It's a Jozy thing: Altidore at Villarreal

He is a 21 year old striker getting spot playing time behind one of the best strike duos in the world right now. By any standard other than that from a message board fanatic, Jozy is in an outstanding situation.

Grella playing on a lesser team in a lesser league against lesser opponents and getting less playing time NEEDED a loan. Jozy playing on one of the best teams in Europe, competing against Europa League opponents, and getting a decent amount of playing time is a desirable situation for any young striker. He doesn't NEED more playing time right now.

If Jozy was any lower than 4th on the depth chart then it would be a no-brainer. However, he is still getting Europa League matches and Copa Del Rey playing time. He is one minor event away from more playing time in the second best league in the world. Whether it is his own improvement or an injury to one of the top 3, Jozy could easily see his playing time increase in the second half of the season.

 

All Jozy needs right now is a win on Thursday, even if he doesn't start, because it will bring at least 2 more Europa League games that he'll have a chance to play in unless he's loaned out before then...

 

you learn squat from sitting on good benches. If you could, Kirovski and Spector would be Golden Ball winners. That sat on awesome benches. Among the best benches in the world. Jozy is playing giblets at a time when he needs to be playing week in and week out.

 

Yes I agree he should get more pt, but sitting on the bench and learning does not equate to him wasting his time.

 

Jozy is getting plenty of PT...

 

So what you're saying is that if Spector and Krivolski had started every week for Leeds they would be Golden Ball winners?

 

just not during games.

 

This rumor has been flying around Kaiserslautern for the past several days. If it is true, he is being looked at as a replacement for Srdjan Lakic, who would then be sold of the winter transfer period. Lakic's contract runs out at the end of the season and the thinking is to get money for him now.

 

I suspect if Kiro got more time he would have been a big player. This may surprise you, but in his autobiography Sir Alex talks about Kiro and what a very good player he was! Many years of riding pine kind of hurt that talent. It is a cautionary tale.

 

But it really isn't. One could name thousands of players who started consistently for shitty teams who never made it big. It's not proof of anything.

 

of course it is not proof. But Sir Alex, who has a pretty good eye for talent, thought Kiro would be a big Man U player.

 

Sitting on the bench at Xerez was wasting time.

Competing with Rossi and Nilmar for playing time, regularly making the 18 and playing in cup/Europa games for Villarreal is not wasting time for a 21 year old striker IMHO.

By the way the guys ahead of him played pretty well this weekend...Nilmar's goal was cool as a cucumber...

 

we can fairly disagree about these things but playing 20% of available minutes or whatever he is playing is very far from OK for a guy his age. He simply will not develop much until he plays major minutes for a team that actually plays soccer (exclude Hull on this last criterion).

 

Jozy is fine where he is. He's happy, he's learning and is the 4th best striker on one of the top 12 teams in Europe.

He's at least an option to start in the Spanish Cup and Europa league games and is making the bench every other game and getting a decent amount of substitute appearances between the three competitions. He's an injury away from being first man off the bench and is close enough behind Rubin that overtaking him for 3rd striker is not beyond the realm of possibilities.

This time NEXT year, if he's still in the same position, then a move to get more PT makes sense, but this year, the best place for Jozy to be is where he is: he has the opportunity to fight for more playing time with enough respect from his manager that if he earns the PT, he'll get it. That is much better for Jozy than being an almost guaranteed starter at a poorer club - it's a character building experience that will pay dividends throughout his career.

 

Everyone needs to be patient. He is working his way back onto Villarreals plans. He was apart of it when Pellegrini was around (long term with that loan to Xerez), but then he left. He left to Hull and tried to come back. Having trouble making the 18 after, but as of the last couple of months got decent minutes in the europa league and copa del rey, but many times having trouble making it onto the score sheet.

He is again, on a very good team, playing very good soccer. And its not like he isnt getting ANY playing time that many if they didnt follow Altidore, from the tone of the posts as of late, someone would asume he isnt getting ANY playing time since coming back.

I think many are jumping the gun. Again he is 21, still very very young. Now if he was eddie johnsons age, I wouldnt worry..... just gotta be patient. Villarreal is a perfect team for him to play at, they arent a 'huge' club compared to barca' or real', but a nice
'small' but strong team that makes best with their budget and pipeline of talent.

He sooner or later will play more minutes and if they lose Rossi or Nilmar, Jozy will beg one of their direct replacements.

 

That's nice and all and you pro-Jozy guys as always have some fine points... but that being said our #1 guy is still barely even registering on the radar for playing time... whether its a top club or not is not the point.

 

exactly. I am "pre-Jozy" but he is watching too much soccer and not playing enough.

 

Believe it or not, the USMNT is not the most important thing for Jozy's career at the moment. Patience people, learn it.

 

He's registering on the radar for plenty of playing time, just not enough to satisfy some message board junkies.

We have to ignore the fact that he is our #1 striker. That fact has absolutely no bearing on his club career. His club career has a direct impact on his international career. Some of you are way too short-sighted.

Of course it is the extreme, but do you think Freddy Adu still thinks its a good idea to bounce around from club to club and hope for playing time from a coach who has no interest in your long-term development? Jozy may be better off for the summer of 2011 if he goes somewhere and gets more playing time (which is far from a guarantee; I shocked that so many people think it is with the way some of the moves by Americans have gone in recent years). IMO, Jozy is very obviously better off for 2013 and 2014 if he stays with Villareal at least until the end of the season.

 

He's playing more now for Villareal than he ever did for Xerez or Adu has played anywhere. Going elsewhere for playing time doesn't always work out too well, this way he's a least getting some playing time for a very good team with very good teammates.

 

If the WC were next year then you point would be more valid. He's improving where he is and he's being forced to earn playing time. Having to work harder then ever before will only make him better. Chances are next year they move Rossi or Jozy or hell who knows maybe he slowly works himself into the starting 11

 

If they move Rossi, they'll get a #2 striker.

They could also get a #3 striker because, this season, no #3 stepped up.

And, even if they let Ruben and Altidore battle it out for #3, Ruben is currently ahead in that race, if by default only.

 

From reading this forum lately one could gather 2 things: 1. every YA that is playing consistently needs to move to a bigger club or league and 2. every YA that is not playing regularly must move to a team that will play him. Perhaps many posters are a wee bit too impatient and not very objective and/or simply out of touch with what it means to be a professional athlete.

 

And we keep hearing the same old crap, over and over -- instead of focusing on what the rumored moves would mean.

 

BINGO...was his name-o.