replace Ward w/ Kinney and that's the lineup I just e-mailed my brother with the following comments: no guarantees this works out, but I'd at least be interested in watching that team... Castillo probably plays as a slightly withdrawn forward, and Ljungberg closer to a CAM, and because not one of these midfielders plays a lick of defense, Pause keeps his job for 15 more games. If nothing else, these signings leave the impression that the front office is at least trying again...
I'm down with Kinney over Ward. Ward gives you more going forward, but with our new and improved attacking group, our outside backs can concentrate on covering for Pappa and Nyarko.
There's pulling back and countering and then there's parking the bus. I think we've forgotten how to do the former. True, but we're not playing "target forward" like the last 3 coaches, particularly with players that aren't "target forwards". I would have loved to have seen what complimentary forwards like Rolfe and Barrett could have done with a big, fast, forward like John. Again, I still see it as difference between the way we played with Bradley and the way we played with the other guys.
If that's the case then Pause shouldn't be in there either, I think he spent more time on the ground then on his feet.
Take a look at this, Donovan and Arena think we were lucky and they spotted us three goals. ******** YOU Donovan and Arena. http://latv.neulion.com/mlsvp/console.jsp?catid=1066&id=7483
Just watched the clips....typical Galaxy BS. Landon Donovan saying that our win was "Luck"? No Landon, your team even getting 2 goals off of 2 dubious penalty kick calls was "Luck". If it weren't for a ref who was so clearly in the back pockets of the Galaxy, they wouldn't have even been in the game. I think this comment is especially ridiculous considering the way the Galaxy has been playing lately. Maybe they're lucky things weren't worse. Yes the Fire took their foot off the pedal way too early and often, but they beat the Galaxy fair and square.
Just watched the game after being out of town all weekend. Jeebus, the Galaxy SUCK!!!!! They made us look like C-bus or the RedBulls out there for the first 1/2 hour or so. Sweet merciful Jeebus, was Ceauşescu or whatever his name is totally trying to salvage some points for the Galaxy. It's like he had Garber screaming at him in his earpiece or something. Johnson is our new number one keeper. Dykstra was our keeper of the present and future and now our past. Who the hell woke up Collins John? Are you sure we didn't sneak in STERN John? Where the ******** has THAT been all year? If all the John-haters can suck it, so can the Banner-haters. Mr. McBride, meet Mr. McBench for the rest of the year. Nothing better than seeing Landycakes crying into his Gals jersey.
I'm pretty sure I've said this here before, but I want to reiterate... CDLC is nothing if not exceedingly fair. He doesn't care if you're "his guy" or playing with a huge contract. He'll put the best 11 on the field and try to make it work. Props.
One goal doesn't make him a good player, atleast he didn't miss like he did against FC Dallas. I think with the additions of Castillo and Ljungberg, Collins John is going to start to score more goals. I predict if he stays healthy he'll end up with 10+ goals. McBride is going to see more of the bench, he's going to be a 10-15 minute player late sub.
Hence the qualifier before my assertion. I know, I know, I skipped the overt "then" in my "if, then" statement but... oh to hell with it. Having better players around him won't make his shooting more accurate. Maybe it will give him more shots but I bet his goals/shot ratio stays pretty much the same.
He hasn't had enough shots for anyone to claim him to be accurate or inaccurate in the shooting department IMO. If he gets more shots it can only mean good things.
That would mean 8 goals in 15 games. That's a pretty high score rate. Right now he has 2 in 10. If he finishes with 7 I'll call it positive.
Collins John was offside way too much for my taste. We obviously made bank off of testing the glaxy trap. But with his speed and size he should not have to rely on camping out with the last defender. We'll convert more attacks into goals if we don't turn the ball over = and that's basically how you have to treat these.
I absolutely agree and I was getting a little frustrated watching the offsides but I will cut him some slack for being out. His timing is off AND his timing with the midfield is off. Point two, there were a couple of times I would put it on midfielders who were slow to release the pass. Let's see if this improves or becomes a regular issue.
He's been sick all season? I did not know that. If having Nery and Freddie in midfield feeding him gets him more and better chances and that alone results in more goals, I'm all for it.
He was hospitalized, if I'm not mistaken, and in any case out of training for a fairly long time. It's safe to assume he felt the effects of his affliction before he was sidelined. I sure hope now that he's healthy and seemingly match fit that we'll have the striker we all hoped we were getting back in the winter.