I don't know about everyone else but I beginning to get a little disturbed that Convey is not spending a lot of time with the team. It's all well and good that he is getting PT with the National Team but I think DC will not completely come together until he is fully integrated into Nowak's system. This is the year everyone has been waiting for since the reins of the team have apparently been handed to Convey. However, his lack of practice/playing time from his new position in a new system is frustrating. So I question: Is Convey's inclusion in the Nats really helping DC or is it simply helping his Caps which will eventually ease his path out of DC and into Europe.?
Convey's national team experience is only going to help United. I don't see any reason to worry about this. Its not like he hasn't played the past three years with most of the DCU guys already.
Bobby gone in the summer IMHO Bobby will be gone come summer time. To Spurs or elsewhere. He is building up his USMNT appearances to meet the work permit % rules that killed him last summer. Nowak has to know this and understand that while he will be a useful attacking middie, building the team around him is not smart cause he will outta here for the payday and step up. It will open up cap room and allow for a mid-season addition or two. (my first post, so take it easy on me) :O)
I agree that Convey is gone this summer. As for integrating with DC United, he's had limited time to do that over the last few seasons between injuries and national team call ups - why start now... Sorry if that really irks the pro-Bobby crowd but it has nothing to do with his ability. It has to do with my dislike for situations such as his, where he is gone for much of the season for (IMNSHO) no good reason! First it was the U-17s then the U-20s then the U-23s then the Senior National Team - frankly, USSF should hire him away from MLS and that way DC United can get an allocated player that will actually show up to DC games! As for this season, Bobby will be back with DC for a few games and then head far away from here to pursue a brighter future. Good for him but it really screws DC United!
Re: Bobby gone in the summer Of all the stupid, moronic, ignorant and self deluded posts... Just kidding. Welcome to the BS. I'd tend to think you're right, and that Convey can play left or central midfield, and so can Earnie. I think they have the depth part OK. Even if the Spurs gig doesn't come along again, with injuries and call-ups, it's good to have depth. Which is probably why we could use another defender, if a decent one were available.
I'm bothered by all the call-ups as well. When is the transfer window open? I ask because if he has to wait 12 months from his previous work permit appeal and the window is closed, presumably he wont be going to England until the winter window. Of course, that won't stop him from going to France or Germany as has also been rumored. I wish Convey was in camp with United all preseason, but I guess we have to play the hand we're dealt.
What about Convey as a super sub for United? If he's going to be missing a bunch of time before his eventual departure in the summer, it might not be the worst idea. When he is focused and motivated, he can clearly have a profound impact on the game, and maybe he'll be able to help United in that type of limited role. Of course if he had extended periods of time with the team there's no reason he couldn't earn his starting spot, but it seems like he could be useful in this role too.
Relax people.. He's been gone a week.. He will be here after this weekend all the way through until June 13th when we play our qualifier with Greneda.. He'll probably get called into camp for the Poland match and others as well.. Somehow, I think Nowak will find a way to include Convey.. I understand your reservations about missing quality time with United and it is well warranted, but this is the way it goes when you are a talented player like Convey.. We'll manage to get thru this no matter if Convey is here or not..
First of all, these caps have NO bearing on the work permit issue. Caps that count towards work permits are those in official FIFA events - Gold Cup, Confederations' Cup, World Cup Qualifying matches. Assuming Bobby plays in the World Cup qualifiers and Gold Cup thsi summer he will easily qualify for a work permit (basically, he did not meet the threshold last year becasue he didn't play in the 2002 World Cup). If he were new to the team I think it could be an issue. But he has been practicing, he and his teammates know each other and after this weekend he'll only miss a few days for the Poland game, if that. Right now, it gives other players a chance to work in the middle. And don't forget the benefit of all his national team work...playing against good players every day and with all the winter competitions he should basically be in mid-season form now.
I have to agree with the thread starter. this isn't good for United. Bobby really has not been practicing with the team and has clearly been away from the team for longer than a week. He wasn't there at the beginning of camp because of the Olympics. Then he delayed his start by an additional week going to Holland. When he returned, he left practice for another week because he was "tired" while the rest of the team practiced. Now he has been gone for another week while he prepares for mighty Haiti. Camp started 6 weeks ago, and Bobby has only been in training with the team for 2 of those weeks. If Bobby had been a worldbeater with United in the past, that would be one thing ......... but he hasn't been. He's basically had a nondescript club career to this point. For all the people who think he is the guy to "run the show" with United that i have seen over and over on this board, I think that it would be rather naive to agree that he would be able to walk into the team, without practicing with the team, and start in a different position than he has in the past, and immediately lift the team on his back. This is bad for United. There is no other way to slice this.
OK, now I have more concerns. After reading the posts I believe almost everyone is in agreement that Convey will probably be gone this summer. If that is the case, then shouldn't DC be targeting an attacking mid right now? (Maybe they are and we don't know it). Also, doesn't the new FIFA transfer windows restrict when DC would actually be able to bring in a replacement? Isn't it something like August/September?
It might be bad for United, but it's good for the various national teams, and it's also good for Bobby, so it's not like we're looking at a lose-lose situation. Plus, Bobby is gone this summer anyways, so we might as well 1) get used to playing without him, and 2) let him play as many high-profile international games to drive up his transfer value. As for the week off, I have no doubt he was legitimately tired, not "tired." He's had no offseason, and has basically been playing non-stop for a year or more. Overtraining can be a serious problem. I rowed in high school and college, and (particularly in college) we trained year-round, six days a week. By the end of my junior year of college, I was training harder than ever, but my ergometer (rowing machine) test times had been steadily declining for six months, no matter how hard I trained. At the end of that academic year, I went home and basically collapsed for a month. Didn't do anything, just listened to my body and let it heal. After the month off, I started training again, and by the end of the summer I had gotten over the plateau I'd been stuck on and was in far and away the best shape of my life. If I'd just kept training, no doubt I would have continued to stagnate or get weaker. A week off could well have been the best thing for Bobby after the year he's had.
August 15- Sept 15 is the secondary window for MLS. However, MLS can bring in someone out of contract at any time, I think. England's primary window ends Aug. 31 I believe. Add to that the time it took to decline the work permit, Convey could be gone to England by mid Sept. At least we'll have him while the Olympics are going on now. Thx, Jay!
Yes and we all saw how practicing with Manchester United made Kiro a world class player. I think it wouldn't have been such a problem under an established coach and scheme but with a new coach and likely with at least 2-3 new starters/regulars in the lineup from last year it would be hard to assume he can just walk into a center-mid position like that without practicing with the team alot. I also don't get how people are discounting this so easily. Look at the Metros, Quakes, Burn, Rapids etc. They've been gelling as a team over the last few weeks while we're still in the hello my name is... phase.
Yes, it is bad for United, and since this is the United forum and not the Nats forum, I feel comfortable saying that it's bad in that context. And I put the word "tired" in quotes, not because i didn't believe he was tired, but because that was the word that was actually used, and I wanted to make it clear that i wasnt making up my own words. That's precisely the problem is what i'm saying. He gets tired from playing these tournaments and friendies, and then he is too tired from them to play for the club/league that is paying his salary. I find that very problematic. why isn't he taking a week off from one of the friendlies instead?? Is United gonna have to watch him fly halfway across the world AGAIN in 2 more weeks to train for yet another friendly that he will play in 3 days before opening day? Enough is enough. His behind needs to be in camp with the guys who are paying his salary. u-20, u-23, olympics, and 2 more friendlies are quite enough at his point. he needs to be with his teammates .......... finally.
I don't think the prospect of him going abroad in the summer should change how we play Bobby. It's a possibility but a lot could happen. He could suck for United, for one thing, and others could be scouting the matches. He could lose a work permit dispute. He could break a leg. He could decide that home, near the Payne's house, is really where he wants to be. Who knows. It's disappointing that he hasn't played more with the team this pre-season, but presumably he will be in the Charleston Cup gig, as will Adu. Time for everyone to make lemonade out of the Convey lemons. I just read that Alex Peneda Chacon was waived yesterday. Should we pick him up and have him take up cap space and collect dust on the bench in the event that Convey may be gone in the summer? (that's rhetorical...)
Ah, the old club vs. country debate. It's been a while since this has reared it's ugly head. The club pays the money but the glory comes from playing for your country, what to do, what to do. . . Here's my take. The federation and MLS need to be a little more cognizant of each other's schedule. Problem number one is there is no reason that the USMNT should be in a camp for a whole week to prepare to play Haiti! FIFA regs have only a 48hr release window for friendlies, I think DC should have stuck to their guns and told Arena Convey will show up 2 days in advance. In many ways MLS has bent over backward to accomodate the national team but it hasn't been reciprocated to the same degree. I think a fair balance between National team games (especially friendlies) and club committments can be kept but both sides need to work at it. I also think maybe right now Convey has a little more attachment for the national sides, since that's who he has spent the bulk of his "off-season" with. He might need a little remember as to where his bread is buttered. If I was DC, the next friendly outside of the FIFA calendar, DC should refuse to release Convey, which is their right under FIFA regs.
I agree that there he is stretched too thin these days, and this is a problem not just with Bobby, but throughout the soccer world, particularly in Europe, where "fixture congestion" is a major bone of contention. For example, players who play for top teams in England end up playing in the league, league cup, FA Cup, Champions League or Uefa Cup (and sometimes qualifiers for those), and national team matches, which can include friendlies, the Confederations Cup, European Championship qualifying matches and finals matches, and WC qualifiers and finals matches. Clubs and national associations are always complaining, but no one seems to have found a solution. As for Bobby, I'd really like to see him skip the Poland match.
Interesting, our little microcosm of the universal club vs. country tug of war... Isn't it nice that the game has advanced in this country to the point that we legitimately can have these discussions. And welcome, Shark.
I have a hard time imagining Peter Novak letting any one player screw up his team. Novice coach or not, DC is HIS team, not Bobby's.
that's all i'm saying ED. you have summed up my argument. it's not that i don't want to see him succeed. of course i do. it's just that when you can't make camp for your club team because you're tired from OUTSIDE committments, and then you continue with those outside committments .......... well, i have a problem with that. I made this point on a couple other threads recently. guys like Beasley, Convey, and LD should all be exempted from playing in the Poland match. One, because of burnout. Two, because it's 3 days before the start of MLS. Three, because of the distance that they have to travel 3 days before the start of MLS. Do we realize that all 3 of these players have sat out part of their training camps because of being tired? LD was actually sent home from Spain, and Beasley didn't join the Fire in Portugal until the trip was more than half over. that's just nuts to me. I believe that March 31 is a recognized FIFA date, but i would hope that Bruce decides to go with a couple new guys to go along with the established stars already in Europe to fill out a roster for the Poland match. It's about time that maybe we see what Conor Casey or Gooch or Robbie Russell, or some of these other guys can do. ps. yes, i know that Gooch is hurt. dang that sucks! LOL
Personally, I'm getting sick of this Convey situation. I'm thinking the team would be better off getting rid of him now, if possible...
this is a slight tangent, but in alot of other threads it is thought that Dema is likely trade bait. Wouldn't this situation right now prevent that? We have a logjam right now at AM with convey, dema, earnie and several others who can play there including benny, q1, q2, and even moreno if he makes the roster. Convey's missing now and his likely departure over the summer leads me to belive that dema is on the field for us this year. this is Dema's (among others) opportunity to grab a hold of the AM spot and make it their own.
In general, I don't think it's that big of a deal...I think the more experience he can get with the national team, the better. But as far as the schedule goes right now, that Poland match is awfully close to the season opener, I wouldn't mind Bobby missing a transatlantic friendly a few days before the season starts. But he's young, hopefully he can handle it. If he gives his all for DC United, then I think we should be nothing but happy about his exploits for the Nats. PS - Welcome Shark.