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Philadelphia Union
Jack McInerney is a player who has demonstrated that he is not afraid to speak bluntly. Asked by MLS Transfers’ Marc Kusant about what reinforcements the Union need to bring in during the off season, McInerney said, “Last time we talked [John Hackworth] asked what I think we needed and I said a through ball would be nice every once and a while. He laughed and said it was exactly what they were going to get this offseason. Never mentioned any names but I get the feeling it would not be a MLS player.”
Asked what he would do if he was offered a new contract by the Union, McInerney replied, “Unless they came to me with something a good bit up there, I wouldn’t take it.” McInerney is in the final year of his contract with the team.
Even with that goal drought, McInerney comes in at No. 9 in the list of top US scorers in 2013, right in between Clint Dempsey and Alejandro Bedoya.
In the latest news on reported Union transfer target Pablo Perez, we linked to yesterday, Mundo Deportivo reports (crappy Google translation here) that the Argentinian midfielder is now Malaga’s chief target after Jose Sosa signed with Atletico Madrid.
Zolo Times has late reaction to the departure of Michael Farfan. The post includes a great deal of speculation when it comes to what motivated Farfan to want to leave, but the conclusion will resonate with fans who are confused or uncertain about the Union’s direction.
MLS
The Daily Mail reports, “Toronto FC hope to make a formal announcement about Jermain Defoe’s transfer from Tottenham at the end of next week.”
MLSsoccer.com names Clint Dempsey’s return to MLS its story of the year. ProSoccerTalk has its top MLS moments of the year and top 5 MLS storylines.
Seattle will host Tottenham Hotspur in a friendly on July 19. The Chicago Fire will do the same on July 26.
At SI, Brian Straus summarizes the latest expansion news.
US
SBI on the top five USWNT games and top ten USMNT games of 2013.
The Equalizer on the best and worst of women’s soccer in 2013.
Soccer America concludes its two-part Q&A with US Soccer Youth Technical Director Tab Ramos.
Soccer America on the top ten American soccer broadcasting stories of the year.
Elsewhere
At the Guardian, Jonathan Wilson concludes his review of tactical developments and trends in 2013.
ESPN has a humorous, “sideways” best of look at the Premier League. Since when did the Prem season start following the calendar year? Anyway, this video review is more fun:
SI has its take on the top 13 European soccer stories of the year.
At Eight by Eight, Philippe Auclair on how Qatar bought the hosting rights to the 2022 World Cup. “From whichever angle one looks at Qatar 2022, the view is ugly. The argument for revisiting the decision to award the World Cup to the emirate is one that FIFA can ignore only if it is willing to destroy its own legitimacy.”
Unless Nick Sak has taken his humble pills, I fear McInerny just talked his way off the team.
If that is the case then I would say that is a smart move by Jack.
Negotiating leverage. He can’t say he’d sign for nothing, then he loses the upper hand. The Union will make him a fair offer [I hope – Le Toux was offered $200,000], and if he gets a better offer somewhere else he can take that. The front office can’t take everything as an attack.
He’s overated. He want’s to go show him the door, and buy a proven striker. Which, of course, the Union will never do.
“Unless they came to me with something a good bit up there, I wouldn’t take it.
I’m sorry but McInerney hasn’t earned a huge new contract. The strikers who get paid the big bucks are guys who can create their own goals and aside from the DC game last year, I don’t think Jack has ever scored a goal where he wasn’t within 3 yards of goal. Jack can hit the road in 2015 as far as I’m concerned, strikers come out of college every year just as good as him. The only player who deserves a big new contract to keep him in Philly beyond 2014 is Okugo. Sign him up to a new long term deal, he’s easily the best and most important player on the team.
This isn’t a Union or Jack problem, it’s a MLS problem. Jack makes 76K. That’s a joke. Terrible players in Englands 3rd division make more than that.
Whether or not Jack “deserves” it or not shouldn’t even be an argument. The argument is that for all the other advances, the MLS is still a running joke when it comes to average salary.
Plus, if you honestly think you can find a better player for less than 76K, then maybe you should apply to be Garbers understudy.
+1 My thoughts exactly. Jack can go to any lower division in Europe and make double. Mls needs to expand to increase the cap or grant more private spending freedom.
“This isn’t a Union or Jack problem, it’s a MLS problem.” Agreed.
Jack Mac made $189K last year in guaranteed compensation . . . not $76K. He’ll make $200K in 2014 as most players get a 10% bump.
DeShorn Brown, who Philly wanted . . . made $113K and was just as good in his 1st year out of college (10 goals 4 assists). Mike Magee had twice has many goals as Mac at the same money. Sanvezzo had twice as many goals and also chipped in six assists ( Mac had 0), and made only 30K more. And despite going away to the US team for several weeks, each of those guys played essentially the same number of minutes as Mac.
I agree the MLS needs to raise salaries across the board but that’s a completely different argument. In the current system which will be here for the foreseeable future his output does not warrant a huge raise.
@Shane, I was just going to say the same thing. In addition, GenAd deals like MacInerney signed come with other perks like no-cut contracts and a college fund the league pays for.
Last point, the thrust of those quotes was that he is at least taking the position that he wouldn’t accept a moderate raise. I assume he’s saying wouldn’t take, for instance, $250k. That could just be posturing, an attempt to get Philadelphia to sell him now (because they’d be gambling a lot by going much above a quarter mill), but that’s clearly the message he’s trying to communicate, and in that context it’s hard to look at him as a guy that’s getting ‘screwed by the system.’ He wasn’t underpaid last year for what he produced.
There’s a two-team expansion draft coming up next December. I guarantee both NYCFC and Orlando will be interested in McInerney. If he won’t sign a new contract, then I doubt the Union will protect him, and he may end up on one of those two squads.
“A through ball would be nice once in awhile”…jeeez Jack, while that certainly echoes my and probably most other fan’s sentiments, that’s dangerously close to “my teammates aren’t good enough”, joking or not.
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As for the contract issue however, I’m fine with his stance, even if it might not have been wise to say it like that publicly. If he continues to improve, and the front office improves the team around him (you know, some through balls and all that), he’s a guy who could score 20 goals in this league, and he knows it.
Why is that dangerous? Don’t you want your better players challenging their teammates and management to be better? Michael Jordan was brutal to his teammates and look what he accomplished. I want these players being ambitious and competitive.
It’s not as if Jack keeps saying these things that Keon’s mom won’t let Jack sleepover or Cruz’s mom won’t give jack any oranges at halftime…..
“It’s not as if Jack keeps saying these things that Keon’s mom won’t let Jack sleepover or Cruz’s mom won’t give jack any oranges at halftime…..”
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That’s good stuff!! Hahaha!!
In regard to the upcoming MLS Superdraft, I didn’t think we would be interested in Patrick Mullins given that he isn’t GA. However, after reading Jack Mac’s comments about not signing a new deal with the Union (except for a substantial pay raise) then maybe we should be interested in him as a potential McInerney replacement. Both players play a fairly similar style in my opinion.
I don’t mind Jack wanting a raise… We all want to make more money, right? Problem is that sports aren’t like real life. You want to make 6-7 figures for PLAYING a game… be great, be the best.
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Jack is a nice player is who instrumental to the Union’s success right now, but without a real midfield he becomes slightly above average. Guys that can’t create and win games on their own don’t deserve the big money. Get him a #10 who can play that through ball once and a while, and maybe he can win the Golden Boot…
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With that said, the MLS needs to compete salary wise with 2nd and 3rd division in England. To me, and I am sure everyone else, it’s a disgrace that 3rd tier players are earning that much more than MLS guys. I don’t have stats, I am going on what I read here, but I’m sure it’s fairly accurate stuff.
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Also, if Hack and Sack have such a great “plan” – why are there ZERO other rumors besides this Perez guy? I’m really starting to think we are stuck with Bone and some draft picks.
My question is, besides money why would Jack want to stay? Is the Union the best place for him to meet his long term goals?
Probably not, but then again, I’d imagine that no MLS team is, in his mind at least. A player his age with his talent and ambition is thinking Europe long term, and if he has a good season, he’ll likely get offers from overseas.
RE: Jack’s comments
Someone needed to point out the emperor has no clothes. Hopefully it helps puts pressure on him to go shopping.
Jack can’t do much more than poach for goals. He can’t go one v one with skill. He’s quick but not fast and can be closed down. He proved that he did not have another gear or ball skill to creat room for himself like Mawanga. He would be a great final piece for a cup contender with players to take advantage of his one skill. When he was scoring he was able to cover up the deficiency(s) in his game and take attention away from Hackworth inability to coach. However, when he was slumping it showed just how mediocre the Union were especially with Cruz and Hackworth’s all too limited lineup starting every game with no real game plan. Conor Casey couldn’t do it alone.
Excuse me Jack but you should have been on the reserve list for the rest of the year after coming back from the U.S. team with one of the most poorest performances on the Union squad. You also had plenty of opportunities to get back into form, almost starting every game! Maybe he should quit “cherry picking” and check back and get yourself into the plays once in a while. Real successful forwards know how to take on defenders and beat them and they have great touch on the ball and know how to establish themselves within plays developing. If he would work on these aspects of the game maybe he wouldn’t have been a train wreck for the second half of the season.
+1
I think Jack has value both on the Union and as a transfer fee. If he plays well during the beginning of the year then won’t sign a reasonable contract the U should shop him elsewhere during the summer transfer window. Don’t trade him within MLS it will bite us. Send him to Europe somewhere and take the money. Then go find another solid striker with upside. Hack wants to play a 4-3-3 which is not a completely striker oriented system in the first place.
His comment about through balls is irritating. Not a good teammate comment IMO. Basically through his midfield under the bus. While I agree with him, from his position he should not be making that comment. It also shows his lack of ability in creating his own chances and ability to dribble and create space.
In the days and weeks to come there will be interviews with friends; statements by those representing teams he played for, the Police Department in Oceanside, CA where he grew up and died and by various talking heads and experts on ESPN and the many NFL media outlets.
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