Sir Landon Of Donovan

[irishblue7]

more landon love on facebook what a legend!!!

Just got back from a long walk along the beach with my dogs. Hard to imagine that this season began for me on January 1st with so much promise and ended so abruptly last night. It's been the best year of my life, and it wouldn't be the same without all your love. To the Everton fans, the US National Team fans and the Galaxy fans, thanks for being a part of so many memorable moments in my life. Much love

 

[Dushku]

Seems like he played a little on the left during the loan... Anyone else recall that??

I do, like the Piennar / Osman / Billy thang..he did switch wings and mix it up a bit. But, down the right was his most potent position at Everton.

 

[Sharpys top lip]

We could do with him right now.

 

[Wratho]

more landon love on facebook what a legend!!!

Just got back from a long walk along the beach with my dogs. Hard to imagine that this season began for me on January 1st with so much promise and ended so abruptly last night. It's been the best year of my life, and it wouldn't be the same without all your love. To the Everton fans, the US National Team fans and the Galaxy fans, thanks for being a part of so many memorable moments in my life. Much love

In order from his highest love to lowest love....... he is coming back until LCAB says no, which would be a complete shock to everyone in the know from what has been stated.

 

[TX Bill]

In my opinion...

...we've seen him play his last match for an MLS club. He's done all he needs to do with MLS and this is the best chance for him to play at a level he's wanted to play at for a very long time.

I think it would be an absolute letdown for him professionally if he had to return to MLS.

I expect a permanent deal will be negotiated with MLS for Landon so that he can be here in time to play in January and I would honestly be surprised if it went any other way.

 

[Aztattooedfootballfan]

I am hoping they can make it happen for his return to Everton.

 

[RAFUH]

Tweets from Grant Wahl

@sgevans Donovan says he's taking some time now to decide. Wants to rest now, but hold out option of changing his mind.

Landon Donovan has played for 30 of the past 33 months. Too much or just typical for all top players? #EvertonLoanDebate

 

[Nordecke]

Can he play on the left cos right now that is where we need strengthning.

Thats where he plays for the Nats.

 

[Kay20]

Yeah, he's tired, but the work he's put in on the wing for the Galaxy vs. the Sounders was fantastic.

Vs. Dallas, he was stopped by a keeper playing out of his mind in the first half; and then he was stopped by his own team's crap midfield that couldn't get him the ball in the second half. There towards the end, he was running all the way to the defensive end, to win the ball back, give it to a teammate and then race back up the field...only for his teammate to give the ball away in mid flight. He worked his tired butt off and was hung out to dry pretty much. And he just didn't have the legs left to carry the team to victory.

Give him 6 weeks off - he'll be more than ready to give his all for Everton...and what's going for him in Blue is that he won't have to basically carry the entire team all alone. He can do his job and help the team as a whole.

NFB is absolutely right. I've also watched the Galaxy play and watched LD become more tired. What he needed was a bigger break when he got back from the World Cup - but he didn't get it.

Based on his high energy play in the playoffs (final spanking included), he was pacing himself the back third of the season. He shut it down to be able to have something left for November - a place he knew he was going to be even in *July* since LA had built such a lead.

He came out against Seattle on *fire*. Great play, great energy, great stops. Also, he won a DC United game in the last month of the season basically singlehandedly by getting pissed at his team's play, saying "screw this", upping his play to his normal 100%, and scoring two goals in the span of 5 minutes.

The Galaxy boards have a tendency (as NFB says) to blame the team's performance on LD, their expectations of him are incredibly high (as they should be). BUT, even when he has *little* to do with a loss. For example, when he played as forward in the latter half, and pretty much never got the ball - that was his fault. Huh? By the end he'd be drifting to the center circle trying to get a glimpse of something round.

For Everton he will not be able to start and get out there immediately, but if David eases him in, I see him being the permanent starter for the full 90 sometime towards mid-Feb (assuming permanent, not loan).

 

[Kay20]

Tweets from Grant Wahl

@sgevans Donovan says he's taking some time now to decide. Wants to rest now, but hold out option of changing his mind.

This makes me feel better, and refutes the "oh yeah" from last night as everyone has said. Phew. Also, "taking some time to decide." Doesn't that sound to anyone else like there is already a deal on the table (as LCAB has said until he is blue in the face)? I just hope he really truly rests. Maybe he'll put in a clause (if permanent) that he can't play until 2/1 or something like that.

Dumb question from the newbie: I know last season we knew about the deal in the beginning of December. Same here? Or later? The window opens in Jan, are permanent deals done in Jan? Or earlier? When does the negotiating typically start?

 

[Kay20]

From Sports Illustrated:

4. Offseason in L.A. is hardly offseason for news: Cue the next round of "What will Donovan do" in 3, 2, 1 ...
Donovan may have deflected some of the cross-examinations to come with two little words late Sunday night. ESPN's Rob Stone asked Donovan on the way off the HDC pitch if he would be back in a Galaxy shirt in 2011. The reassuring response landed without hesitation: "Oh, yeah."
Still, that doesn't mean that he couldn't take another loan assignment to Everton (as he did last year between January and March), or anywhere else for that matter.
But there is a wear-and-tear factor to consider; at some point, a longer rest period seems prudent for Donovan, now 28. His last extended period of down time came after that troubled 2007 season with the Galaxy -- that circus of a year as David Beckham and all that starry drama blew into town. Remember, Donovan went on loan to Bayern Munich following the 2008 season.
And rest assured, if Donovan does pack his backs for Everton or elsewhere once again, all the permanent transfer speculation is sure to follow -- no matter what he tells Stone or anyone else. MLS commissioner Don Garber has said repeatedly that he wants Donovan in the league. But everyone has his price, as we know, and Garber won't stop Donovan if his heart gets set on a move.

 

[ldfan]

I've heard that he was playing with a calf injury the last month or so (B.S. poster being the source on that one). I haven't been able to find anything about it in the print media but that would certainly explain the, how should I say, lack of productivity.

 

[Arteta's Girl]

He has played 30 out of 33 months, which is a lot. But at the same point in time, Steven Pienaar has done similar, he has played 2008/09 season, then the Confederations cup, then the 2009/10 season, World Cup, now this season and he is still in good form (in my eyes anyway). Sure Landon will be tired but 6 weeks is more than enough time for him to rest. With Cahill probably going away for the Asian Cup we will need a boost in January while he is missing. We have some big games in January (Spurs/RS) that I'm sure LD would want to play in. As long as he rests now, he should be fine.

 

[DionDublin]

let him have a rest, he will soon get the urge to come over and play for us.

He will be here.

 

[Dushku]

This factor of L.D having a six week rest is the best news I've heard in a long long time with regards to Landon's move to Everton. If you put it into perspective, his over whelming professional hunger for the game itself coupled with the knowledge that he knows of the near Heroic status he has garnered on Merseyside and the ground swell of expectation - he is going to be like Speedy Gonzalez on crack when he slips on his footie boots for the first time and kicks a football on his first day at Finch Farm !

Six weeks of lazing about walking his dogs and hanging out on Venice Beach,then kicking back with a few cold ones whilst watching Fox Soccer Channel as Everton grind out a win against Manchester City at Stupid O'clock local time. Yes, he's gonna be bored after two weeks - but once he starts getting withdrawals and starts shaking like a crack head in Kirkdale..Landon is going to be running Forrest Gump style to the East coast and throwing himself Michael Phelps styleee into the Atlantic to get here!