Taylor Twellman NE Adin Brown NE Preki KC Chris Klein KC Landon Donovan SJ Richard Mulrooney SJ DaMarcus Beasley CHI Orlando Perez CHI Eddie Pope NYNJ Tim Howard NYNJ Steve Morrow DAL Ronnie O'Brien (healthy) DAL Frankie Hejduk CLB Brian McBride CLB Danny Califf LA Gavon Glinton LA Kyle Beckerman COL Chris Carrieri COL Bobby Convey DC Marco Etcheverry DC
no way bottom - are you serious? Did you see how anemic West Brown and some of the other cellar dwellers were this year. This team, wouldn't be a ManU but could defenitely avoid relegation.
Nobody could have done worse than Sunderland this season. I would put that team around 15th, fighting it out with the likes of Fulham.
No idea who most of them are, but any team that includes Steve Morrow in its ranks has a serious problem.
I agree. It might not finish last, but probably not good enough to stay in top flight. At best, it'll be a yo-yo team going back and forth between First and Prem but that's a stretch. Probably mid-table in First, but I wouldn't bet my money on it.
I would guess that if they managed to avoid relegation in one season, that because of their youth they would maybe peak at mid table in 3-5 years. but that depends on Howards development as well as the growth of Beasley Twellman and Donovan...
Where woudl they finish? They'd make Sunderland's worst ever seaon look brilliant. Glinton has yet to show he can be a star in teh MLS. Same with Carrieri and Beckerman. Orlando Perez? He's decent for the MLS and that's it. Hejduk couldn't make it in Germany, no way does he make it in the premeirship. El Diablo wouldn't matter cuz he'd be hurt. ROB, healthy or not, would get spanked. He wasn't even good enough to start full time for Dallas last year. Hello!?!?!! Califf make make it but could prove a bit slow. McBride would do alright. COnvey and Donovan and Howard would probably fare well. Pope may do well but he should've went overseas years ago to try to improve his game. Preki's too old. At best he could come on as a sub for the last 15. I don't know how adin would fair. He needs another year or two. Twellman? Well, the boy better step up and score a few for the Nats before you can sell me on making it outside of the MLS. And Morrrow? Do you really think he'd come to the MLS in the first place if he could still being playing in his home country and at that in the EPL? Sheesh.
Well, him and Cygan! ;-) Actually, I don't think Cygan is that horrible. I do agree though that MOrrow can play in the MLS but has no business in the EPL.
Just a question, why that roster? Where did those names come from? Thats not the best roster even U.S. MLSers could put together.
maybe it would help to sketch out a couple of alternate lineups. you can only play 11 guys at a time, although it can definitely be important during a premiereship campaign to have some depth (although maybe less important if you don't have to worry about loads of non-league games!!!!). you also, only get 2 strikers, and maybe 3 offensive type midfielders. so, if you start preki/twellman and mcbride up top, and dmb, etcheverry, and donovan across the midfield, guys like twellman/preki and convey will likely have to sit and wait. great for depth, but keep in mind that this isn't an allstar game where everyone gets to go forward. howard will presumably do fine in goal, but i am concerned about how this group would stack up defensively. what's our best back 4 and who will play the D-mid?
Let's make a lineup out of this beastie: GK Tim Howard NYNJ LB Bobby Convey DC DC Danny Califf LA DC Eddie Pope NYNJ RB Frankie Hejduk CLB LM DaMarcus Beasley CHI DM Richard Mulrooney SJ AM Landon Donovan SJ RM Chris Klein KC CF Taylor Twellman NE CF Brian McBride CLB Subs: GK2 Adin Brown NE D/M Orlando Perez CHI M2 Ronnie O'Brien (healthy) DAL D/M Gavon Glinton LA D/M Kyle Beckerman COL F2 Chris Carrieri COL And ditch the oldies but not so goodies they serve no purpose other than coaching. Okay, premiership caliber guys are (IMO): Donovan, McBride, Beasley, Pope, Howard and Brown. Four of those would be good players on a lower mid-table premiership team at least, and it's hard to say after that (how well would Eddie Pope play? I don't know). Beasley is a bit of a wild card depending on how he reacts to the increased competition. He certainly has the talent to play anywhere in the world, it's just a matter of applying it. I think Brown's a good keeper, but don't know where he'd fit in the EPL. We can't even figure out how good Twellman is over here. Nothing stands out as spectacular, but the goals just keep coming. After that, it's a series of good (Klein) to mediocre (Mulrooney) Div. 1 players, and kids who if they improve might cut it in the EPL (Convey and Califf). The bench other than Brown and O'Brien would be crap. You'd need to ship Perez out, and throw Carrieri, Glinton and Beckerman in the reserves or on loan. Then find some free transfers who can play a little in the EPL to fill out the bench. So, let me see. Defensive midfield is a problem, and so are the fullbacks. Wing play could be a weakness, but if Beasley steps up his game, it might surprise. Donovan's a stud, and McBride can hold his own in the EPL. Pope would do the job. Howard is probably close to as good as Keller. So that means that Danny Califf and Twellman might be the difference between relegation and mid-table. The team is obscenely young for the EPL (6 of the players are under 25, three are 21 or younger). The team could, if coached well, exploit from the left side as the speed of the Convey and Beasley tandem could cause some problems. On the other hand, Twellman and McBride are not an optimal strike tandem. I think an MLS best 11 would clearly beat relegation, but this isn't quite it. I also ask, why that roster? Clearly there are better players available in MLS at some of those positions (especially at D-Mid and Center back). Maybe I'll use the editor on ChampMan and see what it would do...
id say middle to low, just above relegation, but like others before, me, id like to retool that roster, i see youve gone with 2 players from each team, but id like to see some players go, and others brought on. and no mathis? after all the debating over if he could play over there, with this being totally fictional and all, id like to see him as a reserve forward, subbing in about the 80th and seeing what he can do anyway.... that is all BMC
Wow, I was joking about bottom but I see some of the regulars actually think they'd be there or there abouts.
I chose this roster to reflect a sample of the MLS talent. I could have said how would the US National Team do in the EPL, but that would have drawn a completely different response than I was looking for.
The first team mentioned would probably be doing well to stay out of the relegation zone....I'd go for 2 spots above relegation. Better than WBA...
He has no business playing in Division 2, let alone the Premeirship. Anyway, Steve Morrow is still playing? I thought we sent him off to the old folks home after we'd done with him. (QPR division2). In fact dredging my memory - I seem to remember watching a Dallas game last season where he scored - TWICE. Now that's just not natural.
1. He scores goals but that's about it. He couldn't do it consistently in the EPL IMO. 2. Good goalkeeper. 3. Nope. Too old. Maybe not for MLS, but yes for the EPL. 4. He wouldn't get time with any other EPL team except Sunderland or West Brom, . . . maybe. 5. Yes. He could play in the EPL. I don't know what position or team, but he has the ability. 6. I honestly think he could. With a little polishing, he could play there. Not on a great team though. 7. Yes, he has the ability. He's been pretty durable in MLS and internationally, but I doubt he would over the course of an English season. 8. No. Any questions? 9. Yes. Good defender. He could definitely play with many teams throughout the EPL. 10. Of course. Great Great Great goalkeeper. He'd have no problems. 11. Many better players in this position in MLS. 12. Maybe. He's actually a good player. I could only see him with someone like Sunderland though. 13. Nope. 14. Yes. He's proven this already. 15. Not sure about this one. I don't really think he's good enough. 16. Are you serious? Speed doesn't make a player good. 17. No. Hasn't proven anything in MLS yet. 18. No. He wouldn't last a week with that attitude in England. He'd become very familiar with the reserves. 19. Yes. Probably needs more experience and needs to improve his strength and his defending though. Good player though. 20. Again, Are you serious!!??? This guy is no longer good enough for MLS! I'm making the assumption you were trying to create an MLS all-star team. Where is Carlos Bocanegra? How about Carlos Ruiz? Kyle Martino? Edson Buddle? Antonio Martinez? Pablo Mastroeni? Clint Mathis? Armado Guevara? (you chose Etcheverry over this guy????) Ricardo Clark? Mark Chung? Steve Ralston? I'm in no way implying that these players could play in the EPL, but surely if these guys are better players than many of the ones in your list.
Squads in the premiership are generally big. I believe Charlton had the smallest with a figure in the 20's, and Man City at one point had the largest with something like 41. So let's say something like 32, which is still big. All-star roster: (IMO) GK's: Tim Howard Adin Brown Nick Rimando Defenders: Carlos Bocanegra Ryan Suarez Eddie Pope Mike Petke Steve Jolley Danny Califf Tenywa Bonseau (sp?) Ryan Nelsen (D/M) Nick Garcia Midfielders: Pablo Mastroeni Chris Armas Richard Muhlrooney Ricardo Clark Mark Chung Demarcus Beasley Bobby Convey Kyle Martino Antonio Martinez Ronnie O'brien Ben Olsen (if healthy) Earnie Stewart Simon Elliott Forwards: Brian McBride Landon Donovan Carlos Ruiz Edson Buddle Taylor Twellman Jeff Cunningham Jason Kreis Now this team surely would not get relegated.
This team will not finish the season due to an injury crisis that sets in about Christmas time. As alluded to by a few posters, this squad is way too small, especially considering the fragility of a number of players on that squad.
I'm going to try and be fair. The first year this team will end up in the relegation zone. After a couple of seasons in "B" they will win their way back into the EPL. After a couple of seasons there they could make it to the top half. So, 5 years together and they will be in 7th or 8th place.