Or maybe he's an attacking player who realizes that, sometimes when you're on the road, you're going to get subbed off for a defensive player once it's time to bunker down and defend a draw. Or something. Maybe, just maybe, Freddy knows a little something about being a professional.
I doubt this will ever happen, but I don't think it's as preposterous as some are making it out to be. It's no secret that Adu is unhappy in his limited role. The Post documented that before he left for Holland with the story abut his posse and all that. He wants to play more and he thinks his development is being hindered. The same Post story said Freddy's frustration is magnified because he sees other young players around the league starting, especially for the MetroStars. It also said he'd like to be on a team with more players closer to his age. The story implied - or at least, I inferred from it - that he'd like to be on the MetroStars since they seem to play younger players and he'd be able to hang with guys his own age. It's also no secret that Nowak, as he should, puts the team first and winning first and since he just won MLS Cup, he has the trophy to back up his methods. No matter how much Freddy, or any of the the other players hate playing for Peter, Payne can't can him as it sends the message that winning trophies isn't the first priority. And since Payne has always been about winning trophies, I don't think Peter's going anywhere anytime soon. So you've got a coach who has job security not playing the league's most visible player and said player frustrated with wanting more PT. ANd given the player's age and maturity, it's natural for him to look elsewhere and think the grass is greener. Toss in Lalas' desire to grab headlines and the Metros desparation for publicity in the crowded NY market along with Bradley's willingness to use younger players and there's a certain logic to all this. And, it's not like having him in that market is going to make the sponsors unhappy. In fact, it might make them happier. Yeah, there would definitely be more media in NY than in Washington, but it's still just soccer so there won't be that much more than he's already got. There just isn't enough space in the papers to give Freddy that much more ink that it would be more distracting than what he already has. So, do I think this move will happen? Not really. But, do I think it's unreasonable to think that it could or that some of the parties might want the move to happen or at least entertain the thought? Not at all. In fact, I think it IS reasonable to think such scenarios have been considered. Finally, at the end of the day, I just don't see this as a negative. Freddy to NY is just as likely to happen as Marco Etcheverry going to Paris St. Germain or Eddie Pope to Feyenoord or Santino Quaranta to ManU and that publicity was good for MLS and this publicity, especially in MLS, is good for MLS, especially in the NY market. Look, Jason Blair or no, this is still the NY Times and I'm sure this story will catch a lot of people's attention and I wouldn't be surprised if WFAN and the other talk radio and all-sports TV stations and the myriad other papers in the area followed up on it. Lalas' job is in part to promote his team so if this story gets the Metros talked about more in NY and NJ, than he's doing his job correctly. So, I just can't get bent out of shape over this nor do I fault any of the parties involved with the story.
Positions are fluid, reponsibilities are not. As much as everyone would like to see Adu start, the simple fact is that his presence on the field weaken the team's concept of team defense. I think you would get heavy support from these boards if you said, "Adu is one of the best eleven players on DCUnited." However, you won't get much if you say he's "one of the Best XI". However, back to the point, a trade for Adu would be interesting armchair GMing. I don't think it will happen because his mom wants him to stay home. Maybe that situation will eventually change, and if you think about it, traveling to every NY home games isn't a real challenge from DC. To make the Adu trade, I'd have to bundle it with Eskandarian also. I guess if I were to be serious about a trade from DCUnited for Adu and Eskandarian I'd say: - 2 first round picks (DC chooses one year, NY chooses the other year). This would be my first offer, but I'd be will to drop down to a second or third round pick with one of these. I'd also be very much open to totally dropping one of the draft picks if the Metros threw in a young gun such as Gaven or Magee. In the end I'd want to come away with a first round pick, and either another pick or a young gun. - AND most important, full allocation dollars. My logic behind the offer would be that Q1 will be the natural partner for Moreno for the next couple of years. You solve the problem of Q1/Eskandarian debate. DCUnited has Nana, Walker and Nickell in the background as support (note: JThompson is now a right winger). It is a drop off in quality of attacking players off the bench, but I think these three are strong enough. I also think that both Nana and Nickell will start showing themselves next year. Walker is a good, serviceable backup in MLS. Getting a young gun for our one of our young guns is a wash. It actually might help both teams just moving players to new towns. I wouldn't be adverse to getting a young player with a great fresh attitude. DCUnited desperately needs to have the allocation in its pocket over the next couple of years when Gomez and Moreno start fading away. I am going to guess that we will see their production start to drop next year. The simple fact is that they are getting older and the planning for their replacement must start now. Three ways I would accept an allocation from the Metros: - immediate payment of a full allocation. I just get that weird feeling that when Agoos retires they'll get an allocation for him. Right or wrong, it's just one of those weird feelings of mine. - DCUnited retains the rights to any Adu allocation if he transfer to Europe in two years. If for whatever reason NY doesn't get an allocation for Adu, they owe DCUnited their next allocation. This gives NY a little leeway on this part of the deal. Obviously they would owe an allocation to DCUnited no matter what, but they have some flexibility in obtaining it over the next couple of years. A big problem with a trade like this is that it would leave DCUnited extremely short on the roster. It is already missing on full roster spot, and this would create another full spot, and Adu's GenAdd reserve spot. DCUnited would have to have at least two players to immediately sign if they didn't get a player from NY in the trade.
If Freddy wants to go to New York, let him IF they can start him With Guevera and Djorkaeff, I wonder where'd they play him. Withdrawn forward w/Razov as target forward? That's possible.... Biggest player in the biggest market playing all the time vs what he has vs DC Trade him for peanuts-this is for the league's sake, not DC's we've got enough players to compete this year. That said, I won't be holding my breath expecting this trade to happen.
This happens to him every game. Meanwhile, Eddie Gaven and Michael Bradley are playing every minute of every game. I'm sure that fact isnt lost on Freddy. My take on it is that Nowak was never down with the whole idea of Freddy but it was forced on him by the league. He probably could care less if Freddy left especially if it meant getting a proven veteran in return.
Did I say that Roberto Carlos is a failure, Mr. Know-Nothing-At-All? Using your logic that positions are fluid in soccer and you want to play Adu out of position in the first place, then he should be able to play anywhere. So why not left back?
I don't disagree with this but the irony of it all is that one of the main reasons Nowak was hired - and Ray Hudson let go - was to have someone better qualified to handle Freddy's development. Remember all that talk about "Nowak turned pro young" and "he'll know how to best relate to Freddy" and all that? Boy, that worm sure has turned. Not sayin' Nowak's development of Freddy isn't best for the kid long-term - we won't know the answer for a while - but right now, it sure looks like Peter and Freddy aren't a good fit and that Bob Bradley would be a better fit for Freddy.
Well, you must have a mind reading machine there in NJ. Everything that I have heard, read, and seen from Piotr makes me believe that he knows and likes what he has in young master Fred. Perhaps you are projecting your own frustrations onto Nowak... Tim
If Freddy goes to the Metros, then we have to send Moreno there too so Moreno can continue to not pass the ball to him.
Right because it is clear that the guy who has started Josh Gros, Clyde Simms, Brian Carroll, Troy Perkins, Santino Quaranta, Alecko Eskandarian, David Stokes, Bobby Boswell, Nana Kuffour, et al for so many matches is reflexively against any younger player. For all the crap about Bradley being a great developer of talent, what are his results with Metrostars? Eddie Gaven? I don't think anybody would have held him back. But I have not seen a whole lot of success other than him. It seems like Magee has completely stagnated. Jeff Parke is not turning out to be anything special (even last year ya'll shipped more goals than anyone) and many of the other younger players have been singularly mediocre. I would suggest that any coach who gives a guy playing time in almost every game as a 14/15 year-old rookie in a championship winning year (while Michael Bradley got how many minutes) is well aware of his benefits and drawbacks. Next time try putting your brain into gear before you post.
??? Where the hell can you jump from "hey there's a lot of crap being said in the fake newspapers" to "Bradley would be a better fit for Freddy?" That is a leap that needs a hell of a lot more than you provided. Tim
I don't mean to disrespect your opinion, but the idea that PN wasn't excited about having Adu on the team is wrong. I've talked with PN on the record and off about the situation and I never got the impression it was a problem or that the entire situation was forced on him. I think it might have had something to do with Hudson being ousted, that is strictly my specualtion, but it is easy to see that PN takes particular joy in training and coaching his young players. PN wears his emotions on his sleeve and it is easy to see when he isn't being totally candid about situations. I never got the feeling that he was covering up a bigger conspiracy.
Um, well, that's more or less what I was trying to say above. Next time I'll just let Liverpool_SC do the talking. Tim
From another thread: Here's the list of players under 25 years of age that have been on the Metros roster in Bradley's tenure: Bradley Gaven Magee Clark Vaca Parke Stammler Regan Wells Arena Brenes Glen Taylor Forchetti Galvan LeBlanc Ward Ibrahim Mendes Some of these guys (Magee, Clark) had a good rookie year and had a sophomore slump. Clark seems to have resurrected his career away from Bradley. Vaca even came to the Metros with a Tahuichi pedigree and a few good seasons in Dallas, and wound up playing back-up right back (read: out of position) to Ziadie. So when you look at all the good young talent that came out of Chicago between 1998 and 2002, I don't think there's any question as to who was more responsible for the development.