Gavin Day: Iain Hume's club-over-country choice pays off

[nolando]

http://www.mlssoccer.com/news/article/2013/03/26/canadian-exports-iain-humes-club-over-country-choice-pays-promotion-fight

It turns out that choosing club over country – this time, anyway – was the right call for Iain Hume...

[TFCfan4life]

This is only a good choice because we are talking about just two international friendlies and Canada does not have a coach or direction. He has no one to impress in the national team fold for the gold cup. Doncaster has something real to fight for. If this was World Cup qualifying, I doubt his choice would have been the same. Good on him for helping his team and securing a place on the team. He needs to play at a higher level next year to be called up for the national team because League One just won't cut it.

[jonovision]

This is only a good choice because we are talking about just two international friendlies and Canada does not have a coach or direction. He has no one to impress in the national team fold for the gold cup. Doncaster has something real to fight for. If this was World Cup qualifying, I doubt his choice would have been the same. Good on him for helping his team and securing a place on the team. He needs to play at a higher level next year to be called up for the national team because League One just won't cut it.

One would think so, but here's a look at our current striker/forward pool:

Tosaint Ricketts - playing for one of the worst teams in Norwegian top flight

Simeon Jackson - NOT playing for mid-table EPL team

Olivier Occean - NOT playing for Bundesliga team

Randy Edwini-Bonsu - NOT playing for 2.Bundesliga team

Lucas Cavallini - playing on loan to small team in Uruguayan top flight

I hesitate to mention it, but the Canadian forward currently enjoying the best spell (combination of playing time, success, and playing level) is Rob Friend, currently banging in the goals for 1860 Munich in the 2.Bundesliga. If Hume is getting some action, even at the League One level, that isn't so far off from what these others are doing. At this point in his career the level doesn't matter so much; we know what he brings to the table and so will any future manager who has done a lick of research.

[Blackdude]

Also, don't forget that League One doesn't pause during international windows. So it was in his best interest to stay at Doncaster, because he won't be away during important games for the club. And jonovision makes a good point. Hume's playing for a top League One club. Would it be better if he played 20 minutes here and there in the Championship? I doubt it.

[Olympique_de_Marseille]

It was wise considering the friendlies also had a youth development aspect to them. I agree with his choice. If he did the same during let's say the Gold Cup, I wouldn't be supportive.

[madmonte]

Top table league one, bottom table championship...he's played consistent minutes for both. Some would say that makes him a guy that gets lots of minutes in league one, some say it means he gets low minutes in championship. Truth is in between.

Recently we've watched Jackson and Occean (and others) get promoted on teams then slowly and painfully lose their places in the club. Can be hard to take.

Hume isn't a spring chicken anymore, and he's had injuries. Is he good enough for the Championship? Probably...but I wouldn't expect him to tear it up there anymore like he was sort of doing in 2010-2011 on a relegated PNE side.

[Obinna]

At this point in his career the level doesn't matter so much

+1

Admittedly, I use to be one of those who would fancy a big name club over a small one regardless of playing time, but those days are long gone. What I now look for is...

-are they scoring (at a reasonable level)?

-are they playing (at a reasonable level)?

-what level are they playing at?

If Occean and Jackson are not getting a sniff they drop down the depth chart in my books. I would much rather see those playing and scoring at lower levels like Cavalini, Friend, and Haber.

That being said I do have a cut off point..in England it is league two...in Germany it is B3 (unless it is a strong club)...In the eastern European leagues you gotta be at least in the top tier....same with Scandinavia.

[Avram Grant]

One would think so, but here's a look at our current striker/forward pool:

Tosaint Ricketts - playing for one of the worst teams in Norwegian top flight

Simeon Jackson - NOT playing for mid-table EPL team

Olivier Occean - NOT playing for Bundesliga team

Randy Edwini-Bonsu - NOT playing for 2.Bundesliga team

Lucas Cavallini - playing on loan to small team in Uruguayan top flight

I hesitate to mention it, but the Canadian forward currently enjoying the best spell (combination of playing time, success, and playing level) is Rob Friend, currently banging in the goals for 1860 Munich in the 2.Bundesliga. If Hume is getting some action, even at the League One level, that isn't so far off from what these others are doing. At this point in his career the level doesn't matter so much; we know what he brings to the table and so will any future manager who has done a lick of research.

God this is depressing.

[madmonte]

God this is depressing.

But it looked SO much better this time last year when REB was playing, Jackson was playing, Occean was pretty much B2 leading top scorer securing promotion...it's even more depressing looking at how promising it was last year, same time.

[Cheeta]

^ *shrug*

The ebb and flow of a footballers fortune. What a life to live, eh?

For all the reasons described above and more it would take a pretty hard heart on this forum to begrudge our Mr Hume a run at promotion. He's done enough for his country that he doesn't need to be the band-aide striker for a program in transition.

Think he's deserving of a little more respect than that.

[Addona]

I don't think anyone has a bad word to say about Humey ... he is generally beloved amongst CMNT fans!

Related question: Do we know for sure if Hume will go up with Doncaster if they get promoted? As far as I know, he is still on a loan deal from PNE, correct?

[Nieuwland]

God this is depressing.

I shared the same sentiment when I flipped through the roster on those two games in Doha. But I remembered that this is very typical of Canada. Just remember what the 2000 Gold Cup winning team looked like. Here are their starters:

Paul Peschisolido-------Fulham----------------------English Division One

Davide Xausa----------Inverness Caledonian Thistle--Scottish League One

Carlo Corazzin---------Northampton Town-----------English Division 3

Garret Kusch----------Mjallby-----------------------Superatten

Elvis Thomas----------Toronto Olympians------------CSL

It's crazy to think that Corazzin was the leading goal scorer despite playing in the equivalent of league 2. It gives evidence to Obinna's point about having the cut off at league 2. You can still be of great use in the Gold Cup simply by playing well in a lower league.

[Nieuwland]

Those were their forwards.

[Keegan]

I shared the same sentiment when I flipped through the roster on those two games in Doha. But I remembered that this is very typical of Canada. Just remember what the 2000 Gold Cup winning team looked like. Here are their starters:

Paul Peschisolido-------Fulham----------------------English Division One

Davide Xausa----------Inverness Caledonian Thistle--Scottish League One

Carlo Corazzin---------Northampton Town-----------English Division 3

Garret Kusch----------Mjallby-----------------------Superatten

Elvis Thomas----------Toronto Olympians------------CSL

It's crazy to think that Corazzin was the leading goal scorer despite playing in the equivalent of league 2. It gives evidence to Obinna's point about having the cut off at league 2. You can still be of great use in the Gold Cup simply by playing well in a lower league.

Without a doubt. Look no further than one of the greatest goal scorers in CMNT history, Ali G! Guy was a journeyman lower division player and there's no arguing that he was more effective than guys like Occean, Friend, Jackson who played in top flights.

[Nieuwland]

It makes me hope Hume keeps playing wherever he goes. So long as he's running and keeping himself in shape he'll be of use to the national team. I think the silver lining is found in the quality of the Concacaf. It's poor enough such that it permits players of his caliber to be successful (not that I'm saying he's a poor player). Simply put, we don't need a team half full of EPLers to qualify for the WQ or run for the GC.

It's something I have to keep reminding myself of: the quality of play is much lower than you'd expect. A quality League 1 player is probably a quality MLS player.

[gator]

Hume should always be considered for our MNT as long as he's scoring at a decent level, I hate to bring this up again but he should have started in Honduras IMHO! I agree with the opinion that it is better to go with a forward who is playing and scoring at a lower level than one who is not playing or scoring in a better league, look what's happened to Jackson!

[Califax]

I hate to bring this up again but he should have started in Honduras IMHO! I agree with the opinion that it is better to go with a forward who is playing and scoring at a lower level than one who is not playing or scoring in a better league, look what's happened to Jackson!

Standing side by side with you Gator. I still think that game changes with Hume on the pitch. He wouldn't have missed that gift early on.

[Keegan]

I can think of a handful of times when Hume has been a great sub but not any where he has been a great starter. I think he's best as a spark off the bench.

[Grizzly]

I can think of a handful of times when Hume has been a great sub but not any where he has been a great starter. I think he's best as a spark off the bench.

For the most part I agree with you although I think he has had a few good starts over the years but not with any consistency. I am critical of a lot of the decisions made by Hart during the WCQ but not starting Hume in Honduras is not one of them. Hume like all of our strikers has a lot of weaknesses in his play some of which are the same as Ricketts and some of which are different. Obviously in retrospect it is easy to criticize which striker to start after the fact but there was no good choice and each striker we had available brought a fairly equal number of negatives to the table as the alternatives. Ricketts creates a lot and is very good at being at the right place at the right time but unfortunately is a very poor finisher. Hume is a better finisher than Ricketts but still not that great of a finisher either. I have seen him miss a lot of sitters in his career too. He tends to score some really nice impressive goals like the one he did that day but then miss the easy ones like so many of our strikers. So it is pretty speculative to say Hume would have finished the chances Ricketts had particularly since I am doubtful that Hume would have even been in position to have the chances Ricketts had.

However, what I think was absolutely brutal amateurish incompetent coaching by Hart was waiting until the 2nd half to sub Hume on. After the second goal you could see the team just drop and Hume is as you say a spark and a guy who plays with heart and always gives 100%. It was absolutely obvious that this was the guy Hart needed to sub on to provide some leadership and motivation to the team and lift everyone's spirits before the game got away. We saw that happen when he came on in the 2nd half but by then it was too late. Instead of doing something positive to change the game Hart just did nothing and hoped they would make it into the dressing room only down by 2. Inexcusable decision for a semi-pro level coach let alone a national team coach.

[maccaliam]

. Inexcusable decision for a semi-pro level coach let alone a national team coach.

Unfortunately for us, those are one and the same.