Heard JOB interviewed on a podcast. Dude doesn't seem remotely interested in soccer. Like, he doesn't follow it at all. Surprising to me. But, he has no obligation to fulfill my expectations.
Not saying it is a requirement. Just saying it can help understand each position. What makes playing it easier and what makes it difficult and by extension what can be done to make players more effective. Some can see those things without playing the various positions but I believe it is easier to have a feel for the needs and vulnerabilities through actual experience on the field. That, and I’m not really referring to playing multiple positions at the highest level for the player but as part of the development phase.
I know it has nothing to do with Yanks Abroad. But since we're talking about managers, this Adrian Heath story that Paul Tenorio wrote is incredible. The extraordinary story of a soccer coach, a kidnapping and a Saudi job that didn’t exist - The Athletic There's a lot of sketchiness "abroad" sometimes.
Tessmann + Lyon v Young Boys in Europa action shortly. Honestly was tuning in more to see Endrick who has been electrifying for Lyon so far but he is not eligible for Europa until kthe nockout stage. Trusty + Celtic take on Bologna in Euro. Celtic has improved especially in defensive structure since Nancy's sacking. Celtic again starts in a 4-3-3 with Trusty and Scales at CB.
Trusty also in the starting XI for Celtic against Bologna in the Europa League. They're right on the bubble for the knockout stage playoffs. Getting a result here would be really beneficial (obviously).
Despite the 1st half red card against Celtic, Trusty and co hang on for the 2-2 draw at Bologna 1 goal 1 clearance off the line 12/13 passing 18 clearances 9/13 duels 1/1 fouls/fouled WS(9.3)MOTM
Tessmann moved to cb to start the 2nd half in the 1-0 win over YB in Europa League action. 56/64 passing 3/6 long balls 5 clearances 5 recoveries 4/7 duels WS(7.1)5th
Pretty unrelated but I was thinking a few weeks ago about who could follow Roldan/Ream's footsteps and be the intelligent or locker-room guys circa 2030. I mean there's a slim chance Roldan can hold on until then but I don't see anyone right now who could bring it. Maybe Sebas or Adams?
yes it is interesting. Defense doesn’t seem to me to be the strongest part of his game. Perhaps I am wrong though. For those that know better than me, would 4/7 duels won be good for a cb? It seems like he should be doing better than that if we were to consider him as a cb option
I thought this analysis was great! Just to add my simple analysis to your awesome breakdown: Banks has won 4 full-professional soccer games as a starter. How many wins does it take to show that you are a good pro soccer player? I don’t know the answer but mostly in his extremely young career he has unfortunately just been scored on a bunch and been on the team that lost or tied the game. I am just in the realm of, talk to me again about Banks in the 2030 cycle. I need more proof of concept than only 4 wins to consider him one of the best defenders in America for this summer.
Guys just keep saying this tired old nonsense. I don't give a crap how old Ream is. Name me 3 CBs besides Chris Richards who are actually playing better than Ream? Mark Mr. Mistake McKenzie NoahKai Zero US appearances Banks Aaron Trusty Just who are these studs that are playing better than Ream? I am not saying he's an auto starter but to think he shouldn't be on the roster is just silly.
I still think Zimmerman and Zawadzki merit serious consideration. Blackmon as well. Blackmon was ahead of Trusty & Banks and was getting some minutes under Poch prior to injury. Zawadzki got called a couple times and had to withdraw due to injury and can cover 5-7 spots (anywhere in a back 3, either CM spot, plus some FB, WB, or a defensive WM).
Plus, he's the captain. He's in the squad. That doesn't mean he's going to start. He's in the squad. Tim Ream has been called up to EVERY camp of the Pochettino tenure. EVERY SINGLE ONE. And when he starts, he's captain. EVERY SINGLE TIME. That is now 16 games he's started as captain. [We don't have this captain by committee thing we had under Berhalter. Under Pochettino, Tim Ream has been the captain from day 1 until the present.] Leaving Ream off right now probably isn't even possible from a locker room perspective. He's the captain. He's the leader. Banks can clearly make it. I think Trusty and Banks are competing for a spot. But maybe not. The last camp should give us pause. Up until last camp I had 5 natural CBs on my roster. But then for the November camp, Poch only called up 4. Then he used both Freeman and Scally at RCB. Both did fine there against two teams going to the World Cup. We're not going to know about Banks until the March roster. We're all blind on that one. No idea.
IMO, 2025 Ream wasn’t great with Charlotte. Good, but not great. 2024 Ream was a noticeably better player. I’m worried, is what I’m saying
It seems to me that most feel we will bring at least 5 cbs. Put that together with Ream and Richards being the only two that have consistently been in lineup and it makes Ream’s spot even safer. A player perceived by Poch to be playing better than Ream…Miles, McKenzie or whoever, only pushes Ream to third starting cb. The players you mentioned are fighting to make the squad.
A BuLi yank v yank at 1:30 CT. Damion Downs should lead the line for Hamburger's 3-4-3 while James Sands should have his customary starting DM slot in Pauli's 3-4-1-2
Thank you, I appreciate compliment. I definitely agree that there is more, better evidence than I presented. one of the many weaknesses of my analysis is it lacked any evidence/info about the player(s) he replaced. It directly compares Banks to the subs and only indirectly compares Banks to the other starters (Matsima and Schlotterbeck). As it is, all he has to do to improve the team is be better than the alternatives (the subs he replaced). The indirect comparison is with the amount that his fellow starters improved the team relative to the subs. It would be nice to at least have direct evidence but I think it is enough to give a very rough estimate and say he is at or near the level of the other starters on his squad. Is that enough to make our 26? That is what Poch will have to decide. We know that he is already on his radar...he was called into the September camp where he called Banks a "massive talent" with "amazing potential", he went on to say "You never know how he can explode - maybe at the end of the season he can be the best center back in Europe or in Germany." and he didn't stop there. USMNT coach Pochettino tips Noahkai Banks for big things It's important to note, I think, that Poch said this BEFORE his run of starts with Augsborg. My belief is that he is hoping for a trajectory similar to Freeman's. Remember, Poch really only care about 2026. He has absolutely no motivation to prepare Banks for 2030. It is only a diversion from his task at hand if he doesn't believe he has a chance to help the team. Conclusion: he is pretty good right now…especially considering his age and while your instincts, at this point, are accurate...we need more. There is at least some evidence that he has a chance (based on performance and indications that Poch already had an eye on him BEFORE he started his breakout) and that chance grows the longer he continues his form. For what it's worth...I don't necessarily put much stock in the transfermkt rankings, I thought it was interesting that they ranked the starting cbs for Augsborg as follows (I threw in Richards too): World Ranking: Schlotterbeck (1790), Banks (746), Matsima (473), Richards (369) B1 ranking: Schlotterbeck (200), Banks (89), Matsima (62), Richards EPL (179) Team: Schlotterbeck (9), Banks (2), Matsima (1) Country: Banks (13), Richards 4) CB (world): Schlotterbeck (306), Banks (143), Matsima (85), Richards (66) Value (Euros): Schlotterbeck ($6M), Banks ($15M), Matsima ($22M), Richards ($25M) So, Transfermkt seems to believe that Banks should be a shoe in to make the team and considering the talent distribution, probably start at cb so take that for what it is worth.
O’ Brien lives with his wife, son, and daughter near Boulder, Colorado. After retiring from soccer, O’Brien returned to college and completed a doctorate in clinical psychology from Alliant International University. Dr. O’Brien has two separate practices, one providing mental health counseling to the general public and one working as a sports psychologist.[6]
Its such the state of world soccer that Damion Downs went from the bench for a bad Championship team to starting for Hamburg. Yank on Yank action in this one with Sands starting for St. Pauli. Its also a relegation battle. We have Yanks on most of the relegation candidates in Germany. Maloney and Mainz are in the most danger.