QuoteYou have all been so patient and I appreciate it. To thank you, here is a decently comprehensive but also slightly "blurred out" photograph of the Matt Besler scene at this moment.
In all, there are 10 European clubs at various levels of monitoring/interest/offer talks for the Sporting KC defender. Only one of those clubs currently hanging around is in the Bundesliga, and probably will not pony up what the MLS champs are asking (which as I said recently, would break their club record sale of somewhere in the $5-6 million range for Eddie Johnson).
So then let us focus on England. A clear majority of the nine teams at some distance in the Besler frame are in the Prem. I can confirm that one of those admirers is Sunderland, and that they have not made an offer yet. I can also now confirm that Fulham is one of the Championship suitors, and that they have made at least one offer to now. Those are the only names I will spill at this time, but I am confident you can knock those possibilities around pretty good to pass the time. I can also re-assure you that constant rumor mill link QPR are not in this scene. I know their name keeps popping up here and there, but the last time they were browsing Besler was about a year ago.
As for the time to pass, you will not be waiting long. One way or the other, Besler is aiming to make his decision by Monday. And as I am told, that is a hard deadline this time.
Greg Seltzer
Posted by Greg Seltzer at 9:13 PM
Quote from: ToodlesMcToot on July 16, 2014, 01:11:33 PM
Well, I certainly wouldn't complain if he was signed. He's a very good central defender.
However, since we do know that Fulham have made an offer, it does beg the question - why do we need another LCB? Besler is almost exclusively a left sided player. Is one of Amorebieta or Burn leaving?
Quote from: Riverside on July 16, 2014, 01:17:19 PMQuote from: ToodlesMcToot on July 16, 2014, 01:11:33 PM
Well, I certainly wouldn't complain if he was signed. He's a very good central defender.
However, since we do know that Fulham have made an offer, it does beg the question - why do we need another LCB? Besler is almost exclusively a left sided player. Is one of Amorebieta or Burn leaving?
This is a good point
Can someone with your knowledge of the squad tell me of our current centre backs who is considered as left and who as right
Burn - Left ?
Amorebieta - Left ?
Hutchinson ?
Donnelly ?
Burgess ?
Grimmer ?
Quote from: HatterDon on July 16, 2014, 02:45:35 PM
please
no
Quote from: HatterDon on July 16, 2014, 02:45:35 PM
please
no
Quote from: ToodlesMcToot on July 16, 2014, 02:57:33 PMQuote from: HatterDon on July 16, 2014, 02:45:35 PM
please
no
I don't think you have much to worry about.
Since I feel like you probably have watched him play, how do you think he'd fair here? Or in the PL for that matter?
Quote from: RidgeRider on July 16, 2014, 02:56:22 PMQuote from: HatterDon on July 16, 2014, 02:45:35 PM
please
no
Oh, stop. It will be good to have another Yank on the squad, now that we have none. 086.gif
I'm sure Berserker and Kcat won't mind after seeing that photo :)
Plus, the team is made up of international players with plenty of home grown. McBride, Keller and Carlos were both widely accepted here, it was only Dempsey and EJ that got slated.
Quote from: rogerpinvirginia on July 16, 2014, 05:13:06 PM
Arthurworrey. He must be rated as he's signed a contract extension and was (I think) in Scotland
Quote from: rogerpinvirginia on July 16, 2014, 05:17:26 PMQuote from: RidgeRider on July 16, 2014, 02:56:22 PMQuote from: HatterDon on July 16, 2014, 02:45:35 PM
please
no
Oh, stop. It will be good to have another Yank on the squad, now that we have none. 086.gif
I'm sure Berserker and Kcat won't mind after seeing that photo :)
Plus, the team is made up of international players with plenty of home grown. McBride, Keller and Carlos were both widely accepted here, it was only Dempsey and EJ that got slated.
Hyndman ?
Quote from: rogerpinvirginia on July 16, 2014, 05:13:06 PM
This is a good point
Can someone with your knowledge of the squad tell me of our current centre backs who is considered as left and who as right
Burn - Left ?
Amorebieta - Left ?
Hutchinson ?
Donnelly ?
Burgess ?
Grimmer ?
Quote from: Craven Mad on July 16, 2014, 05:22:35 PMQuote from: rogerpinvirginia on July 16, 2014, 05:13:06 PM
Arthurworrey. He must be rated as he's signed a contract extension and was (I think) in Scotland
I doubt we'll see much of Arturworrey. He did ok on loan in L1, but would still be low on the list of CBs we'd choose to use. Plus, I don't think he actually went to Scotland (played for the U21 agains Walton Casuals) and it was only a 1 year extension (to 2015), so I doubt Felix sees him as a real option.
2 player announcements today #gameday #multitasking
— Robb Heineman (@RobbHeineman) July 16, 2014
let me put your mind at ease....there's nothing regarding besler and zusi happening today.
— Robb Heineman (@RobbHeineman) July 16, 2014
Quote from: Craven Mad on July 16, 2014, 05:22:35 PMI sad about this but you are probably right, Felix has a dearth of C/Bs even without Arthurworrey he still has Grimmer, Passeley, Burgess & Donnelly to back up Hutchison & Burn if we sold Amoribieta. Not sure why we keep getting lined with more CB's or firwards we need CM'sQuote from: rogerpinvirginia on July 16, 2014, 05:13:06 PM
Arthurworrey. He must be rated as he's signed a contract extension and was (I think) in Scotland
I doubt we'll see much of Arturworrey. He did ok on loan in L1, but would still be low on the list of CBs we'd choose to use. Plus, I don't think he actually went to Scotland (played for the U21 agains Walton Casuals) and it was only a 1 year extension (to 2015), so I doubt Felix sees him as a real option.
Quote from: callumc513 on July 16, 2014, 07:07:24 PM
He was seriously impressive throughout the WC with the exception of being turned by Lukaku at the start of extra time against Belgium.
Quote from: God The Mechanic on July 16, 2014, 01:35:02 PMThis is entirely possible Magath has signed two attacking full backs, he could be looking 5-3-2
Maybe were planning for 5 at the back? Crazier things have happened :p
Quote from: ToodlesMcToot on July 16, 2014, 02:57:33 PMQuote from: HatterDon on July 16, 2014, 02:45:35 PM
please
no
I don't think you have much to worry about.
Since I feel like you probably have watched him play, how do you think he'd fair here? Or in the PL for that matter?
Quote from: BarryP on July 16, 2014, 04:15:23 PMQuote from: ToodlesMcToot on July 16, 2014, 02:57:33 PMQuote from: HatterDon on July 16, 2014, 02:45:35 PM
please
no
I don't think you have much to worry about.
Since I feel like you probably have watched him play, how do you think he'd fair here? Or in the PL for that matter?
Besler is one of the few Americans that I wouldn't mind seeing Fulham sign for now and future promotion. He reads the game very well and passes well out of the back. He would be best suited to play the Aaron Hughes type role with a person to handle the aerial clearances along side him. He could probably step into a Premier League team and be an effective defender today. He was hands down the best US defender at the WC in my opinion.
Quote from: rogerpinvirginia on July 16, 2014, 05:17:26 PMQuote from: RidgeRider on July 16, 2014, 02:56:22 PMQuote from: HatterDon on July 16, 2014, 02:45:35 PM
please
no
Oh, stop. It will be good to have another Yank on the squad, now that we have none. 086.gif
I'm sure Berserker and Kcat won't mind after seeing that photo :)
Plus, the team is made up of international players with plenty of home grown. McBride, Keller and Carlos were both widely accepted here, it was only Dempsey and EJ that got slated.
Hyndman ?
Quote from: Deanothefulhamfan on July 17, 2014, 02:38:54 AMBased on what?
Burn is not rated by FM
Quote from: jmh on July 17, 2014, 03:51:43 PMQuote from: Deanothefulhamfan on July 17, 2014, 02:38:54 AMBased on what?
Burn is not rated by FM
Quote from: Deanothefulhamfan on July 17, 2014, 05:08:32 PMHe didn't play a ton this past spring under Magath, but then it's often a cliche that you need experienced players who will keep their heads in a relegation battle, so maybe he just gave in to that, or maybe he thought Burn wasn't far enough along in his development for the situation we were in. (Similarly, people sometimes said Jol didn't rate Kasami because he sent him out on loan, but that was really just to get first team experience and we saw, from how much Kasami played last fall, that Jol had rated him all along.) He's played 45 minutes in the first two friendlies and just a few minutes against Motherwell; Hutchinson and Voser played a lot but mainly everyone played between 90 and 135 minutes, Burn among those players. Maybe he's playing less because Magath doesn't rate him, or maybe he's playing less because (like with Parker, and Amorebieta, and Kaca, and the top two keepers) Magath is more familiar with him than he is with the newer players and wants to see what the newer players can do; I just don't think we've seen enough to know that Magath doesn't rate him.
JMH how often was Burn called upon last season under FM, add to that how often has he featured in this season's pre season friendlys.... I am a huge fan of Burn, and would love him to start alongside Hutchinson, but I would be amazed if he was a starter next season.
Quote from: MJG on July 17, 2014, 06:38:16 PMDidn't realize that, thanks for the info.
Trotta has had an injury
Quote from: jags24 on July 17, 2014, 06:51:27 PM
Having watched the US team, I would say that Besler would be a good acquisition for a Championship side, less so for the Prem. I like him and think he is an intelligent player. He did a solid job at the World Cup and I think he would be consistent.
Fulham really needs that because the back line was very erratic last year.
Quote from: mccscratch on July 17, 2014, 07:06:43 PMQuote from: jags24 on July 17, 2014, 06:51:27 PM
Having watched the US team, I would say that Besler would be a good acquisition for a Championship side, less so for the Prem. I like him and think he is an intelligent player. He did a solid job at the World Cup and I think he would be consistent.
Fulham really needs that because the back line was very erratic last year.
I will say this... Tim Ream was named Bolton's player of the season this past year... Besler beat out Ream for a WC spot...Besler is left footed like Ream, he is decent with the ball at his feet, can play out of the back instead of hoofing and is a little stronger in the air and a little faster... Besler's main strength is his positioning. He rarely gets caught out and would be a superb player for us if we did not already have a bunch of left footed CBs... I think he would be a good squad player in the Prem and starter for the bottom few clubs.
Quote from: btings on July 18, 2014, 05:12:31 AM
I am so excited that the US has come far enough in international football to have our own sketchily-sourced transfer articles!
"Matt Besler prefers to stay with Sporting Kansas City, source says"
http://www.kansascity.com/sports/mls/sporting-kc/article756509.html (http://www.kansascity.com/sports/mls/sporting-kc/article756509.html)
Quote from: ToodlesMcToot on July 18, 2014, 01:17:41 PMQuote from: btings on July 18, 2014, 05:12:31 AM
I am so excited that the US has come far enough in international football to have our own sketchily-sourced transfer articles!
"Matt Besler prefers to stay with Sporting Kansas City, source says"
http://www.kansascity.com/sports/mls/sporting-kc/article756509.html (http://www.kansascity.com/sports/mls/sporting-kc/article756509.html)
Saw the same thing from NBCSports on twitter. They may be guessing but it sounds like Mr HatterDon will be sticking around a while longer.
Don, I'd start getting used to the idea of an American in and around the first team. You just know Khan will want to foster the US connection.
Quote from: harrison.crow on July 18, 2014, 05:26:40 PM
I'm a fan of Besler and wouldn't hate him coming to SW16, but we need help centrally. Hopefully we can put this all behind us and focus on something besides CB's and Striking options and the real task of finding some depth in the middle of the park.
Quote from: Denver Fulham on July 18, 2014, 07:36:32 PM
Offering Besler 10K a week would quadruple his salary. He/MLS/KC are just waiting for a better offer.
Quote from: BarryP on July 18, 2014, 09:00:03 PMQuote from: Denver Fulham on July 18, 2014, 07:36:32 PM
Offering Besler 10K a week would quadruple his salary. He/MLS/KC are just waiting for a better offer.
$10K * 52 weeks = $520K / $200K = 2.6 times before renogotiations or am I missing something?
Quote from: btings on July 18, 2014, 09:25:11 PMQuote from: BarryP on July 18, 2014, 09:00:03 PMQuote from: Denver Fulham on July 18, 2014, 07:36:32 PM
Offering Besler 10K a week would quadruple his salary. He/MLS/KC are just waiting for a better offer.
$10K * 52 weeks = $520K / $200K = 2.6 times before renogotiations or am I missing something?
£10k/week is closer to $800k/yr.
Quote from: btings on July 19, 2014, 10:15:33 PM
This is officially dead. Sporting KC have announced that Besler and Graham Zusi have both signed new contracts to make them Designated Players (= their salaries are not capped, so this is a big raise for Besler).
Quote from: btings on July 18, 2014, 05:44:20 PMThanks... I think. :)Quote from: harrison.crow on July 18, 2014, 05:26:40 PM
I'm a fan of Besler and wouldn't hate him coming to SW16, but we need help centrally. Hopefully we can put this all behind us and focus on something besides CB's and Striking options and the real task of finding some depth in the middle of the park.
Harrison Crow! Awesome to see you posting here.
Quote from: HatterDon on July 19, 2014, 12:55:54 AMHe's 27. If he's not ready for Europe now, he never will be.
So, for our British friends, all of this was a contract renegotiation ploy. Besler knows he's not ready for Europe yet, but knows that this is the time to get a fat raise.
Quote from: jmh on July 21, 2014, 04:57:07 PMQuote from: HatterDon on July 19, 2014, 12:55:54 AMHe's 27. If he's not ready for Europe now, he never will be.
So, for our British friends, all of this was a contract renegotiation ploy. Besler knows he's not ready for Europe yet, but knows that this is the time to get a fat raise.