I get it, the guy's a hero. We all love everything he's done the past decade: his header against Mexico in 2002, the Slovenia headshot in 2010, that YouTube clip from the Algeria game that gives me goosebumps every time I watch it, etc. etc. But let's be real, Landon Donovan is no longer that guy. Sure, he lit up Scotland. But after the team's last three performances who knows what the hell was going on in Jacksonville? He's become the most predictable player on the field: he gets the ball in stride, sizes up his defender, and quickly turns back and lays it off. What happened to the Landon of old who wasn't afraid of darting up the field with the ball, taking chances, and making things happen? I watch these games and can't help but think that the team would be better off without him on the field. There's nothing special about him anymore, all he is now is an occasional passing option. When does Klinsmann say enough's enough?
THE WORLD IS ENDING. OH MY GOD WE DREW GUATEMALA ON THE ROAD AND LANDON DONOVAN PLAYED POORLY, HE MUST BE DONE. Not that the rest of the squad didn't play like crap. But that's not what's important here. THE END IS NIGH.
He looks exactly the same for the Galaxy. I honestly think that if he doesn't get a change of scenary soon he is done. He has talked about his retirement early, and just wants to be completely out of the spotlight, I think that is part of why he is afraid to try shit and be that player we need. I have no problem relegating him to the bench for the friendly at the Azteca to make him feel like he needs to put on for his team and country, and that he isnt entitled. We have a few youthful, and skillful wingers to try out. Who its worth pointing out are not 30 years old.... This is Dempsey's team now, and for the remainder of the cycle. LD needs to elevate or sit down...
I think you're missing the main point here. I'm not worried about tonight's result. Sure, there's a lot to critique, but a point in Central America is a point. We're going to make the hex we're going to qualify, that's not an incredibly bold prediction. What I'm saying is that over the past two years he's become a shadow of his former self, and right now we probably have options that are better than him.
Fair enough. I just think there's a lot of overreaction. I will agree that Donovan seemed uneager to take guys on, which is disconcerting. I'm just not ready to say he's on his last leg...yet.
He is 30 years old with 140+ international appearances and 10+ years of professional experience. There aren't a lot of elite 30+ year old wide midfielders in world football. It's a young man's game, especially at that position. Once your legs go, you lose your ability to beat a man. Once you know you can no longer beat a man, you learn that you shouldn't even try. Did you see Donovan against Marcelo? He got stone walled. There's no doubt in my mind that a player like Gatt or Gyau would be more aggressive and throw caution to the wind when marked one-on-one by a tough defender, but that's only part of the equation. I'm not quite convinced Donovan is done. He played well for Everton. I think part of the problem is that the things he does best don't really fit in with the team we have around him. At Everton he created goals with through balls and crosses. When you don't have a target man and none of your attackers are trying to run in behind the defense, you don't have the outlet that you need to even attempt those passes. We don't have a real target man right now. Dempsey can score headers, but he tends to drop deep and play with his feet. Altidore too. And none of our attackers can get in behind anyone. Altidore is the fastest of the lot, and he's hardly a gazelle. Dempsey? Gomez? Nah. I just don't think Landon is a great fit for what Klinsy is trying to do. He's more of an old-fashioned USA player who can score on the counter and assist in set pieces, but who struggles in the half court pass-and-move game. Klinsy's USMNT is built to suit a guy like Dempsey, not Donovan. Klinsy wants us to play like Arsenal, when our DNA is Stoke. What we're witnessing is the awkward transition. In some respects Donovan is a man out of step with time.
If I didn't know any better, I'd say this is a troll thread from an MOD. And don't other MOD's usually say, "we already have a thread for that"? Well, given some schmuck decides to make a new thread about Landon after every freakin NT game, I'd say there's other threads where this could have been simply a post, and a new thread was not needed.
when there is someone better to replace him. duh - same as everyone else. also that is likely to be years, 2nd half we was our best player by far
There are those who could look the replace him though, they just haven't been introduced to the setup. One of those players is Josh Gatt, while I admit he plays in a Scandinavian league he brings that speed to the table that a 20 year old Donovan used to have. If we want to bleed youth into our wings, and help spark the attack he would be one to introduce. By all accounts he may actually be much faster than Donovan, and actually has some skill to him as well. A great prospect no doubt, and we might as well give him a roll out.
Donovan and the rest of the players up front just need to practice short combinations in the box and they could own this game. Like the run he made playing off Dempsey where the return was just a bit off- there's no reason Landy and all of our midfielders and forwards can't do that more often. Donovan would have had an easy goal. Jozy has done it plenty this season. Herc I'm assuming too. This is the kind of play that you stuff your mouth with in small sided games, maybe it just takes familiarity and composure in big games. Right now everyone is bumping into one another and Donovan is doing soso. Maybe he needs a new contract in Quatar or something to spice it up. In his interviews he sounds a bit suffocated.
This is true, and worth mentioning. Donovan is not going to be around every time we play Mexico in the future though... It is time for a new "Mexecutioner" to step up and take the reigns from Donovan. This game in the Azteca will merely be a friendly, basically time to try shit. If it were a qualifier I would be all for starting Donovan to try and get the positive result. However we need to bleed some youth, and what an environment and trial by fire to do so.
You do realize that is exactly how he played at Everton right? And thrived in it? I don't understand where this meme comes from. And how people are judging this to be a Dempsey oriented program when he sits on the ball and doesn't one-touch pass as often. What? The system will work fine for them both.
That red part. DOES ANYONE REMEMBER HE WAS ONE OF OUR BEST PLAYERS JUST 4 FRIGGING DAYS AGO?????????????????? I wrote this in the post-game thread, but the knee-jerk reactions around LD are absolutely ridiculous. Gatt and Gyau - two unproven players? Are you kidding me????? In our 5 game tournament he scored a 10 from about 99% of analysts after the first match, had a game where he wasn't so great, had a game where he AND the rest of the team had a stinker, was one of our best players in the 4th game, and once again was with the rest of the team on the 5th game. But yeah, he's done. Doesn't matter what the other 10 players are doing. But that guy that did better THAN THE VAST MAJORITY OF THE TEAM. He's done. Aghast.
I think I'd like to see Donovan in the middle of the park at the #10 spot. He still has good pace and decent work rate, but he's not so explosive any more than he can blow by defenders at will on the sidelines. I think his intelligence, vision, and passing ability would serve him well as an unselfish creator behind Clint and Jozy. He's also better suited than Dempsey for attacking central midfield. I don't think Dempsey has the defensive work rate or vision needed. Also, I'm tired of seeing Jones out on the right flank trying to go at players one-on-one. I mean, I appreciate what he's trying to do and someone needs to do it, but he isn't the guy for the job. Maybe a 4-3-1-2? ------------Altidore--------------------- -----------------------Dempsey-------- ---------------Donovan----------------- -----Johnson---------Bradley---------- -----------------Jones------------------- Lichaj-----------------------Cherundolo ----------Boca-----Goodson------------ ---------------Howard-------------------
Pretty much this. Donovan is pretty much a pure counter attack player it was how he was taught to play and what he has been playing with past national teams and and his clubs. He won't change at 30. This is Dempsey's team now.
This is my favorite from the Dempsey fans. Who the hell cares whose team it is? Why is this a pissing match? Don't you want BOTH of them to be succeeding? Why are you saying this??? And did any of you who are saying LD is a counter attacking player ONLY watch him at Everton? *crickets*
If it's strictly Clints team, he'll have to start setting others up a little more frequently. And if LD was strictly a counter attack player, there wouldn't be these expectations on him and a new thread popping up after every game.
No way he is done! just a few months ago he was player of the month for Everton, he had the best assist record in the EPL for the time he played there...ya da ya da ya da. Interesting that JK is pulling LD out in the last two games. There was a time when coaches wouldn't even take a quick glanced his way when it came time to do a sub.
A good coach structures his system around his 2-3 best players, which LD still is, and has the other players play off them. A good coach does not simply try to pigeon hole one of his top 2-3 players into a system which doesn't fit his playing style, and then say oh well, guess LD doesn't fit. A lot of this crap is people not wanting to look at the situation as a whole. Who are the creative mids LD can link up with? Edu? Jones? Not MB as JK is now playing him much deeper. Clint? For some reason tonight he and LD were rarely in a position to combine or play off each other after it was quite successful against A&B. Gomez? Dude works hard and makes good runs but his link up play has been non existent. Think not having a freaking LW out there and someone to spread the attack and width to it might hurt? The defense can shade over towards LD as there's no one staying wide and threatening from the left. But no one sees the value in Brek or a LW. Sigh. There are numerous reason why our attack doesn't look good at times and out of sync. It's not simply LD not pulling his weight or having lost it. Notice the attack as a whole is either clicking or not, and most times is not clicking, and doesn't have much fluidity? It's because we have guys all over the pitch being put in positions they shouldn't be in and being handed responsibilities they don't excel at.
Here is the rub....in fan's minds LD can only be replaced when a player is better than LD...circa 2002!