i don't know how many people saw, and more importantly heard, chris sullivan announce the usa/mexico match last night, but he touched, multiple times, on something i've been kicking around since the season hasn't started so well. he mentioned that attacking mid was a better position for donovan than striker. his reasoning was that at midfield, donovan's vision and would allow creative combo play w/ the forwards, and his speed is better utilized when he gets a chance to run at a defense as opposed to having his back to the goal. not to mention that donovan had a better game last night than any he's played in mls thus far this year. moving him to mid would displace ekelund, but that may not necessarily be so bad. it would also allow either walker or ching, or both, to start the match, giving a better physical presence up top for our long balls. anyone else? cheers, battch GO QUAKES!!!
I think Ringo's reply gets you to the answer. You want the best 11 players on the field. Ekelund could certainly play the role of defensive mid, but that's the spot for Mulrooney. I suppose that Mulrooney could be moved wide, but then what do you do with Mullan? Still, I think Donovan would be terrific as an attacking mid w/ DeRo and Ching up top/spelled by Walker. I think Donovan is at his creative best when he is around the midfield line giving off a quick one-touch pass to a teammate and then racing down the field to receive a pass back.
I saw and heard the same thing yesterday. LD was incredible on the field and his creative touch was awesome. I say drop him back into the midfield and start Ching with DeRo. Dom is looking for change, he might have been just handed a pontential solution for the slump in play. Go Quakes and Dump Lalas!
anyone who saw that game last night saw donovan play better than he EVER has for the Quakes (sans goals of course; the finishing could have been better). he was practically a revelation...and we already know how good he is (or did we?). i'm sure dom saw the game last night and there must be a few doubts creeping in as to landon's proper position. he could drop ekelund into a more d-mid role and mulrooney back into right mid (where he's played before for the nats), thereby solving the right back problem (if you agree there is one), but that would also be underutilizing mulrooney's many talents. of course you could redo your whole offense a la Bruce Arena and play a 4-4-2 with a box midfield like this: mulrooney ekelund mullan donovan with mullan and donovan in free floating roles but with most of the offense running through donovan like last night. but kinnear would never do that. i've heard say they're going to play "the 4-4-2 like we've always played the 4-4-2", and i don't think he's going to be making any strategic changes like i'm thinking. just thinking out loud.
Well I've always thought that Donovan should be in the midfield setting up plays, as that's when he's at his best. He's got the best vision of any American player now, and I think he's more useful there. He's always comming back into midfield anyway, he should just play there. Also, with no offence to Ecklund I just don't think he's had a great year. Maybe it's just me but he's seamed invisable at times and you can't have that out of the player who providing the most chances to the forwards - Hence our lack of goals. I just think a #10 should play as a #10. I'd like to see Donovan as an attacking mid providing chances for Ching as a big target man and Walker as a the speedster.
And like the man himself said after the New England game, his game is all about passing .... and we know he makes the most dangerous runs off the ball of any american. sounds tailor made for a midfielder, especially since ching and dero are both healthy, unlike last season.
he should at least get a sniff at AMid because they way the Quakes are working, something needs to change... with every touch, you could see LD's confidence increasing...he was everywhere and dangerous.... granted, he had a better supporting cast and the is more motivation since he was on the pitch when th US got spaked out of the Olympics....could LD hold that intensity in the MLS? I would hope so... but I am on board, start him at AMid.... and if you were to box the midfield, how about Corrales & Richard as the defensive minded, Ecklund and LD as staggered Amids, with Mullan & Dunivant (when healthy) tearing up the right back position...DeRo/Ching/Walker fight out the top spots with Alvarez as the attacking option off the bench, replacing Ronnie of even a striker....
When he first joined the Quakes I saw him as a play making Number 10. But after doing so well up front in the World Cup (and again the second half of last year) I started leaning towards striker. But after last night? My god, he was awesome--one of the best games I have seen him play. It is pretty clear that is his future with the Nats (if we can find fowardswho can finish). As for the Quakes, the plus is it would get DeRo and Ching on the field with Donovan. The mid-field combo of Donovan and Mullin would be very disturptive. The draw back is that Spartan would give them less space to operate in and nullify some of the advantage. But, yeah, it should happen.
I've never been a fan of the idea of Donovan in midfield. Until now. Infact I've always argued against it. The reason was not that I didn't think he would end up there, I thought he would, I didn't think he was ready. Yesterday proved me wrong. He is ready. I am actaully a fan of the line-up that Flashman and would have posted the same if he had not beaten me to it. Depite the critisims over Ronnies play this year he was done a good job as a "destroyer" so to speak, but, has been unable to create anything so I think he would be good for that job with Richard and it will also give us the flexibility of moving him forward if the conditions where right. Ching has to be up front cause he can hold the ball for the other foreward (De-Ro), but more destructively will be able to hold the ball for two fast mids (Donovan and Mullen) coming from the deep. Also this line up will also allow the fullbacks more freedom to get forward wide pulling defenders from the middle allowing the four attacked more space. My onlu concern is will this formation work at Spartan where the space is mroe cramped. I think it will certainly do damage at some of the wider venues. -Richard
Donovan at striker works best.....evidence:Two MLS Cups in 3 years. Ronnie at O-mid works: evidence: Two MLS Cups in 3 years Mulrooney at D-mid works, evidence:2 MLS Cups in 3 years. MLS Cups Donovan, 3 goals.....Ekelund, 1 goal and 1 assist, Mulrooney 1 Goal and 1 assist. Thats 5 of the 6 MLS cup goals. If it aint broke, dont fix it. You cant take Ekelund off the field for the same reason you cannot take Agoos off. Ekelund is the only creative passer on the field besides Donovan. The problem is DeRo, Ching or Walker need to start and this team will start to click.
With injuries mounting and Donovan demonstrating the ability to play in the center mid role, I think the Quakes could drop him back. Keep Ekelund in the center with Donovan and drop Mulrooney to the backline as needed. Mulrooney has played right back for the Nats IIRC, rather than right midfield. Traditionally the Quakes have attacked primarily through the flanks. Our outside midfielders have been both injured and performing poorly, leading to current results. Donovan in the center can get better balls to the flanks, take pressure off the flanks and provide an attack through the center. He certainly has the speed as well to start the counterattack and push up as a third forward as the opportunity presents itself. Certainly couldn't hurt after the current run of results, although a consistent lineup has been a positive characteristic of the Yallop/Kinnear Quakes. D
true, LDB, but with the current run of form the Quakes are in, these will be ancient history... there is no denying that the lineup worked well in the past, but after last night (granted, only one match, but he showed so well), LD needs the ball more at his feet going forward, not checking back.... as active as he was last night, he and the Quakes would tear the league apart.... so don't make it permanent, but give it a go....
But Donovan did so much more than just give off quick one-touch passes. He completely controlled the pace of the game. After the first 20 minutes, he just simply took over. He would come back all the way into defense and show for the ball. He knew when to pass quickly, he knew when to hold, he new when to take off and charge up the field. His quick passes in the triangle formation with 2 other teammates with multiple Mexican defenders hacking away at them was incredible; then he'd find the opening and off we'd go. The thing that stood out was his willingness to take on defenders on his own, driving down the field. Used to, you knew he'd pass (it would be a great pass, but still a pass nontheless). Yesterday, he'd take them on 2, 3, and 4 at a time....and get through to do more damage and open up more options. I'd like to see him given the reins to run the offense with the Quakes from the midfield. He simply must be put in a position so he can have the ball at his feet. With the current play of our midfield, being a forward is wasting his abilities and stifling his play.
Very nice post. I didn't see the match last night. Can anyone say if FSW will be showing any re-runs?
Yesterday saw Donovan at his best.... pinpoint passing, incredible vision and he was an absolutely frustrating opponent (I loved in the second half when he ran by all those Mexican players absolutely untouched!). The last few games with the Quakes he has been almost non-existent. I agree with the thread.... Attacking mid....Also, I would put DeRo & Ching up front.
you can't live in the past, though. if you try to hold onto to things too long, the league will pass the team by. .... and the way the team has been playing, especially the midfield --- well, if it ain't broken yet it's getting darn close. Besides any suggestion of bumping Ronnie off for LD is just temporary until WCQs start.
Here's a question for the future ... Ronnie may not be back next year (1-year contract, right?) and it's looking more and more possible that LD could be in Europe. Who's A-mid in 2005? Is that person even on the roster right now?
Tacticly, Flshman's setup would work. So would our current lineup/formation. What needs to change is our execution on the field of whtever formation we play. The focus has not been there on the field, and thats the most important thing.
I think Landon at attacking mid is where he should be. But, Richard needs to stay as the D Mid. Brian M is to valuable on the outside with the way he can take guys on....when he is healthy that is. As far as I'm concerned, Ronnie just watched himself out of the starting 11. True, he's helped get us the 2 cups....but times change, people get older, and you need to adapt as other teams are adapting to you. Mix it up...give Ching and Dero a shot up top with Landon at A Mid.
As great as Donovan was last night I still want him up front, at least for home games. The Quakes have always thrived on having midfielders that would beat the crap out of the other team, steal the ball, and not give it back. Guys that like to play in traffic. Donovan is a guy that tries to avoid contact, as compared with Mulrooney, Ekelund and Coralles. One option I wouldn't mind seeing is the 4-5-1 that has worked well for Donovan's youth teams. -------Ching De Ro Donovan Mullan --Ekelund Mulrooney -----<Back 4> ------Onstad That way you keep 2 destroyers in the midfield but you give Donovan more freedom to roam. On the other hand the Quakes have stuck religiously to the 4-4-2 and the consistency may be giving them a cohesion they wouldn't otherwise have.
USMT was running circles around Mexico last night and LanDo was one of the big reasons. The Bruce had it working for him last night, Landon was not invisible. Why hasn't this worked for the Quakes? I agree with those who say that we ought to try Landon in that position with either Ching, Walker or Pwamme starting up front. If it looks like it's broken, it's probably broken; time to fix it.
i posted this 3 weeks ago in your pregame thread for the first NE game...it's amazing that it's taken Donovan's performance Wednesday to bring the issue to the forefront and i have to say, i've been very unimpressed with Dom thusfar...anyways, unfortunately for you guys, DC has shown this season they are capable of disrupting good midfields, and the smaller field should help them as they hustle all 90 minutes and are always on top of the ball...if the game indeed goes that way in DC's favor (though i hope it doesn't), i hope it doesn't serve as an argument that LD in the midfield is not the best move for the team..