I Heart Huckerby... I and II

I

Anyone care to venture a guess as to if/when this guy will show up in Toronto?

I've gone back and forth over this a couple times in the last day or so, but right now my gut feeling is that he's not coming.

** I'd like to take this moment to remind everyone reading that any predictions on the blog are PURE speculation, and not to be taken as fact, hard news or even halfway truthful. Unless, of course, any of my speculation comes true. Then I receive full credit for having predicted it. Those are the rules. I didn't make them up. I just play by them **

ANDREW WALLACE/TORONTO STAR

So far, what you see is what you get. So far.

As I was saying, despite Mo Johnston's firm assertion that TFC wouldn't buy any players before the transfer deadline, part of me thought Huckerby would show up here eventually, maybe stroll into BMO field in mid-April, like Dichio did last season.

This hunch wasn't based on anything rational. I mean, this guy's nearly 32 years old and taking painkillers for a chronic hip condition. Unless he's Bo Jackson, I can't see him overcoming those medical issues to have a major impact.

Instead, something Mo said set me off.

Last spring I heard a rumour that TFC was gong to sign Gennaro Gattuso. When I ran it by Mo he was like (and I'm paraphrasing here)  "hell, no! We can't afford that guy!"

It's happened with other players too. I'll hear TFC's trying to sign a guy and most times if they're not Mo will tell me so.

But yesterday he just kept saying he wasn't allowed to talk about players under contract to other clubs.

Hmmmm.....

A hint?

Maybe. We know Mo likes to hint.

But maybe not. Where's his incentive to sign an aging, ailing striker?

So this morning a quick Google news search brings me this story from England.

Turns out Norwich City's manager hasn't heard a thing from anyone over here, or at least that's what he's telling reporters over there.

Is this where the plot thickens? Or just where it fizzles?

I'm betting it's option number two. I can see why Norwich might want to dump an older, unhealthy player who's probably making a hefty salary, but I just can't see a reason for TFC to pick him up, especially knowing that he'll gobble up a big chunk of the salary cap.

But what do I know? I'm just a newspaper reporter.

I want to  know what the readers think.

Discuss....

II

Looks like DC United have signed their first DP.

Actually, the AP story simply says they've signed Marcelo Gallardo, who played for Argentina in the 1998 and 2002 World Cups. All the secondary reports say Gallardo is the team's DP.

The news had Cathal Kelly shaking his head. He and I disagree on DPs. He's convinced TFC needs to sign one, like yesterday. I'm still not sure. He says you do it to show the loud and loyal fans at BMO Field (the ones that pilloried him for referring to the team as "FC," and the ones who flooded my inbox with protests after I wrote that some of them booed the team after the RSL game) that you're serious about winning. I say the best way to show you're serious about winning is to build a team that wins, DP or not.

The top four teams in 2007 (DC, Chivas, Houston and New England) were all DP-free. FC Dallas spent nearly $880,000 on Denilson and the only postseason stat he collected was a yellow card.

Training camp for season two starts on Friday, and while TFC has pruned a few players from last year's last-place squad, they've added little beyond their draft picks. Johnston has been hinting about adding someone from overseas (though, as I said, probably not Huckerby, in-my-not-so-expert-opinion) but we haven't seen anyone yet.

You guys know my opinion on the subject, but I want to know what you think.

Is it time for a DP at TFC?

Discuss using the comments link below.

- Morgan Campbell

Comments

[alex]

What we need are extra people on staff to do player scouting.

Say what you want about Mo Johnston, but he’s only one guy. His results as an individual with limited time will never compare to a team that has more resources available to them. DC is the only team with a dedicated scout in the league, and they finished their player acquisitions by the first day of training camp.

Just shows what’s possible if you want to invest in your team. Hopefully we learned our lesson about trying to go cheap on supporting staff, after going all of 07 without a fitness coach and ending up with massive amounts of injuries.

[Keaner4life]

Mr. Campbell, I appreciate your write ups...I also agree that TFC need extra people on staff to do player scouting.

I would like to hear your thoughts on if Joseph Lapira will ever wear a TFC jersey...as he is looking to play overseas.

Cheers

[Johnny Centreback]

No DP yet. Build a better team than last year, win more games than last year, make the fans proud with the effort and build for the future. The DPs should be the icing on the cake. I think we should be trying acquire and develop the best young, TECHNICAL North American players we can find. If you've got skillful domestic players down the road, the DPs will then have quality to support them--and a championship could follow...

[Jason Ohashi]

Like what the previous people said, they need more player scouting. All TFC's rumours of obtaining an international player are only limited to the leagues that Mo knows about, they got to expand their searches and try to get players from outside of just Europe.

TFC doesn't necessarily have to use their DP just for the sake of show (eg. Beckham, arguable), even though it may help with their lack of depth, but they need to use to get a player that will actually benefit them. Seeing how they have a lot of problems right now, getting one player is not going to fix everything.

[nacci]

Although it would be nice for Toronto FC to sign a designated player, I (and most fans) would only be satisfied if the DP were someone with a famous reputation of excellence, (like Beckham, except with excellence). This would mean that the player would cost quite a bit. Although MLSE obviously has the money for that caliber of talent, I cannot see them allowing Mo to make a move since the fans are still filling up BMO Field each game (which reminds me very much of another Toronto sports team) and they are getting an excellent return on their investment.

[Wade]

Isn't Lapira pretty much sewn up with Aberdeen now? This article (which refers to Mo as the manager of the Toronto Blizzard - ouch) seems to indicate so: http://www.thisisaberdeen.co.uk/displayNode.jsp?nodeId=148309&command=displayContent&sourceNode=148302&contentPK=19639929&folderPk=85371&pNodeId=148325

[shawn]

It's never too early for a DP...we have to find the right one but how hard is that? Obviously we can't get a really good one under the age of 30, and I just don't want an impact player like Angel. I think we need a BIG NAME player but we'll have to wait.

[Morgan]

Interesting comment, Shawn. Can you flesh it out a little more. I mean, I figure most of the people commenting on a TFC blog are pretty soccer savvy and know the difference between an impact player (Angel) and a mere big name (Becks). So why is important for you that the DP be a big name player. Clearly you're already following TFC, so they don't need to sign Luis Figo to get you to pay attention. So why is it important for you that the DP have a big name? Why wouldn't you be satisfied with a guy that helps the team win?

[Claudio Moreira]

I would like to see TFC develop/hire personnel to do player scouting on a much large scale. Let's start exploring the South America's, the Africa's, the Asia's, the Europe's etc.

If we really were serious about housing a soccer academy for youths with some serious potential from around the World, why not this way and why not offer them advanced educational studies within our Country?

[Wade]

We all know that MLSE loves the term "marketing potential" but they seem to actually be letting Mo make decisions based on on-field quality rather than off-field buzz, and for that reason I can't see why TFC would even contemplate using the DP on Zidane or Figo (which isn't going to happen, anyway). You're right Morgan, the seats are already full. It only makes sense if the aging DP star is one who will legitimize the league to his countrymen and perhaps draw a few over (ZZ or Figo might attract young raw Algerian/French or Portuguese talent, for instance. Maybe) but that's a dodgy argument at best.

If you're going to use the DP, find another Angel or convince a Blanco type. If not, trade the DP spot to the LA Fallacy who'll perhaps be looking to keep Landycakes Donovan now that he becomes a DP this year, alongside their current DP, wuzzhisname.

On a similar note, any word on where Mo has spent his off season scouting time? It's been noted how the TFC tends to play a more longball English/Scottish style vs. the more South American total football aspirations of other MLS clubs. (DC United for instance just signed Gallardo as their DP, to pass it among Emilio, Moreno and Fred). I heard Mo spent some time with mid level clubs in Brazil but I can't believe he hasn't been in the UK most of the time buying all the pints he can expense for all the Dichios he can find.

[Paul]

First of all on the Huckerby story
He is out of contract at the end of the year, maybe the reason why the manager has heard nothing is because Huckerby is working out a deal on the side to sign a contract and join TFC in the summer when the season is done in England....?

As for the DP, one impact player is not going to put us over the top this season, but depth will. If this team can sign a left sided player and someone up front, plus some bench players, we can be a force.

Mo's obviously not going to use the DP spot this year, so why not trade it to someone like Chicago and receive 2 or 3 palyers in return. They would have a much larger impact.

[Fishnicker]

Before the draft I felt that we didn't need to sign a DP, - depth was our biggest problem and a DP wouldn't go too far in addressing that issue. However, drafting James and Phelan (with James being starting 11 ready), a keeper in Edwards and Balc as an attacking mid, gave us a much deeper team than we had last year. As I said, James will start, Phelan is a huge upgrade over the two headed turnover monster Reda/Braz, Balc will provide midfield depth and Edwards should help at 'keeper. Sure, I'm being optimistic, but alot of pundits claimed TFC as the big winner of the draft. You pointed out the parity in the MLS and a DP could be the catalyst to put us into a respectable position in the table. Just make sure it's a one year deal Mo - Remember the Denilson!

[Morgan Campbell]

Hey there Fishnicker....can't have you bashing Denilson! That's my favourite DP

http://thestar.blogs.com/starsportsblog/2007/09/mls-observation.html

Wade, I hear exactly what you're saying about Huckerby, which is why i think IF he shows up in Toronto it'll be after the season ends in England. But that's a big "if"

Nacci, that story from Aberdeen is interesting, but I don't know how credible it is given that they think Mo coaches the "Toronto Blizzard" of the "MSL." As for Lapira... Since I've never spoken to him I don't really have a read on whether he comes to Toronto or not. I'll keep my eye on it though

[RicoSuave44]

Great news! If the star devoted half as much coverage to TFC as they give to the raptors/argos I'd purchase a subscription.

[CARLoS]

Morgan - you should use the "Blogger's note:" function that Dougie uses on the Raptors blog. Replying to a specific comment within that comment makes it easier to follow along for the readers.