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Alistair Johnston


lazlo_80

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44 minutes ago, gator said:

He will definitely have an opportunity for a media gig down the road, he is so comfortable and articulate in interviews!

I agree, and I don't find him quirky (well maybe his looks). He says the right things, he thinks it through very naturally, he has very positive vibes. 

Already thinking of when he gets a chance to take another step up.

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35 minutes ago, Unnamed Trialist said:

I agree, and I don't find him quirky (well maybe his looks). He says the right things, he thinks it through very naturally, he has very positive vibes. 

Already thinking of when he gets a chance to take another step up.

you are obsessed with the guys looks. . . 

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32 minutes ago, Stephen Hills said:

Well, it seems to me that he has passed the audition. I'd say he's a starter.

Yeah pretty cool to see him immediately start the two games he was eligible for after the transfer.  Bonus points for getting pretty good results - an expected win and an away draw against Rangers is a pretty good start to his Celtic career.   And good FotMob ratings suggest he fits right in.  

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As an aside, you have to think that the play of guys like AJ and Kone (and probably a boatload of Americans) are continuing to elevate the profile of MLS as a place for Euro teams to grab affordable yet competent footballers.  Kone was a good player for Montreal but he wasn’t a world beater - though he did have age on his side.   AJ was similarly a very effective wide defensive player but not someone who was so obviously exceptional in MLS that a transfer was absolutely obvious.  Yet the (very) early indications are that these two have seemlessly slotted into a solid championship team and a regular CL participant.  Then you also have the case of Laryea who did well in his very limited minutes with NF despite inexplicably being denied more playing time. 

As much as I would love this excellence to be a uniquely Canadian thing, I suspect there are a lot of other MLS players who would do similarly well at that sort of competition level.   And obviously Canada’s WC qualification elevated the profile of our guys specifically.  But it seems like any smart middle-tier Euro club that wants to moneyball their way into a more competitive team should be consider MLS as a prime league for recruitment.  

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5 minutes ago, dyslexic nam said:

 Kone was a good player for Montreal but he wasn’t a world beater - though he did have age on his side.  

 

Perhaps not a world beater, but for a player to get his first cap for Canada 1 month after his pro debut in a WC qualifier on  a pretty solid team, says a lot about how JH rated him. Then consider he only has 1 yr of pro experience yet played in all 3 WC games and arguably should have started in 2 of 3. I think Kone  is a real special player and I hope he grabs the opportunity at Watford with all the injuries. Agree that MLS (and hopefully CPL) will get more attention from pro scouts and Davies, David, Tajon, AJ and Kone is evidence that there are nuggets in NA.

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21 minutes ago, dyslexic nam said:

As an aside, you have to think that the play of guys like AJ and Kone (and probably a boatload of Americans) are continuing to elevate the profile of MLS as a place for Euro teams to grab affordable yet competent footballers.  Kone was a good player for Montreal but he wasn’t a world beater - though he did have age on his side.   AJ was similarly a very effective wide defensive player but not someone who was so obviously exceptional in MLS that a transfer was absolutely obvious.  Yet the (very) early indications are that these two have seemlessly slotted into a solid championship team and a regular CL participant.  Then you also have the case of Laryea who did well in his very limited minutes with NF despite inexplicably being denied more playing time. 

As much as I would love this excellence to be a uniquely Canadian thing, I suspect there are a lot of other MLS players who would do similarly well at that sort of competition level.   And obviously Canada’s WC qualification elevated the profile of our guys specifically.  But it seems like any smart middle-tier Euro club that wants to moneyball their way into a more competitive team should be consider MLS as a prime league for recruitment.  

If they get a good season start and play at the Gold Cup, Miller and Waterman are clearly next.

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1 hour ago, dyslexic nam said:

As an aside, you have to think that the play of guys like AJ and Kone (and probably a boatload of Americans) are continuing to elevate the profile of MLS as a place for Euro teams to grab affordable yet competent footballers.  Kone was a good player for Montreal but he wasn’t a world beater - though he did have age on his side.   AJ was similarly a very effective wide defensive player but not someone who was so obviously exceptional in MLS that a transfer was absolutely obvious.  Yet the (very) early indications are that these two have seemlessly slotted into a solid championship team and a regular CL participant.  Then you also have the case of Laryea who did well in his very limited minutes with NF despite inexplicably being denied more playing time. 

As much as I would love this excellence to be a uniquely Canadian thing, I suspect there are a lot of other MLS players who would do similarly well at that sort of competition level.   And obviously Canada’s WC qualification elevated the profile of our guys specifically.  But it seems like any smart middle-tier Euro club that wants to moneyball their way into a more competitive team should be consider MLS as a prime league for recruitment.  

The added bonus is that it's likely easier for the European teams to get someone in the January transfer window (MLS's offseason) than to get someone from another European club fighting for something (a title, in Europe/for a European spot, avoiding relegation).  If the MLS guys are able to come in and have an immediate impact, it just makes them more appealing.

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