Grabaovy Rumors

Discussion in 'Chicago Fire' started by bigredmachine, Jul 1, 2005.

  1. jscott23

    jscott23 Member

    Manchester United
    United States
    Jan 24, 2003
    Poway, CA
    Club:
    Los Angeles Galaxy
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Yes, JT is a Southern California boy, and we are very thin on quality wide players, although you in Chicago may not feel JT has any quality left. "If" he can get healthy, I would take him in a minute.

    Ned is most certainly NOT a d-mid type. In fact I would almost call him a defensive liability, no matter what you saw him do in college. The game is so much faster at this level and Ned has neither size nor speed, but what he does have is tremendous touch, vision and creativity. He is best suited to playing behind the forwards in the center of the field. Its not that Sampson doesn't like him, its just that we have a lot of guys with that limited skill set, and very few forward/winger types. Monday he got to show his wares vs. NE and I thought he did quite well because all the attack went through him. the problem is Cobi then disappeared and when Landon or Jovan is on the field Ned has no place but on the bench.

    This may be one of those greener pastures moves that benefits both players.
     
  2. Chris M.

    Chris M. Member+

    Jan 18, 2002
    Chicago
    SOLD!

    I was excited by the possibility of Mapp on one side and Thorrington on the other, but it just seems that Thorrington is a poor man's John O'Brien. As a Cubs fan, I can tell you that watching your best players play "simulated" games is no fun.

    Give me a healthy kid with potential at this point. If the trade went down, I would really hope that Thorrington has a good healthy stretch where he can get his career back on track, I just don't think we have the depth to let him do it here.
     
  3. Fanaddict

    Fanaddict Member+

    Mar 9, 2000
    streamwood IL USA
    Club:
    Chicago Fire
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I'm sick of injury prone players. It has killed fire chances to win the MLS championship since 1998.Using a partial allocation on Thorrington maybe one of the worst personnel moves in fire history. Not only costing us the rights to donovan but with him hurt most of the time and playing basically invisible when he is on the field.
     
  4. Bigdudeduke

    Bigdudeduke New Member

    Apr 26, 2000
    Chicago Suburbs
    Not to be argumentative with you "Kozy", but we have several players on our roster that need to change addresses for their own benefit. As discussed in the "Questions for Peter Wilt" thread (by Peter in fact), Kelly Gray is a good example. Kelly's career has been rejuvinated in San Jose where he is happy and playing regularly. It was a win for all concerned - he's not sitting on the FIRE bench decaying, and we picked up draft picks for him. The object of any professional sports team is to have a quality second wave of players that are capable of stepping in for a starter and maintain a high level of play. Clearly, the FIRE does not currently have that kind of depth. Considering that, then why not use those players on our roster that have not developed as hoped for HERE as bargaining chips for the likes of a Grabavoy, or any other solid canidate for that matter?

    As "CHAD" stated: (there is) "No shame for players or management to trade young players so they can have opportunities both to get new shots in new places and to better each team". :)
     
  5. kebzach

    kebzach Member

    Dec 30, 2000
    Greenfield, WI
    John-- let's just imagine that the Fire were #1 in line when Donovan became available. Aside from the fact that there was no way the Fire could have known that Donovan would have become available, what salary money would they have had to pay him with?
     
  6. lammygeek

    lammygeek New Member

    Feb 4, 2003
    minneapolis mn
    Best we could have hoped for would have been Ruiz or something. Baby Jesus made it clear he was going to play for LA.
     
  7. BrianJames

    BrianJames Member

    Jul 30, 2000
    Chicago
    It's a bit ridiculous to think Donovan, MLS and the powers-that-be were going to go through all the effort to get him back to the states only for to be placed anywhere but his first choice, no matter what "chances" we may have had.

    Grabavoy starts and was subbed in the 77th for the Galaxy this weekend. Anyone that watched this have any comments on how he played?
     
  8. Bigdudeduke

    Bigdudeduke New Member

    Apr 26, 2000
    Chicago Suburbs
    Ruiz - perish the thought! :p
     
  9. skinut

    skinut Moderator
    Staff Member

    Jun 25, 2000
    Castle Pines, CO (or often elsewhere on earth)
    Club:
    Chicago Fire
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    "Bring Out Your Dead!"
     
  10. Bigdudeduke

    Bigdudeduke New Member

    Apr 26, 2000
    Chicago Suburbs
    A review from All-American XI, Week 14 by Big Soccer Moderator Chicago 1871 : "What does it say when a coach who doesn't give you any minutes throws you out there against the best team in the league and asks you to replace what he's missing without Landon Donovan? Yes, it means Steve Sampson may be an idiot, but it may also mean you're Ned Grabavoy, who showed himself to be one of the most compelling young skilled players in the league last year, and this year, has shown he's way too good for the reserve league. The best player on the field Monday. He had flashes of brilliance coupled with stretches of inconsistency. Additional playing time might even things out - hopefully in the positive direction. Whether he'll get that playing time in LA ... who knows".

    I say that Ned Grabavoy is worthy to wear the FIRE Red.
     

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