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Sir Landon Of Donovan

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"Great White Buffalo"..whispers. I'm not sure how Landon's contracts work or what control the MLS have once this season is done in the USA. But Landon has a very wise head on his shoulders, both as a sportsman and as a business man. He also has the added bonus of outside influence. Had his last stint been in Germany or Italy and it had been merely a loan deal to keep up his fitness and acclimatise him to a fluidity and physicality of a World Cup, he would of merely done his stint and gone back to his squad. But, something happened that no one expected - he 'clicked' into a squad that needed that extra piece of the jigsaw, he won over fans with his attitude and most importantly..he won over the management team structure. How many times have ' on-loan' players been at the crux of a bidding war at Everton, were fans have clamoured for him to be signed. When was the last time an on-loan player did an in-store signing !! Landon's love bug for Everton is as serious as a heart attack. He takes to his Twitter and bigs up our wins..why ? He doesn't shout out his other former teams. He's Los Angeles based sports and Everton. Only! he obviously watches the games and not just 'cos his buddy Tim Howard is playing. If the MLS lived in the real world and not tried to complicate people's lives like a Matrix movie, he'd be here and we'd be pushing for Europe.

Come the next transfer window, if we don't even as much as bid for him, then one of greatest opportunities to rebuild our team without having to 'blood' some one first, would be one of the biggest fook up's this club could make in the modern era.

We've spent millions on the likes of Billy..and still we wait for him to show his full potential. We could spend the same amount on Landon and get potentially millions back in investment from a fan base that stretches 3,000 miles from New York to Los Angeles and every where in between and a player who is twice if not three times the player Billy is.. and that's the bottom line cos Dushku says so! :)
 

The longer he's away, the better he was.

Should have happened this season, and didn't. Would love him back but unless we offload players AND the money goes towards signings, then it aint happening.
 
Dushku said:
"Great White Buffalo"..whispers. I'm not sure how Landon's contracts work or what control the MLS have once this season is done in the USA. But Landon has a very wise head on his shoulders, both as a sportsman and as a business man. He also has the added bonus of outside influence. Had his last stint been in Germany or Italy and it had been merely a loan deal to keep up his fitness and acclimatise him to a fluidity and physicality of a World Cup, he would of merely done his stint and gone back to his squad. But, something happened that no one expected - he 'clicked' into a squad that needed that extra piece of the jigsaw, he won over fans with his attitude and most importantly..he won over the management team structure. How many times have ' on-loan' players been at the crux of a bidding war at Everton, were fans have clamoured for him to be signed. When was the last time an on-loan player did an in-store signing !! Landon's love bug for Everton is as serious as a heart attack. He takes to his Twitter and bigs up our wins..why ? He doesn't shout out his other former teams. He's Los Angeles based sports and Everton. Only! he obviously watches the games and not just 'cos his buddy Tim Howard is playing. If the MLS lived in the real world and not tried to complicate people's lives like a Matrix movie, he'd be here and we'd be pushing for Europe.

Come the next transfer window, if we don't even as much as bid for him, then one of greatest opportunities to rebuild our team without having to 'blood' some one first, would be one of the biggest fook up's this club could make in the modern era.

We've spent millions on the likes of Billy..and still we wait for him to show his full potential. We could spend the same amount on Landon and get potentially millions back in investment from a fan base that stretches 3,000 miles from New York to Los Angeles and every where in between and a player who is twice if not three times the player Billy is.. and that's the bottom line cos Dushku says so! :)
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Lets not go mad here, hes 29 thats pretty much end game stuff for a player who relies a lot on pace most players begin to decline in terms of that extra yard around that age, we certainly wont be building a team around him, either by age or ability.

I cant see us blowing close to 7-10 mill on a 29 year old, with a big contract, especially when there is a fair chance we could get him on loan in Jan IF we need to. To be honest there are more sensible fish to fry, Zog and one or two others would make more sense for me.

Not that im saying he wouldnt be a good addition, just doesnt make sense and i cant see us doing it espeically as much of our signings selection takes into account age and resale value. Not to mention we are skint.
 
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I agree with the majority of the comments on here regarding Landon's age/ decline speed etc..but the same could be said about a lot of experienced players.

But my main reason for constantly cheer-leading for Landon is the bigger picture, one that may finally see some much needed investment in the club. With Landon comes great interest, not quite Beckham esque of yesteryear or Kobe Bryant right now, but in US Soccer terms,huge! And with investment comes corporate sponsorship which gets tongues wagging in bigger circles which in turn leads to major investment . US based companies don't see Royal Blue shirts they see Blue Chip investment. They see marketing and exposure which leads to shares and further capital gains. We just need to elbow them in our direction, 'cos we're not going to do it putting our name on any winning silver wear..but we can as sure as hell put his face and our name on as much merchandise that you could wave a stick at!! :D
 

Dushku said:
I agree with the majority of the comments on here regarding Landon's age/ decline speed etc..but the same could be said about alot of experienced players.

But my main reason for constantly cheer-leading for Landon is the bigger the picture one that may finally see some much needed investment in the club. With Landon comes great interest, not quite Beckham esque of yesteryear or Kobe Bryant, but in US Soccer terms,huge! And with investment come corporate sponsorship which gets tongues wagging in bigger circles which in turn leads to major investment . US based companies don't see Royal Blue shirts they see Blue Chip investment. They see marketing and exposure which leads to shares and further capital gains. We just need to elbow them in our direction, 'cos we're not going to do it putting our name on any winning silver wear..but we can as sure as hell put his face and our name on as much merchandise that you could wave a stick at!! :D
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Its all ifs and buts though really isnt it, a 7 - 10 mill fee, wages of 3-5mill a year, very little resale value. Would he really pay for himself, im not so sure, if it was that much of a no brainer it would have happened.

As far as a takeover goes on the back of having an American player in the team, well a lot of teams do, who really is going to part with a 100 odd million becuase we signed Landon Donovan? Honestly you would want to be a fruit cake.
Dont get me wrong, i think hes a good player, he reminds me of Giggs albeit a few notches below ability wise, i think eventually he will move inside centrally or play in the hole- he has that creative streak in him, if he was 20-26 i would go hell for leather to get him, but as it stands i think we need to pass on a permo and hope for a loan.

As someone mentioned above, the lad himself seems to do well out of his domestic profile, more power to him - commercially i wonder would he do as well in the UK.
 
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Huh - I came over here to post this news, and saw that a separate LD thread also surfaced. Hilarious timing.
Note: this is most likely NOT Everton related. WARNING! (For those that vomit when seeing this thread bumped).

But for fans of LD - rumors of him going to Roma have surfaced. Normally I would say "whatever" and move on...until the American owner did an exclusive interview with MLS.com. Now, I would say there are only two players he would care about in MLS: LD & Agudelo. With that said, I don't see LD going to Italy. But, for fans, here you go, and one last dig: this guy appears to get it where Kenwright didn't.


Could US stars Bradley, Donovan be headed to Roma?
MLSsoccer.com exclusive with incoming Giallorossi president

AMSTERDAM — Speaking exclusively to MLSsoccer.com, incoming AS Roma club president Thomas DiBenedetto has confirmed the club's summer intention to acquire a top American player in the transfer market.

The Boston native's takeover won't formally be approved until the end of the month, but he's already hatched a plan to add a US star to the roster with both performance and marketing attributes.

"We are obviously scouting players everywhere and we are obviously interested in the American products, both in MLS and abroad," DiBenedetto told MLSsoccer.com from Rome. "I obviously can't tell you any names, but we want only the best for our team."

The businessman, who is chairman of the takeover group and will become Roma president on June 10, is set to head the first American-owned club in Italy's honor division. Understanding the Eternal City's pressure to succeed, he wants to do the job right.

"We know that this is something unique in Italy, a first time," said DiBenedetto. "For this reason, we chose the best managers available, starting by the new sporting director, Mr. Walter Sabatini, a former SS Lazio and US Palermo director and an AS Roma player in the '70s."

Though he's unable to deal in the transfer market until the takeover is officially completed, MLSsoccer.com has learned that Sabatini started early homework for his new job by browsing American players.

Though things may change before any offer could be made, Roma's lead crushes are currently Borussia Mönchengladbach midfielder Michael Bradley (now on loan to Aston Villa) and LA Galaxy star Landon Donovan. Sabatini has also sized up the likes of New York Red Bulls forward Juan Agudelo, FC Nürnberg right-sider Timothy Chandler, Aston Villa 'keeper Brad Guzan and Anderlecht midfielder Sacha Kljestan.

Aside from this particular interest in shopping American talent, DiBenedetto also has an admiration for the league that helped produce most of the above products.

"We observe with a lot of interest the MLS business model," stated DiBenedetto, a friend of New England Revolution owner Robert Kraft. "Especially with regard to marketing in the local communities, the new soccer-specific stadiums and the league structure with a commissioner with real powers. And anyway, in MLS, there are some of the best businessmen in the world of sport."

And from the Boston Globe:
DiBenedetto seeks US player for AS Roma
May 18, 2011

Red Sox minority owner Thomas DiBenedetto is exerting his influence on AS Roma, less than a month after announcing his investment in Italy’s Serie A club.

DiBenedetto hopes to sign an American player for Roma and has contacted the agents of Aston Villa midfielder Michael Bradley and Los Angeles Galaxy star Landon Donovan through Walter Sabatini, who will be named sporting director of Roma today, according to a source close to DiBenedetto.

For Donovan’s transfer, Roma has budgeted about 10 million euros, and the club would match his $2.3 million Major League Soccer salary, according to the source.

Donovan, 29, is the US national team’s all-time leading scorer with 45 goals.

DiBenedetto will become the first foreign majority investor in a Serie A club, pending approval of stock market regulators.
 
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Lol Kay just poked the big bear with a stick in the eye.

LD will not leave the MLS for any team in England other than Everton. Now Roma probably not, I doubt it. I think for him it is Everton or the Galaxy end of story.
 

Wratho said:
Lol Kay just poked the big bear with a stick in the eye.

LD will not leave the MLS for any team in England other than Everton. Now Roma probably not, I doubt it. I think for him it is Everton or the Galaxy end of story.
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Me too - but shows he still attracts interest for all that some folks call him old, for the exact marketing reasons we've hashed over and over. :) Looks like this owner is going to do interesting things with Roma.

Oh, and the same owner I believe owns a minority stake in Fenway Sports Group...and yup, you guessed it, Liverpool.

EDIT: We need a right sided pacey winger that's cheaper than LD - Timmy Chandler fits the bill.
 
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Let's all just agree to longingly wish for a Donovan that's never coming and go get Bradley instead. Much younger and could use a year or two learning from Arteta then taking his job or even sooner if Arteta continues to gash the joint up.
 
Just read through some of SLD's twitterings, he actually really does love the Blues don't he? Would have him back in a heartbeat.
 
bluejock said:
Just read through some of SLD's twitterings, he actually really does love the Blues don't he? Would have him back in a heartbeat.
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I think due to his Twitter and outward love for what he was shown while at Goodison cemented the fact that if in England LD will be at Everton, End of Story.

Lets get Gatorade to pony up some cash for the transfer and get him to Goodison, only way this deal gets done.

Could you imagine Coleman at the Back and LD in front of him. That would scare anyone off from pushing forward on that side. Could help hide some defensive lapses that Coleman Might have the tendancy for.
 

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