Other Team Discussion Thread Part VII: Click here for results

Buddle is a mirage. He's just having his yearly hat trick. He'll go right back to sleep.

Hey, if you guys don't mind too much me asking a question, what was the deal with Brian Carroll? He is really making a huge difference with the Crew so far this season. What did he do wrong or was he just not suited for your style or what?

 

This is bizarro MLS season. Down is now up, black is now white. Let's enjoy the ride!

NOT....

It really seemed like Brian lost his mojo and couldn't get it back. Clyde Simms is now playing just like Brian was before he got traded. He was a turnover machine and king of the back-pass. He has taught Clyde well

Props to Brian however, he seems like a class act all the way. His brothers at DCU have huge shoes to fill.

 

He had a great year in 2005, although he made a couple of horrific mistakes in our USOC match against Dallas that were a major factor in our getting bounced out. I was a huge B. Carroll fan in 2005. In 2006, he was so-so; his form appeared to have slipped a little. Last year, he genuinely had an off-year at the same time that Clyde Simms had a good year; by mid-season, he was coming off the bench. It seemed like he wasn't getting any better, was possibly regressing even, at the same time that Simms seemed to be growing and demonstrating more upside. Whether right or wrong, that's the way it looked at the time. The expansion draft came, and we had three players for that position naturally and a couple that seemed credible for it on the depth chart (e.g. Olsen -- his recovery not seeming so unlikely at the time); so they decided to expose him. I wouldn't be surprised if he wanted to go, too -- figuring he was more likely to get more minutes somewhere else at that point (and I wouldn't blame him if that was the case). Anyway, I agree, he's definitely been doing it for you guys.

 

tough call. However, it seemed that the 3-5-2 system employed by Nowak in 04' is the perfect system for Carroll because it didn't necessarily require that bulldog type of def mid to be run successfuly. Brian's strengths are his ability to cut off passing lanes and his cyborg like fitness. He can literally run all day.


Where he started to fade with United was when we switched to the standard 4-4-2 formation and he had to become a bulldog type of d mid, which he isn't. He doesn't play physically in the least and most times will bow out of physical challenges. In addition his passing is hit or miss. He actually has a good mind set in that he really likes to change fields often but he doesn't always execute it properly. Also, when he is off form, his short passing is atrocious. Think Chris Armas trying to become Nowak.

Now, I think the reason why he has been so good for you guys so far has a lot to do with like minded players like Hejduk, Moffat and Moreno who will run thru brick walls. He really struggled with the 4-4-2 at United because Christian Gomez would essentially be a third forward and not play any defense and leave the entire central midfield for Carroll to cover, which nominally he could do provided his insane fitness level. But doing it game after game eventually took it's toll on him.

Having Guille play the off forward is the key. If Guille moved back into central midfield, you just might see Carroll's effectiveness decline, but with a fellow workhorse like Moffat there, Carroll will continue to thrive.

Sigi is doing a great job of using the full effectiveness of Carroll. Had he stayed here at United, he probably would be playing a bit better now because Gallardo doesn't abandon central midfield like Gomez very often did.

At the end of the day though, Clyde Simms was outplaying Carroll last season. Simms started off great this season but has slipped into a bit of a funk and not coincidentally so has this team.

 

Slightly off-topic, but we've played the 3-5-2 this year several times, which is BC's strength (had he remained here) and Simms' weakness.

 

So is LA that good or is Dallas that bad?

 

http://www.skysports.com/story/0,,1...DROGBA_FACED_TERRIBLE_DILEMMA&lpos=TABCONTENT

 

I thought he did. Couldn't score a goal so we cut him, and now he's playing for Houston.

 

I'm in rare form today.

 

I see you found the pics from my trip to the Toon.

Heh, that reminds me... we made the opposing keeper flick us off during a Cleveland game by singing "Who ate all the pies?/You fat keeper" every time he got the ball. Good times.

Some of those USL2 players aren't used to having people sing at them.

 

I applaud this fan's dedication to his team. He has ensured that his tattoo has the biggest possible background.

Well done, sir!

 

And if you divert your eyes to the lower left, what the hell is the guy screaming about? LOL. He got the attention of the lady in the lower right.

 

Looks like he ate some of the pies himself and has indigestion!

 

He's yawning. He is watching Newcastle though, so that's no surprise.

 

I thought he was doing that screaming thing from the Donald Sutherland version of Invasion of the Body Snatchers.

 

I thought he was being visited by the guy in your avatar.

 

Are you suggesting that all EPL matches are boring? Or maybe that their fans don't scream?

Have you ever seen a Newcastle match?

 

Sure.

...and stayed awake all the way through it? No.