Richmond "Richie" Laryea

[Aird25]

1 hour ago, BrennanFan said:

pathetic move.  shame.  

Since when is moving to a better team with playoff and continental competitions considered pathetic?

[PegCityCam]

4 hours ago, Bison44 said:

How about being a best 11 FB in MLS?  MLS all star etc??  He has been a bright spot on a middling to poor TFC team.  He still has another level to reach, be the top dog in MLS.  Much like Kamal..pretty good, but no defender of the year, best 11 etc etc on his mantel.  Just because you stay in the same league doesnt mean you cant bring it up a notch or two.  

Only issue I have with your post...TFC is a fucking tire fire. And to be honest, I am here for it, if nothing else than to see it burn to the ground and built back stronger. Here's hoping.

[Obinna]

This is a good move for Vancouver, Laryea and Canada. Toronto have been utter crap and Vancouver are in the hunt for playoffs. Didn't they advance in Leagues Cup as well? Laryea upgraded his situation for sure. I imagine he's a surefire starter for the Caps, so that's good heading into the fall from a NT perspective.

I still think he can play in the Championship, if not higher. Would have loved a La Liga move as had been rumored, but the reality is that he may not have played as much as we want, even for a bottom club. That's a bit of a gamble at his age, crossing the pond to go on loan at a club that may or may not play you.

All in all, good work to the Caps for landing Laryea (and Adekugbe).

[An Observer]

I am quite happy with Laryea and Adekugbe’s moves to the Whitecaps.  I think surefire starter on a playoff likely side in the MLS is their level. Plus it means that when I now watch the caps it’s for more than just Ahmed. #CapsloveCanada

[top cheese]

at 28 the Whitecaps probably offered long-term pay that he likely wouldn't have got in Europe. Especially considering how his loan at NF played out. Disappointing because I think he certainly could be a regular player at a mid to bottom-tier club in a top 5 league in Europe. he certainly showed in the world cup he was capable especially against Belguim

[PegCityCam]

Best team in Canada😉

[Obinna]

21 minutes ago, PegCityCam said:

Best team in Canada😉

Surprisingly yes. Feels weird but it's true. 

Montreal still feels like the most "Canadian team", though maybe TFC play more Canadians technically? I don't know. I can't stand to watch them, too painful 😖😂

[BearcatSA]

5 hours ago, Aird25 said:

Since when is moving to a better team with playoff and continental competitions considered pathetic?

I don't see that either.

I sense that if he was going to an upper echelon American MLS team, some might have a different perspective.

In agreement with @Obinna and others, I think it is a good move for the player and the club as it pushes towards a playoff run.  He'll be a difference maker in Vancouver.  Adekugbe will be a key addition, too.

Good work by Caps management here.

Edited August 3, 2023 by BearcatSA

[BearcatSA]

9 hours ago, Unnamed Trialist said:

But objectively, I do find it odd he has not gone for a chance at Forest, we all know he could certainly be a squad player for them.

Same manager, however.  I don't see how his situation would change in terms of starts and first team minutes.

I think he has made a good decision betting on himself by moving to another MLS team on the rise.  A strong performance can give him leverage for another move.

Staying with FC Tire Fire wasn't an option, regardless of the financial commitment involved.  

Edited August 3, 2023 by BearcatSA

[WestHamCanadianinOxford]

9 hours ago, Unnamed Trialist said:

But objectively, I do find it odd he has not gone for a chance at Forest, we all know he could certainly be a squad player for them.

There is no evidence to me that that would be the case.  The manager has brought in at least 7 fullbacks since Laryea was on their books. 4 on his preferred side.

When he was there and Spence had wide right locked up, 32 year old central midfielders were preferred to Richie on the left.

The manager did not rate him, whether we agree or not.  And Cooper is not a bad manager, he brought that mishmash of players together enough by the end of the season to keep them up and got an pretty average team promoted in the first place. (Before having coached England to the u17 World Cup in 2017, beating Spain 5-2 in the final.)

[RS]

11 hours ago, BearcatSA said:

I don't see that either.

I sense that if he was going to an upper echelon American MLS team, some might have a different perspective.

In agreement with @Obinna and others, I think it is a good move for the player and the club as it pushes towards a playoff run.  He'll be a difference maker in Vancouver.  Adekugbe will be a key addition, too.

Good work by Caps management here.

The Whitecaps are OK, but Laryea moving to an upper echelon MLS team would absolutely be a better move. 

Right now, Vancouver's nowhere near an upper echelon team, but to their credit they are in a better position to get there with the Laryea and Adekugbe moves.

[Aird25]

With the news about Nottm Forest not paying their bills, this makes even more sense. 

[WestHamCanadianinOxford]

1 hour ago, Aird25 said:

With the news about Nottm Forest not paying their bills, this makes even more sense. 

I personally am utterly shocked that this unexpected news.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-12368333/Nottingham-Forest-owe-MILLIONS-overdue-payments-players-agents-legal-action-considered-dont-settled-debts-imminently.html

[InglewoodJack]

11 hours ago, WestHamCanadianinOxford said:

There is no evidence to me that that would be the case.  The manager has brought in at least 7 fullbacks since Laryea was on their books. 4 on his preferred side.

When he was there and Spence had wide right locked up, 32 year old central midfielders were preferred to Richie on the left.

The manager did not rate him, whether we agree or not.  And Cooper is not a bad manager, he brought that mishmash of players together enough by the end of the season to keep them up and got an pretty average team promoted in the first place. (Before having coached England to the u17 World Cup in 2017, beating Spain 5-2 in the final.)

The fans weren't too keen on him either. I spent some time checking out their message boards, and after last year's preseason, the consensus was that Laryea was nowhere near EPL quality.

[BearcatSA]

3 hours ago, RS said:

The Whitecaps are OK, but Laryea moving to an upper echelon MLS team would absolutely be a better move. 

Right now, Vancouver's nowhere near an upper echelon team, but to their credit they are in a better position to get there with the Laryea and Adekugbe moves.

I think it is a massive plus for the player to go to a lesser MLS team and possibly become "the straw that stirs the drink" for a playoff and possible championship run.  You absolutely generate way more leverage for your future playing prospects having that on your cv than you would going to an already stacked team relative to the other clubs in this league.

[Cadeau]

I guess I have to like the Whitecaps now...Still cant help but feel a little dirty lol

[Aird25]

5 hours ago, RS said:

The Whitecaps are OK, but Laryea moving to an upper echelon MLS team would absolutely be a better move. 

Right now, Vancouver's nowhere near an upper echelon team, but to their credit they are in a better position to get there with the Laryea and Adekugbe moves.

They haven't been for a long time, but they're still in the playoff hunt, Champions League, and Leagues Cup and they've now added two Canadian Internationals. They could certainly flame out of everything still, but they could also do well which would be one of the better stories in Canadian soccer right now, and that is much needed. It's nice to see them trying

Edited August 3, 2023 by Aird25

[Footyeh]

2 hours ago, BearcatSA said:

I think it is a massive plus for the player to go to a lesser MLS team and possibly become "the straw that stirs the drink" for a playoff and possible championship run.  You absolutely generate way more leverage for your future playing prospects having that on your cv than you would going to an already stacked team relative to the other clubs in this league.

At his age, there's no big move after this one.  Good financial move for both him and Adekube but disappointing from a national team perspective that your best fullbacks will stay in MLS leading up to a very important world cup on home soil.

[Cheeta]

Seems a bit early in the day to be calling the move (moves) underwhelming doesn't it?  If the Caps are moving in the right direction, and with Sammy and Ritchie I'm guessing they are, who's to say it stops after these two signings?   We'll see.

[Shway]

Junior can join them next!

[Aird25]

22 minutes ago, Footyeh said:

At his age, there's no big move after this one.  Good financial move for both him and Adekube but disappointing from a national team perspective that your best fullbacks will stay in MLS leading up to a very important world cup on home soil.

I admittedly don't follow MLS closely, but is it fair to say that there's no upward move after this for either player? Just a quick search from this season shows quite a few players of a similar age or older leaving MLS to bigger or comparable leagues (Pozuelo, Callens, Moreno, Franco, Ruiz, Turner, Buksa, Kaptoum, Jensen, Hunou, Arango, Calvo etc)

[Watchmen]

I'm going to come out and say it: I think Laryea being good at TFC this year was more a factor of them being bad than him being really good.  Because he sure isn't doing anything to improve the Whitecaps or make me forget Gressel.  They're finding him frequently, he just doesn't seem to be doing much with it.  He doesn't look anywhere near a DP, the rumoured offseason move.

[narduch]

Should try using him as a RB in a back 4

[BearcatSA]

12 hours ago, Watchmen said:

I'm going to come out and say it: I think Laryea being good at TFC this year was more a factor of them being bad than him being really good.  Because he sure isn't doing anything to improve the Whitecaps or make me forget Gressel.  They're finding him frequently, he just doesn't seem to be doing much with it.  He doesn't look anywhere near a DP, the rumoured offseason move.

I could make a fairly good case that Raposo has been a more influential player in the wingback role during this stretch.

However, I still think he will finding his bearings here and be a key part of the playoff drive.

[Watchmen]

2 minutes ago, BearcatSA said:

I could make a fairly good case that Raposo has been a more influential player in the wingback role during this stretch.

However, I still think he will finding his bearings here and be a key part of the playoff drive.

I'll be clear that I don't think he's been bad.  He just hasn't been any sort of difference maker and certainly hasn't lived up to the hype or been better than Gressel.