Ballou Tabla

[Obinna]

1 hour ago, Kadenge said:

perhaps a glimmer of hope?.....

http://www.espn.com/soccer/barcelona/story/3432944/barcelonas-ballou-tabla-torn-between-choosing-canada-and-ivory-coast

Thanks for sharing and nice read.

Interesting that Drogba is telling him to just enjoy himself for now. Telling him that there is no rush to choose.

I think perhaps Drogba cares about Ballou and what's right for Ballou and perhaps what is right for him will be to play for Canada. Things will become more clear as he develops.

It is a relief that Drogba isn't telling him to just got for Ivory Coast - because that may be what's best for Ivory Coast, but perhaps not what's right for Ballou.

I think there's still a chance.

[dyslexic nam]

Hopefully Herdman has made the effort to reach out and explain his vision/plan for the team, and Tabla's possible role in it.  Not a high pressure push - just reach out.  We have some exciting youth talent coming through the pipeline, and the idea of being part of that going forward may be enticing.

[Olympique_de_Marseille]

This is very reassuring. Good advice from Drogba: just wait.

It means he won't "Caolan Lavery" himself, because, let's face it; he'd have a good shot at making the Ivory Coast U20 team (and perhaps the U23 team too).

[Keegan]

That’s not the impression I got at all.. it seems Drogba is saying just wait for the call and if it doesn’t come stay with Canada.  Ballou even says that Drogba didn’t play for the national team until 24.. so implying that he’s patient to wait for his chance with Côte d’Ivoire 

[Olympique_de_Marseille]

21 minutes ago, Keegan said:

That’s not the impression I got at all.. it seems Drogba is saying just wait for the call and if it doesn’t come stay with Canada.

Yes, this is somewhat the case, but that's fine for now; a "Caolan Lavery" type situation is what is most dangerous in the next year and a half. "Wait" is good for us for now.

[kingvikingstad]

On 3/27/2018 at 1:00 PM, Kadenge said:

perhaps a glimmer of hope?.....

http://www.espn.com/soccer/barcelona/story/3432944/barcelonas-ballou-tabla-torn-between-choosing-canada-and-ivory-coast

I really didn't see that as a good thing at all. It seems he and Drogba are even closer than I thought, and he's now just telling Tabla to be patient and his call-up will eventually come. 

I refuse to believe that Ballou's idol, who got him a gig with Barcelona, and is referred to as both his big brother AND de-facto President of the IC, will decide to play in Canada.

Unless he flames out or he and Drogba have a fall out, I think we're done here. And before you guys all call me a pessimist, this is just my way of protecting myself from the pain! 

[dyslexic nam]

16 minutes ago, kingvikingstad said:

I really didn't see that as a good thing at all. It seems he and Drogba are even closer than I thought, and he's now just telling Tabla to be patient and his call-up will eventually come. 

I refuse to believe that Ballou's idol, who got him a gig with Barcelona, and is referred to as both his big brother AND de-facto President of the IC, will decide to play in Canada.

Unless he flames out or he and Drogba have a fall out, I think we're done here. And before you guys all call me a pessimist, this is just my way of protecting myself from the pain! 

Yeah, this is kind of how I interpret this as well.  I suppose continued conflicting thoughts is still better than him getting the call for IC, but nothing about tha article aside from the title really suggests much pull towards Canada.

[Obinna]

On 2018-03-27 at 6:17 PM, Keegan said:

That’s not the impression I got at all.. it seems Drogba is saying just wait for the call and if it doesn’t come stay with Canada.  Ballou even says that Drogba didn’t play for the national team until 24.. so implying that he’s patient to wait for his chance with Côte d’Ivoire 

I tend to agree with this. I think it all depends on when and if the Ivory Coast call. He could flame out, but I think chances IC do not call him before he is 24 are slim. 

While i still believe IC is his preferred choice, I also don’t think he’d accept a call unless he believed he could become a real part of that team. 

Which brings me back to Drogba. If Drogba thinks he is good enough and is telling him to wait, then fair enough because he is still only 19, but I can’t see him telling a 26 year old Tabla to keep waiting. That would just be detrimental to Ballou when he could be playing international football with Canada. I think Drogba wants what’s best for this young man first, and what’s best for IC second.

[BenFisk'sBiggestFan]

He is telling Ballou to wait. Which basically means wait for the IC to call you up. Because lets face it, he’s getting calls from Canada, and he isn’t from IC. So why would he wait unless he wanted to play for IC. The only way he comes to Canada is if we make the World Cup and IC doesn’t. But if we make the World Cup without him, I’m not sure i want him jumping on just for himself. 

[MtlMario]

I can't wait for the day that we are not 2nd or 3rd choice for some of these players.

[Guest]

2 minutes ago, MtlMario said:

I can't wait for the day that we are not 2nd or 3rd choice for some of these players.

There are always going to be some players that choose to support another team. Canada are Fonzie and Millar’s first choice

[MtlMario]

Yes I know there are always going to be some choosing other countries but I don't have to like it.

Edited March 29, 2018 by MtlMario

[Unnamed Trialist]

Just want to clarify, you cannot properly attribute his Barça signing to Drogba. Didier has no contacts in Spain, and no Ivorian has ever played for us, there is no connection. So I don't think it is right to specifically say Drogba got him signed here.

I think more likely he helped get him a decent agent, and the agent began to shop him around. Probably and most likely starting at Chelsea, other England teams, maybe France. The connection with Barça of these guys is tenuous. All that happened was that in a general attempt to attract a team, Barça bit first and best.

I think if you look at our African connections, we have had a lot with Cameroon via Etoo, then French nationals from Mali, Senegal. We've had Nigerians, and players from Morocco via Spain or Holland. There is no Barcelona - Ivory Coast connection whatsoever, and I'd even say this: Drogba is not even particularly liked here, for longstanding FCB-Chelsea rivalries and some stuff that came out of them.

If Ballou had been called and gone to a friendly last weekend in Murcia with Canada, it would have raised his status at the club, if anything I think FCB would prefer to see him with Canada to Cote Ivoire.

Edited March 29, 2018 by Unnamed Trialist

[Obinna]

1 hour ago, Unnamed Trialist said:

Just want to clarify, you cannot properly attribute his Barça signing to Drogba. Didier has no contacts in Spain, and no Ivorian has ever played for us, there is no connection. So I don't think it is right to specifically say Drogba got him signed here.

I think more likely he helped get him a decent agent, and the agent began to shop him around. Probably and most likely starting at Chelsea, other England teams, maybe France. The connection with Barça of these guys is tenuous. All that happened was that in a general attempt to attract a team, Barça bit first and best.

I think if you look at our African connections, we have had a lot with Cameroon via Etoo, then French nationals from Mali, Senegal. We've had Nigerians, and players from Morocco via Spain or Holland. There is no Barcelona - Ivory Coast connection whatsoever, and I'd even say this: Drogba is not even particularly liked here, for longstanding FCB-Chelsea rivalries and some stuff that came out of them.

If Ballou had been called and gone to a friendly last weekend in Murcia with Canada, it would have raised his status at the club, if anything I think FCB would prefer to see him with Canada to Cote Ivoire.

Not that I disaagree with your post, but Yaya Toure?

[kacbru]

6 hours ago, MtlMario said:

I can't wait for the day that we are not 2nd or 3rd choice for some of these players.

I can't wait until the day we are the 2nd choice!

[apbsmith]

This sounds a bit selfish and childish while I also don't know anything that is being said behind the scenes except what's in the media..... But.... 

I really want to see Cote D'Ivoire in a super hard qualification group next World Cup cycle :). That only helps the "just wait" approach for now, knowing that 2026 is a lock for us.

[johnyb]

46 minutes ago, apbsmith said:

This sounds a bit selfish and childish while I also don't know anything that is being said behind the scenes except what's in the media..... But.... 

I really want to see Cote D'Ivoire in a super hard qualification group next World Cup cycle :). That only helps the "just wait" approach for now, knowing that 2026 is a lock for us.

A couple months ago I would have agreed, but the more I read, the less I feel 2026 is a lock. I think we might get "FIFA"ed

[Unnamed Trialist]

8 hours ago, Obinna said:

Not that I disaagree with your post, but Yaya Toure?

Ok, good one, now I'll explain why I think not, but to summarise: Yaya left Barça badly and has a bad relation with his then Barça coach, now the guy who sits him at Man City. He would not recommend a player to go to Barça do not think.

Though he had one good season, 08-09, the next at Barça, as soon as Guardiola became coach he ostracizes Yaya and puts Busquets in his spot, when the latter had been playing Barça B in 4th tier. The next year he was allowed to leave. So Yaya had a short and unpleasant stint with us, and left in a huge huff for much greener pastures. 

He signed for an astronomical amount for City in his day, being one of the highest paid players in the world. That was mostly the doing of a shrewd and rather vulgar representant Mino Raiola, and then there is the current manager Dimitri Seluk. Who slag Guardiola constantly, as is well known (in the press even this week). 

Of course I could be wrong, but Yaya has a major grudge against Barça, and Didier does too in fact, going back to Champions League matches.

I am just trying to rule out what should be ruled out. I asked a friend who is a paid exec (ie not a board member) and he said, honestly, that they could not discuss signing details with anyone.

[Moldy9]

On 2018-03-28 at 5:13 PM, kingvikingstad said:

I really didn't see that as a good thing at all. It seems he and Drogba are even closer than I thought, and he's now just telling Tabla to be patient and his call-up will eventually come. 

I refuse to believe that Ballou's idol, who got him a gig with Barcelona, and is referred to as both his big brother AND de-facto President of the IC, will decide to play in Canada.

Unless he flames out or he and Drogba have a fall out, I think we're done here. And before you guys all call me a pessimist, this is just my way of protecting myself from the pain! 

Say what!? You mean to tell me it wasn’t Adam Braz that orchestrated that move??? 

[Moldy9]

2 hours ago, johnyb said:

A couple months ago I would have agreed, but the more I read, the less I feel 2026 is a lock. I think we might get "FIFA"ed

Lol CONCACAF getting FIFAed. That’s like getting CONCACAFed but to a whole other level! 

 

[Ansem]

16 hours ago, Moldy9 said:

Lol CONCACAF getting FIFAed. That’s like getting CONCACAFed but to a whole other level! 

 

USA are getting FIFA'ed, Mexico and Canada are getting the collateral damage. 

Next time its CONCACAF turn 2038/2042, let's just bid solo.

[Keegan]

40 minutes ago, Ansem said:

USA are getting FIFA'ed, Mexico and Canada are getting the collateral damage. 

Next time its CONCACAF turn 2038/2042, let's just bid solo.

Why we didn’t bid solo this time tells you how incompetent our leadership is.  It is OUR turn.. we hosted a successful u20 and women’s World Cup and have NEVER hosted.  Why are we sharing our turn with mexico and USA?? Typical loser leadership.. because I’m sure they would do the same ?. Sure guys let’s just take 10 group stage games and ride the coat tails of our rivals because it’s easier. 

This united bid is just stupid the more you think of it... it opens up a can of worms that would be easier for FIFA to avoid. I think the whole world would have loved a Canada bid.

The USA knew they couldn’t bid against us, these guys are laughing at us.  We just got absolutely robbed like a little sibling.

Edited March 30, 2018 by Keegan

[Ansem]

28 minutes ago, Keegan said:

Why we didn’t bid solo this time tells you how incompetent our leadership is.  It is OUR turn.. we hosted a successful u20 and women’s World Cup and have NEVER hosted.  Why are we sharing our turn with mexico and USA?? Typical loser leadership.. because I’m sure they would do the same ?. Sure guys let’s just take 10 group stage games and ride the coat tails of our rivals because it’s easier. 

This united bid is just stupid the more you think of it... it opens up a can of worms that would be easier for FIFA to avoid. I think the whole world would have loved a Canada bid.

The USA knew they couldn’t bid against us, these guys are laughing at us.  We just got absolutely robbed like a little sibling.

The CSA was prepared for a 32 team tournament. When it got expanded to 48, they weren't prepared for that.

Next time around, we'll have a league with hopefully 2 divisions or 3 which means more soccer infrastructure that will enable us to bid solo next time even if the Americans wants in again.

[Keegan]

Vorobiev also made it clear what he thought of the bid from the US, Mexico and Canada. “Objectively, the three candidate countries are weak in football, we all know the American, Mexican and Canadian football,” he said. “[It is] not real football.”

LMAO.. a Russian dissing American and Mexican football that's hilarious, I must have missed the last time Russia was relevant in football.  

 

[BenFisk'sBiggestFan]

12 minutes ago, Keegan said:

Vorobiev also made it clear what he thought of the bid from the US, Mexico and Canada. “Objectively, the three candidate countries are weak in football, we all know the American, Mexican and Canadian football,” he said. “[It is] not real football.”

LMAO.. a Russian dissing American and Mexican football that's hilarious, I must have missed the last time Russia was relevant in football.  

 

It will be fun to watch them get destroyed at home this World Cup.