That's just something I don't understand. The Revs have a great MLS forward signed to a long term contract and don't want to sell him. I can understand why he'd (Twellman) be pissed, but why is everyone else here as upset. Crap, I'd be pissed if Altidore was sold right now to Real Madrid. If I were a Revs fan, I'd be thrilled. If you are a USMNT fan, so what that Twellman isn't going to Preston North End. He hasn't been able score for the National Team as an MLS based player. Do you think he's going to magically improve playing for a crap Coca Cola Championship side?
You answered part of the question. My guess is that he wants more of that experience but in an English-speaking country. Maybe he wants to play in cramped, rectangular grounds and contemplate the ominousness of the clouds. Maybe he wants to duck into an atmospheric local somewhere instead of a TGIF. Maybe he has a mud and stinky grass fetish. Maybe he's tired of hearing the "Super-Rev" song. He wants to go.
Remember, this is the guy who signed with Munich 1860. And he's not going to get a transfer offer from ManU or Arsenal. For Twellman, a team near the bottom of the Premiership is what is going to be excited about him: a guy without a lot of physically imposing tools or stupendous skills but a player with the possibility of providing immediate results. As for why he's having a fit: this is probably his last and only chance to go to Europe (well, at least the UK). Because of the Copa and Gold Cup last year, he got enough caps to reach the 75% figure. I think Twellman is an awesome MLS talent but I just don't see him getting many caps in the future--certainly not enough to be eligible for a work permit appeal.
I am most definitely not a Twellman fan when it comes to our USMNT. Infact, I would be most happy if I never had to watch him play striker for us again. I think we have better options than than Taylor.
If the union is worth its salt, my guess is that this is going to end up changing MLS contracts to include a stipulated buyout fee set at some multiple (say ten times base salary). Right now, it isn't clear the Revs would sell him at any reasonable price, and as more power has shifted to the teams to make these decisions, I think the players have a legitimate interest in seeing the valuations applied consistently. At the end of the day though, Twellman signed a bad deal. Only the first two years are guaranteed, with the second two at the option of the league, which really means the Krafts. He got a bit more money and a bit more security at what turned out to be a huge opportunity cost, but Dempsey refused to sign the exact same type of deal, so it isn't as if this wasn't foreseeable.
I thought TT was an astute business man. After all, he did get this amazing endorsement deal: http://www.mywire.com/pubs/PRNewswire/2006/05/02/1533553?&pbl=222
And if the owners are worth their salt (which is a good possibility since, ya know, they figured out a way to make a large enough fortune to be able to piss some of it away on MLS in the first place), their answer to this demand would be - No ********ing Way.
In which case no one is going to sign one of those four year/two year guaranteed deals again. Tough enforcement of contracts isn't always smart. There is a larger audience here than just Twellman and the Revs. Fairly or not, if all of these new draft picks believe that the league itself isn't being fair or will hold them back -- even if this is just the Krafts -- the best ones will demand better terms now or when they go to re-negotiate. Keeping an unhappy player, particularly a player who other players will have some sympathy for, is never a good idea IMO. If the Krafts still don't think the valuation is fair, fine, put a value on him. But if they are determined to hold him because they can't replace those goals for $375,000 per year with the current cap, well, don't expect much sympathy when the next guy they try to extend tells them to drop dead.
I guess we are transitioning from a league where everyone is on board for the good of the sport to a league where it is soon going to be every person for himself (I guess we all should prepare for the impending contract negotiation). In the past, maybe it was just me, I kind of felt like the league did what was best for everyone (including the player). For instance, didn't Brian McBride get transferred for a relatively low sum and the league more or less said, we don't want to stand in the way of Brian getting his chance in Europe because he has been such a soldier for MLS? I may have been being naive, but I guess I kind of felt that everyone was in it together in the past and we are now completely moving away from that. Ultimately, MLS has his rights and can do with it what it wants. If he wanted to play in Europe so bad should have done it before he signed his current contract and/or had an option or something. That being said, there are numerous examples of players whose "hissy fits" at not getting sold off cost their team in the following year as they become cancers. I think the odds of this happening with a US soccer player are relatively thin, but it is not impossible and the Revs should be considering it as a possibility. I guess in the end, we are heading for a labor fight and the TNT negotiation doesn't really do much to indicate it per se, but just shows the tone between the player and the league is transitioning from "We are doing this for soccer" to "We are doing this for money". It's a business, I know. I am being naive, I know. It was always about the money, I know. Just would prefer not to have to enter the real world any time soon. Plus honestly, how big of a marketing figure is TNT? More than Dempsey? How big of a hit in ticket sales and revenue did they take when the loss Dempsey?
Brian McBride went to Europe on the wrong side of 30, it's not the end of the world for Taylor. As long as he's bagging goals in MLS, which he has consistently done his whole tenure here, he will get an opportunity to play ball in the Coca Cola league from some team. Play out the contract and go abroad in a couple years. The Cola league has imported Eddie Lewis, Ben Olsen (although an injury ruined his chance) over the years, I see no reason why a 29 year old TT can't latch on over there. I mean, EPL Fulham transferred in friggin' Simon Elliot. His window is hardly closing. Move on, forgive, forget. Try to go out a champion in MLS.
When his contract ends he will be what 32? You seriously think he is going to get a look in England at that time. Generally, MLS will probably not get more later for Twellman next year or the year after. In fact, they will probably get substantially less and I don't know where TNT is on his work permit requirements but my guess is that he doesn't get too many caps over the next year.
i would guess that most of the reason for him wanting to go is because he likes money. nothing wrong with that. too bad Kraft and NE also like their money and business, and it doesn't seem like it meets their interests to sell Twellman at this point. many are of course welcome to disagree with Kraft's decisions and how they choose to operate the NE Revolution.
Yeah. But it's not like Twellman is Denilson. Or Louis Saha who yapped in midseason. Twellman has paid his dues in MLS. Again, I'm a believer in strict contract enforcement. But, in a case like this, recognize the player's ambitions and desires and accomodate them while making some money yourself.
i see both sides of the discussion. many here will see it as a shame that NE is not running their team as we on BS would (as we clearly know better, and we clearly have a lot riding on the decisions). i'm hoping all parties will be able to reach an acceptable decision/compromise. but it doesn't look likely, given the current circumstances.
He'll be 30. And no, I don't think he'll get a look. Of course, I ddin't think he'd get a look now. And judging by the fact that he signed the contract just 12 months ago, he didn't think he'd get a look either.
No he'll be 30. And in 2-3 years time there will be still some bottomfeeder team in the CCC looking for a cheap offensive reinforcement for the late season push too. And if not England, then somewhere else. Josh Wolff went to 1860 Munich around the same age as Twellman will be when his contract is up (probably a better club situation than PNE), is he any less washed up then TT will be in two years? And don't you only need cap requirements for the EPL? --- I don't get the sense of urgency here. Maybe it's his history with the Nats or something, but people are acting like he is some flash in the pan and this will be his only opportunity. We are talking about someone who has basically notched double digit goals in each year he's been in the league and 15 or more goals in 4 out of 6 seasons.
Hey, if he wants to go that bad he'll call up Frank Dell'Appa and say he'll never play for the Revs again. And then not actually play for them Of course he'd probably be prevented from playing with the national team while holding out. Actually, he should have doen it a week ago.
Look, North End has to deal with getting guys though on work permits, guys like a Toja who dallas got for next to nothing, and Emilio in DC, they would not get work permits for england. Thats why Preston has to go after guys who are either 1)EU guys (expensive) or 2)played enough NT games to qualify for the permit. Prestons restrictions when it comes to players is very stringent and TT is a guy they feel qualifies. He is cheap as hell to buy in terms of Pounds PNE would have to pay, A similar guy if they bought him and he was english would cost at least an extra 1M bucks american. TT is a guy id be looking to move for fair market if i was the rev, u can easily find TT's production, we arent by any means restricted like they are there. Fine you cant spend all your TT money on a single replacement, but with the Dempsy $$ and the TT $$, you can get 4 or 5 guys who will build your team for the future. Perfect example, $800,000 gets you a premiership quality player who could play this week, now go work out a contract. http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/asection/la-fg-soccer27jan27,1,5910067.story
not according to the people who actually get to decide/accept at what value Twellman's contract would/might be sold/transferred.
yet both seem capable of getting the necessary caps to get a WP. and their respective NT goal-scoring abilities likely help explain why McBride has had success in the Premiership, while Twellman is getting courted by a Championship side (one that is currently 4 points from avoiding relegation).
1.5M pounds is chump change in england for a team. 3M bucks may be a lot for a player in MLS. for TT, i wouldnt pay that if i was a CCC team, but thats me. With the conversion of the dollar to the Pound as cheap as it is (its 2-1 or at least 15-25% below normal) thats why you are seeing these team coming over hear to rape the MLS talent. Its like going to mexico and buying stuff at the mercado. The pound is going a long way and MLS is there Mercado.
and my point was that MLS/NE haven't yet "sold", so they haven't accepted what PNE is currently offering (or perhaps is only capable of or interested in offering) for TT. what other targets are PNE chasing, in their efforts to avoid relegation?