Mix Gone?

[JayH]

So apparently Mix was told he was benched due to lack of fitness. He contends (if my Norwegian translator is any good) that he's in the best shape of his life and said he's going to continue working hard anyways.

He also mentions later on that he does intend to go back to Norway at some point.

Is fitness really the only issue? If so that seems like something that would have been addressed by now, no?

http://www.nettavisen.no/sport/fotb...-new-york---na-vet-jeg-svaret/3423261288.html

Link in Norweigan

That would make sense (if true, of course). To me, that represents a potentially irreconcilable difference between a coach and player, if the coach thinks that the player is out of shape and/or lacks training effort, while the player thinks that he is in top shape and/or works tirelessly. That's a tough one to fix. They could have just agreed to disagree and concluded that both sides will smile and be cordial until a separation is consummated (now or later).

 

[Ulrich]

That would make sense (if true, of course). To me, that represents a potentially irreconcilable difference between a coach and player, if the coach thinks that the player is out of shape and/or lacks training effort, while the player thinks that he is in top shape and/or works tirelessly. That's a tough one to fix. They could have just agreed to disagree and concluded that both sides will smile and be cordial until a separation is consummated (now or later).

I think "fitness" is a scapegoat as it falls more under opinion than "fact" - I.e. something a non-insider cannot truly extrapolate since we don't have the team's training logs to quantify and compare players. I say this because there's no way Mix was in worse shape than Lampard when Lampard was coming off his injury. And nobody ran more/farther or harder than Mix did in games.

This is actually a very sad thing to hear, and while I very much like PV for what he's done with the team, saying Mix wasn't fit has the same truth to it as saying Saunders is a leader or Hernandez is a competent RB. All of those statements are complete bullshit to anybody that's watched the games - yet we have a coach, much like Bruce Arena, that assumes/believes the spectators do not understand either soccer or physiology. We as fans deserve much more credit than they are giving us - we see through the verbal bullshit.

 

[roxfontaine]

We as fans deserve much more credit than they are giving us - we see through the verbal bullshit.

Say it again!

 

[joe]

So apparently Mix was told he was benched due to lack of fitness. He contends (if my Norwegian translator is any good) that he's in the best shape of his life and said he's going to continue working hard anyways.

He also mentions later on that he does intend to go back to Norway at some point.

Is fitness really the only issue? If so that seems like something that would have been addressed by now, no?

http://www.nettavisen.no/sport/fotb...-new-york---na-vet-jeg-svaret/3423261288.html

Link in Norweigan

If it's true, then between Poku and Mix, the training staff should be fired into the sun.

 

[JayH]

I think "fitness" is a scapegoat as it falls more under opinion than "fact" - I.e. something a non-insider cannot truly extrapolate since we don't have the team's training logs to quantify and compare players. I say this because there's no way Mix was in worse shape than Lampard when Lampard was coming off his injury. And nobody ran more/farther or harder than Mix did in games.

This is actually a very sad thing to hear, and while I very much like PV for what he's done with the team, saying Mix wasn't fit has the same truth to it as saying Saunders is a leader or Hernandez is a competent RB. All of those statements are complete bullshit to anybody that's watched the games - yet we have a coach, much like Bruce Arena, that assumes/believes the spectators do not understand either soccer or physiology. We as fans deserve much more credit than they are giving us - we see through the verbal bullshit.

You can be fit or fitter than others but still not train as hard as you could/should be. Again, I'm not saying it's true, but I wouldn't rule it out. Kreis said that Mix (and Poku) had to practice harder. I discounted that. And early in the season (even when he was still in favor) PV stated that Mix needed to work harder in training and mature (or something along those lines, also grouping him with Poku). As for the latter, I was actually surprised that he mentioned Mix. It may be BS, but it also makes sense. I don't believe there is some extraordinary justification they are withholding from us.

 

[Gotham Gator]

So apparently Mix was told he was benched due to lack of fitness. He contends (if my Norwegian translator is any good) that he's in the best shape of his life and said he's going to continue working hard anyways.

He also mentions later on that he does intend to go back to Norway at some point.

Is fitness really the only issue? If so that seems like something that would have been addressed by now, no?

http://www.nettavisen.no/sport/fotb...-new-york---na-vet-jeg-svaret/3423261288.html

Link in Norweigan

This is a good find, but I wouldn't draw too many conclusions. There seems to be a lot lost in translation here. It's not clear that his comments about returning to Norway are serious, and I didn't see anything about conditioning - at least not anything that was comprehensible (again, using a translator).

 

[Ulrich]

You can be fit or fitter than others but still not train as hard as you could/should be. Again, I'm not saying it's true, but I wouldn't rule it out. Kreis said that Mix (and Poku) had to practice harder. I discounted that. And early in the season (even when he was still in favor) PV stated that Mix needed to work harder in training and mature (or something along those lines, also grouping him with Poku). As for the latter, I was actually surprised that he mentioned Mix. It may be BS, but it also makes sense. I don't believe there is some extraordinary justification they are withholding from us.

Perhaps, but there are players that ball-out in practice and perform like shit in games and guys that pace themselves in practice and are complete gamers.

I find it interesting that Poku left and is lighting it up. Mullins left and is lighting it up. Mix is grouped with them as having issues.

 

[SoupInNYC]

I think "fitness" is a scapegoat as it falls more under opinion than "fact" - I.e. something a non-insider cannot truly extrapolate since we don't have the team's training logs to quantify and compare players. I say this because there's no way Mix was in worse shape than Lampard when Lampard was coming off his injury. And nobody ran more/farther or harder than Mix did in games.

This is actually a very sad thing to hear, and while I very much like PV for what he's done with the team, saying Mix wasn't fit has the same truth to it as saying Saunders is a leader or Hernandez is a competent RB. All of those statements are complete bullshit to anybody that's watched the games - yet we have a coach, much like Bruce Arena, that assumes/believes the spectators do not understand either soccer or physiology. We as fans deserve much more credit than they are giving us - we see through the verbal bullshit.

I definitely get your point, but I wouldn't take that article as golden.

Until I actually hear PV or see a direct quote of his published saying Mix isn't fit, I won't necessarily "distrust" him on that issue.

 

[Ulrich]

I definitely get your point, but I wouldn't take that article as golden.

Until I actually hear PV or see a direct quote of his published saying Mix isn't fit, I won't necessarily "distrust" him on that issue.

You'll be waiting until we build our third stadium then because PV never says anything of concrete value (just like any coach) - it's all hyperbole and coach-speak (I.e. Saying the obvious while saying nothing).

 

[JayH]

Also, not to rehash, but there is a strong difference of opinion hereon as to how Mix looked on the field. I love Mix but (sadly) wasn't very impressed with what he did with his time (again, no point debating that). But blame his performance on what you want, ability, others, preparedness, training, etc., but something was off. It is undisputed that PV doesn't favor Mix for some reason. It wouldn't be a stretch for PV to attribute it to training, etc.

 

[SoupInNYC]

You'll be waiting until we build our third stadium then because PV never says anything of concrete value (just like any coach) - it's all hyperbole and coach-speak (I.e. Saying the obvious while saying nothing).

My point is, we have heard PV make the statements on Saunders and Hernandez about leadership. And yeah its coach speak. And I do get that those traits are good traits to have and should be considered. But I, like you, agree that neither of them belong on the field. Now do we have someone who can replace Saunders? Maybe, maybe not. Do we have someone who should be in over Hernandez? Absolutely.

But in this regard, we are relying on a supposed Mix rephrase of something PV told him. This was reported in some Norwegian paper (which I don't know the credibility of) and several of us have placed it into online translators. I have zero faith in believing anything that comes from that is what "PV said".

FWIW, I copied/pasted into Google translate and got some bit about him training really hard in practice, but nothing about he's unfit and thats why he's been benched.

 

[JayH]

You'll be waiting until we build our third stadium then because PV never says anything of concrete value (just like any coach) - it's all hyperbole and coach-speak (I.e. Saying the obvious while saying nothing).

It could be that PV doesn't think that Mix is "brave" enough.

 

[LionNYC]

So apparently Mix was told he was benched due to lack of fitness. He contends (if my Norwegian translator is any good) that he's in the best shape of his life and said he's going to continue working hard anyways.

He also mentions later on that he does intend to go back to Norway at some point.

Is fitness really the only issue? If so that seems like something that would have been addressed by now, no?

http://www.nettavisen.no/sport/fotb...-new-york---na-vet-jeg-svaret/3423261288.html

Link in Norweigan

Interesting to remember that Reyna told me that Johansen didn't get that mid week start during the 3 game in 7 day stretch because Vieira thought he wasn't fit enough to start.

Patrick Vieira doesn't care about Norwegian people.

 

[Ulrich]

Interesting to remember that Reyna told me that Johansen didn't get that mid week start during the 3 game in 7 day stretch because Vieira thought he wasn't fit enough to start.

Patrick Vieira doesn't care about Norwegian people.

How fit do you need to be as GK? I mean you need serious dexterity and agility, but not a high VO2

 

[JayH]

If it's true, then between Poku and Mix, the training staff should be fired into the sun.

They need to hire:

 

[SoupInNYC]

How fit do you need to be as GK? I mean you need serious dexterity and agility, but not a high VO2

You need to be fit enough that you can go running around the box flailing your arms (aka "sloshing") at all times.

 

[Lasker]

Interesting to remember that Reyna told me that Johansen didn't get that mid week start during the 3 game in 7 day stretch because Vieira thought he wasn't fit enough to start.

Patrick Vieira doesn't care about Norwegian people.

Thia reminds me: at the Bronx city in the boroughs event, when Rox asked about Mix at the Cosmos game and Viera was talking about how he wasn't the only player who played poorly, he specifically mentioned Ballouchy and Johansen as others who had had bad games.

 

[gbservis]

Complete speculation but is it possible that fitness doesn't just mean stamina? Mix mentioned in a few interviews that he sees himself as a 6. One of the holes in his game is that he is easily knocked off ball and often just bounces off players when he trying to take the ball away on D. Maybe the team told him to work on getting stronger and he didn't really step up and work at it.

 

[ManhattanValley]

And nobody ran more/farther or harder than Mix did in games.

Genuine/non-accusatory question - are there any stats to back this up? Or are we just talking about the eye test here?

 

[gbservis]

Genuine/non-accusatory question - are there any stats to back this up? Or are we just talking about the eye test here?

It's a good question, I have never seen distance traveled stats for MLS games similar to the ones they have for the top tier leagues and big international tournaments. I assume the team has them from those trackers all the players wear but I doubt they make that info public.