knick4life's Comments

Posted Sunday September 20, 2009, About: Beckham: MLS needs more international stars
I never before understood the connection between laws dealing with pumping gas and installing a new MLS franchise. Clearly I was blind, but now I see.
Posted Tuesday July 28, 2009, About: Dutch club interested in Adu loan
Sporting is excellent at developing talent below the age of 20. Porto is excellent at developing talent that's between the ages of 20 and 25. Benfica's not that good at developing anyone. Benfica is presently a poorly run organization that has undergone a coaching carousel recently. I feared the worst for Adu when he signed with them. At first, he was getting some playing time and scoring goals, and I thought 'wow, it actually might work.' Then a new manager came in, and the loans began.

Benfica's new coach Jorge Jesus is instituting a 4-3-1-2, so Adu would fit in perfectly as a backup to Pablo Aimar in the #10 position. And he would get plenty of playing time, between Aimar's frequent injuries, and the league games, the two cups, plus the Europa league. But instead they have been spelling Aimar with 33 yr old forward Nuno Gomes. So Adu could fit and get PT if Benfica really wanted him to. But Adu isn't the first young player to be signed and then forgotten by Benfica in recent years, and he likely won't be the last.
Posted Tuesday July 14, 2009, About: Knicks, Bulls, Jazz in three-way?
Haha, they aim to tease.
Posted Tuesday July 14, 2009, About: Knicks welcome back lean Curry
35 wins? I admire your optimism ;)
Posted Monday July 13, 2009, About: Obama's promise irks U.S. coach
So Algerius, you mean to say you did not buy a yacht with your Bush tax cut?
Posted Saturday July 11, 2009, About: American striker headed to France
The French league is a clear step up from the Swedish league, but it's also a manageable one. I like his attitude, how he was willing to bust his butt to make his own way in Europe. He's got a very bright future.
Posted Friday July 10, 2009, About: Inside Beckham-Cruise bromance
Yeah but details of the Goldenballs-Nutcase "Bromance" makes me want to buy Wahl's book *less.*
Posted Thursday July 09, 2009, About: Donovan tries to explain Beckham rip
I'd also take Ching over Casey or Cooper, although I'm hoping to see if Cooper can change my mind somewhat...As for Freddy, something's off. He looks very tentative and lead footed at times. It's probably rust, but if he goes to Benfica and his first few trainings/exhibitions are as uneven as the past 2 games, I could see him getting quickly shipped off on loan like last year and riding the pine somewhere as he did at Monaco. And I don't want that for him or the NT.
Posted Wednesday July 08, 2009, About: Euro clubs eyeing U.S. free agent
I didn't know they were Dutch. Although, Maroney looks a lot like Drenthe.
Posted Monday July 06, 2009, About: Will Bradley make U.S. team moves?
And as I said before, while some teams have made it work, I'm not convinced they weren't good enough to also win out of, say, a 4-4-2 or a 4-3-3.
Posted Monday July 06, 2009, About: Will Bradley make U.S. team moves?
I can see its effectiveness defensively, when you're afforded the time to organize defensively. On quick counterattacks down the wings, I don't know. You need either CBs or DMs that have the speed and skill to defend ultra-fast players and high quality wingbacks with great work rates and then you have to hope that all of these unique players don't get hurt, otherwise you might have to scrap the tactics you've worked months or years to master. Seems like an all around risky enterprise to me.
Posted Monday July 06, 2009, About: Will Bradley make U.S. team moves?
Like I said, I don't remember the games. I merely checked out the match reports and it had him listed as a defender. You might be right, I know mastro typically played defensive mid. Well, if that's the case, then we made it to the quarters with 4 defenders.
Posted Monday July 06, 2009, About: Will Bradley make U.S. team moves?
According to the match reports, the US played with 4 Ds in 3 of their 02 games. In their games against Portugal and Germany, they went with arguably 3 or 5 Ds depending on exactly where the wingbacks were positioned (was it really a 3-5-2 or rather a 5-3-2?). It would make sense for them to play in a far back, defensive posture (essentially 5 Ds) so as to not get burned by Portugal or Germany. But it's been years and I honestly don't remember those particular games well.

But your point is duly noted. As you said, the 3-5-2 can be a gamble, and I suppose I'm not the gambling type.

And thank you for disagreeing with me while not accusing me of having the slightest bit of football knowledge, etc.
Posted Monday July 06, 2009, About: Ronaldo: La Liga better than Premier League
Dept of Defense would be worth watching just for Coach Rumsfeld's postgame press conferences. "You go to war with the starting XI you have, not the starting XI you wish you had..."
Posted Monday July 06, 2009, About: Real Madrid moving on Onyewu?
Putting aside the unreliability of this rumor, I agree with those who say he needs playing time. He would have to beat out 2 of their 3 CBs: Pepe, Garay, and Albiol.
Posted Monday July 06, 2009, About: Will Bradley make U.S. team moves?
What you could have done is ask me, "Well what about when Barca used it several years ago?" Instead you insisted on writing that "Please learn the game of football before making offhanded comments that are easily refuted with just a small bit of knowledge and history of the game."

I stated a *personal preference* for a conventional approach, and others here are ably making the case for it. I would have engaged in a serious discussion with you and even would have been open to persuasion, but judging by your very first comment you weren't interested in a discussion were you? This was all about puffing out your chest, as I wrote earlier.

So in lieu of a tactical discussion you showed no interest in having in good faith, I simply stated the obvious: It is not a statement that can be "refuted" or "debunked." Sorry if you don't get it "dude."
Posted Monday July 06, 2009, About: Will Bradley make U.S. team moves?
Congratulations on awarding yourself the prize for your internet trivia challenge competition featuring yourself as contestant.

Just, next time, think before you write.
Posted Monday July 06, 2009, About: Will Bradley make U.S. team moves?
No point in getting into a discussion with anyone, much less tactical, with someone whose logical reasoning is clearly shot. Plus, it would simply allow you to distract from your mistaken attack on me which is the only reason why I am addressing you at all.

I will reiterate one last time. Your attack on my comment is based on a logical fallacy. My comment was more limited in scope than you're implying. You seem to think that by providing exceptions to a conclusory statement that I simply did not make that you are proving me wrong. You are providing a few bits of anecdotal evidence to the contrary of my personal preference, and that's fine, but it does not prove me wrong. (Just because the 3-5-2 has worked on occasion does not mean that the same team couldn't also win had they worked all year out of a 4-4-2 or a 4-3-3, for example.) Clearly nothing else I can say will help you understand this critical distinction. So, figure it out for yourself if you can.
Posted Monday July 06, 2009, About: Will Bradley make U.S. team moves?
I offered a personal preference for a more conventional, conservative *base formation* with 4 defenders, even for teams which theoretically have sufficient personnel to be somewhat successful in *any* system. That was the scope of my comment. This should not be not wildly controversial, most teams use 4 Ds and most teams that win trophies use 4 Ds.

Again, I did not say there was never a team that played it and was successful. But if I ran a team, I would have a personal preference for 4 Ds. I think there's a few top-flight managers who would agree with me, no?

Yet you began with the assumption that I made a conclusory statement like "the 3-5-2 always fail" and then concluded that you had "refuted" me. Perhaps you heard that in your mind because you wanted to "smackdown" a "noob" or something of the sort and perhaps get a pat on the back from D-Wreck. I am sorry my friend. Your futile effort to prop up and knock down a straw man has failed, and worse, been exposed. Better luck next time.
Posted Sunday July 05, 2009, About: Will Bradley make U.S. team moves?
Please read my comment more carefully before responding. I never said there was NEVER a team that won playing it, therefore you "refuted" nothing.
Posted Sunday July 05, 2009, About: Will Bradley make U.S. team moves?
I wouldn't play 3 in the back even if I were coaching a Brazil or a Barcelona, much less with our group.
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