i wouldnt think itd be anywhere near MLS's interest to extend his loan. I'm sure that'd be a great thing for Brian and Everton, but ya can't just keep on loaning something if you've already said you want it but don't want to pay for it. at least that's how i look at it.
MLS should tell them to piss off....the loan worked out great for them (Moyes claiming best move of any club since break), and any further extentions of the loan by MLS will be just giving McBride away when its just not necessary.... Leverage will only go DOWN with an extention of (the) loan... Really, this is less now an issue of McBride, but future transfers as well. MLS does not need a ton for McBride, but they can't give him away either, for they will look like negotiating saps and develop a rep as such..
I think they should take into account what McBride want's. He's been a good servant to MLS, this is his last chance to 'live out a dream' by playing in the EPL, why not make the best deal they can, shake his hand, and say "Thanks for the last 6 years, and good luck, Brian".
I think American40 is right on. Selfishly, I would like to see mcBride back in the U.S. so I can see him live .... but the guys worked hard off for MLS. give him a break. besides, it might open up a few doors for other Americans down the line that want the same chance.
I know Moyes is fixated on youth, but 31 is not exactly ancient, even in soccer. No more loan for Brian.
He won't be 31 until June. But besides that, I've seen and heard a lot of comments from fairly reliable sources that one of MLS's big concerns is that they fear Columbus fans would be very upset about him moving permanently. While it certainly is true that he is the absolute icon for the Crew particularly among younger kids (a lot of littler kids can't name a single other player, but will sit there babbling about "Brian" all game long) most fans would not only understand but be very pleased for him. Some people compare it to Brad Friedel, but he was only there a year and a half, or Stern John, who was a great fan favorite but who is not an American. It's different but it's still OK. Forget giving the wrong impression to other foreign teams: he's done his share for MLS. Take a reasonable offer for the guy, let him play over there a couple years and then come back home. It's just the right thing to do.
Let him go. He will still be good at 35 and can come back and play in MLS again. The best of both worlds.
Why does everyone assume that McBride wants to stay in England? Remember the recent Jamie Trecker NY Times interview with McBride? Here's a snippit: '"I've spent nine years in Columbus," McBride said of the Ohio city he has called home since M.L.S. was formed in 1996. "Dina and Ashley and I love it," he said of his wife and daughter. "I miss things there — like Mitchell's steakhouse. Or Lou Manetti's pizza in Chicago. It's the best pizza in the world. I suppose there are things here that we would like, but we don't know about them." Accepted wisdom has it that American players have to go abroad if they are to improve. But McBride, 30, feels that might not be the case for him, and moreover, it might not be best for his family. "M.L.S. has been a good deal for a lot of guys," he said. "Comparing the two is really like comparing apples and oranges," he said of M.L.S. and the Premier League. "The speed is different, but every year M.L.S. gets faster."' Sounds, to me, that McBride's pretty happy in MLS.
??? As I understand it, Everton wants to keep him till May 2004. He'll be just shy of turning 32. It kinda makes sense. Moyes might be thinking that by the 04-05 season, Rooney will be ready to be a starter, and/or Everton will be able to acquire the depth needed to compete in Europe and England. And by then, it's quite possible that Brian will have lost enough pace to make him not useful to Everton, but still useful to the Crew. Brian gets one season where he makes a ton of cash. Everton and MLS keep the option open. MLS gets a big loan fee (I assume), they get in good with the players, and they have a good message to give the Crew fans. It's kinda like Bush'n'Blair's latest plan. Put off a final decision until it really has to be a final decision.
If any team in MLS can withstand the loss of a top forward like McBride, it's the Crew. Besides McBride, they've got a member of the national team pool in Jeff Cunningham, a rising star in Edson Buddle and a proven veteran in Dante Washington. As I see it, selling McBride is a win-win for MLS as it A) gets them some cash; B) makes them look good to the players for agreeing to sell McBride; C) creates a window that allows Buddle to play, thus developing another future player (who could actually end up better than McBride); and D) creates a roster spot for some kid fighting to make the Crew's roster.
if any mls persona is going to throw out the notion that columbus will be upset if mchead goes... they need to get out of the sports business
By letting him go, is everyone thinking "loan"? Doesn't a "loan" inherently mean you will get less for a player than a "sale"....thus, not such a good deal (especially older players) I could see Everton offer MLS a whopping $500,000 under an extention of the loan....wow! (sarcasm) MLS should sell him and try to get around 1.5-2.0 million Also, I'm surprised folks here are not concerned about MLS' developing a rep as the easy place to pick up a bargain cheap, good player if they "undersell" McBride..
If MLS decides to loan McBride, which I think we will all agree that its the right thing to do for McHead (assuming that its of course what he wants), then I could see a couple of things happening. First, MLS could insist that the terms of the agreement are not made public, in which case it doesnt clearly weaken their position in future negotiations. Second, its a loan, and any team that requests a loan for a player can just be flatly denied citing special circumstances in McBrides case. Additionally its a loan without an option to buy, meaning that if a Everton decided they couldnt live without him after the end of next season, MLS's position is actually signifigantly strengthened. From a club and player development standpoint, while of course McBride would be an asset to the Crew, he also would interfere with young Mr. Buddle's career growth. Preseason indications are that he is a player that will come into his own this year, so the Crew have some forward issues if McBride stays. So his staying in Everton will if anything make it possible to gracefully avoid this minutes crunch. The most important thing though is this doesnt feel like an "MLS is a feeder league" type of move, at least to me. Its more about giving a guy the opportunity to play in a league I suspect he has always wanted to play in, and shows that the top MLS players are capable in playing in any league in Europe. Kind of like giving a test drive, if you like what you see then you can get down to the serious business (assuming that MLS has any desire to sell at all).
Right... And what is MLS' strategy with Donovan? A 2 year loan is too much for McBride but perfectly fine to keep LD in MLS. Seems some people are getting a little hypocritical...
i DO NOT KNOW MC BRIDE'S CARACHTER AND PERSONALITY, BUT IF HE WAS HONEST WHEN HE SAID MANY TIMES, THAT HE IS NOT COMFORTABLE IN ENGLAND AND MISSES HIS COUNTRY AND FAMILY , THEN THAT IS WHAT HE WANTS,... ISN'T IT? opps,sorry for the caps MLS just signed a new contract with him, question is how much is it worth ? if Everton wants him for peanuts then they are dreaming. McBride is easily worth 1,5 mil
My wild, wild guess is that Everton had talked to McBride before they discussed with MLS about his loan extension.
I still think that if McBride was so hell-bent on playing in Europe as some folks seem to think, he wouldn't have just signed a new contract with MLS in the off season. If he hadn't signed then, he'd be available for free now. So, if MLS want to hold on to him unless they get a generous offer, I surely don't see that they'd be the ones to hold at fault for Brian remaining in the states. He had a chance to be out-of-contract after a successful World Cup, and could have offered himself around and still had time to sign a last minute deal with MLS if nothing turned up. He passed on that chance.
My wild, wild guess is that Everton had talked to McBride before they discussed with MLS about his loan extension.
Assuming the loan fee is in the $500,000 range, which is entirely plausible, MLS gets a third of the Crew's salaries paid. Brian would essentially miss 1 MLS season. Does keeping McBride with the crew represent a $500,000 increase in their revenue over 1 season? I highly doubt it. That equates to a drop in attendance of approximately 1750 fans paying $20 for 14 home games. If almost 2000 fans stop going to Crew games because McBride isn't playing for them, then MLS is going to struggle for ever. Good for Brian, I hope it happens.
MLS and cheap sell? LOL... It seems the league asks too much for a player when another club attempts to bid for him.