[LINEUP-4-4-2]Angel, Henry, Lindpere, Ballack, Tchani, Ubiparipovic, Miller, Ream, Mendes, Albright [/LINEUP-4-4-2] I can't wait for Henry to pair up with Angel.
There's no "confirmed" talks between the organization and Mr. Ballack. But Mr. Backe has confirmed that talks with a recognizable number 10 stopped after free agent recently signed with club.
you guys have really high hopes.... its embarrassing almost. im a redbull fan as well but to believe such gibberish and to actually pretend its an option makes me laugh. Henry is the only option the redbulls have currently and thats because he wants to live in New York.
I think he means people are being unrealistic in their expectations of the players coming in, not merely that the DP spots will be filled. And he's right, people here sometimes seem to forget that the MLS is far from on par with the top European teams and that players still looking for top level soccer will not come yet.
Well I don't think RB Austria or Soler or Backe are "unrealistic" to an unreasonable degree. If it was Ballack they tried to get then it was worth a shot. Besides, there's a hell of a difference between lounging at the bottom of the standings and hoping management gets a DP or two as a hail mary versus being in the thick of things, waiting for Henry and letting management take its time with the other DP.
The fact that Backe said it's a European, world-class and a recognizable name doesn't exactly make it unrealistic.
Backe can realistically pursue whoever the hell he wants, realistically signing someone is a completely different story.
the third DP slot doesn't need to be a globally recognized name. He can just be a solid player to help us win more games. For example, a really good defender might not grab headlines like a Thierry Henry, but winning games will do a lot for the team/league. Henry can/should get a lot of attention but the 3rd DP slot doesn't really have to.
Our defense is actually pretty solid. Ream and Mendes are pretty good players. But I do agree with you get a defender to lock up the back and let Henry/Angel score the goals.
yeah but it's a rumor and speculation. to say as the thread title suggest that we almost "had" this is wishful thinking in itself. since when did we almost "have" it at all? there are plenty of players that fit into the "euopean, world-class, and recognizable name" mold. doesn't mean we almost had those players as well.
Definitely true, I'd much rather have a lesser known center midfielder or center defender to pair with Ream than another high profile attacker.
I think long-term we can find a good american CB to pair with Ream....the creative playmaking CM is where the 3rd DP will have to be used.
Good point, the thing about Ream is that he's pretty much the opposite of what you'd expect out of an American defender. He uses his head to time his tackles, composes himself well on the ball, and can distribute out of the back. He needs someone next to him who can be the bulldog, running down defenders and sacrificing his body for the play. I've always thought he plays a bit like Pique, now he needs a Puyol to compliment his play style.
Pique played very differently in Manchester United. When he came back to Barcelona, he was guided by Puyol to compliment his style of play, not the other way. I'm nit-picking, but I understand what you're saying and I agree with it. As for the thread title... there's nothing wrong with this. We "had" a chance to "have" this... What don't some of you get?
Yeah I got ya, I'm not suggesting that Puyol catered his style to accommodate Pique, just that they pair very well together.
thank you, thats exactly what i mean. You have to understand these "world class players" dont' want to train at a college campus made of turf or travel up to 5 hours by plan for a match (add timezone change as well). MLS is far from the standard some folks hold it at. The league is still growing (in its ever-so-slow fashion) and has a ways to go....im just saying. Henry more or less realistic as a dp.....(because he wants to) every other high profile player that is leaving a club or contemplating retiring you guys need to stop dreaming and come back down to reality. The players to focus on are the ones that want to live in AMERICA. Then and only then should you be bringing their names up. ps....the whole dp thing is a joke to begin with.
To find a "lesser known" designated player who would make $1-2 million dollars annually in this league where no one but the hardcore fan base will recognize him is a farce. <--- DC United's forums are that way. But in all seriousness if you're going to find someone within any range of that price bracket and guessing they're going to be over 30; it will probably be someone recognizable to an extent.
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The notion that we shouldn't pursue someone like a Ballack because such a player would never come to MLS makes no sense to me. One word: Beckham. Soon, another word: Henry. These are two players younger than Ballack upon their arrival than Ballack is now, and as big a name as him, and arguably, bigger. And if you want to go back in time, Pele, Backenbauer, Carlos Alberto, Cruyff, George Best, Eusebio, Cubillas, and others came when soccer was even less popular than now and the facilities far inferior. If indeed NYRB tried to get Ballack, it was a good try.
Yeah but as Dtrip mentioned, those players came because they wanted to live in America, their interests weren't purely football related. I'm not saying we should pluck some no-named player out of the gutter and give him 2 million a year, but pursuing players who are still interested in playing Champions League football seems unreasonable to me. It would make more sense to go after a player of Angel's status before he came, a talented player from a mid to slightly better than mid table European side who has interest in living here. You use Beckham as an example, but did he not jet out of here to Milan once he had interest in playing internationally for England again??