Grabavoy
- Thread starter Gotham Gator
- Start date
Grabavoy signed as a free agent by the Timbers. At least he didn't get called up for the national team camp...
http://www.mlssoccer.com/post/2016/01/12/portland-timbers-sign-free-agent-midfielder-ned-grabavoy
http://www.mlssoccer.com/post/2016/01/12/portland-timbers-sign-free-agent-midfielder-ned-grabavoy
So let's see,Kreis is the heir apparent for the US Men's National Team.
We know Kreis brought in Poku when Seattle did not (Lagerway declined Poku despite seeing him in the flesh)
And Grabavoy signs with the champions.
Fascinating.
We know Kreis brought in Poku when Seattle did not (Lagerway declined Poku despite seeing him in the flesh)
And Grabavoy signs with the champions.
Fascinating.
He's a "glue guy". He's a "proven winner". He's "team first guy". He's "veteran leadership". [Insert ten other trite media and coach clichés] Blah, blah, blah.
He would have been fine last year if he played minutes closer to what Ballouchy played and was on that sort of salary. Maybe Porter will use him, and is paying him, more sensibly. Or maybe he has blackmail photos of all of the league coaches.
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Porter only had NG in college when he was an assistant coach. Apples and oranges. The question still remains what they see in him to bring him on? Also begs the question of how much his new contract is for because on Portland's team he will have to be a bench player.
Who fucking cares? He's their problem now. On to better thangs.
I don't think portland picking him up is all that inexplicable if people take a moment and set aside the NYCFC bias we have against him. Imagine for a second that we were rumored to be signing a player with the following attributes:
1. 32 years old
2. 279 MLS appearances (220 starts)
3. 12 year mls career
4. Won two MLS cups: 2009 RSL, 2005 LAG
5. Played a key midfield role in the 2009 championship
6. Had an off year last season because he played with a broken toe so he will most likely come at a discount and his toe is better now so he'll be back to his normal self!
7. Even during his off year he was one of the league leaders in passing completion %
I'm willing to bet that at least half the people on this board saying this is such a crazy signing by portland would be going on about how great of a MLS veteran signing a guy meeting the same criteria would be for NYCFC. I get it he started too much, he kept talented young players on the bench, he passed the ball short and backwards too much, but those are all Kries things not Grabavoy issues. Grabavoy didn't choose to start over Poku. The answer to the question about what coaches like about him lies directly in the style of play saw from him last year that we all hated, he plays exactly how the coach instructs him to. Kreis repeatedly said he wanted to play a short passing high possession game and that's exactly what Grabavoy tried to do every time he touched the ball.
Are you all going to boo Brovsky when he comes back with another team because he made a bunch of money and played below expectations? The only difference between Brovsky and Grabavoy is that Grabavoy played considerably more which he has no control over.
1. 32 years old
2. 279 MLS appearances (220 starts)
3. 12 year mls career
4. Won two MLS cups: 2009 RSL, 2005 LAG
5. Played a key midfield role in the 2009 championship
6. Had an off year last season because he played with a broken toe so he will most likely come at a discount and his toe is better now so he'll be back to his normal self!
7. Even during his off year he was one of the league leaders in passing completion %
I'm willing to bet that at least half the people on this board saying this is such a crazy signing by portland would be going on about how great of a MLS veteran signing a guy meeting the same criteria would be for NYCFC. I get it he started too much, he kept talented young players on the bench, he passed the ball short and backwards too much, but those are all Kries things not Grabavoy issues. Grabavoy didn't choose to start over Poku. The answer to the question about what coaches like about him lies directly in the style of play saw from him last year that we all hated, he plays exactly how the coach instructs him to. Kreis repeatedly said he wanted to play a short passing high possession game and that's exactly what Grabavoy tried to do every time he touched the ball.
Are you all going to boo Brovsky when he comes back with another team because he made a bunch of money and played below expectations? The only difference between Brovsky and Grabavoy is that Grabavoy played considerably more which he has no control over.
He's gone. Let's stop talking about him. Move on. Let's talk about Poku instead.
I agree that it is quite possibly a good signing for Portland. If Grabavoy played 1000 minutes last year and earned $100,000, both of which are, perhaps, much closer to what he'll do in Portland, none of us would have spent that much time thinking about him.
