Nagbe's shielding/close control/dribbling are rare skills in our pool, so seeing if he can break through internationally is a worthwhile experiment. He doesn't have to dominate games; he'll be successful as long as he can play to his strengths at this level, keep the ball moving and help retain possession. But yeah, there was a Daily Mail piece urging him to sign for Celtic that called him Portland's best player. For a second I wondered if Valeri had been hit by a bus.
And further with right backs, A-Salaam, Jimenez, and Anibaba all scored above 7 against LA, but none came close to Rosenberry's score. Of the left backs who scored above a 7 against LA, Klute fell off the face of MLS, and Miller mostly played right back.
Very accurate passer up and down the field, very fast, the hardest player to dispossess in the pool, and thus helps other guys be better. Is a Reyna, O'brien, Modric, Dembele, Iniesta type technical metronome/connector. Makes the right decision and executes more often than his peers. Doesn't have the ego to take games over but has the talent so it sometimes just happens. Is the guy behind the guy. He has one goal and one assist in 3 games worth of minutes with the national team. Which is more than his club production but I suspect he is the type of player who plays to the level of his teammates and will benefit from not being a focal point. So he's not prolific but he will be the single biggest factor in our possession game, will create fast breaks through dribbling and passing, and will once in awhile win a game with a piece of magic. I think Valeri has said that Nagbe is the best player on the team. That's almost certainly modesty but borne from a recognition that someone has to get him the ball in good spots.
Welcome way, way back. Which is where he will have to play. He's as ponderous as a German metaphor. What they can't beat us with speed, they can do so with guile. And when that gets boring they can beat us with simple head fakes and step overs. First touch. Fast short passing. Guile. All missing. Bah. Usmnt forver!
Welcome way, way back. Which is where he will have to play. He's as ponderous as a German metaphor. What they can't beat us with speed, they can do so with guile. And when that gets boring they can beat us with simple head fakes and step overs. First touch. Fast short passing. Guile. All missing. Bah. Usmnt forver!
Nagbe has good insight and instincts for passing and moving forward. Although, I like Valeri and he is one of Portland's strengths, he does give away the ball a lot...so frustrating as a Timber's fan. Overall, I think Nagbe is a better player, but Valeri is more dynamic in his play.
In the few minutes Nagbe got for the USMNT, I thought he always played well. He wasn't a barn-burner; but, he didn't make mistakes, controlled the ball well and made passes forward. During 1 substitution (I don't remember which match it was), the opponent was pressing, needing to score. Nagbe was able to keep the ball, control the game with possession and judicious passing.
While I appreciate your assessment of Nagbe, I can't concur with your glowing terms. "Very fast" is an overstatement. He has average speed and quickness for a starting international midfielder. He may have the talent to take over an MLS match but not a competitive international one. Neither is he blessed with an imposing physique. I'm looking forward to seeing more of his talent on display in the coming matches. Will he be "the single biggest factor in our possession game"? Why not
You have essentially described 50% of Bradley's responsibility as the #6. I am not sure that we can afford two players who are only going to perform metronome functions. IMO, the expectations of Arena for Nagbe will be the same as Klinsmann's. Nagbe will have to show that he can be successful as an aggressive attacking player. Arena has already gone on record saying that the team needs to be more aggressive and that he is looking to find energetic aggressive attackers. We will see in Nagbe is up to that challenge!
People who watched Portland/Seattle games from '13 and '14 saw Nagbe roughly equal Yedlin for pace so the only actual point of contention is the "very" modifier, which I admittedly added late. How many technical metronomes are physically imposing, it's not part of the job description. He may not be big but he isn't weak, as the numerous markers he shields and rolls can attest. The bigger issue is that he doesn't use his pace to stretch the field. He never makes early runs in behind and his third-man and final third runs have dried up. That last trend seems to be in part due to Adi's unwillingness to play return passes in 1-2's and a move to the 8 role but it's something I would demand. For me generally when a media observer says Nagbe has taken over a game that means he got a goal or assist and/or came close regularly. The 3 guys dribbled past, the 10 guys dribbled away from, the 3 fouls drawn to keep him from going clear, the 44/50 passing is taken for granted. So if he does all the little things right, which he has in his caps so far, and then occasionally juggles a ball at the top of the box and hits a laser upper 90 then he will have taken over a game at the international level.
It would be an interesting experiment to play 2 players who are good at passing the ball together, I wonder what would happen.
I admit to not having watched a ton of Nagbe appearances but I find it curious that this thread is the first time I have read anyone describe Nagbe as "very fast" or even "fast". I'd be more circumspect when it comes to second-hand accounts of speed or speed measurement analysis from fans. When we see him shield and roll elite CONCACAF midfielders then we can talk. Why, IF he is capable of using his pace to stretch the field, haven't we seen the concrete evidence? Is the Portland coaching staff that blind to possibility? Sounds like a hell of a player, what's his name?
Agree that Nagbe is roughly equal to Yedlin in pace. Perception of pace frequently fails to match reality. Michael Bradley and Tim Ream have been timed as having elite pace, but how many times have folks claimed those two were slow? Agree also with the earlier comment that Nagbe is overrated as an MLS player. One part of the problem is that he, as an attacking player, resolutely refuses to take his team by the scruff of the neck, especially when Valeri is around. The other is the amount of hacking and tactical fouling allowed in MLS somewhat lessens the impact of the skilled midfield player. Nagbe is a complementary player with an elite skill set that is absolutely needed by the National Team. The problems he faces as an MLS player won't be there at international level.
Those of us who actually watch matches already know the answer. Shield PointsDM %CM %AM %Result 60Gruezo 82.2Acosta 79.5Diaz 77.3Supporter Shield 58Azira 83.9Cronin 82.6Jones 73.82nd 57McCarty 81.3Felipe 76.8Kljestan 74.93rd 44Chara 84.7Nagbe 89.9Valeri 74.9 Missed Playoffs
Guess that whole effort to come off as less of an a**hole lasted for less than half an hour, THHF... For reference, see THHF's most recent post in the First Foul, First Shot thread in this forum.
Somehow little dudes like Morales, Diaz, Nguyen, Plata, Loderio are figuring it out how to be way more effective than Nagbe in MLS, though. Otherwise I agree.
Bill Hamid withdraws from camp due to a knee injury. That guy is always injured when his big chances come..................... http://www.ussoccer.com/stories/201...elease-bill-hamid-withdraws-from-january-camp
jfc Hopefully someone younger can step up. Our options in that 25-30 age range are not great. Here's to Bono, Steffen, and Horvath. May one of you come good.
If the second-hand account is me telling you what I've seen, as it is here, then adjust your scepticism accordingly. I have seen a solid super-majority of the Seattle Sounder's and Portland Timbers' games since they've come into MLS. I always look forward to our chats. The primary reason is that he is a natural possession hub, he is always trying to show for the ball, to get on the ball. Probably because he has been and is so much better at keeping the ball and playing it to teammates. I suspect he hasn't been asked to make those type of runs for similar reasons, because his play is so vital at connecting back to front it is a better use of scarce resources to use the more one-dimensional Melano or Mattocks to stretch the field. Oh and also most coaches and especially MLS coaches aren't great tactically.
Is he? Chandler's attitude with the national team has always been suspect, and I cant see Bruce putting up with that. And Bruce has never been about putting together the most talented 11, his coaching philosophy has always been to identify his best players, then to build the supporting cast around them to let them shine. I could easily see him going down the depth simply because the 3rd or 4th guy on that list has the right attitude and is just willing to do his more limited job. Of course maybe Bruce gets Chandler to buy in, in which case Bruce will definitely get more out of Chandler... but I think it more likely Bruce gets fed up and moves on.