I think when Stewart said he was willing to play anywhere at the beginning of the season, he was assuming that the coaching staff would need him at that new position with some regularity. I don't see any hypocrisy here.
Wow. This thread had real promise of examining some of the inconsistencies and meandering thought processes of the DCU F.O... until Budwiser started hittin' the crack pipe. Dude. You can say a lot of things negative about Earnie, but just about EVERYTHING written about the guy points to class. Both for the USMNT, for NAC (NEC? can never remember) Breda, and for this entire season leading up to the comments after Saturday. And, really, what has he been quoted saying? 1) That he's frustrated with the overall lack of team play and coordination. 2) That' it's been a difficult year, for a variety of reasons, for him personally. He's struggled to find a groove. Personally, I don't really care how many huge articles are written about Hristo -- He's a cancer. His attitude sucks and he needs to go. Marco, while maybe not cancer is certainly some kind of nasty, pustulant growth that needs to go as well. This team needs some selective surgery, not an enema.
Re: My last word OK, so I've learned since my post: -Earnie=team oriented midfielder -Earnie couldn't be a nicer guy -Earnie's great because Etch sucks -Earnie's great because Serna sucks -As sormun is to Convey I'm to Stewart -I've started hitting the crack pipe -Earnie's great because Hristo sucks You talk about hypocrisy. A lot of these same people will give Earnie Stewart every freaking break they can possibly come up with, and piss on Etcheverry, Hristo, and Serna. Etcheverry, Hristo, and Serna's stats each are so much better than Stewart's it's laughable. And yet Stewart is SOOOOOOOOOOO much better. By the way Serna's been hurt, that's why he's not playing. And last I checked, LA should be going to the Conference Finals There is one thing that will NEVER be said about Earnie Stewart this year by a lot of you, which is PLAIN OBVIOUS TO EVERYONE EXCEPT A LOT OF YOU, AND TO EARNIE STEWART That's that he SUCKED this year. Period. He has talent-NO question about it-and he may do better next year. But do NOT discount the fact that I had to watch his S max salary play this year, and then have to listen to him whine about it being because of the "OTHER" players on the team You talk about being disingenuity....
I was referring to the fact that Eski was dumb enough to get a traffic violation in the first place. Add that to the list of rookie mistakes he's had for the year. But back to the topic: Bud's comments didn't surprise me. Truth be told no player on our team has done anything to deserve a max salary allocation. But DC felt obligated to use it. Did you think we were gonna sit on it for a year? Of course not, and we chose the player we thought was the most valuable to us in that regard. The fact that Earnie was designated a max salary player by the League says that they felt he would be an impact player, but he honestly doesn't do that on any team he plays for. He's not a goal-scorer or someone who gets his name in the paper every week. He is a team player, someone who tries to get the team to play together, hustles for the ball, and distributes as best he can. Granted he hasn't done all those things to the degree we all hoped for, but he hasn't had the same opportunities to get himself acclimated to the team. This was going to be a tough year for him regardless of that. He has had to adjust to life in America (something I can empathize with Earnie because I too lived in the NL for a while), new players, and a new coach. I saw this year as a transition year for him and expect better things from him once he has had a chance to fully integrate himself with the team.
Getting a speeding ticket is a rookie mistake? I don't know if you've ever driven through some of No. Va.'s finer jurisdictions, but a few make a lot of money off of writing tickets, and are very good/creative at catching "violators". (Falls Church in particular, Arlington's pretty good at it as well)
I don't know ... We're always complaining that DC United players go to slow. So finally one goes too fast and, wouldn't you know it, we still complain! No pleasing nobody, huh.
It's one thing to say that Earnie has underperformed. I doubt anyone will argue with that. It's another to accuse the guy who is lauded by national team colleagues time and time again for his dedication and professionalism for having too big an ego andonly caring about himself. The Anacostia doesn't have enough poison to change someone like that overnight.
Well you've pissed on Diego Serna and Hristo Stoitchkov, whom you've never met. So I take it it's the "lauded by national team colleagues time and time again for his dedication and professionalism" part that makes all the difference....remember this?? Dave/Steven: First, I owe you an apology for doubting the wisdom of bringing Mike Petke to DC. He certainly has shown that he's a true pro on and off the field and a wonderful addition to the organization. Which brings me to the news of Diego Serna trying out for the team. It's bad enough we have to watch the petulance of Hristo Stoichkov (averaging a caution evey 98 minutes or so) but will the team really benefit from the presence of someone like Serna, who has been habitually disrespectful of higher ups in his MLS career? Do we - as fans - really need to find out one of our players is MIA because he wanted to go home? Do we really need to wonder if one of our players will ever show up for games, much less practices? Do we really need to see quality professionals like Earnie Stewart, Bobby Convey, Mike Petke, Ryan Nelsen and Nick Rimando tainted by the actions of someone only looking out for himself. DC United is more than a soccer team. I's an image. That image will be seriously compromised if Diego Serna joins the team. I live two hours from D.C. Because of personal commitments, I haven't made it down to see a game yet. But I have plans to come July 16 and 19. I don't know if I would be so willing to make future trips if someone like Diego Serna joined United. So Earnie plays as you would say an "underperforming" year, then proceeds to piss on certain teammates teammates for not playing soccer the way he thinks it should, and hints that the "higher-up" coach is not putting in a system, stated that he's been most of all impressed by being thanked for playing different positions, and we can't accuse the guy Earnie because the guy is "lauded by national team colleagues time and time again for his dedication and professionalism".
You don't deserve my time, but I'm a glutton. I questioned actions. You questioned character. Besides, I never said you couldn't cast aspersions on a player. Just don't be such a baby and cry "don't make a personal attack" when you're going to denigrate someone's dedication.
And I'm sure that example of class Earnie does deserves your time instead. My apologies for wasting your time monster. You responded to my post. And responded to it in a way which made it necessary to respond to yours.
Okay, I've got a question for you Budweiser: would you be upset if Etch or any other member of this team said the same thing? Certainly Stewart's quotes could've been said by anyone as this team never really lived up to its potential. Stewart says what everyone is thinking and you want to chastise him? Here's one for you: don't shoot the messenger. It's easier for some people to make Stewart the scapegoat because he's new to this team, but the problems have been here before he arrived and continue to remain. He wants them to be addressed and I don't blame him. These problems must be addressed if this team is ever going to succeed to its potential.
if you're gonna point fingers.... And I'm pitching in to go you one better... to hell with your assessment of Stewart's Play Budweiser- this back and forth posting opinions of it is childish, especially if any out there assessing Earnie's dedication this year isn't right alongside him attending team practices, charity and PR functions, etc. Leave that for the folks who have been and can. If you find one that sides with you, THEN I'd consider what they as well as you had to say. Your comparisons are subjective, and largely unfair, or at least deemed so by most responding to your characterizations. Instead, you should focus on the veracity of his comments, NOT whether or not he's WORTHY of carrying the Truth. Indeed, it would be far worthier of your scorn to direct comments at folks who with their reputation in THIS league (MLS) (not to mention this team!!!!) already established , who AREN'T being as critical, and instead leave it for a guy settling in his first year in the LEAGUE let alone the team. Let's ponder who, aside from the obvious choices, namely the former (Marco)as well as current Team Captains(Nelson-hey folks, if the team's going wrong, and the coach doesnt see the answer, as far ast the team is concerned, first up is the Captain to point the way, if he can) to start. For crying out loud, if the story of their careers is to believed, we have 2 veritable International LEGENDS in Hristo and Marco. Maybe Marco's demotion can be said to be suspect at his identical or at least similar appraisal to Earnie's earlier minus the public quotes. And maybe you'd have a point there, about keeping it inside the team and out of the papers, but I've yet to see that from any of your posts. Oh, and while we're at it, can't you hear the freaking ECHO in Ray's most recent comments from what Earnie had to say Monday? I'd score that a bullseye. On a much lighter side- Wake up and smell the coffee dude- or better yet, try some of the Kool-Aid-!!! Can't imagine anyone preferring Budweiser to Kool-Aid, for taste leastways. Especially Grape- and oh, yeah- Cherry.
OK this thread's getting tiresome I suppose, I've said what I had to say pretty much, but to answer your question..... There is nobody else I know of in MLS (Etch included) who comes in at max salary, performs like complete s over almost every single game he plays in, and then right when the year's virtually over bitches that he didn't perform well because the other members of the team. That's why I said "The more I learn about this guy Earnie, the more I think he's got a gigantic ego that won't be accountable to himself and let him admit to anything being his fault. And he's the first guy in MLS with whom I've ever felt that way." that got monster so upset. That doesn't sound like a humble team player to me that people are trying to make him out to be. A humble team player to me would admit he sucked, hurt the team, maybe apologize for his play and work his ass off to make up for short changing the fans, the coach, himself, everyone associated with him. I'm just looking for one thing from Earnie-that's to admit that he SUCKED this year-not because of anything or anyone-but just because he SUCKED. Take responsibility for his play. He may do better next year, but like I said he should NOT discount the fact that me, as a fan, had to watch his sorry ass play this year. Etcheverry may retire, Stoitchkov may as well because of a poor season, and he may be in part the cause of it. Players who want to take the center mid spot from him next year who are younger and more productive maybe won't be able to because of him. Convey's been here 2 years longer than him, and may not get the center mid spot. He doesn't seem to give a s about it all other than his teammates need to pass the ball better to him so he can play more like the "team" guy that he is. BS.
And if I played like complete s most of the time, there is no way in hell I'd let the coach apologize for me. Nor would I talk about how it meant the world to me that the staff forced me to "underperform" by playing in different positions (which happened to result because he SUCKED at just about all of them and they were looking for a spot to play him). That's because I'd be accountable to my own *#*#*#*#*#ty play.
OK you got me on Lothar. I seem to remember him bitching about something-if I remember right they found a pic of him getting a tan having fun on a beach when he was supposed to be injured. And he didn't produce much, though he was a defender and I think the Metros got 1st place in their division Luis Hernandez was actually productive. I don't remember hearing about him bitching about his teammates' play. He wasn't worth what MLS paid for him, of course. But he got 12 goals and 8 assists in only about 500 minutes more than what Earnie's gotten
This is a load of self indulgent boll#$s. Not surprising after a bad season. Earnie is being a little bit self-indulgent due to frustration. So am I. So are you. No-one who watches the game keenly can say he has done everything wrong. He has been trying to do everything right from a european-league perspective, where it's all pinpoint passing and getting a slick setup at all costs. He makes great runs, dinks, fades and carries the ball when required. He is the definition of a team player, frustrated among a team of headless chickens who couldn't dribble past my grandmother. He HAS had a bad year, as he fully admits. As astute posters have stated elsewhere, good teams work via clinically precise systems which are EMBELLISHED by individual acts of genius. Only in leagues as crap as MLS USED TO BE, can individuals run the game like Marco used to. Give Earnie an intelligent system with talented players and he will perform. A stonemason can't build a cathedral with a box full of toffee hammers. I am a grownup boy! I did my own Ray Hudson quote!!!!
as was evident with my indoor team - we won our first game of the season against the top team in the league (we're the very very bottom) mainly because of a single guest player - sometimes all you need is one really good player to make the rest of the team work. it would've been brilliant to see ernie do that for united. call it bad positioning, egos, slow players, who knows...it just didn't happen. but there is always next year and hopefully a few less egos and slow players. but before I get overly complacent about this season I am going to head off to the pourhouse to watch the chicago match. we could win. we could even get three or more goals. you never know, stranger things have happened. two side notes - if you ask me, etch doesn't perform the way he used to because of a little shop called dunkin donuts. mmm, vanilla kreme filled. (sorry, I digress.) petke plays better when his hair is bleached. (or maybe I can just see him better so I focus on his play more. regardless, I think he should take it into consideration.)
Looks like there's more than Lothar and Earnie that bitch about other players causing their own poor play. We can as of today's article add Clint Mathis to the guys that complain about their teammates' play after having a bad year (though he had 9 goals, 1 assist) From the article: When it was presented to him that goalscorers in soccer are like quarterbacks in football -- they get the credit when things are going well, the blame when they are going poorly -- Mathis responded quickly, "I'm not the quarterback, I'm the receiver." That was a not-so-subtle hint that the MetroStars' midfield hasn't been getting him the ball in good scoring position. From http://www.nj.com/sports/ledger/index.ssf?/base/sports-0/1068187857187590.xml Bradley isn't saying he wants him back. Not exactly shocking. But like w/Stewart, there remains Metro fans who seem to have their lips glued to Mathis' ass.