the things it does sometimes.
I like Walker. I'd be very sorry to see him go. I believe he's very capable and will bounce back from all of this. Exactly where he'll do said bouncing? I don't know but I for one, hope it is with us.
Here's Bradley's take on the Walker issue: "The Metros felt neither team would select a player in his condition. "I wouldn't read anything into it," Bradley said during a conference call. "We did a lot of homework and we got a sense of what the teams were looking for. . . . We felt Zach showed a lot of talent. We felt that was the better way to play this game." http://www.bigapplesoccer.com/article.php?article_id=1546 Who is "we"?
Probable Timeline: 1. Nick says to Michael Lewis, "Walker was atrocious." 2. Ives asks Nick about it. 3. Nick says, "Between us, Ives, Bob is the one who THOUGHT Walker was atrocious. I was just saying what Bob was THINKING." 4. Ives writes his follow up. Final Analysis. 1. Nick is a bigmouth idiot. 2. Bob did nothing wrong. Walker did have a bad season. Bob never ripped him in an over-the-top public way. 3. Leaving Walker unprotected was probably a calculated move, knowing that Jonny would not be taken by either club, so it was a way to protect Lisi and Woly, who'd certainly have gone in this draft. 3.. Walker has a job to do. Sorry if his feelings were hurt. Be a pro.
Final analysis......Walker AND Wells get pulled back. Shockingly, no one picks SGR and not shockingly, SLC takes Pablo Brenes, a future star of the league. Another great move by our wonderful front office.
Even us amateur soccer board guys could have done a better job than Metros front office and Bob on this player protected list stuff. We lose our only true left footed player we have and one of our best potential youngsters as we protect guys who I would not want back for free.
I have a question. Why did anyone realistically expect SGR to be picked? I'm just curious. I think SGR has talent (Wynalda insists he isn't good enough for the league, but SGR has skill...maybe not the right skillset...but he DEF has skills). My question is, should we take a gamble on keeping him on the team next season? We usually go 1 and out on our international players, maybe some of these guys need a longer time to acclimate. Just curious.
i would want to give him a chance next year. i remember someone saying that his freshman year with once caledas didnt go so well but his sophomore year was a breakout one for him. so i figure, keep him around and if by when the first transfer window opens, chuck him out
To me SGR has shown nothing to indicate that he can play in the MLS, i say dump him ASAP and cut our losses and try again.
i just got reading your post and got me thinking, they bashed Walker to protect him in the expansion draft ! are they that smart and calculating to do something like that ? Arisrules , i don't think anyone in their right mind expected SGR to be taken considering he makes top $ something like 250k.
if he is under contract we can't cut our losses and dump him, it would count against the salary cap , but dump to another club would work, who wants him
Dump him back into S America where he can be the "king" of goals again. sell the contract back to them ie buyout stuff