Team Defense Thanks PBlake for the encouragement, It is strange to come on a Wizards chat for the first time (after having attended 80% of the home games since 1996 and following every road game televised) and be attacked by everyone for having an opinion. I thought that was the point of it (although I'm not real chat room savvy), to talk about your opinions and discuss. Apparently, it's to pretend like every player on the current roster is MLS mvp material. I agree with pblake, stats are not the only thing that matters in soccer. If you are a soccer player, then you know that certain things are not recorded under statistics. Example, clean sheets: If you remember, on Saturday, Bo let a header hit the post (even though he was on that side of the goal) and then flailed and missed the follow-up shot as well and Sasha cleared the ball off of the line as it would have gone in. Bo gets a clean sheet, but looked terrible on this play. This is the type of play that concerns me. Goalkeeper statistics are worthless. Yesterday someone said they were a goalkeeper so you recognized TEAM DEFENSE. I have not heard anything about that in about 50 posts (please don't go and count, I am guessing the number here). Surely someone else read that Jimmy is a starter in the all-star game. Add that to KZ, Nick, Jose B, Shavar, Diego, we have a lot of really good defensive minded players........that is a huge reason why Bo has the stats that he does....TEAM DEFENSE My last comment about Bo, is everyone calling me out on Bo not being a backup for 8 years. A-League=Backup. If he was good enough to be a starter in the MLS, he would have been...period. Backup in the MLS is no different than a starter in the A-League except he gets to play every week (which is smart on Bo's part) Being a backup to a good keeper (Friedel, Meola) is no different than a starter in the A-League. My point is the same, he was not a starter in the league for 8 years and I think he is a below average goalkeeper in the MLS. (plus, whoever said Tony is past his prime may have forgotten that keepers peek later in their careers...ie. Van der Sar to Man United (captain of the Dutch NT). Check his age versus Meola....I'd be curious to see who's older---Granted if Meola is still hurt, that may be a different point all together, I guess we'll see this weekend if he plays with NY). Go Wiz
Re: Team Defense You're right. Results are the only thing that matters in soccer. And Bo is getting the job done. More than adequately too. I don't care how "shaky" Bo looks as long as the ball hits that post instead of crossing the line. Bo can have all the "nervous moments" he wants... as long as he keeps the ball out of the net. Hell, for all I care, the goalkeeper could hop around on one foot, singing "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star" while wearing oven mitts for gloves and a tea cozy on his head... as long as he keeps the ball out of the net. Results.
Re: Team Defense I think that's the funny part. You don't "care" how good the goalkeeper is? You spend all of this time online, but really could care less about the quality of the keeper (and you claim to be a keeper). I happen to be a fan who wants the best goalkeeper (and field players) as possible for my Wizards. That's why I am taking the time to write about it. I am not satisfied with a "shaky" goalkeeper who at times does appear to be dreaming about "Twinkie, Twinkie After the Gamie" because he's in his own world sitting on the goal line during crosses and corner kicks.
Jesus Merlin give up the hairsplitting already, people will have opinions that differ from yours and it's OK... KCFC Welcome to the boards, please ignore the "group think" that occurs here at times. Everyone will get involved in them from time to time. I actually enjoy it when new posters arrive and mix up the grand ol party here. We've actually run a few newbies off lately and I think that needs to tone itself down a bit. I still lurk here daily but I don't post as much due to some of this kind of nonsense. We made our bed with Bo to keep other players on the roster; now we have to sleep in it. Bo is not Tony. You don't have to have played and been coached in goalkeeper school to see that. Using stats to prove anything in relation to soccer is more art than science it just happens to be on which side of the argument that determines whether or not your Picasso or Einstien. Let's let this argument die at least until the next post game thread please.
I agree with Beech, let's let the Bo discussion die, I was defending him, because in my opinion he is a above average keeper, is he the best? No not at all, could we find better, possibly, but one reason why I don't think we went after Walker is because Bo hasn't done anything this season to warrent us going after another keeper, yes Bo has had shaky moments, but so does every keeper. Ganslers a coach that likes to stick with something when it is going well, and with Bo not having cost us a game this season, he probably sees no reason to switch it up. And now no more posts about Bo from me in this thread. KCFC, welcome.
I agree, hopefully there will be some Picasso represented here as well. I am a forward/attacking mid, so I lean way towards the Picasso. Thanks for the welcome.
You guys slamming Bo need to read Moneyball. Sure, he's not the best. But for what we're paying him, and what it would cost to get better, it's simply not worth it. I'd much rather spend the big money on a creative mid (hint to FO) than pay to upgrade a more than servicable 'keeper whose stats and results are good.
I'd much rather reduce Wolff's salary down to something relative to his productivity and we would have more than enough money for a creative midfielder and a better goalkeeper.
It's tough to tell, but unfortunately, from the salaries that were released recently, it looks like we're not spending anywhere near the cap. We could've afforded Tony, even if he was a waste of money. It's kind of sad, considering with commited ownership, it looks like we already have the cap room to go get the player or two that we need.
But we can't do that. His money is guaranteed. Another thing that I'm not sure has been mentioned is that Meola was in rehab going into the season. Not only was he going to cost money (I think he would have demanded less than max), but he also wasn't healthy.
Exactly, he may not be the best but right now our team needs a creative attacking mid much more than we need a keeper.
So true, a creative midfielder is what is truely needed. Like Andy said we have to take what we have till the end of the season Bo is ok, shaky is a great word to discribe him. Which personally scares the hell out of me. With him being the "last line of defense" I want someone who is going to be rock solid and not have to worry about a hiccup. (Away to San Jose early in the season is one example) That is my final thoughts on the subject.
I knew they wouldn't be your final words. KCFC welcome! Don't mind Merlin, he has a man crush on shaky ol' Bo
Not trying to restart up the argument, but this is from Bruce about why he likes Johnny O in the midfield. The rest of the conversation is here: http://www.ussoccer.com/editorial/fullstory.sps?iNewsid=199824&itype=4129&icategoryid=77 Lots of conversation about Jimmy Conrad, and how well he's played. And some talk of Armas being back to form, which unfortunately will probably drop KZ down a spot on the depth chart.