Canada and the 2024 Copa America

[Obinna]

4 hours ago, costarg said:

Nah, that was Waterman.

 

Totally agree, it worked with surprising results.  But no coach/team is buying Johnston to play him at RCB.  It happened because he was the best option given our situation.  Any and every club would have traded for a real RCB.  I'm very comfortable saying none of us were comfortable with that backline in 2021-2022.  

I also remembered Johnston playing RCB at least once with Montreal. Maybe it's just the mandela effect

[WestHamCanadianinOxford]

49 minutes ago, Obinna said:

I also remembered Johnston playing RCB at least once with Montreal. Maybe it's just the mandela effect

Mandela Egbo plays right back with Owen Goodman at Colchester, is that who you mean? 😉

[gigi riva]

On 3/27/2024 at 2:42 PM, Ottawafan said:

There was a zero percent chance we were ever getting out of our group at the World Cup.

I would have been happy if we achieved 2 tom 3 points in our World Cup group

[Sal333]

19 hours ago, costarg said:

Nope - only RWB.  

 

I'm a fan of CF MTL and I don't remember Johnston ever playing RCB. That was Waterman's position. They're both Canucks and at the time I asked myself whether Herdman was onto a great idea or Nancy knew something that Herdman didn't.

The argument that he was instrumental in our WCQ holds up as much as saying Borjan was instrumental. Johnston was okay at RCB as long as we played the minnows in CONCACA. Against real serious teams, he's a detriment. The game against Uruguay proved that for me. In other words Johnston can pinch in if we're strapped but he is not the ideal RCB.

 

Edited April 3 by Sal333

[costarg]

24 minutes ago, Sal333 said:

I'm a fan of CF MTL and I don't remember Johnston ever playing RCB. That was Waterman's position. They're both Canucks and at the time I asked myself whether Herdman was onto a great idea or Nancy knew something that Herdman didn't.

The argument that he was instrumental in our WCQ holds up as much as saying Borjan was instrumental. Johnston was okay at RCB as long as we played the minnows in CONCACA. Against real serious teams, he's a detriment. The game against Uruguay proved that for me. In other words Johnston can pinch in if we're strapped but he is not the ideal RCB.

 

Thank you.

[costarg]

17 hours ago, WestHamCanadianinOxford said:

There are a few more with Montreal including the Cruz Azul quarterfinals. 

He also actually played in a 3 with Zimmerman and Romney at Nashville a couple times. One of which he kept Shaffellburg onside for the latter's second goal for TFC.

Herdman not the  innovator we thought he was 😉.

Lets try with logic.  Nashville drafted him, played him regularly, and he only played 1 maybe 2 games at RCB with Nashville, and never again.  Montreal trades for him, started at RWB, played maybe 1 game at RCB and never again.  His big transfer with Celtic has never played him at RCB.  That leads me to believe he MIGHT have played there in a pinch or injury (desperation), but obviously not his ideal fit or position. 

This still doesn't make him a RCB, otherwise these teams would obviously have kept playing him there.  Waterman was Montreal's starting RCB that season, ZBG just came off a great season at RWB.  By all measures, if Johnston was that great at RCB or if Nancy saw him as one, he would have displaced Waterman for the starting role and Impact would have played ZBG at RWB.  The fact that didn't happen should tell you something.  Waterman was no superstar that season.

[Bigandy]

35 minutes ago, Sal333 said:

I'm a fan of CF MTL and I don't remember Johnston ever playing RCB. That was Waterman's position. They're both Canucks and at the time I asked myself whether Herdman was onto a great idea or Nancy knew something that Herdman didn't.

The argument that he was instrumental in our WCQ holds up as much as saying Borjan was instrumental. Johnston was okay at RCB as long as we played the minnows in CONCACA. Against real serious teams, he's a detriment. The game against Uruguay proved that for me. In other words Johnston can pinch in if we're strapped but he is not the ideal RCB.

 

Borjan was vital for us during WCQ. I dont think he made any errors leading to goals and he certainly made several saves that were crucial to us winning. 
 

Heres the game line up i referenced earlier. 


 

[Bigandy]

3 minutes ago, costarg said:

Lets try with logic.  Nashville drafted him, played him regularly, and he only played 1 maybe 2 games at RCB with Nashville, and never again.  Montreal trades for him, started at RWB, played maybe 1 game at RCB and never again.  His big transfer with Celtic has never played him at RCB.  That leads me to believe he MIGHT have played there in a pinch or injury (desperation), but obviously not his ideal fit or position. 

This still doesn't make him a RCB, otherwise these teams would obviously have kept playing him there.  Waterman was Montreal's starting RCB that season, ZBG just came off a great season at RWB.  By all measures, if Johnston was that great at RCB or if Nancy saw him as one, he would have displaced Waterman for the starting role and Impact would have played ZBG at RWB.  The fact that didn't happen should tell you something.  Waterman was no superstar that season.

It sounds like you are arguing as if someone is suggesting AJ is a RCB above all else. 

I think everyone here acknowledges that AJ is a RB who can also play RCB. 

My understanding of the opposite side of your debate is that we feel like you are unjustly critical of AJ's performances at RCB and the tirade against the 3-5-2. 

Is AJ ideal at RCB? - No.

Was AJ at RCB in a 3-5-2 the most successful WCQ campaign we have ever had? - YES

It just feels like nonsense to say that we won WCQ in spite of AJ and the 3-5-2. Our team of powers of MAK, miller, vitoria, borjan, kennedy, henry etc was soooo much better than the USA and mexico that we still magically found a way to win even with johnston pulling us down. 

Instead of labeling your opinion as logic, lets look at evidence.

1. lowest goals against

2. winning WCQ for the first time 

3. one of the lowest rated teams in the hex and we still came out top

4. AJ was our mr reliable with him logging significant minutes during qualifiers. Therefore he was a major major contributor for the best defence in concacaf. 

It just does my head in to become sooooo obsessed about the 3-5-2 and johnston at RCB that you have to spin some weird justifications to refute the above facts. 

[Kadenge]

I think using WCQ 2022 as a standard/assessment of our team/players going forward is dicey. We exceeded expectations and kudos to the players &JH for that success. A lot of things went well for us and a lot went poorly for our opponents. Not taking anything away from our performances as you play the opponents on the field. The US were a group that didn't play to their talent level, but are now a lot stronger. The same could be said for Jamaica who didn't qualify, but just won the 2 game series re Copa qualifying. Panama is ranked above us and are also much stronger since WCQ. CR iirc were one of the best teams, points wise, in the 2nd half of WCQ. The landscape has changed. Some key players for us may not be a part of the team going forward, while young players have emerged. We need a reset.

[Kingston]

23 minutes ago, Kadenge said:

I think using WCQ 2022 as a standard/assessment of our team/players going forward is dicey. We exceeded expectations and kudos to the players &JH for that success.....

....Some key players for us may not be a part of the team going forward, while young players have emerged. We need a reset.

If by exceeded expectations you mean qualifying at the top of the group, then, yes.  But otherwise I think our WCQ 2022 actually set the standard of expectations of us being one of the top CONCACAF teams.  So qualifying was (and is now going forward) the expectation even if not in first place.

We are definitely in a transition phase as younger players take over from long time stalwarts.  That is, however, why our expectations are now reasonably much higher.  We didn't qualify in 2022 with a one-time "golden generation" of players.  We qualified with the first wave of a permanent step up in our program.

This doesn't mean we will now win every Gold Cup and Nations League but it does mean that we should always be in the discussion to medal.  This is why losing to Jamaica in the NL is now rightly viewed as a failure whereas a few years ago it would simply have been viewed as a disappointment.

[WestHamCanadianinOxford]

3 hours ago, costarg said:

Lets try with logic.  Nashville drafted him, played him regularly, and he only played 1 maybe 2 games at RCB with Nashville, and never again.  Montreal trades for him, started at RWB, played maybe 1 game at RCB and never again.  His big transfer with Celtic has never played him at RCB.  That leads me to believe he MIGHT have played there in a pinch or injury (desperation), but obviously not his ideal fit or position. 

This still doesn't make him a RCB, otherwise these teams would obviously have kept playing him there.  Waterman was Montreal's starting RCB that season, ZBG just came off a great season at RWB.  By all measures, if Johnston was that great at RCB or if Nancy saw him as one, he would have displaced Waterman for the starting role and Impact would have played ZBG at RWB.  The fact that didn't happen should tell you something.  Waterman was no superstar that season.

Bottom line: other managers have played him there, more than a handful of times.  You said none ever did. Which is not true. But many times it has been pointed out to you that some players play different positions for club and country. 

 

But mate, it's the "Let's try with logic" type comments, which have been very common with you, when you say things that not true, that leads to the extended responses of me demonstrating your factual errors or showing you trying to use resources for your arguments which you don't allow others.  If Transfermarket graphics are "proof" of something for one player, they are proof for another, for instance. 

Let say what things are: our opinions.  You don't have to say "we all know" to try and make your opinion sound bigger, it ultimately just looks like you lack evidence.  There are gaps in your knowledge about tactics that it just highlights, for instance.  I guess if you don't want people to point out your errors, avoid coming in saying things like "we all know" or "let's try with logic."  

 

You have expressed your opinion many, many, many times. As have I. 

But in the end no matter how many times you say it we were not a bad defensive team in the Octo, we were the best.  The 3 at the back worked well enough and so did Johnston.  Should we always be looking to improve and did we fail to press on from that? Of course.  We made stupid and individual errors - or defenders just were good enough - in the World Cup and since (I think helped a bunch by the lack of support in midfield).  But Johnston wasn't fit or playing as a rightback for a bunch of the post World Cup screw ups. 

Do we need a new coach, I think so, we need to have a clear vision and a formation to build off of and improvize from.  Should we automatically throw out things that worked in the past - no.  That is silly considering we had the most sucess as a nation, since I was a very little kid. You take the good and  make improvements, again, as I said, if Bombito can do what Johnston did and be better in the air and a tougher defender, of course you change but you let the pitch and the result show you.  

Edited April 3 by WestHamCanadianinOxford

[WestHamCanadianinOxford]

4 hours ago, Sal333 said:

I'm a fan of CF MTL and I don't remember Johnston ever playing RCB. That was Waterman's position. They're both Canucks and at the time I asked myself whether Herdman was onto a great idea or Nancy knew something that Herdman didn't.

The argument that he was instrumental in our WCQ holds up as much as saying Borjan was instrumental. Johnston was okay at RCB as long as we played the minnows in CONCACA. Against real serious teams, he's a detriment. The game against Uruguay proved that for me. In other words Johnston can pinch in if we're strapped but he is not the ideal RCB.

 

He did play there a number of times for Montreal. I checked the highlights to make sure. 

If you came to me and said West Ham player Aaron Cresswell is a centre back, I would say no, he's a left back. (They are very similar players to me with Cresswell being better with dead balls)   But I know that he did play centre back, for a few reasons, a number of times.  It's what some managers do with fullbacks sometimes. 

Edited April 3 by WestHamCanadianinOxford

[InglewoodJack]

I also don’t recall seeing AJ play CB for Montreal. I looked at some lineups and it seems that those appearances came towards the start of the season, and usually when one of Corbo or Waterman was out or benched. I also don’t think AJ is a particularly good CB, and some of his best performances have come when he played as a WB. 
 

He’s a big piece of the national team, but I think at this point, I’m more inclined to take him out of the starting XI rather than put him as a RCB in a back 3. I think if our scouts are right, Bombito will be a must start player within the next 12 months, so he’ll likely be pushed out unless we’re playing a back 4.

[WestHamCanadianinOxford]

2 hours ago, Kadenge said:

I think using WCQ 2022 as a standard/assessment of our team/players going forward is dicey. We exceeded expectations and kudos to the players &JH for that success. A lot of things went well for us and a lot went poorly for our opponents. Not taking anything away from our performances as you play the opponents on the field. The US were a group that didn't play to their talent level, but are now a lot stronger. The same could be said for Jamaica who didn't qualify, but just won the 2 game series re Copa qualifying. Panama is ranked above us and are also much stronger since WCQ. CR iirc were one of the best teams, points wise, in the 2nd half of WCQ. The landscape has changed. Some key players for us may not be a part of the team going forward, while young players have emerged. We need a reset.

14 games is a lot to judge a team on, especially an international one.  Of course those games are a good standard - to begin, not end with.   The key players are almost all the same and most are moving into their prime.  It feels like people want to burn it to ground because we have struggled since.  In some ways we need to look back and see what worked while replacing players and looking new ideas.  Takes a good, big manager to be willing to see the good of the past though. 

Edited April 3 by WestHamCanadianinOxford

[WestHamCanadianinOxford]

19 minutes ago, InglewoodJack said:

I also don’t recall seeing AJ play CB for Montreal. I looked at some lineups and it seems that those appearances came towards the start of the season, and usually when one of Corbo or Waterman was out or benched. I also don’t think AJ is a particularly good CB, and some of his best performances have come when he played as a WB. 
 

He’s a big piece of the national team, but I think at this point, I’m more inclined to take him out of the starting XI rather than put him as a RCB in a back 3. I think if our scouts are right, Bombito will be a must start player within the next 12 months, so he’ll likely be pushed out unless we’re playing a back 4.

We watch way too much football, so we are going forget things.  So you have to research a bit. As I have said, you can clearly see him in the centre in a number of highlights.

Going forward, it depends on what you want out of your centre backs, but I would say your scenario is most likely. Remembering centre back is not just a physical position. 

If Bombito and say Cornelius are good enough, I am fine with 4 at the back. It just get tricky for when when you look at getting the rest of our best players on the field.

[Bigandy]

2 hours ago, Kadenge said:

I think using WCQ 2022 as a standard/assessment of our team/players going forward is dicey. We exceeded expectations and kudos to the players &JH for that success. A lot of things went well for us and a lot went poorly for our opponents. Not taking anything away from our performances as you play the opponents on the field. The US were a group that didn't play to their talent level, but are now a lot stronger. The same could be said for Jamaica who didn't qualify, but just won the 2 game series re Copa qualifying. Panama is ranked above us and are also much stronger since WCQ. CR iirc were one of the best teams, points wise, in the 2nd half of WCQ. The landscape has changed. Some key players for us may not be a part of the team going forward, while young players have emerged. We need a reset.

I 100% agree. My analysis is all in hindsight speaking about the past. 

Moving forward I think we have johnston and laryea compete at RB with bombito RCB in a back 4

or

we play a back 3 and have a big decision of who plays CCB, who plays RCB and when LDF is ready to contribute meaningful minutes. Ideally we play cornelius/miller bombito LDF in a back 3 if we choose to go back 3 but that assumes some great development for bombito and LDF. 

[nolando]

5 minutes ago, Bigandy said:

I 100% agree. My analysis is all in hindsight speaking about the past. 

Moving forward I think we have johnston and laryea compete at RB with bombito RCB in a back 4

or

we play a back 3 and have a big decision of who plays CCB, who plays RCB and when LDF is ready to contribute meaningful minutes. Ideally we play cornelius/miller bombito LDF in a back 3 if we choose to go back 3 but that assumes some great development for bombito and LDF. 

For me, one of the biggest issues with the personnel is just why would we continue to have three CBs on the pitch at one time when it's very clearly our single weakest position in the squad?

[costarg]

3 hours ago, Bigandy said:

It sounds like you are arguing as if someone is suggesting AJ is a RCB above all else. 

I think everyone here acknowledges that AJ is a RB who can also play RCB. 

My understanding of the opposite side of your debate is that we feel like you are unjustly critical of AJ's performances at RCB and the tirade against the 3-5-2. 

Is AJ ideal at RCB? - No.

Was AJ at RCB in a 3-5-2 the most successful WCQ campaign we have ever had? - YES

It just feels like nonsense to say that we won WCQ in spite of AJ and the 3-5-2. Our team of powers of MAK, miller, vitoria, borjan, kennedy, henry etc was soooo much better than the USA and mexico that we still magically found a way to win even with johnston pulling us down. 

Instead of labeling your opinion as logic, lets look at evidence.

1. lowest goals against

2. winning WCQ for the first time 

3. one of the lowest rated teams in the hex and we still came out top

4. AJ was our mr reliable with him logging significant minutes during qualifiers. Therefore he was a major major contributor for the defence in concacaf. 

It just does my head in to become sooooo obsessed about the 3-5-2 and johnston at RCB that you have to spin some weird justifications to refute the above facts. 

Wow, how quickly we forget the little intricate but immensely important details.  We played A LOT of games throughout WCQ with a back 4 and Johnston is his proper position.  Including against the big guns (USA, Mexico, CR....).  It was not only the back 3 that got those results.  Saying the success is down to the back 3 and Johnston at RCB is misguided and ignores the stats and reality.

Here are the results from 2021, 22 & 23:

Back 3: 8W 13L & 4T

Back 4: 16W 5L & 3T

My point remains, Johnston should not be playing RCB and CANMNT has better results with a back 4 and Johnston in his rightful spot RB.

It was not some mastermind genius move by Herdman.  I like the guy and respect the shit out of him, I cannot thank him enough for all his accomplishments.  But tactically, he was in over his head.  He could've and should've followed the other coaches lead.  Just like Bombito at DM, Davies taking corners, free kicks, PK's, heroball....

[InglewoodJack]

5 minutes ago, WestHamCanadianinOxford said:

We watch way too much football, so we are going forget things.  So you have to research a bit. As I have said, you can clearly see him in the centre in a number of highlights.

Going forward, it depends on what you want out of your centre backs, but I would say your scenario is most likely. Remembering centre back is not just a physical position. 

If Bombito and say Cornelius are good enough, I am fine with 4 at the back. It just get tricky for when when you look at getting the rest of our best players on the field.

I admittedly haven't watched highlights of the games it looks like he plays CB, so I will trust your word on it, though the lineups I found where he is playing CB seem to be games at the Big O, ie first few games of the year, and used him as a stopgap for a club that wasn't meant to do all that much that year- also, making assumptions, I figure that Nancy wasn't yet sold on Waterman or Corbo as starters. If I remember correctly, I feel like Piette had a turn as a CB at some point that season too, though I want to say I remember being at that game, meaning it was at Saputo, so later in the year.

Bombito and Cornelius being the players we think they are would be a terrific pairing for us, and even them + Miller as a back 3 is a good one too. I probably lean a little too heavy on the physical aspect of the position, and a big reason why I don't like AJ at CB (other than what I've seen) is that he'd get burned by really good teams- I can just picture a player like Darwin Nunez bang in a header over AJ at Copa without barely even leaving his feet, but even if we look at other aspects- something like ball movement and pushing the play forward, I think Kamal Miller is underrated in this ability, and the team certainly think that Bombito has a playmaking aspect to his game, so if you have those two locked in as starters, I think I prefer Cornelius to round out the back 3, or, as we all hope comes sooner than later, LDF becoming a big piece for us (I think he has a very similar physical profile to Ali anyways?).

If we really want to get creative- I think he was a CM/M in college- wonder what he would look like in a cameo as CDM for us.

 

[Bigandy]

10 minutes ago, nolando said:

For me, one of the biggest issues with the personnel is just why would we continue to have three CBs on the pitch at one time when it's very clearly our single weakest position in the squad?

Although I would love the CMNT to be most effective in a back 4, there is a case to be made that a back 3 protects our weakest position. But yes, I agree that its tough to leave a guy like millar on the bench so waterman can play.....

There's also a future hypothetical of LDF JKL and bombito all in top leagues.... but thats a whole other conversation of unknowns. 

[Bigandy]

12 minutes ago, costarg said:

Wow, how quickly we forget the little intricate but immensely important details.  We played A LOT of games throughout WCQ with a back 4 and Johnston is his proper position.  Including against the big guns (USA, Mexico, CR....).  It was not only the back 3 that got those results.  Saying the success is down to the back 3 and Johnston at RCB is misguided and ignores the stats and reality.

Here are the results from 2021, 22 & 23:

Back 3: 8W 13L & 4T

Back 4: 16W 5L & 3T

My point remains, Johnston should not be playing RCB and CANMNT has better results with a back 4 and Johnston in his rightful spot RB.

It was not some mastermind genius move by Herdman.  I like the guy and respect the shit out of him, I cannot thank him enough for all his accomplishments.  But tactically, he was in over his head.  He could've and should've followed the other coaches lead.  Just like Bombito at DM, Davies taking corners, free kicks, PK's, heroball....

I think you're putting words into our mouths. No one said that 3-5-2 is the only way to be successful. 4-4-2 worked great as well. 

The only argument we are refuting is that the 3-5-2 was "nail-biting" or we got results "in spite of johnston at RCB". It wasnt. It worked amazingly during WCQ.
 

We all agree that bombito is the better RCB choice if he continues to develop at this rate.

I guess to simplify this:

Do you believe that the 3-5-2 with johnston at RCB was successful or a failure during WCQ?  

 

[WestHamCanadianinOxford]

22 minutes ago, InglewoodJack said:

Bombito and Cornelius being the players we think they are would be a terrific pairing for us, and even them + Miller as a back 3 is a good one too. I probably lean a little too heavy on the physical aspect of the position, and a big reason why I don't like AJ at CB (other than what I've seen) is that he'd get burned by really good teams- I can just picture a player like Darwin Nunez bang in a header over AJ at Copa without barely even leaving his feet, but even if we look at other aspects- something like ball movement and pushing the play forward, I think Kamal Miller is underrated in this ability, and the team certainly think that Bombito has a playmaking aspect to his game, so if you have those two locked in as starters, I think I prefer Cornelius to round out the back 3, or, as we all hope comes sooner than later, LDF becoming a big piece for us (I think he has a very similar physical profile to Ali anyways?).

If we really want to get creative- I think he was a CM/M in college- wonder what he would look like in a cameo as CDM for us.

 

I'm West Ham and a lot of my last 15 or so years have been under Big Sam and David Moyes, of course I love a big physical centre back. I also love the option ball-playing centre backs bring.

Nunez already did that, but your big middle centre back is supposed to help out in sitiuations like that unlike Vitoria who was marking space in our friendly. 

I just watched Miller get done for pace too many times. ie.as in just, in the highlights I watched. 

Cornelius maybe not quite as good on the ball but you add some height and pace if that is important to you.  LDF main assest at his level is his passing and comfort on the ball.   If we can make Cornelius, Bombito and him work by the World Cup, that would be my dream/hope.

If we are going move an established wing player in, it would be Laryea for me. 

 

(It will be great if we get to face Nunez, by the way, it means something has gone right.)  

Edited April 3 by WestHamCanadianinOxford

[costarg]

1 hour ago, WestHamCanadianinOxford said:

Bottom line: other managers have played him there, more than a handful of times.  You said none ever did. Which is not true. But many times it has been pointed out to you that some players play different positions for club and country. 

 

But mate, it's the "Let's try with logic" type comments, which have been very common with you, when you say things that not true, that leads to the extended responses of me demonstrating your factual errors or showing you trying to use resources for your arguments which you don't allow others.  If Transfermarket graphics are "proof" of something for one player, they are proof for another, for instance. 

Let say what things are: our opinions.  You don't have to say "we all know" to try and make your opinion sound bigger, it ultimately just looks like you lack evidence.  There are gaps in your knowledge about tactics that it just highlights, for instance.  I guess if you don't want people to point out your errors, avoid coming in saying things like "we all know" or "let's try with logic."  

 

You have expressed your opinion many, many, many times. As have I. 

But in the end no matter how many times you say it we were not a bad defensive team in the Octo, we were the best.  The 3 at the back worked well enough and so did Johnston.  Should we always be looking to improve and did we fail to press on from that? Of course.  We made stupid and individual errors - or defenders just were good enough - in the World Cup and since (I think helped a bunch by the lack of support in midfield).  But Johnston wasn't fit or playing as a rightback for a bunch of the post World Cup screw ups. 

Do we need a new coach, I think so, we need to have a clear vision and a formation to build off of and improvize from.  Should we automatically throw out things that worked in the past - no.  That is silly considering we had the most sucess as a nation, since I was a very little kid. You take the good and  make improvements, again, as I said, if Bombito can do what Johnston did and be better in the air and a tougher defender, of course you change but you let the pitch and the result show you.  

Thanks man, I appreciate the words, and you're right on many things. 

Yet, with all due respect, you have 3 regular CFM followers saying Johnston did not play RCB with CFM except maybe once or twice to replace someone in a last minute situation, but no one seems to remember it.  Yet you're insisting he did, because you spotted him in the middle watching highlights?  As politely as i can, take some of your own medicine maybe?

[WestHamCanadianinOxford]

6 minutes ago, costarg said:

Thanks man, I appreciate the words, and you're right on many things. 

Yet, with all due respect, you have 3 regular CFM followers saying Johnston did not play RCB with CFM except maybe once or twice to replace someone in a last minute situation, but no one seems to remember it.  Yet you're insisting he did, because you spotted him in the middle watching highlights?  As politely as i can, take some of your own medicine maybe?

Thank you as well. 

Go watch and judge I guess.  We live in an amazing age where we can. I learned not trust the formations on those sites, so that's what I need to do before putting something out there. But then I research for a living and enjoy doing it. 

Edited April 3 by WestHamCanadianinOxford

[costarg]

6 minutes ago, Bigandy said:

Do you believe that the 3-5-2 with johnston at RCB was successful or a failure during WCQ?  

It's not about what i believe, the stats show we have better results in a back 4 with Johnston at RB.  The back 3 clearly wasn't working as well.  Stats and eye test show that.

Not putting words in your mouth, you said:

1. lowest goals against

2. winning WCQ for the first time 

3. one of the lowest rated teams in the hex and we still came out top

4. AJ was our mr reliable with him logging significant minutes during qualifiers. Therefore he was a major major contributor for the best defence in concacaf. 

Most of those stats are thanks to the back 4, which is has been my point all along.