freddie or not

I agree with you on some of your points, it has only been two games.  But what has happened in those two games?

Frel didn’t play with the team in the preseason, so those first three wins were based on a strategy without Frel.  Now with Frem and Frel both on the field the team’s chemistry has changed.  They need time to adjust accordingly, unfortunately these games count and the growing pains will come at the expense of our standings.

Le Toux’s work rate is not just on the offense but on his tracking back to help the defense, Zak doesn’t do that as much.  Le Toux has been moved around so much for the USL/MLS team that he is in a constant flux. He is not much of a dribbler, he was more of the number ten exploiting the back with through balls and he has now been pushed out by Montero and Jaqua.  He has a starting place on this team and Sigi needs to find it.  (Also, he does need to step up, he is getting dispossed much more than I would like to see.)

ps I now propose we refer the the fred’s as Frel and Frem.

Here is my lineup:

                      Montero            Jaqua

Zakuani           Ljumberg            Alonso             Letoux

AnyonebutScott      Hurtado      Marshall        Riley

                                           Dragovan
                                    (just kidding, Keller)

I couldn’t agree more and right after the Chivas game I posted just that in the Soundersfc.com forums, move to a 4-5-1 and lose Jaqua.  I think we need to play Zakuani over Le Toux and get some speed on the wings.

Seems odd to be even seriously addressing anyone who would be naive enough to believe that Freddie doesn’t belong out there. I thnk it’s safe to say there’s no one on our team (including the other Fred) who can bring what Ljundberg will bring to this team over the course of a season (provided he stays healthy). The only unimpeachable performance on this team has been Osvaldo. Jaqua has been a disappointment so far (although his hold and pass game has been sharp at times), but I’m not sure we’ve seen consistent enough service into the middle to really evaluate that. I like your formation, particularly if said service continues to be weak. Then it makes a lot of sense to load the field with speed and skill. Let’s hope Jaqua comes around… his skills would provide a great counterpunch to Montero and Ljundberg. 

Ljungberg….. come, Doug, you can do it.

I’ll write it over and over and over. But not here! 

You make some very good points. 

There are a lot of moving parts to this issue, though, and a lot of unanswered questions that can’t be answered till we’re a lot further into the season.   Will Frem and Frel (good one, btw)  gel on the field?  I sure hope so.  Arsenal creates amazing players and Ljungberg has skills that the team needs, which you have detailed well.   And I think Fredy could use the role modeling; twenty-one-year-olds are the definition of inconsistent and Freddie could provide a steadying influence.

I will be the first to admit that having been a Galaxy fan over the past two years clouds my judgment and makes me more skeptical of the DP system, and because of that I’m probably slightly more likely to judge Freddie more harshly than he deserves.   (I also have very low expectations for Jaqua’s head, just based on what I saw when he was in LA.)  I am working on recognizing my own bias here, and on not holding Freddie responsible for the sins of Beckham. 

But  Beckham-to-LA was an unmitigated disaster, and it was compounded in a big way by the fact that as a DP he was untouchable.   Because he was the $6m man, it was never an option that he not be played or not be captain. 

And I must admit that in the back of my mind there are questions like, “Why didn’t Freddie make it at West Ham?” and “Why didn’t anybody pick him up when he left?”   And yes, I probably have a bit of a bias against underwear models as well.  I’m working on that. 

Thing is, we all have bias here, one way or another, and none of us can know what’s right till the team gets a lot more games under its belt.   I’m working on recognizing my own biases and keeping an open mind about what works, and I’m assuming everybody else is too.

Sigi has estimated it will take 700 minutes before the team is a team.  That sounds fair and reasonable — if excruciatingly long for fans.  I have faith that the team’s best players will be playing as a unit at that point.   And I hope that includes both Freds, firing on all cylinders. 

But I also hope that if it what Sigi’s tried doesn’t work by then, he’ll be able to make whatever changes are needed, regardless of how hard those changes are. 

TL Reply:
April 22nd, 2009 at 7:34 pm

Ljundberg did have other offers and hadn’t made a decision.  He got injured at West Ham and is why he did not do so well.  The team bought out his contract, due to the owners failing bank.  Not saying you are bashing, but just want the info real.  After 20 games and no production. Ok.  Anyone questioning the ability of Freddy L. now is just trying to hate.  He has been nothing but gracious to our city  and nothing but underwhelming in his personality.  Nothing like Beckham.  (Although, I have much respect for Beckham.  Another topic )

We have to play Frei.  He is one player who consistently heads up field when he has the ball, and with his vision, passing, and dribbling (although sometimes maybe too much dribbling) has created more chances than any of our other mid-fielders. 

The problem for me is Evans.  I think he´s a great center mid-fielder and helps us to keep possesion and start the attack.  I don´t think he´s much of a winger though.  So I think if Evans is on the pitch, unless we switch to 5 in the mid, I think Frei should go out wide.  He has played against the best in the world out wide and would immediately be a threat anytime he got the ball…I´m not going to lie, I would miss his play in the center, which is why I´d love to see 5 in the mid.   But I can only imagine how having Frei out wide would change the tactics of other teams.

Jaqua is the other problem for me.  If you want to go to 5 in the mid and not mess with what is arguably one of the best defenses or if you put Frei up top with Montero (which I wouldn´t mind seeing) we would have to then pull Jaqua.  You can´t pull Montero, at least not until he plays many more games without producing.  Back to Jaqua… the first game of the season, I thought, who is this big oaf up top who can´t use his feet.  We need to get rid of the guy…now!  But honestly, I believe that he has improved significantly every game since.  (what are your thoughts?).  I think he has done an amazing job as a posting forward, holding the ball and distributing it back to our mids.  I even think he´s improved with the ball at his feet, and OMG, he actually beat somebody 1v1 to serve in a dangerous cross to Seba who almost scored.   As much as I was a hater early on, I think we lose too much right now without him and if he keeps improving I think he has a chance to make the US squad as the token tall guy up-front.  Besides, I can only imagine how scary he is to mark anytime the ball is in the air…which brings me to another point. 

I can barely count on one hand (maybe I´m missing something) the amount of crosses we´ve had during the run of play.  I don´t think our wingers have even remotely been adequate in this department.  Zak has been beating people down the flank and coming in, which is dangerous, but his service as been pretty poor (excluding the Jaqua goal).  I think that Seba has missed many opportunities to serve it in early as well.  With a 6 foot 4 striker and Montero waiting in the box, I think it should be the wingers primary responsibility to get them the ball when they are deep in the wing.  Too many times, I think they´ve missed the early chance and then had to pull it back in order to keep possesion. 

So if we stick to a 4-4-2 I think we move Evans back in center, Frei out wide right.  I like Zak on the left, and as soon as he starts to disappear to the course of the game we put in Seba or Nyassi.  I´d really like to see 5 in the mid, and would probably pull a defender to keep Jaqua up top (but that´s just because I´m more of a forward myself).   

Anyways, enough of the rambling from me, in all honestly Sigi is the man…and he´ll figure it out better than any of us can.  But I agree completely with the 1st sentence that it sure is fun to think of the possibilities and give our opinion!