Tom Holmes

[SpecialK]

I honestly forgot about him ! Omg if we can get him … what a huge boost !!!! 

[Nate3322]

Have we got confirmation that he even is eligible?

[SpecialK]

48 minutes ago, Nate3322 said:

Have we got confirmation that he even is eligible?

Yes. One of his grandparents is Canadian 

[PiedPilko]

34 minutes ago, SpecialK said:

Yes. One of his grandparents is Canadian 

Which we thought was the case for Solholm. It's definitely not confirmed.

[Olympique_de_Marseille]

36 minutes ago, SpecialK said:

Yes. One of his grandparents is Canadian 

Somebody claimed that online. Nobody has confirmed it.

[SpecialK]

Sportsnet added it to there report a month ago. 

[PiedPilko]

4 minutes ago, SpecialK said:

Sportsnet added it to there report a month ago. 

Yeah, Canucks Abroad reached out and Holmes did say that he had a Canadian grandmother. But again, Solholm also said that - it's a matter of verifying and getting the passport stuff / paperwork in order.

Edited April 26, 2022 by PiedPilko

[SpecialK]

Just now, PiedPilko said:

Yeah, Canucks_Abroad reahced out and Holmes did say that he had a Canadian grandmother. But again, Solholm also said that - it's a matter of verifying and getting the passport stuff / paperwork in order.

That’s all the CSA and lawyers. So anything is possible. If Jamaica can rush things why can’t we? 

[narduch]

28 minutes ago, SpecialK said:

That’s all the CSA and lawyers. So anything is possible. If Jamaica can rush things why can’t we? 

I think it's because Jamaica is more lose on who they give passports too.

It's the same with Suriname 

[Shway]

34 minutes ago, SpecialK said:

That’s all the CSA and lawyers. So anything is possible. If Jamaica can rush things why can’t we? 

Come on, you know Canadians don’t expedite or do anything quick for sports.

[SpecialK]

 

[Shway]

…first few seconds watching and I’m like….

What’s the deal has the CSA contacted him!!

[canadianbacons]

Cap this guy already!

[Sal333]

7 minutes ago, Shway said:

…first few seconds watching and I’m like….

What’s the deal has the CSA contacted him!!

Maybe he has dreams of playing for Mexico?

[Kadenge]

With Hoilet at Reading, I'm sure there has been lots of convo btw CSA and Holmes. Either he is not eligible or paper work is in progress for a passport. The CSA/Herdman are usually very tight lipped about situations like this. 

[SpecialK]

The question is who does he replace? 

[PastPros]

14 minutes ago, SpecialK said:

The question is who does he replace? 

Doniel Henry?

Might not be a popular decision among the players, though.

[Francois79]

1 hour ago, PastPros said:

Doniel Henry?

Might not be a popular decision among the players, though.

True, but the players will be ok if the qualities of Holmes are way better than Henry's. 

[PiedPilko]

Has anyone actually watched him? I still don't like the idea of 'guy walks into our squad by virtue of existing in Championship.' 

[Kadenge]

22 minutes ago, PiedPilko said:

Has anyone actually watched him? I still don't like the idea of 'guy walks into our squad by virtue of existing in Championship.' 

if he is eligible, he would have to prove his worth in CNL. 

[costarg]

27 minutes ago, PiedPilko said:

Has anyone actually watched him? I still don't like the idea of 'guy walks into our squad by virtue of existing in Championship.' 

But it's more than that.  He's obviously talented.  He was an undisputed starter for a Championship side at 20.  His current coach says "they need him back to be at their best" or something like that, can't remember the quote.  That puts him ahead of both Johnston and Miller at the same age.  Not saying he replaces them today, but he's obviously in the discussion.  Especially when you check out Kennedy Vitoria and Henry's injury records.  We're not very talented and not very deep at CB.  All the balls fell our way in WCQ, all the statistics show it, and Borjan was god-like.  We can't get arrogant and pretend we're the hottest team in CONCACAF, we're in the mix, but we easily could've finished 3rd.  A solid and young Championship CB is exactly what we need to shore up the D.

[PiedPilko]

1 minute ago, costarg said:

But it's more than that.  He's obviously talented.  He was an undisputed starter for a Championship side at 20.  His current coach says "they need him back to be at their best" or something like that, can't remember the quote.  That puts him ahead of both Johnston and Miller at the same age.  Not saying he replaces them today, but he's obviously in the discussion.  Especially when you check out Kennedy Vitoria and Henry's injury records.  We're not very talented and not very deep at CB.  All the balls fell our way in WCQ, all the statistics show it, and Borjan was god-like.  We can't get arrogant and pretend we're the hottest team in CONCACAF, we're in the mix, but we easily could've finished 3rd.  A solid and young Championship CB is exactly what we need to shore up the D.

Reading fans seem mixed on him from what I've seen. None of our talk affects the CSA of course, but personally, I like to watch at least a a game or 2 of so and so before I have an opinion. That's how Kennedy really won me over.

[Bison44]

From watching vids, he looks big, active, aggressive and has some decent speed.  SOunds like a good place to start (ie Kennedy) and I am worried Vittoria might not even be around for the fall eh??  He looks like a good add, but how many times have we gotten burned with this....maybe wait until we hear if he is actually eligible.  

[Pottsy3]

Doneil Henry looked good in a short stint in the Championship a few years back. While I don't doubt that Henry is in worse form right now, I wouldn't expect the talent gap to be so significant that we see a change before the World Cup. 

[El Hombre]

1 hour ago, costarg said:

But it's more than that.  He's obviously talented.  He was an undisputed starter for a Championship side at 20.  His current coach says "they need him back to be at their best" or something like that, can't remember the quote.  That puts him ahead of both Johnston and Miller at the same age.  Not saying he replaces them today, but he's obviously in the discussion.  Especially when you check out Kennedy Vitoria and Henry's injury records.  We're not very talented and not very deep at CB.  All the balls fell our way in WCQ, all the statistics show it, and Borjan was god-like.  We can't get arrogant and pretend we're the hottest team in CONCACAF, we're in the mix, but we easily could've finished 3rd.  A solid and young Championship CB is exactly what we need to shore up the D.

This is the kind of analysis that irks me and I assume what @PiedPilko was referring to.  The singular fact of him playing at Reading does not put him ahead of Johnston or Miller.  They took a different path than Holmes mostly because Holmes' pathway was not available to them due to geographical reasons.  Doneil Henry was playing in MLS at 18.  MLS>NCAA so that means that he would be ahead of everyone on our back line, no?  Maybe Godinho should've been our starting RB in 2021 because he was playing SPL at 19/20 years old?

Holmes may be great.  Or he may be serviceable.  Or he may be prone to bone-headed errors.  You can't say for sure he's better than Johnston or Miller until you see him playing in the formation we have with the other members of our backline.  

All we can say for sure is he's the shiny new trinket and a lot of posters around here love the shiny new trinket.  But it's still on him to prove that he's "obviously talented" and better than everyone else we have.  Just like Ugbo didn't walk into the starting 11, this guy will have to prove that he's better than the others with more than just his resume.