Subject: »[NT] Update

Cheers slavko & Seca. The hares are pretty excited. Wonder how he'll fair against B&O this weekend.

Have there been any other Canadian defenders hit that milestone?

First that I know of.

Does this alter your training plan?

Not as of right now as I'll be training pace for a few weeks & it probably won't change it in the near future either. I have a few youngsters that are still needing some defending training.

Any chance you can use your mod powers & create an extra skill level just for Abbas Musa ;)

Not yet but Karl Dehere from Kemloops Lakers is next. And there is 7 magical on the NT and most of them are very young.

Since my Mod powers don't extend beyond the forum, that would be a "no". :D

I'm told you can train to 17.999, so the immediate training wouldn't be wasted.

Everything is set for this weekend friendly U21 match vs Israel:

Starters:

Derek Barrera, 21 years
Ruben Caron, 21
Pierre-Charles Chouinard, 20
Adriano Cochran, 21
Karl Dehere, 21
Charles-Antoine Holden, 21
Rudi Luciani, 21
Malcolm Malhotra, 21
Adrian Manohar, 21
Georges Placentino, 21, debut
Zachary Sebrango, 19, debut

Bench:

Guy Bertrand, 19
Joey Biron, 19, will replace Placentino at 55
Francesco Clayden, 20, will replace Holden at 55
Boris Madden, 20
Satinder Touchette, 19, will replace Malhotra at 75

Free kick: Ruben Caron
Penalty kick: Adriano Cochran

I'm surprised to see Placentino starting. I believed Biron (and Broussard for that matter) to be a better prospect. Either he's progressed far better then his 4.5 talent suggested, or it helps to wear Hajduk Burnaby colours. :)

I have to agree with you there. Placentino seems to be jumping his place in the queue. Without looking at all Canadian goalscoring prospects, I agree that Biron should play instead.

I probably shouldn't have complained. :) Slavko is in charge, and if he wants to use his own players, that is his decision.

I guess I would like some feedback as to where my players fit into the grand scheme. If I have mis-read the value of Broussard and Biron as prospects, and they don't have realistic NT hopes, that may alter my training plans.

There is no doubt that there is a place for role players with special skills in the NT for particular games. And it is very strange to me that the NT manager does not know the skills of the NT players - this seems to be a weakness in the sokker international game.
However, I believe that it is the NT managers job to pick the best players for every game.

I knew it would come to this "HE ADDED HIS OWN PLAYER TO THE NT".
First I am not one of those who wants his players in huge number in the NT. Placentino is only the second one from my team and first I added to the NT squad and it has been added for a reason. If you think he don't deserve to be in our squad, fine NP, like I said I love to hear what you all think and share with you guys whatever you said 'couse it is OUR NT team and I do my best to represent as at our best and I am sure you all want the same. BTW I am sure you all know that CANADA qualified with 2 games to go, lost only one game so far, 2-2 with Hrvatska once 3rd in the sokker world ok we struggled with Moldova but 'couse I tryed to play with wide range of players not only the best ones.

To Seca
Biron and Broussard have been added to the NT team like the other ones so they all are good prospects. If I don't play Biron it doesn't mean he is not good enough for that role nor you mis-read the value of him or Broussard and whoever is on NT he has realistic NT hopes. For the matter of Broussard, Seca you sk-mail me remember! Biron stamina is issue in his matter so I wanted someone else there so I put Placentino my own player 'couse he is good enough and in good shape and btw Biron is supposed to enter in the second half. Slavko is in charge, and if he wants to use his own players, that is his decision. This is sad, I added him for a reason like I added Biron, Broussard, Sebrango, Clayden, Bertrand, Touchette, Cochran, and all the others and those who made debut like Touchette, Cochran to name a few and even Biron made a good debut. Am I right??

To Lorne
Without looking at all Canadian goalscoring prospects, I agree that Biron should play instead.
I have all the stats from our prospects so I have a LOOK and I am trying to do my best and play the best for each position. Of course you san tell me you opinion and I am always glad to hear it but why are you so sure that Biron SHOULD play. BTW Biron made his debut in an important game so I know what he is capable to do.

Anyway thank you for the input into this matter and if anyone else think I do it 'couse I just want to see my players on the NT feel free to post.

It might be some changes to the squad playing tomorrow.

Thank you for your response. It is a tough job deciding how to place players on every sokker team. The NT is just that much harder given the wide variety and depth in player skills. I appreciate your efforts and am very happy with Canada's performance under your management.

My philosophy to the NT is to avoid any appearance of favouritism by playing the best players every game.

As I said, you don't need to change the line-up. I shouldn't have said anything.

I don't like nepotism. I guess I played on too many hockey teams where the coach's son was the 1st line center, when he probably should have been a 3rd line winger.

Your use of Manohar this season has made me sensitive to the issue. He went from being the 3rd or 4th best U21 striker last season, to a player who was, before his injuries, leading the senior squad in caps and minutes. I couldn't see any reason for that extensive use aside from the identity of his club team. It's put me on edge.

For the matter of Broussard, Seca you sk-mail me remember!
Broussard has adequete stamina. After seeing you play Wyn Lavrynenko (weak stamina) for 90 minutes in a qualifying game, I felt it necessary to tell you Broussard should only be played 30 minutes for maximum effect. That is why I sent the message.

I knew it would come to this "HE ADDED HIS OWN PLAYER TO THE NT". Noone said Placentino should not have been added. I said I was surprised he was starting. He's got the poorest form and the poorest value of the 3 players mentioned. It would seem a valid question (at least to this biased observer :D).

When you play your own players, you open yourself up to criticism. You should be prepared to defend those decisions. Somewhere in there you said Biron's solid stamina is not sufficient to be a starter. I don't agree with that, but I can accept it. :)

Before the match.

Your use of Manohar this season has made me sensitive to the issue. He went from being the 3rd or 4th best U21 striker last season, to a player who was, before his injuries, leading the senior squad in caps and minutes.I couldn't see any reason for that extensive use aside from the identity of his club team. It's put me on edge.

Manohar didn't play in any of the important games like NZ or Hrvatska. He might have been leading the senior squad in caps and minutes which I don't realy count as an important issue as long as he performes good against the weekest opp and he did played goog didn't he?? Cochran is the other one NOT FROM MY SQUAD and played alongside with Manohar and other young players which I prefered most for those matches.

On to the game live, more to this matter after the game.
P.S. I didn't change anything to the line-up.

Nice win. :) I was impressed with Caron today (I'm always impressed with Caron) - made some really incisive passes.

Thought this was Manohar's best game since ... South Africa? He was way more then tragic form Tzarfati could handle. :)

Manohar didn't play in any of the important games like NZ or Hrvatska.

I would encourage you to consider all qualifying matches as important. :) That he didn't play against New Zealand or Croatia shows there are clearly better options on the roster.

He might have been leading the senior squad in caps and minutes which I don't realy count as an important issue as long as he performes good against the weekest opp and he did played goog didn't he??

That he led the team in caps and minutes even though he's not the best player at his position is (IMO) favouritism. It may not be important to you, but it is the reason I was sensitive when Placentino was announced as the starter for today.

I wouldn't say Manohar has played well in qualifying. I seem to recall his shooting % being well behind all the other strikers. Think there was a 1 for 14 game in there (where one missed shot missed so badly it actually crossed the touch line rather then the by-line :P). In the Moldova game where he was the only hope of offence (since Lavrynenko was exhausted) after Giacomi was sent off, he produced nothing.

Cochran is the other one NOT FROM MY SQUAD and played alongside with Manohar and other young players which I prefered most for those matches.

Cochran didn't see near the playing time Manohar did pre-injury. Not even close. I'm surprised you'd raise him as a comparable. If anything, Cochran's usage makes Manohar's seem even more discrepant.

I'm sorry I brought it up. I didn't intend for the discussion to go this direction. Nor is it my intention to be overly critical of a first season NT manager. I just wanted a reason why Placentino was starting ahead of Biron.