The caption for this pic from Ajax's official site says that O'Brien is visibly glad that he is able to experience the UEFA Champions League. He might get the CL start today. I know JOB gets brought up in just about every thread but since he's now returned to action for Ajax I figured we might as well dedicate a single thread to the impact this has for the USMNT. Clearly, Bruce sees JOB as a defensive midfielder for the USMNT. That's bad news for guys like KZ, Armas, Pablo, etc. The likely way I see JOB on the pitch as a mid during the hex is: ----?---? -DMB-----LD -JOB----Reyna -?---?---?---? or -----?---? Lewis-LD-DMB -JOB----Reyna ?-----?------? I'd like to try him as LB in a 4-4-2 but it's probably not gonna happen. Any thoughts?
Why would you want to put our best midfielder(player) in as a leftback? uggh. But you're right, it's probably not gonna happen. Good thing.
How about we hold off on the prognostications until we see how long '100% Fit' lasts. If it happens, great.
I think Ajax needs a new tailor. JOB may be 100% but those warm ups 100% do not fit. Are they walking on the beach? a desert?
JOB will start for Ajax very soon. Within the first 10 minutes he will see his shadow and disappear for another 6 months. Don't ever count on JOB being available. When he is able to play, treat it as an isolated blessing.
Well, I'd like to see how it works. JOB has loads of LB experience at a very high level. I think he'd surely do better than Convey or Vanney or Boca or anyone else Bruce tends to throw out there. With the recent play of KZ plus Pablo and Reyna, d-mid can be covered w/o him better than LB...for the time being. I do think JOB should be used as a d-mid just as soon as we figure out our LB situation (personally, I think we should play to our strengths and drop the LB in favor of a 3-5-2).
JOB played every single minute of WC2002 didn't he? Injuries happen. It's not like he's Mr. Fragile or anything. He's just as likely to be healthy in 2006 as LD, DMB, etc.
Bobby, is that you? You need to update your profile...it still says Northern Virginia when you are now in Reading.
that's the cold weather version i can't tell but they could be at amsterdamse bos, a large park just outside of town
And JOB's new injury is his worst yet, while walking with his team, his left leg falls off completely!
Are you drunk? Really? WC 2002 is just about the only long run of fitness that JOB has had in recent years. I don't believe LD or DMB have ever missed a stretch of games equivilant to one of JOB's injury patches, much less had it happen multiple times. Sure JOB might be healthy, as Brian McBride has been able to shake his injury phase apparently. But to say a player with his history is just as likely to be healthy as players like DMB and LD who have had no injury histories is a bit much.
Well if Gooch does eventually become a regular in the US side, and Pope stays Pope for the rest of qualifiers, then Bocanegra could easily slide out to the left. Boca's defense is solid, and if we need to go forward, we know Boca is capable of sending in good balls from out wide(anyone remember his assist to Ruiz in the 2003 MLS allstar game?). I would much prefer to send Boca out wide, than to take JOB out of our midfield. JOB is just too much better than most options we have in the midfield. JOB is the 2way midfielder we all wish CR still was. And he's a better one at that.
he was also 4th on the club in minutes during the 2002 title season, and was also healthy for half the AJAX season after WC - in any event, he's trying to make the point that anybody could get injured in the spring of 2006
What? Donovan is going to play left back? lol Seriously, JOB is very good, but he has been surpassed with all of his injuries. I wouldn't mind seeing him in a defensive mid though. He is a much better option than Reyna at that position, for sure.
With a healthy JOB, this is the lineup I'd like to see in the hex: 3-5-2 ------------Forwards du jour-------------- --Beasley-------Donovan---------Gaven--- -----------JOB---------Zavagnin---------- --Bocanegra------Pope-------Cherundolo---
I dont want to see Cherundolo in a 3 man backline. Put Gibbs Gooch or even Sanneh(if he's healthy), back there before Cherundolo.