Photo: 215pix
Union
Adam Maher could be leaving PSV this winter. This could be the fulfillment of Kinkead’s prophecy.
Andre Blake has good things to say about his National Team coaches.
Former head of corporate partnerships Craig Amhaus is headed up to the Poconos.
Local
Year in Review, according to the USL.
This year’s drive to support New Bethany Ministries has been expanded to include school supplies and non-soccer toys.
MLS
They’re out of the Playoffs, but not out of the woods- #SaveTheCrew
LAFC’s first game will be a friendly against perennial MLS hopeful Sacramento FC.
Atlanta United has signed US Open Cup star Mitch Hildebrandt away from FC Cincinnati.
SKC has signed a (gasp!) woman to be Assistant Director of Player Personnel.
US Soccer
Jermaine Jones Radio? Why not?
Sunil Gulati may not run for re-election as president of US Soccer. If he doesn’t he could throw his support behind SUM head (gasp!) Kathy Carter.
World
Ashley Young can see the future.
He contributed to the US failing out of an “easy” qualification spot, now Klinsmann wants to see what he can do with Australia. My bet? If he gets the job they’re back in the OFC in five years.
Maher is the #10 we need.
Per JT’s article today, Sugarman said their scouting processs is frozen until MLS makes a decision on how much TAM to issue out to teams.
.
I would take that as a sign that he ain’t looking to spend the amount it would take to get Maher.
“We’re gonna get this right, I know I need to open the wallet, I’m gonna open the wallet, I’m gonna, I’m gonna… We’re gonna”
.
..’have to wait to find out how much Daddy Warbuck’s is gonna tell me to spend.’ Each and every one of the cynics here fleshed this right out.
.
I can’t stand it.
.
.
Oh hey, the sun is out, lovely day.
I think I have a couple of books of S&H Green Stamps that I’d totally donate toward the transfer fee
I remember those, when I was a kid in the 50s.
I just read the Tannenwald piece and concur with the Gorgon Mirror. I can’t stand it. I can’t think of any other football club that did more to advertise its lack of ambition. Every time anyone from Union leadership is presented with a microphone, he cries poor.
Maher is currently making about $1 million per year. His transfer value is 3 million euros. PSV paid 6.5 million to get him. If the Union could get him on a free transfer, I can see Stewart making a deal. But would PSV really let him go for nothing? What would the Union’s top offer be? Could they pay a $1 million transfer fee for a $1 Million a year player? I’ll believe it when I see it.
Thank you. Spot on.
The 1 mil transfer and 1 mil salary is about in line with Bedoya, so that outlay is possible. We should really be bringing in 2 more players that are at least on that level. But we also should have been doing that for the past few years so….
Is the team really on the hook for the transfer fees?
.
I seem to remember the league covering (or at least chipping in on) the transfer fees in the past. Technically it’s their player anyway, right?
$1 million, I think, would have to be a low ball on the transfer fee. Like I said. PSV paid 6,5 million euro for him. Transfermarkt says he worth 3 million. A million bucks would be robbery unless the club is dying to get rid of him. I don’t follow the Eredivisie, so I don’t know if he’s had an attitude problem or if he looks so bad that no other clubs want him. And at that point, you have to wonder what you’re buying. If a team doesn’t want what he’s worth, why are they selling?
I agree, but the team really should be willing to pay 3 million for a transfer fee. That’s the exact range of DP we should be demanding at this point.
He’s out of contract in June. They don’t have a ton of leverage, even if it’s MLS negotiating.
Their scouting process is frozen bc they don’t have any scouts.
cue image of NFL players after a touchdown, de-pin the grenade, toss, then all fall down.
.
still the best one ever
.
Spot on Ben.
While they are few, a year ago they were three, Chris, Earnie and the numbers guru whose name I heard but don’t remember.
Jim since it’s a slow news day I’d like to know what mountain you’re on in your byline pic?
Cliff of Union Despair.
Can’t be… there’d be too many of us in the way to ski or snowboard. Hehe
Aspen Highlands! I’m an east coast loyalist through and through, but Aspen is actually alright. Plus it’s a picture of me I don’t hate, which is a valuable thing.
I am impressed by your skill. I’m not quite good enough to ski that ridge. Snowmass is more suited to my ability.
Oh this wasn’t up in the Bowl, it was lower on the mountain. It was a work trip and I was demoing a board I hadn’t ridden before. So I wasn’t about to put myself somewhere I’d have to try that hard.
We are looking for instructors at Blue Mountain. If interested check out their website, apply and join me on Sundays!
Ha! Blue is the mountain I grew up on, my brother is actually in the rental shop there this season.
But “unfortunately” I’m up in New England this season, so I’ll just have to make do with Killington.
Wake Forest is out of the NCAAs, justly, to Stanford.
.
Mar McKenzie has been playing in place of A senior co-captain defender, Politz is the last name, and made defending the ballyhooed Stanford striker look easy. Poised with the ball under pressure, the whole bit. Looked good.
“Sugarman acknowledged, as did Stewart a few weeks ago, that the scouting process has been stalled by not knowing how much targeted allocation money (TAM) will be available to teams this winter.”
.
How is it stalled? TAM going up or down anywhere in +/- $2M shouldn’t stall a scouting process. Maybe you haven’t whittled it down from 20-15-10-5 all the way, but there are players in a range. Figure it out.
.
“The increase in TAM could be at owners’ discretion, which is to say teams would have to purchase the budget space. Sugarman didn’t confirm whether that will be so, or whether he’d make the purchase. ”
.
Oh, well, I think I found the part that’s stalled. Here’s the video of MLS coming to Jay for his capital call – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NO8zb5DG_gM
.
“He said fans “should see some players coming in who fit this strategy.”
And he added: “If they don’t, hold us accountable.”
.
Um…Mr ‘Dumas’? Season ticket sales are down 25%. You are being held accountable.
So if Jay is willing to spend for arguments sake let’s say two million dollars, how would that not affect how Ernie builds a team? With almost three million of cleared salary and a possible two million added to TAM are they budgeting seven or five million on the roster? I get the frustration but two million more or less on the roster is a big deal.
Well, no. that’s not how it works. TAM isn’t the same as budgeted dollars. It is “targeted”, if you will. You can use it to lower the above DP charge ($480k) up to $1M in compensation. So you can’t really budget a difference of $5-7M. Remember, the team pays into the league and manages a budget, not paying the players directly. If it was all unrestricted, then yes, your comment would be more accurate. My frustration is borne out of this belief that for wont of $2M in funny money, this team can’t scout. They can certainly start negotiations and find out what they can spend later. It may mean starting a rookie if they run out of budgeted spots, but the team hasn’t ever shown that level of strategic roster development.
Is there any way we can get Jim Curtin to read this?
.
https://www.massivereport.com/2017/12/4/16729170/multifaceted-columbus-crew-sc-looking-to-be-even-more-flexiblee-in-2018-mls
.
Or better yet, Ernie Stewart so that he can realize the Union is miles behind tactically, and find us a coach who can actually pull off a formation switch…