Danny Kadeh on CyberSoccer.com

Wasn't this on the Quakes Report Card thread started by ldb? If not, should put it there.

I'm too tired to check, might want to ask Blue Meanie if he can merge it--he's the sherriff of the boards now.

Cheers!

 

https://www.bigsoccer.com/forum/showthread.php?threadid=4612&pagenumber=1

That's the thread--it wasn't mentioned there, but it should be.

Guys, can you merge with the above? It would relate to the discussion there.

BTW, great article--very much how things have been discussed on that thread, so kudos to Danny K.

Thanks and Cheers!

 

Thanks guys. I did happen to notice the thread that ldb started. I thought it was quite coincidental that I had just written an article like that early in the week when I ran into that thread.

I did have one question, though: I think for the most part we were all in agreement with most of the player ratings, except it seemed like I had Jimmy Conrad rated much higher than most of you guys (and I wasn't just critiquing his column, which would get an A+ most times out).

I was just wondering what the main complaint(s) were with his play, aside from all the caution points of course! I'm not claiming to be right in rating him highly -- in fact when I read the thread I thought maybe I was being way too generous with an A- -- I would just like to hear what you guys have to say. And if you had to break his grades down between right back (which I feel he's been better at) vs. center back, what would that look like?

Obviously it was pretty easy to rate the guys having all-star seasons. I found it difficult to rate the guys who have been away (Agoos, Donovan) or injured (Dayak, Russell, Lagos). I don't think any of those guys has played poorly - they just haven't given the team as much as was expected of them for various reasons (example: Donovan with all the distractions).

Thanks again for reading.
-Danny

 

Very nice article. I would rate Jimmy's play higher than most on the rate the plyes thread. He is probably a better inside defender, but there's not a spot available there when every one is healthy. I think that when Dyak returns to play beside Agoos, Conrads outside play will be as solid as it was early in the season. I think that he too has had to change his style a little bit when there have been less experienced playes in the middle.

 

I would go with the "A-" for his performance last year and the beginning of this season, but he has become less reliable in recent performances. Hard to put a finger on exactly what it is but I would say his decision-making and tackles aren't as good as in the past, and he's letting opponents into dangerous positions more often than before.

I might bump Dayak's grade up a bit. I think the rest of the grades are on the mark though.

 

I'd say Jimmy's better inside than outside. Perhaps the biggest weakness is his tendency to react slowly to a play. This is only compounded by the fact that he doesn't possess good speed. Instead of tracking his man, he's sometimes prone to ball watching, and that's cost us several goals this season. When he plays inside, opponents have less space, and Conrad's better able to defend. He's also pretty good at clearing out balls in the air.

I think his recent trend of picking up a yellow each time out is more attributable to being slow on the play. Other guys are simply quicker, and his tackles--not mean-spirited, but certainly late--earn him the cautions.

 

In general I'd agree that Conrad is better inside than outside but it seems like this season he was doing better on the outside. As bpc mentioned, Conrad appeared to be playing better early in the season when he was exclusively playing right back. He was just getting comfortable out there before Agoos left and then Dayak got hurt, forcing Conrad to switch back and forth.

I guess I gave Conrad high marks because he and Barrett have been the two mainstays on the best defense in the league. But I can see where you guys feel that Conrad's play has slipped a bit. I think the defense will be even better - if that's possible - now with Goose back, working with Robinson in the middle. Robinson's been so good they could even use a Dayak/Robinson combo alongside Goose in the middle or a Dayak/Conrad combo on the outside, maybe depending on opposition strengths.

 

Random drivel...

Conrad has been snake bit as of late. Might be high time to stick him into one place.

Donovan and Agoos have been good while they have been on the team. Had it not been for World Cup duty they would have been even more solid, but then again, who knows how Robinson would have done?

Russell also has been suffering from injuries, but then had he be healthy he could have developed into a solid right flank player.

 

Nice job Danny! I was very impressed by your rating of Zak Ibsen. It's very easy for anonymous posters to bag on a player, it's another thing to be critical in an article when your real name is attached to it.

Zak has been a liabilty for the Quakes, no question. Every coach in the league hopes he plays in the back for SJ. I wish Yallop would use him more often in the right midfield sub role that Ibsen's skills are made for.

I'm another one in the "Conrad's rated a bit too high" group. I'd say B right now. He was playing at the same level as Barrett early on, but he seems to have lost some focus (getting married? Distractions?). He is ball watching more and doesn't see the slashing runs quick enough. Because of this, he takes the easy way out and fouls them. How he's avoided a red card this year is a mystery.