For the Americas bunch - opinion on Onyewu move

Batman · **Posted:** Sun Jun 04, 2006 8:57 pm

Read this, he even name drops BWFC as a team he would want to move to, but f-cking managerless Boro have gone and bought him. Has Sam dropped a bollock by not signing this lad????? Heard good things about him.

Middlesbrough look to have tied up a shock deal for USA star Oguchi Onyewu.

The 23-year-old, know as Gooch, is currently playing in Belgium for Standard Liege - but Boro are now understood to have tied up a deal for the highly-rated central defender.

His form with La Louviere earned him a move to Standard - and he has been a regular with them for the past two seasons.

A number of clubs including Manchester United and Charlton Athletic are thought to have scouted Onyewu along with Boro - but skysports.com understand the Teessiders have now made their move and a deal is now in place.

Chief executive Keith Lamb - who has been extremely busy in recent weeks lining up deals for Robert Huth and Rodolph Douala - now looks to have sealed a third transfer for the club, despite the fact Boro are still without a manager.

"I dream to play in the Premier League," Onyewu said.

"But, if I had the choice, I would pick a club like Middlesbrough or Bolton, where I could play more games.

"The difference with Liege would be the level of the opposition like Arsenal and Manchester United."

Onyewu will need a work permit to seal his move to England, but he has been a regular for the Americans since 2004 and it seems certain he will meet the criteria

Zulus Thousand of em · **Posted:** Sun Jun 04, 2006 10:30 pm

Just voted, and I'll say again if they pick some other scumbag club (in this case Middlesmog) it's their loss not ours! Bolton Wanderers are bigger than any player.

Luna · **Posted:** Sun Jun 04, 2006 10:33 pm

Zulus! Thousands of 'em! wrote:

Just voted, and I'll say again if they pick some other scumbag club (in this case Middlesmog) it's their loss not ours! Bolton Wanderers are bigger than any player.

Wrong. It is physically imposible to be bigger than Crouch.

Zulus Thousand of em · **Posted:** Sun Jun 04, 2006 11:19 pm

Yep, good point. I concede.

ratbert · **Posted:** Sun Jun 04, 2006 11:40 pm

Never heard of him!!

H. Pedersen · **Posted:** Mon Jun 05, 2006 1:56 am

I'm with Batman on this, I cannot contain my rage. Onyewu is a 23-year-old, 6'4" center back, great man-marker, regular for his club in Belgium, and one of the first names on the team sheet for the World Cup-bound U.S. He shut Borgetti down big time in our final qualifier against Mexico and looked great in our last two friendlies. On top of that he even hinted he wanted to go to Bolton. And who gets him instead? The 14th place team in the league, who can't even find a manager.

What exactly is Sam doing? Here you have a talented young player who wants to come here, and instead we're chasing Meite, who strikes me as another disingenuous prick in the Rivaldo/Benayoun mould. Sam said he wanted to finish his transfer business before the World Cup, but we haven't signed ONE DAMNED PLAYER. We've been turned down by Johnson, Dabo, Ocio, and Gera. If you ask me the board has been too lenient with Sam. Between the transfer failures of last summer and January, the poor tactical decisions at the end of the season that helped to cost us a place in Europe, and the constant whoring for the England job, any other manager would be in deep trouble. He needs to turn things around right now.

Hoboh · **Posted:** Mon Jun 05, 2006 6:38 am

It's all well and good thinking we have a transfer fund with something in it for a change. I think the lack of players signing may be down to salary offered and length of contract, that may be the problem. This is what may be holding Sam up with signings. The board may have stipulated no long contracts and your wage bill must not exceed X amount of cash.

americantrotter · **Posted:** Mon Jun 05, 2006 2:17 pm

I agree with Henrik, the lad is quality and we shouldnt have missed out.

Dave Sutton's barnet · **Posted:** Mon Jun 05, 2006 2:23 pm

Maybe, just maybe, he doesn't rate the guy.

americantrotter · **Posted:** Mon Jun 05, 2006 2:24 pm

Probably due more with a price for potential than not rating him.

Montreal Wanderer · **Posted:** Mon Jun 05, 2006 2:35 pm

I think we should have at least tried - there are not many who actually want to play for us and we do need cover now Bruno has gone.

picaro · **Posted:** Mon Jun 05, 2006 3:10 pm

strong defender and i have to say we missed out on a great oppurtunity....maybe they failed to ask for the borg's advice.

boltonboris · **Posted:** Mon Jun 05, 2006 3:51 pm

that would mean Sam talking to Borg, someting I asume that doesnt happen very often

Tombwfc · **Posted:** Mon Jun 05, 2006 5:08 pm

Meh. I seem to remember this time last year a young lad chose another team over us, and we all were pissed off and slated Sam for missing out.....

To say Sam should be in trouble because he had the audacity not to waste funds on an unproven kid.

americantrotter · **Posted:** Mon Jun 05, 2006 5:16 pm

This one's a little more proven than most we have missed out on. He already plays for a World Cup team and in Belgium.

Tombwfc · **Posted:** Mon Jun 05, 2006 5:24 pm

americantrotter wrote:

This one's a little more proven than most we have missed out on. He already plays for a World Cup team and in Belgium.

The USA are hardly one of the worlds elite, playing the likes of the mighty Grenada and El Salvador en route to the World Cup. I daresay Belgium isn't host to a great standard of football either.

In comparison, Meite has played in France for many years, at a higher level.

americantrotter · **Posted:** Mon Jun 05, 2006 5:33 pm

I enjoy your view of American football. I think you'll be proven wrong this summer. Just like in 02 when the US was supposed to be out in the 1st round.

Dave Sutton's barnet · **Posted:** Mon Jun 05, 2006 5:41 pm

americantrotter wrote:

I enjoy your view of American football. I think you'll be proven wrong this summer. Just like in 02 when the US was supposed to be out in the 1st round.

AT

You may well be right but you have to admit the qualification schedule is hardly daunting.

DSB

Batman · **Posted:** Mon Jun 05, 2006 5:50 pm

They don't put teams as 5th in the world for a laugh.

picaro · **Posted:** Mon Jun 05, 2006 5:52 pm

the only downfall of footy in the US has been the lack of previous managers testing the waters outside of playing against Mexico (which after playing hundreds of times, it's any wonder the matches are tight). under Arena the US has played more friendlies and despite losing against stronger teams, it helps acclimate them to differing strategies. Concacaf sucks, but the top four usually are pretty decent...3rd and 4th at times comparable to Conembol's 3rd and 4th as well. and remember, Concacaf still gets the least amount of teams into the WC while Asia...which is definitely unproven gets more (although Iran, Japan, and S Korea have improved significantly).

For the Americas bunch - opinion on Onyewu move

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