If the current Quake's roster is "set", then I'm not sure I understand the thinking that went behind it.... We all know that Frank Yallop believes in the 4-4-2. In two years, I think I've seen SJ play a 3-5-2 only 2 times, both when we were behind and needed goals to catch up. Yet, look at the roster we have. Isn't it built for the 3-5-2???? Something like this perhaps? ----DeRosario----Donovan------ -----------Lagos--------------- ---Ekelund---------Mulrooney--- Corrales----------------------Russell ------Agoos----Robinson--Dayak---- --------------Onstad-------------- Twin D-mids Ekelund and Mulrooney scoop out balls for Lagos to feed the forwards. Russell and Corrales have to run the channels and make sure they get back to cover the corners. In essence, we have 3 center backs. I'm not advocating this formation, but take a look. This is EXACTLY the personal to play it. Do I think we should switch to a 3-5-2? No, but I do think we need to change the roster. Trying to force this personal to play a 4-4-2 is going to be unsuccessful. Look, we have Donovan for 2 more years. Is it likely he'll be able to stay longer? No way. We can't afford to go through a "building phase". He'll be gone by then. The time is now. We need to have the personal to be successful this year. Don't plan on these guys being around much longer either: Dayak, Agoos, Ekelund, Lagos On the current roster we have only one true "outside" fullback, Todd Dunivant. He's a first year player! Do we really think we'll be a winning team with this???? What did Yallop do the first season he got here? He converted two midfielders into outside backs. Wade Barrett and Zak Ibsen both had more minutes in the midfield in previous seasons. Both had the ability to cross and were willing to shoot the ball when given the chance (both scored nice goals in the run of play. Did ANY other SJ defender score "in the run of play" outside of Agoos' outside shot that Kramer mis-played in Colorado?). Ibsen proved to be a major liabilty in the defensive third, but we still managed to win despite of it. At least the attack worked..... Early last year, Yallop commented to newspaper reporters that he needed to address the "right back situation". Well folks, here we are entering year 3 and it's still a major problem. Sure, we dumped Zak, but how are we going to be "better" when we don't have anyone who can get up and down the right channel and supply quality crosses to our attackers? Are we blind to this fact????? Here's a list of right backs that play for teams that play the 4-4-2 like we do. Chicago-Evan Whitfield DC United-Milton Reyes LA Galaxy-Ezra Hendrickson Dallas-Ryan Suarez Hmmm.....do we have anyone on our roster that is even close to as good as these guys? Would it be possible to trade for one of them? Not without tearing a big hole somewhere else (or completely morgaging our future). If we want to be successful, we'll need to find someone who could be as good, but needs some developing (who would have predicted that Wade Barrett would emerge as a national team candidate???). In previous posts, I've brought up the name of Carl Bussey. I'm sure there are other possibilities out there......
Hmmm....so no other names have been thrown out for consideration? Let's say that Bussey was the man we needed. How would I go about obtaining his services if I was Johnny Moore? I'd assume that Dallas wouldn't want another player in the deal. They are interested in another forward and opening up a roster spot helps them (so they don't end up cutting their promising 1st round pick, Shaver Thomas). We could offer draft choices straight up. The dreaded "future considerations" would likely come into play. To get creative, here's the way I'd pursue the deal. First, I'd make sure that Dallas would deal. If yes, I would talk to the Metrostars about a trade for Ian Russell. Since we would have to open a roster spot for Bussey ourselves, I'd trade Russell to a team that needs attacking flank midfielders (that's NY/NJ). For Russell, I'd ask for the Metro's 2nd round pick in '05 and the rights to Eddie Gaven (P-40 still in high school. This year's 2nd round pick for Metros). I would then offer Dallas our first round pick in '04 and the Metro's 2nd round in '05 for Bussey. We would be getting Bussey and Gaven for Russell and next year's first rounder. We wouldn't have to cut anyone, because Gaven wouldn't count against the "hard" roster of 18. He probably wouldn't play for us this year, finishing school and U-17 commitments. Fact is, Yallop wouldn't have much game time to give him, anyway.... I'd keep a close eye on the John Thorrington situation at Huddersfield (his team has not paid the players for 3 months, all contracts may be declared "void" at the end of the season). If Thorrington was interested in playing in the States, I'd make a play for him at MLS headquarters. He would be even better then Russell. Other teams would want him, like Metros and the Galaxy (Sigi coached Thorrington at the U-20 Championships and he is from Palos Verdes area....). Hopefully, we could pull off the same thing that the Revs did to get Joe-Max Moore and the Crew to get Hedjuk. We'd most likely have to cut Roner to add Thorrington. While Waibel might be a better choice, only having Dayak, Agoos and Robinson available as centerbacks would be dangerous.... The additions of Gaven, Bussey and Thorrington would MORE then offset the loss of Russell and Roner. We'd be much faster. We'd have more dynamic movement in the attack. We would have depth on the bench with real ability.
That trade would have worked in the past, but now they have a good coach in Bob Bradley. They would have to take massive amounts of drugs to consider giving up Gaven. Thorrington was an interesting idea a while ago, but his stock has dropped fast. He has gotten much more limited playing time on bottom dwellars Huddersfield and has proven to be injury prone. You don't know if he'd be able to fit under the cap as well. I wouldn't consider him. You're big on this Bussey kid. Are you sure you're not Bussey? --- In the Municipal game, Yallop essentially switched to a 3-5-2 with the introduction of Alvarez. He was drafted as a forward and has played on the left flank and apparently came in as a left back. Obviously he's not an option for the left back spot. I heard a few complaints about Roner in the backline since he was a midfielder for Cal. Being that converted midfielder, he provides an attacking option that pushes up, another indication of the possible use of a 3-5-2. It would be interesting to see the Quakes turn into a 3-5-2, but I don't think it would be best. Traditionally (Quake under Yallop) the strength has been the flank play with a holding center midfield, and switching to a 3-5-2 would change that significantly. Thinking about it, this could be a possible 3-5-2 formation for the Quakes: ......Donovan...Ching .Lagos...Ekelund...Mullan ...Corrales...Mulrooney Agoos...Robinson...Waibel I really don't think it would work. You would need the flanks to go from endline to endline, which Lagos certainly can't do. Agoos would be exposed on the outside and wouldn't be able to pull the strings from the middle (who else do you put in as the left central back?). And Corrales and Mulrooney would have to to drop back even more.
jeff_adams, the reason you haven't gotten much response here is that your posts are too long on real content and too short on Danish cheerleaders. Seriously, I can't see Yallop eschewing his trusted 4-4-2. And for better or worse, I think Dayak might be our right back. It remains to be seen whether he's got enough speed for that position, but he's definitely a solid defender. What you lose with Dayak is the attacking flair that our outside backs have shown the last couple of years. When Barrett, Conrad, or Ibsen would overlap and contribute to the attack, you knew something dangerous would result. That's what made this team so exciting to watch. I just can't see Dayak doing that--he's more of a stay-at-home kind of guy. I know Yallop's big on Robinson and likes him in the middle. However, I think Eddie's got the speed to play out wide, and I wonder if we wouldn't be better with Robinson on the right and Dayak in the middle with Agoos. Those two guys did rather well controlling our central defense during the championship year.
Well, Gaven will be good, but he's a second round pick who is even younger the Alvarez. He's not going to help the Metros for a long time (if he is not already in Europe by then). Take a look at Bradley's roster. He likes to stock up on P-40s and developmental type players. Guys like Justin Mapp didn't get lots of playing time in Chicago. Russell is MLS material now and NY is hurting for wide midfielders who can attack. I'm a little surprised that Russell's fans didn't get upset at the prospect of trading him. I actually like Ian, but all of a sudden he looks like 2nd or 3rd choice. With Corrales coming on and perhaps playing left mid, that pushes Lagos over to the right. Then there's Mullan, where to play him? Russell looks surplus at the moment. That could change with a serious injury to Lagos of course... ---------------------------------------------- The Thorrington story..... He's 23 (Ian Russell's 28 I think) Yes, he has had some untimely injuries, but I think he's been hurt less then Ian Russell. He has been mostly MIA this year for Huddersfield. Here's the rumors (which I can't verify). His team hasn't payed any of the players for the last 3 months. They are in DIRE financial difficulty. John's contract seems to be "performance" laden and the thought is the team management doesn't want John to play more then a few minutes so his contract incentives don't kick in. It's not that he's hurt, they just don't want to pay him any more then they have to. He's screwed. Why don't they trade him? Well, it's hard to trade someone you won't play. Teams can't judge his form when he's on the bench. Next time Landon Donovan comes to a Quake event, like a tailgate party, ask him about Thorrington. They played together in Germany for Leverkusen. I bet you anything, Landon would be thrilled to see Thorrington play in SJ. Both have similar speed and skills. Would Thorrington be affordable? Not sure, but I doubt MLS would offer a 3 figure contract. He shouldn't cost much more then what Ian Russell makes.... --------------------------------------------------- If I was Bussey, I wouldn't be cruising the Quake's boards! I think Carl is happy in Texas. He's born and raised there and I don't think he'd be real excited to be traded. If someone else has seen a prospect with Bussey's skill set, I'd like to know. Outside of gutting our future for a Suarez, Hendricksen, Whitfield or Milton Reyes, Bussey looks the best. He's young, he's coming on and best of all, he's affordable RIGHT NOW. After this year, he may not be. The time to make a trade is now. In two weeks, everyone will have a "set" roster and trading will be very difficult. Dallas is still looking at trialists, but very soon they will move on and go with what they have.
I actually thought of another guy, Craig Zaidie. I'm not his biggest fan, but he has the skill package to play right back for us. I doubt that Bradley would trade him, but he'd be better then what we currently have. Maybe the Metros will play a 3-5-2. If so, Zaidie could be expendable.... If it came down to a choice between Zaidie and Bussey, I'd still take Bussey.
I think Ziadie would be a better pickup than Bussey. He's still relatively young if I remember correctly, and he's gotten 9 caps to the Jamaican National Team. Thorrington would be an interesting pickup. Match reports indicated that he was double or triple-teamed. Gaven could make an impact in one or two years. Look at Beasley or Donovan. It all depends on Bradleys ability to develop him and how quickly Gaven could mature. He'll be a great player, but I don't see Bradley giving him up for Russell. Don't worry, I enjoy exchanging these posts. Would you rather read random jibberish?