(07-08-2019 10:18 AM)FlyingTiger2016 Wrote:  

(07-07-2019 10:14 PM)chiefsfan Wrote:  

(07-07-2019 10:06 PM)GrayBeard Wrote:  We have 3 or 4 players and that is it. And no to Berhalter.

We have no direction in the midfield, Bradley has his days, but not having Tyler Adams was a huge loss. We desperately need someone to marshal the midfield and provide protection for the inevitable mistakes McKennie is going to make at his age. Right now everyone just overloads the midfield against us, and Berhalter's stubborn pass out of the back philosophy gets undone.

Otherwise, the most obvious issue remains the lack of a true striker. Again, I still do not understand why we didn't give Josh Sargent a chance this tournament. He's very raw, but has far more potential than Zardes, and needs the experience.

Not having a recognized striker killed us today. Mexico has two or three guys who can score goals for them. We pretty much rely on Pulisic and hope he can provide something. Once a team locks him out, there's no other options outside of maybe McKennie.

On the bright side, the defense is better.

Nagbe would have been a better option than Bradley and Roldan today. Not sure why GGG doesn't rate him.

Nagbe and Bradley play different positions. This issue is that we don't have a quality passer who can also play holding support for the others in central midfield because our best option (Adams) is hurt and would be at RB if he wasn't (because our manager is a dumb***).

The biggest issue is that our manager doesn't seem to know what he wants up top or in the middle of the field, and we're slim pickings at both already. He's clearly over his head, and is defaulting to things that worked consistently for ONE SEASON at club level. He just isn't a great manager, and we're reaping what we sow, while the man who likely should've held the job (and was extremely interested in it) is left lifting the Gold Cup.

Something I dont get about the Tyler Adams right back thing. Like, I understand Berhalter envisions that Adams as RB as a Philip Lahm type RB that is a playmaker and slides into the midfield. I get that. However, Low was able to do that because he had world class/high quality Center Mids(Schweni, Khedira, and Kramer). If you took Lahm out of the midfield you replaced him with quality in their prime.

If you take Adams out of the midfield, you replace him with either an older Bradley that is the equivalent of a traffic cone at this point or a well below international level Will Trapp. Combine that with by putting Adams at RB you are blocking Yedlin from starting. I grant you Yedlin isnt a world beater, however, he is more valuable at this point than Bradley or Trapp. If the entire player pool is healthy, Yedlin is probably a top 10 player. Neither Bradley nor Trapp approach that.

Basically, I would rather have Adams at CM with Yedlin starting at RB than Adams at RB and Bradley at CM

I have a bad feeling that we are heading toward a long period of pathetic US men's soccer.

(07-08-2019 01:43 PM)GrayBeard Wrote:  I have a bad feeling that we are heading toward a long period of pathetic US men's soccer.

Had we not basically followed through on the standard USSF hiring practice and actually brought in someone with new ideas to utilize our talent appropriately, I would be happy...but as it is currently, I see us playing second fiddle in our own Confederation, and not making it into the knockouts in '22.

(07-08-2019 10:50 AM)BearcatMan Wrote:  

(07-08-2019 10:18 AM)FlyingTiger2016 Wrote:  

(07-07-2019 10:14 PM)chiefsfan Wrote:  

(07-07-2019 10:06 PM)GrayBeard Wrote:  We have 3 or 4 players and that is it. And no to Berhalter.

We have no direction in the midfield, Bradley has his days, but not having Tyler Adams was a huge loss. We desperately need someone to marshal the midfield and provide protection for the inevitable mistakes McKennie is going to make at his age. Right now everyone just overloads the midfield against us, and Berhalter's stubborn pass out of the back philosophy gets undone.

Otherwise, the most obvious issue remains the lack of a true striker. Again, I still do not understand why we didn't give Josh Sargent a chance this tournament. He's very raw, but has far more potential than Zardes, and needs the experience.

Not having a recognized striker killed us today. Mexico has two or three guys who can score goals for them. We pretty much rely on Pulisic and hope he can provide something. Once a team locks him out, there's no other options outside of maybe McKennie.

On the bright side, the defense is better.

Nagbe would have been a better option than Bradley and Roldan today. Not sure why GGG doesn't rate him.

Nagbe and Bradley play different positions. This issue is that we don't have a quality passer who can also play holding support for the others in central midfield because our best option (Adams) is hurt and would be at RB if he wasn't (because our manager is a dumb***).

The biggest issue is that our manager doesn't seem to know what he wants up top or in the middle of the field, and we're slim pickings at both already. He's clearly over his head, and is defaulting to things that worked consistently for ONE SEASON at club level. He just isn't a great manager, and we're reaping what we sow, while the man who likely should've held the job (and was extremely interested in it) is left lifting the Gold Cup.

Nagbe plays the 6 for ATL. Nagbe hasn't played attacking mid in a while. He's not creative enough. He's much better at the 6/8 when all the attacking responsibility isn't on him.

He's a great passer. Like 90%. Can handle the press, and is athletic enough to play defensive.

He's one of the best players in MLS. I don't understand how Trapp, Roldan, and Bradley are all rated above him. It doesn't make much sense to me.

There's plenty of talent in the player pool. Don't believe that there isn't.

On another note, hats off to Peru for finishing 2nd in the Copa America. Lots of heart and after the WC and now this, the team has lots of momentum moving forward. No doubt Brazil had the most talent and deserved the win. It is interesting that NOT having Neymar seemed to help Brazil. Dani Alves is ageless. Dude is 36 and won player of the tournament. I wonder which club he'll land at next?

(07-08-2019 01:59 PM)BearcatMan Wrote:  

(07-08-2019 01:43 PM)GrayBeard Wrote:  I have a bad feeling that we are heading toward a long period of pathetic US men's soccer.

Had we not basically followed through on the standard USSF hiring practice and actually brought in someone with new ideas to utilize our talent appropriately, I would be happy...but as it is currently, I see us playing second fiddle in our own Confederation, and not making it into the knockouts in '22.

Honestly I think we’ll be ok by 2022. Our biggest issue right now is the player pool. The generation between Bradley/Dempsey/Howard and Pulisic/Adams turned out to be steaming garbage. Lots of reasons for that but that black hole caused us depend on the older players too long and count on Pulisic too soon.

As we build back the player pool we will improve even with an awful coach.

Wolves have arrived in China for the Premier Legaue Asia trophy and some great pictures are coming out.

https://twitter.com/skysports_PatD/statu...27488?s=20

Harry Kane just scored from midfield in the 93rd minute against Juve. Cool goal. Yes meaningless but still cool.

Wayne Rooney just names Player/Manager at Derby...this should be interesting...

(08-06-2019 08:29 AM)BearcatMan Wrote:  Wayne Rooney just names Player/Manager at Derby...this should be interesting...

He'll be player-coach. Cocu is still Derby's manager.

Word is that Rooney's wife missed her family and friends in the UK.

(08-06-2019 09:04 AM)aTxTIGER Wrote:  

(08-06-2019 08:29 AM)BearcatMan Wrote:  Wayne Rooney just names Player/Manager at Derby...this should be interesting...

He'll be player-coach. Cocu is still Derby's manager.

Word is that Rooney's wife missed her family and friends in the UK.

Thanks for the designation change, makes way more sense now. Don't see Rooney as manager material honestly.

(08-06-2019 09:42 AM)BearcatMan Wrote:  

(08-06-2019 09:04 AM)aTxTIGER Wrote:  

(08-06-2019 08:29 AM)BearcatMan Wrote:  Wayne Rooney just names Player/Manager at Derby...this should be interesting...

He'll be player-coach. Cocu is still Derby's manager.

Word is that Rooney's wife missed her family and friends in the UK.

Thanks for the designation change, makes way more sense now. Don't see Rooney as manager material honestly.

I never thought of him as someone who had a great mind for tactics.

(08-06-2019 09:46 AM)aTxTIGER Wrote:  

(08-06-2019 09:42 AM)BearcatMan Wrote:  

(08-06-2019 09:04 AM)aTxTIGER Wrote:  

(08-06-2019 08:29 AM)BearcatMan Wrote:  Wayne Rooney just names Player/Manager at Derby...this should be interesting...

He'll be player-coach. Cocu is still Derby's manager.

Word is that Rooney's wife missed her family and friends in the UK.

Thanks for the designation change, makes way more sense now. Don't see Rooney as manager material honestly.

I never thought of him as someone who had a great mind for tactics.

The "Bam Bam" of great offensive minds

So another PL season about to start. Predictions:

1. Man City
2. Liverpool
3. Tottenham
4. Arsenal
=========
5. Chelsea
6. Man U

Relegation
18. Newcastle
19. Brighton
20. Sheffield United

PoY-----Raheem Sterling
YPoY---Tanguay N'Dombele

Juventus banned anyone born in Naples from attending the upcoming Juventus/Naples match. I guess someone told Juventus that Juve's manager, Sarri, was in fact born in Naples and thus banned from managing his own team in the match. Juve promptly rescinded the "born in" ban and replaced it with a "lives in" ban so anyone that actually lives in Naples is banned from the match.

(08-09-2019 09:00 AM)VA49er Wrote:  Juventus banned anyone born in Naples from attending the upcoming Juventus/Naples match. I guess someone told Juventus that Juve's manager, Sarri, was in fact born in Naples and thus banned from managing his own team in the match. Juve promptly rescinded the "born in" ban and replaced it with a "lives in" ban so anyone that actually lives in Naples is banned from the match.

In fairness, people from Napoli should be banned from almost anywhere.

(08-09-2019 09:08 AM)aTxTIGER Wrote:  

(08-09-2019 09:00 AM)VA49er Wrote:  Juventus banned anyone born in Naples from attending the upcoming Juventus/Naples match. I guess someone told Juventus that Juve's manager, Sarri, was in fact born in Naples and thus banned from managing his own team in the match. Juve promptly rescinded the "born in" ban and replaced it with a "lives in" ban so anyone that actually lives in Naples is banned from the match.

In fairness, people from Napoli should be banned from almost anywhere.

Maybe; however, you'd think Juve would have tripled checked before hand that no one on its own team was from Naples before issuing the ban.

(08-09-2019 09:25 AM)VA49er Wrote:  

(08-09-2019 09:08 AM)aTxTIGER Wrote:  

(08-09-2019 09:00 AM)VA49er Wrote:  Juventus banned anyone born in Naples from attending the upcoming Juventus/Naples match. I guess someone told Juventus that Juve's manager, Sarri, was in fact born in Naples and thus banned from managing his own team in the match. Juve promptly rescinded the "born in" ban and replaced it with a "lives in" ban so anyone that actually lives in Naples is banned from the match.

In fairness, people from Napoli should be banned from almost anywhere.

Maybe; however, you'd think Juve would have tripled checked before hand that no one on its own team was from Naples before issuing the ban.

I dont expect any Italian football club to do much of anything when it comes to extra work or sensible decisions.

Welcome back to the Premier League Norwich City FC. Geezz.......