2018 Whitecaps

[LION]

“The Caps need to win. They won't with him in the starting 11. Period.“

They just won with RT in the middle. Soooooo....
Isn’t that exactly what is happening when he is in the line up? Isn’t the stats showing that caps have a higher percentage of wins when he play?

Not every holding midfield needs to be an offensive sprayer of the ball. Simply break up plays, give your team the balance, and pass to the guys around you who can hopefully break lines. RT’s work rate allows Reyna to float a little more at times. And it balances each other decently.

If we added two big pieces to this current line it would definitely help their cause. No questions.
Give us a Parker and a playmaking 8, and we are a much stronger side. You can’t deny that two players can bring a team to another level. Look at Toronto! Giovinco and Bradley alone brought them to another level. Add them to Van city’s line up and you have yourself a contender! Easily.

 

[machel]

Looks like 7wins-2ties-3losses when RT starts games.
2wins-2ties-5losses when not played at all.

I say ride this good streak of form until proven otherwise. I'm not saying RT is our saviour, he's just stepped up his game this year and of course there's room for improvement! Still better than Piette...that's what started this whole thing! haha

 

[mtkb]

“The Caps need to win. They won't with him in the starting 11. Period.“

They just won with RT in the middle. Soooooo....
Isn’t that exactly what is happening when he is in the line up? Isn’t the stats showing that caps have a higher percentage of wins when he play?

Not every holding midfield needs to be an offensive sprayer of the ball. Simply break up plays, give your team the balance, and pass to the guys around you who can hopefully break lines. RT’s work rate allows Reyna to float a little more at times. And it balances each other decently.

If we added two big pieces to this current line it would definitely help their cause. No questions.
Give us a Parker and a playmaking 8, and we are a much stronger side. You can’t deny that two players can bring a team to another level. Look at Toronto! Giovinco and Bradley alone brought them to another level. Add them to Van city’s line up and you have yourself a contender! Easily.

I meant win something of consequence. Like the Supporters' Shield. Or in the playoffs. Or something.

What is it about this town and "yeah but they were really good in early October so..."

Adding Giovinco and Bradley types is exactly the type of thing I've been suggesting they need to do if they're serious about winning. But Giovinco just threw a tantrum about how chewed up the grass at BMO is, so I doubt he's in any hurry to play on our turf...

 

[Canucks4Ever]

The first of the Fonzi money being spent?

https://theprovince.com/sports/socc...caps/whitecaps-add-dutch-striker-marvin-emnes

As usual the 'Caps seem to be bargain hunting, but I don't mind this signing. I always rated Emnes when I watched him during his time in the Championship.

 

[STD]

They must of heard I cancelled my season tickets and they are panicking now

 

[machel]

For @mtkb

 

[Dude]

I don't mind the signing. It's a late season flyer, and who knows. If he's a pure attacking winger and can isolate opponents, then it's the start of trying to replace Davies' productive minutes.

 

[LION]

For @mtkb

Class guy who put his time in and is getting the job done as of late. Type of guy you want your kids to look up to. I’m happy for him and hope he can keep his form and spot in the starting 11. The carousel of players that have been in and out of that midfield over the last 3-4 years is a long list. RT brings a stability to the line up and someone you can hopefully connect with over years to come. Juarez and Felipe can ride pine for this good old Canadian kid any day in my books.

 

[Dude]

Yeah, I have to admit to taking and watching RT with a pretty critical eye this year to try and see what mtkb sees, and...I don't get it. This season, RT is a better player than Filipe and Juarez, full stop. Those are the two closest players that we can compare to RT, for role in the 11, etc..

Comparing him to Ghazal is not fair to either because they are physically so different, and offer different skill sets. Can't compare him to Norman Jr. because he's a false unicorn. Or, a unicorn in waiting. A Canadian HG who actually gets a shot with the 1st team. Even when the guys in front of him part the red fcuking sea to open up the opportunity. Even then.

I digress, I've grown to like RT. I do want a better midfield, yes, but in this season, he's one of the good stories, especially happy to see his success after Robo completely disrespected him earlier this season.

 

[STD]

Yeah you have to have a heart made of stone if you can't cheer for him after that video.
RUDY, RUDY, RUDY

 

[machel]

Juarez and Felipe can ride pine for this good old Canadian kid any day in my books.

Make the Whitecaps great again!

 

[mtkb]

For @mtkb

Great story. Great kid. Not good enough.

 

[mtkb]

Look, we all have our opinions, and if any of them were of any real value we'd be managing in the Premiership... I'm an armchair quarterback at this point, but I did spend 18 years coaching exclusively male youth soccer - and at a decent level for the most part.

I don't see him read the game, think the game, or make the right decisions, both on and more so off the ball, for me to have any confidence in him. I have friends and coaching colleagues who don't remotely quarrel with my assertion that he wouldn't be a star the next level down.

Has he had less mares this year? Sure. Is he eminently more likeable than Juarez, and has he provided a more professional effort? Yes. Felipe is an awkward comparison because for me Felipe is miscast as a 4 or 8 and would be better as a 10 if not out wide.... Teibert on the other hand just has no business in the middle of the park and consistently puts the central defenders and his DMF partner under significant strain due to his penchant for dropping anchor in no-man's land.

If you don't see it, fine. I watch the games, and I do. I have never met the kid, and as I've said repeatedly, ZERO issue with his heart or character. I just don't see the quality needed to be an asset at the MLS level, certainly on a contending team, anyway...

 

[Dude]

What I don't doubt is that you have an eye for talent; most guys coaching and teaching at the BCPL level do. That being said, it then makes me wonder WTF the rest of us are missing, and the truth is most of us who post here have been around enough highly talented local players and teams, and are able to recognize those same attributes. So, I'm not doubting your eye for the game, which makes this all that much more so fcuking baffling.

You are way, way, way over the top of your criticism of RT. Way over the top. It's not even close to being even keeled, or level headed, or pragmatic. To say that he doesn't even belong in MLS when there is now a body of work, and mountains of evidence against that stance? When the rest of us can see with our own eyes some of the positive attributes he has brought to the squad this season as essentially a 4th maybe 5th option CMFer asked to play a starter's role, and in his time in that role, the squad around him had positive results? To ascertain that- in the face of all that evidence- he wouldn't be a star the next level down, when in his professional career he basically hasn't spent any significant time at that level (USL), is nonsensical.

Sorry man, the evidence against your stance is fcuking damning.

 

[mtkb]

You're arguing that the evidence supports him being a fringe MLS player... I'm arguing he's something less than a star a level down... do you really think our assessments are that far apart?

 

[Dude]

LOL, I invite you to read your posts regarding RT over the past few pages, and you can get back to me and tell me if you were ever judging him to be even a fringe player. Besides, considering the level down is a gigantic leap, yeah, I'd say our assessments are way off.

 

[Regs]

The bar/expectations are so low now even Jonathan Leathers or Wes Knight would be looked at as a solid choice in the middle of the park...

 

[Dude]

Doesn't matter. The league is the league, and the results are the results. You can be realistic about it, or completely off the chain. We're not talking EPL here.

 

[akslop]

This Thread makes me feel awkward. Why don't you 2 go out for dinner and work out your RT man crushes and jealousies in person?

 

[Dude]

You need to get over your insecurities. It's 2018 FFS.