................................................................... What are you saying ??? Sure, we had a "striker problem" before he come as a "striker". Of course, our "problem" remain, this clown accepted $275000 to play striker, despite the fact that he was an attacking midfielder !!! The idiot believed the MLS is somehow a second hand league and he will be able to play anything, including striker. The truth of the matter is that he subestimate our league whereby he didn't play even a decent midfielder. Now, how do you think he wants to adress "our problem". Do you think having the mf.. another year will adress our problem ??? In other words, spending $ 275000 for such un idiot of a player we are gonna be able to face Chicago again next year and beat them up !! Are you guys nuts or what ??? We do not have strikers and we need the money to buy real players, why in the word do we need this clown again ??? Remember, next year most of the teams will have stronger players on the field, we have miserably fail this year with Earnie getting the striker money !! What do you think it will happen next year if we fail to kick him and other "primadonas" out of the team ?? Are you not scared to see Chicago kicking our asses on RFK again ?? Please guys, be reasonable!! This is becoming a tough league to play, for God sakes we do not have the luxury to give another chance to this clown !! We just cannot afford to do that. He had his chance and he blew it !! Just think about this painfull fact : AT THIS TIME WE DO NOT HAVE COMPETITIVE STRIKERS !! That means we need to BUY some !! Is that clear or what ???
Which is stupider: our team for taking Earnie thinking he was a striker or us for calling Earnie a striker? And since when does a max salary player=striker? That's the stupidest damn thing I've heard in quite some time. What we need to do is find strikers that are capable of scoring. Money only comes into play after we decide how talented they are. End of story. Now is Earnie a waste of money? Many of you would say so based on his play. However, he is one of the most versatile players we have and can play multiple positions at a better than average rate. I like how people get pissy because he doesn't churn assists or goals, but he is not that kind of player. Never was, never will be. He is content to help the team in any way possible. And many say bench him. Well, guess what? We have nobody that is capable of stepping in to take his spot. No one. Nadda, zero, zilch. Many of you overlook that simple fact. Our depth right now is squat. Yeah, it's sad, but we have dealt with it all season. Wanna hear something even funnier? Earnie would gladly be traded away if he felt it was in the best interests of the team. Why? Because that's the kind of guy he is. The team means more to him than him as a player. The team defeats are his defeats, the victories are his victories. Earnie cares about this team and is trying to fit in. That was never going to be simple or quick. I can't believe people are so shortsighted that they want to get rid of him after one season. If that were the case, half our damn team would have been gone long ago and this team would be in shambles. Learn some patience people.
If as an offensive player he's not providing assists and goals, then specifically, what'd he do this year that's so great? Seriously? Defense? Team Chemistry (which even Goff said sucks)? Like speak-in-pictures Lowecifer with a National Enquirer cover, this enquiring mind wants to know.... Go for it jason, or anybody else. I'd love to know what he's doing or will do that's so great. He said it's about the 3 points. However, when he's off the field, we've had a much better percentage of getting 3 points, than when he's on the field. Versatility sounds great. But where to put him. Who the hell knows. Wherever you put him, someone else won't be able to play. Anyways thanks for the conversation guys. I've said my piece on Earnie....may he do better next year so I won't have to bitch about him.
He did nothing great. In fact, nobody did anything great. However, I'm not willing to condemn him for one season's worth of play (not even a full one at that). To say we're better team without him is a twisted statement. He wasn't available for quite a few matches and then was forced into playing other positions due to various injuries. To base our results on one player is crap because soccer is a team sport (well, it's supposed to be). I no more blame Stewart than I do Warren, Cerritos, Martins, Petke, Kovalenko, or any other (new) player on our team. We win as a team, we lose as a team. There is no one to blame, but ourselves. Saying all that, I still belive he is experiencing "growing pains", but YMMV. I, too, would like for Stewart to do better next year. In fact, I would say he would do better given that he won't be participating in all the US qualifiers and will be better able to acclimate himself to this team. But that does take time, something we should give Stewart before passing a total judgment on him.
OK thanks for being honest about it. However, Earnie said it's more than about his stats. I'd like to know exactly what he means by that. Seems to me the greatest forwards in the world tend to score the most goals-are people crazy for around the world for thinking the guys who score the most goals tend to be the best forwards? I just don't get this "stats means nothing" attitude...yeah it's a team game, yeah you need to play d and cover, yeah you need to do some things that don't show up on the stat sheet, but Imean come on.... But that does take time, something we should give Stewart before passing a total judgment on him. He's had a year, but fine. Give him next year. And if he sucks next year as much as he sucked this year, I expect you Earnie lovers to admit being mistaken about his worth to this team. I don't care what he did for the US National Team, his team in Holland, I care about what he's doing for DC UNITED, and as of now he hasn't done much at all so I see no reason yet to be thrilled he's playing for DC UNITED for max salary next year
................................................................. I have to confess, this post was by far the most hilarious comment in a very long time !!! Let me answer step by step !! First, our team was looking specifically for a striker, Ray asked Earnie to play striker for $ 275000 and the idiot said : " that is fine with me" !! In other words, for this kind of money I will do it !! This is not stupidity, this is outright BLASPHEMY !! Secondly, Earnie is a versatile player. He can play many positions. Of course, he can play but with no impact for the team's performance what so ever !! One goal two assists in 22 games !! That's the truth !! Nobody can replace him !! Of course nobody can replace him, any other player replacing him would do something in the midfield or attack, it is very difficult to find another player as inutile as he is !! We cannot replace him because we do not need to replace such a loser !!! Third, of course he wants to go to another team to get another year undeserved $ 275000, he allready has problems with us !! So finding another "idiots" to pay his max salary is the best outcome for him !! Fourth, You are dam right " we the shortsighted" would love to see hallf of the team gonne ( midfield except Dema and Ben) and all the strikers. You are wrong again, we are in "shambles" rihght now with them still in the team not with them gonne. If , we suceede to get rid of all those dummies we might have the chance to bring much better players and build a better team !! Keep the only competitive part of our team : the DEFENSE !!!
So Sormun, statistics are everything, right? Every good or great player must have an amazing list of individual statistics that prove that they are better than anyone else. What a load of crap. You would rather see us dismantle our team every season in the vain attempt that we get it right eventually. That kind of thinking fields an inconsistent team, which is what we had all season (Stewart or not). So what you want for next season is a repeat of this year. It's good to see what your true wishes are. DC is not going to stumble onto some magical player (although there is the report that the top goalscorer of the Costa Rican league (Claudius Ciccia with 41 goals) is going to sign with an MLS club already in the playoffs next season, TTAYW). Now I know we need forwards. No one would argue you on that point. But you calling Stewart a forward is the stupidest damn thing yet. There is a huge difference between playing forward and being a forward. We didn't have a decent forward until Cerritos signed with us in August. That's 4 1/2 months into the season. And yet people wonder why we struggled. Team management screwed up the moment we decided that Earnie would be the cure for our offense. Anyone stupid enough to believe that has no idea what kind of player Stewart is or what he brings to a team.
Earlier in the season these boards were full of posts about how Earnie was making the right run at the right time to the right place, but nobody was seeing him or getting him the ball. He was playing like the experienced, talented player he is but his supporting cast wasn't up to the task. From what I've seen this season, only Earnie, Hristo and Ronald routinely make the kind of runs that mark a good and experienced offensive player. Get all three of them on the pitch in "offensive" posiitions at the same time and, with decent service, we might have a decent attack. But we've had to move Earnie all over the field, and even Ronald was back in the midfield in one match covering up a weakness, so these three have only rarely been able to combine in an attacking way. No, at their age they are not going to ever be one of the great attacking combinations, but if and when they are on the field together and can concentrate on attacking it could make for an interesting match. Which is a long way of saying that Stewart neither whines nor sucks, but he's had the misfortune to play with a team that doesn't anticipate well and doesn't know where to look for him when he is simply making the runs he learned to make during his European career. Sure, he's blown some sitters and misplayed some balls, but who hasn't? I was in the Munich airport last month watching about four Bundesliga games simultaneously and first-team strikers - and midfielders - were doing the same thing. The difference was their supporting players kept getting them the ball in dangerous positions and the goals eventually came.
I actually like this one better than the stonemason thing. Though come to mention it, the team sort of did look like a bunch of stoned masons...
Thank you for your accurate memory, and for once and for all (hoping here) dispeling and discounting the seemingly endless stream of knocks against Earnie, his accepting max salary, his gaffs at goal, his presumed lack of team spirit, lack of dedication... where the hell do all you guys get off on your assumptions? First- any one out there doubt the league's intentions in bringing Earnie over? Second-any dissenter ever consider any of the Nat team player's comments over the years in assessing the quality, effectiveness, dedication, or leadership of Earnie? Can either come up with any player or coach playing alongside or against him with a similar assesment as you provide? Assumingly, I am like most here- a poster trying to analyze the game from an armchair's view. It is very disappointing and downright irritating to hear regurgitated stats thrown in the face of those trying to spin comments made about the status and future of DC United from a player on the team. Budweiser, Sormun- I 've heard enough about Earnie's level of play from your seemingly selective memories and stat-slanted perspective, or his being max salary. Both of you keep begging the masses to agree with your assesments, yet NEITHER of you comment on the VALIDITY of his statements in relation to the team's performance. Meaning what- you disagree?? You feel there HAS been a viable system in place, the team has been playing it, that we HAVE had consistency both in personnel, commitment to the level of play and effective communication between the coach and teammates as well as between players themselves? Let's see- the number of different line-ups this year approaches- perhaps exceeds- the numbers of players on the roster. Marco gets stripped of being Captain, Hristo gets black PR eye from injuring AU student-player, Nelson becomes captain with arguably little in terms of tenure,we traded away all our other leaders, or at least long tenured players(Pope, Moreno, Williams) Who on the team in ANYONE's opinion deserves to mantle the responsibility for the team-in terms of the manner in which they play-effective enough to enforce it amongst the players at their level (aside from coaches and admin here obviously folks). Not sure he asked for a leadership role, but let me ask you- after the 1st playoff game, near the end of the after party, amongst the few players that stayed, Nelson (that's right, the captain) and Dema were having a seated and apparantly closed conversation( no one in the bar considering approaching them). Granted, it's speculation at best, but the facts here point out something rather clearly from the player's perspective, which makes it wholly relevant specific to your remarks. namely that these 3 at least attempt to communicate- if not about the team, then personally. I don't hear anything about Earnie being in the doghouse following his comments, so.....if he's got no team dedication, no talent for making runs, etc.. how is it he ends up at least palling around if not discussing team bidness with our unquestionable leader in drive and work ethic (Dema) and our current defensive stalwart and Captain (Ryan)?? But I think he hit near the truth- and so do many here. For one, I also think that we'd see or hear some ripple effect if the Team took him to be mistaken, or had decided Earnie has an inflating ego. The fact that Earnie Stewart said them be damned.We've heard your opinions -we get it. In your camp, this season - he sucked, and as a result, we should cut him next year, given the money we could use on a viable striker. Somehow that doesn't spell consistency. Moreover, you both forget how budgeting firms, like MLS, work. Earnie played poorly,ok, we'll grant for the sake of argument. But you cut your max salary player after 1 year, after making the splash about landing him to begin with? You do that, and guess what happens to your rep in the market boys.... Can you say- "teams that don't give props get no signees.?" not to mention adding your own name to a list of idiots. But I'll go out on a limb, as far as you are concerned, not the many supporting posters out there- and say if he does resign next year, he accepts the pay cut necessary to land a striker, should we miraculously identify a bonafide (yes, ma'am, bonafide)threat. NEXT!!!!!
No....the guy's an accomplished National Team player. He may play well in MLS someday, my only points are he SUCKED this year, and he has the wrong attitude to go off blaming others for his play this year Second-any dissenter ever consider any of the Nat team player's comments over the years in assessing the quality, effectiveness, dedication, or leadership of Earnie? Can either come up with any player or coach playing alongside or against him with a similar assesment as you provide? Like I said holmes, I don't care about his US National Team play, or is play in Holland. I don't care what the US National Team players, Arena, or his Holland buddies think of him. I care about what he does on DC UNITED It is very disappointing and downright irritating to hear regurgitated stats The stats I use are goals, assists, and shots. How about it being irritating to be told individual goals, assists, and shots don't matter.....goes contrary to common sense Both of you keep begging the masses to agree with your assesments No I'm not. I've got my opinion, and I respect all others. No one has to agree with me. BarbDett may spend 3 lifetimes and never agree with me-and I don't care about that.
I'm going to step back and ask if you feel that Q1, Cerritos, Martins, Stoichkov, and a few other players sucked this season due to their similar stats. Stats, or rather goals and assists, will tell you who the main offensive threats on a team are, but they do not give a complete picture of a team.