Twellman: "I'm underpaid..."

In terms of MLS performances I think he's definately underpaid. A player's value however seems to partially determined by how interest the international markets has in him. Thus Eddie Johnson gets 900K. Mexican clubs were interested in Ruiz. European clubs clubs were interested in Josh Wolff. The league also seems to value players who were on a WC USNT.

 

Another transfer window goes a-begging--during the middle of the season, when the players are at peak form and could reasonably compete straight off for a starting spot in Europe--and the frustration builds.

The timing makes sense, even if the statements aren't "helpful."

 

Yeah Taylor - you're underpaid.

But the guy making the league minimum at $24,000 a year and the kid who was a college walk-on without a scholarship and massive student loan debt are well off....

Shut up and keep it out of the press.

 

But by saying that, I'm not entirely blaming Twellman at all.

These are professional athletes with dreams and aspirations, not robots to be sent to the Walpole Stop & Shop to sign autographs for 10 people and pretend to be satisfied.

If I'm still watching Taylor Twellman have to high five Slyde as he runs onto the field two or three years from now, I'll be incredibly sad for him.

MLS has to realize that retaining unhappy players is worse than losing them to Europe, where at least the league can pick up a tidy transfer fee, as well.

I don't think a coherent or consistent vision on this subject has been developed by the league office.

 

WBA just made a $2 mill offer for Eddie Johnson.

Has any team made an offer for Twellman?

 

Absolutely true.

But the conflict between player and club/league occurs mostly with respect to sale price vs salary.

The club/league is ONLY interested in the transfer fee. Obviously they don't get a cut of the players new contract at all.

For the player, its mostly the new Euro contract that interests them. Sure, the players get about 20 % of the transfer fee but that pales in comparison to the bump in salary.

Take Dempsey for example. He's making about 80 K per year. An EPL team comes in and offers $ 1.5 million transfer fee (he's got one more year on his contract) and offers him a contract of 1 million per year. League says no because transfer fee is "too low". Player goes ballistic.

So one can conclude that the Euro leagues are not really "interested" in Dempsey because they "only" offered $ 1.5 million. From the players perspective though, he gets screwed. The 20 % of the transfer fee cut is almost meaningless in this situation. And every year that there is a delay in the transfer is another $ 1 million that this player will NEVER see. These guys have a shelf life.

 

A report came out 10 days ago or so that said a Bundesliga team had made an offer.

 

He's a better player than Conor Casey imo.

 

Honestly, you could count the number of MLSers who aren't underpaid on your hands. EJ, Landy, Mathis, Palencia...who else?

I wouldn't, necessarily, because I kinda like the idea of Twellman becoming the team's iconic star player, the guy you think of when you think of the team, much like Cobi is for LA. But I'd also want that status to go to a guy who's happy and satisfied with what he's doing.

 

This dissatisfaction wouldn't have anything to do with the less than inspired attacking play would it?

I'm not saying that the players are tanking it on purpose, but if our two best goal-scorers are feeling that they get no love from the league, why wouldn't that affect their performance?

 

Entirely possible we've got a chicken/egg scenario here. Twellman and Demps feel underappreciated; they bottle it. League sees them bottling it; keeps shooting down offers.

While it's clear Dempsey looks listless and dissatisfied on the field, it's also seemed pretty apparent since June that he's just plain not playing on the same level as the rest of the team. I get the distinct impression that if we had just one other guy who was as fast, he wouldn't be so selfish on the pass or keep trying to play every position on his own.

I'd like to say that since Twellman's a poacher, he lives and dies by the service from the midfield that hasn't been there lately, but the trouble is, I've also seen him lose an awful lot of the finishing accuracy he had last year.

 

The timing might not be good but the shelf life for a professional athlete is very short. You have to take advantage of your "best years" as much as you can from a financial perspective. Twellman can make a good argument and $120K for a player of his caliber is nothing. I think he should have this discussion and see what NE can do. If they can't do anything he needs to consider his options.

 

When I saw that headline in the paper this morning, my reaction was "Grrrrreat"

I think we have answered the question of why the mediocre season. The players aren't happy, maybe not all of them, but the ones that are, are the ones that control the field, the play and the success of the team. Their antipathy is contagious.

 

Sounds like the team has a bunch of unhappy guys. It's tough to play good soccer when you're unhappy and it's tough to play well as a team when there are multiple unhappy guys.

No wonder we've sucked lately. The optimisim I had for the rest of the season is chipping away.

 

I agree with TnT 100%.

The league needs to watch out. They seem to be becoming a jail cell. Players are coming in, not getting paid the money they wish, and they arn't being allowed to go where they want to go.

If the league keeps this up then new player wont want to come to MLS and will try to find other ways to get to Europe.

Either pay your players, or let them go MLS!!!

RRRREV IT UP

 

There are other legitimate gripes as well. The officiating in this league hasn't endeared itself to either guy.

Dempsey's getting suspended every other week (this last time, BTW, probably justifiably) by decisions that come almost a week after the games.

Twellman is held and bullied almost every game now. It's a stock way to play him in this league.

The team simply cannot buy a penalty shot.

And let's face: nobody would call the current level involvement (or lack thereof) by the team's ownership "inspiring".

I can't stand spoiled whining athletes.

But I really don't think that's the case here. And I honestly can't say I disagree with these guys at all.

 

What he said

 

I think it's time to stop expanding, let the league sit for a few years and increase the salary cap! I know that the cap is selectively enforced, but I think the talent of MLS is starting to surpass the cap we currently have. With the TV deals, transer fee offers which the league could take, and more and more sponsors putting in more and more money, I think the league could survive if they added another million to the cap. This would give more room to pay our big players that are already breaking the cap rules, and when teams sign players like Demps and TnT, that grow into world class player in 2-3 years, theres more room to pay them what they deserve.

But no, we are just going to keep adding new teams that will bring in more player that will all want more money.

RRRREV IT UP

 

my thoughts exactly...

 

I have to wonder if the new TV deal has anything to do with this. Now that the league is getting new revenue, it's not surprising players might want some of it.

 

The most astonishing thing in that article is that the only player for the US to score in the World Cup only makes $40k. I don't blame him for elbowing people!