nolando Posted January 11 Share Posted January 11 1 hour ago, BearcatSA said: I have always liked him. I think he would be a good pick up. Same. I feel like he's underappreciated/undervalued. dyslexic nam, Ivan, Club Linesman and 2 others 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BearcatSA Posted January 11 Share Posted January 11 If the Caps went to a back four on occasion, he's a bonafide RB playing that position I'd trust him to defend 1 v 1 "on an island" against a good winger much more so than Brown or Raposo, imo. I thought he did a good job at RWB, as well. He's not necessarily the best technical player with his first touch but he can do a job for you. toontownman, Corazon and costarg 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
costarg Posted January 11 Share Posted January 11 (edited) It's unfortunate he's stuck at our deepest position. This guy has a lot of talent with great stats. It's just been really difficult to get ahead of Johnston, Tajon and Laryea the past 2-3 years. No doubt he will land on his feet and keep representing Canada when the opportunity presents itself. Edited January 11 by costarg Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bigandy Posted January 11 Share Posted January 11 2 hours ago, costarg said: It's unfortunate he's stuck at our deepest position. This guy has a lot of talent with great stats. It's just been really difficult to get ahead of Johnston, Tajon and Laryea the past 2-3 years. No doubt he will land on his feet and keep representing Canada when the opportunity presents itself. add in the potentials of franklin, sigur and farsi and theres no real reason to invest heavily in him.... we dont need to disregard him as we dont know about the 2 duals, but hes not super important either. Corazon 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
costarg Posted January 11 Share Posted January 11 3 minutes ago, Bigandy said: add in the potentials of franklin, sigur and farsi and theres no real reason to invest heavily in him.... we dont need to disregard him as we dont know about the 2 duals, but hes not super important either. Shit, I hadn't realized Sigur was playing RB, I thought and I hope he sticks to the middle. Between Farsi at 24 and ZBG 25, having seen them both play, I'm putting my money on ZBG to keep that 4th spot. Franklin has a way to go but keeping my fingers crossed for him too. gigi riva and Corazon 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corazon Posted January 12 Share Posted January 12 On 1/11/2024 at 4:05 PM, costarg said: Shit, I hadn't realized Sigur was playing RB, I thought and I hope he sticks to the middle. Between Farsi at 24 and ZBG 25, having seen them both play, I'm putting my money on ZBG to keep that 4th spot. Franklin has a way to go but keeping my fingers crossed for him too. I think Farsi is great and I love his story and I would welcome him to our program in a heartbeat. But ZBG & Farsi are similar quality in my opinion, maybe different styles and strengths but both seem to be good, not exceptional MLS outside backs. But I'm sticking with ZBG, because at 19 years old and playing for one of France's biggest academies, he happily accepted an invitation to represent Canada, where he hadn't lived since his was a child. h coach, sose, costarg and 9 others 12 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Obinna Posted February 12 Share Posted February 12 Is he planning to sign with someone this season? It's already Feb and MLS teams are gearing up, yet I haven't heard a word about his whereabouts. Too good a player not to find a gig in MLS. Not good enough a player to emerge in a top 5 league, don't think. Ligue 2 would seem like a good level for him at this stage, or the Belgian top flight. Anyone know what he's up to? Let me guess, he's in Portland, right? Corazon, lowlander, johnyb and 3 others 5 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Obinna Posted February 21 Share Posted February 21 Surprised no news about him has emerged. Does the CPL beckon? Doesn't MLS start this weekend? CPL starts in April and teams are adding signings as of late, perhaps that makes sense? It would be a move similar to the one Ballou Tabla made, having left Montreal and MLS for a league he would get guarenteed playing time in. Either that or something in Europe is brewing? Seems unlikely with transfer windows having closed. Alternatively, he could be a late signing for an MLS team willing to take a flyer on a 25 year old wingback with 106 games and 6 goals on his resume. Hard to believe he wouldn't get a look, chance, opportunity, or sniff in this league. Would be bizzare, imo. nolando and cronaldo7 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
InglewoodJack Posted February 21 Share Posted February 21 Really good interview with him, it’s all in French. He’s still waiting for a club, he said that there were a few opportunities in Europe that didn’t work out. He also said a few years ago Clermont wanted to sign him, but Montreal didn’t want to lower their price and Clermont didn’t want to pay so much for a bench guy. Apparently he was asking to leave even back when Nancy was there. It sounds like he had a lot of opportunities to leave but Montreal wanted to hold onto him. Now that he left, seems like he actually wanted to stay and he’s leaving the door open to Montreal bringing him back as a backup RB. Sounds too like he’s had other offers but because of his family, he can’t just accept to move anywhere. Borjans Sweatpants, Addona, lowlander and 3 others 4 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Obinna Posted February 21 Share Posted February 21 1 hour ago, InglewoodJack said: Really good interview with him, it’s all in French. He’s still waiting for a club, he said that there were a few opportunities in Europe that didn’t work out. He also said a few years ago Clermont wanted to sign him, but Montreal didn’t want to lower their price and Clermont didn’t want to pay so much for a bench guy. Apparently he was asking to leave even back when Nancy was there. It sounds like he had a lot of opportunities to leave but Montreal wanted to hold onto him. Now that he left, seems like he actually wanted to stay and he’s leaving the door open to Montreal bringing him back as a backup RB. Sounds too like he’s had other offers but because of his family, he can’t just accept to move anywhere. Really appreciate this breakdown for the anglophones like myself. Glad to hear there's a sensible explaination. Too bad the European opportunities didn't pan out and interesting that family matters are making him selective over his next move. I wonder if that's financial (maybe rules out CPL) or if it's simply preference for staying in the city of Montreal. Either way, he won't want to be missing out for too long. Ultimately I imagine he'll want to get things sorted in the coming weeks. Did he mention or give indication about how long he's willing to wait for the right move? To me, it would seem highly unusual for a 25 year old established MLS player to miss half a season for the sake of finding the "right" move. Perhaps his circumstances are highly unusual as well? Or maybe I overestimate his value in the market... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
InglewoodJack Posted February 21 Share Posted February 21 4 minutes ago, Obinna said: Really appreciate this breakdown for the anglophones like myself. Glad to hear there's a sensible explaination. Too bad the European opportunities didn't pan out and interesting that family matters are making him selective over his next move. I wonder if that's financial (maybe rules out CPL) or if it's simply preference for staying in the city of Montreal. Either way, he won't want to be missing out for too long. Ultimately I imagine he'll want to get things sorted in the coming weeks. Did he mention or give indication about how long he's willing to wait for the right move? To me, it would seem highly unusual for a 25 year old established MLS player to miss half a season for the sake of finding the "right" move. Perhaps his circumstances are highly unusual as well? Or maybe I overestimate his value in the market... He also said there were a few european clubs that had also reached out and were interested, but he just couldn't agree to financial terms. He mentioned more than once about how he now has a family, his wife is also from Montreal too, so he can't just take any move unless it makes sense for his family, and the way he made it seem, I think his wife has certain ties to the city that make them moving away a bit trickier. I believe he was on about $300k last season, and that's probably what he's looking for at least. He's in a really difficult spot in his career because he basically spent at least the first half of his prime riding the bench, his salary increased because he has all these years of service and he is a good player after all, so he's too expensive for a team to bring in as a backup, not tested enough for a team to bring him in as a starter, he's too old to take a leap of faith and take a paycut to play for a team that may open doors for him, he's still only 25 so he has a lot of playing time left too. No clue what you do in his position. If I had to guess what he does, based on this interview, I think he holds out for Montreal to offer him a paycut to come and be the backup RB. He had made the point how Montreal pretty much only has one true RB (Ruan) and just how long the MLS season is to not have a back up plan. He had wanted to leave the club after last season (and after the previous 2), but when he found out Courtois was the new coach- he knew him from the Lyon days and also, apparently spoke to him at the MLS finals when he went to go watch Camacho play- he had warmed up to the idea, but ultimately, Montreal chose to let him go. Obinna and NVsoccer 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Obinna Posted February 21 Share Posted February 21 4 minutes ago, InglewoodJack said: He also said there were a few european clubs that had also reached out and were interested, but he just couldn't agree to financial terms. He mentioned more than once about how he now has a family, his wife is also from Montreal too, so he can't just take any move unless it makes sense for his family, and the way he made it seem, I think his wife has certain ties to the city that make them moving away a bit trickier. I believe he was on about $300k last season, and that's probably what he's looking for at least. He's in a really difficult spot in his career because he basically spent at least the first half of his prime riding the bench, his salary increased because he has all these years of service and he is a good player after all, so he's too expensive for a team to bring in as a backup, not tested enough for a team to bring him in as a starter, he's too old to take a leap of faith and take a paycut to play for a team that may open doors for him, he's still only 25 so he has a lot of playing time left too. No clue what you do in his position. If I had to guess what he does, based on this interview, I think he holds out for Montreal to offer him a paycut to come and be the backup RB. He had made the point how Montreal pretty much only has one true RB (Ruan) and just how long the MLS season is to not have a back up plan. He had wanted to leave the club after last season (and after the previous 2), but when he found out Courtois was the new coach- he knew him from the Lyon days and also, apparently spoke to him at the MLS finals when he went to go watch Camacho play- he had warmed up to the idea, but ultimately, Montreal chose to let him go. Very interesting, thanks once again. I can see it playing out the way you describe and I think if it's possible returning to Montreal would be good for him, even with the paycut. The good thing is that coming down from 300k would still afford him a nice wage, maybe around the 200k mark. Even if he accepts half the money that's in American dollars and that's after earning a very decent salary. Hope it all works out for him, always rated him as a player. I wouldn't rule out seeing him earn a starting role if he comes back as well. He's had to compete with Barcary Sanga, Alistair Johnston, and Aaron Herrera, so it's not like he's played second fiddle to any scrubs. InglewoodJack 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nolando Posted February 21 Share Posted February 21 It's kind of cute, its almost like the club itself is his high school sweetheart or something; he was almost tempted away a few times but always came back to what felt like home. In footballing terms, though, he does seem to have put all his eggs in one basket and therefore artificially limited his own options. The Real Marc and toontownman 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DeRo_Is_King Posted February 25 Share Posted February 25 On 2/21/2024 at 7:38 AM, InglewoodJack said: Really good interview with him, it’s all in French. He’s still waiting for a club, he said that there were a few opportunities in Europe that didn’t work out. He also said a few years ago Clermont wanted to sign him, but Montreal didn’t want to lower their price and Clermont didn’t want to pay so much for a bench guy. Apparently he was asking to leave even back when Nancy was there. It sounds like he had a lot of opportunities to leave but Montreal wanted to hold onto him. Now that he left, seems like he actually wanted to stay and he’s leaving the door open to Montreal bringing him back as a backup RB. Sounds too like he’s had other offers but because of his family, he can’t just accept to move anywhere. I only watched the beginning, but he sounded frustrated with the situation in Montreal and not getting minutes after putting in good performances. I think he has a point. He tended to have an impact on games when he did get to play. Terribly underused player who showed a lot of promise early on in his career with Montreal. I remember this Canadian Championship match vs TFC pre-COVID in particular. He won MOTM honours as a RB when Laryea was also on the pitch. ZBG is one of those guys who, if given a quality opportunity, has the tools to go far. As always, that may come with a bit of sacrifice in terms of location. But if he were open to more clubs, he could boost his career as a starter imo. MtlMario, king1010, CanadaFan123 and 2 others 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BearcatSA Posted February 25 Share Posted February 25 I am surprised nothing has come up for him. I've always thought that he would be a good RWB/RB pick up for the Caps. king1010, NVsoccer, toontownman and 1 other 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nolando Posted February 26 Share Posted February 26 4 hours ago, BearcatSA said: I am surprised nothing has come up for him. I've always thought that he would be a good RWB/RB pick up for the Caps. Agreed. I honestly thought he was on the verge of becoming a semi-regular squad player for the national team even at one point there. toontownman and gator 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shway Posted February 26 Share Posted February 26 7 hours ago, BearcatSA said: I am surprised nothing has come up for him. I've always thought that he would be a good RWB/RB pick up for the Caps. Good replacement for Laryea. But sadly he won't be picked up by an American team it seems. narduch 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BearcatSA Posted February 26 Share Posted February 26 4 hours ago, nolando said: Agreed. I honestly thought he was on the verge of becoming a semi-regular squad player for the national team even at one point there. He's not a world beater by any stretch of the imagination: he has gaps in his game that limit his ceiling but I feel he is a competitive and robust defender, he knows how to defend as a right back in a back four, and he can make offensive contributions (and he has had quite a few in Montreal, especially in 2022). Axel, call his agent. Make it happen! nolando and Watchmen 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ADP10 Posted May 27 Share Posted May 27 Is this guy MIA? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dyslexic nam Posted May 27 Share Posted May 27 1 hour ago, ADP10 said: Is this guy MIA? According to Google’s advanced search function, yes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
costarg Posted May 27 Share Posted May 27 1 hour ago, ADP10 said: Is this guy MIA? Such a head scratcher, seems to have just walked away in his prime. Refused offers in France to stay close to family in Montreal, as well a lowball offer from CFM. Canuckia, NVsoccer, narduch and 2 others 4 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
InglewoodJack Posted May 27 Share Posted May 27 1 hour ago, ADP10 said: Is this guy MIA? I think he basically doesn’t want to leave Montreal. I think his wife has a business here and he just had a kid, so would only leave for a huge offer which never came. Before the season he seemed hopeful Montreal would call him back to backup Ruan, but it never happened. I hope we see him again somewhere. Montreal CPL club would be perfect for him. toontownman, NVsoccer, Corazon and 2 others 5 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
costarg Posted May 27 Share Posted May 27 2 hours ago, InglewoodJack said: I think he basically doesn’t want to leave Montreal. I think his wife has a business here and he just had a kid, so would only leave for a huge offer which never came. Before the season he seemed hopeful Montreal would call him back to backup Ruan, but it never happened. I hope we see him again somewhere. Montreal CPL club would be perfect for him. I was curious, wanted to know more about the situation regarding moving, so I took a deep dive. His wife is a lash artist/educator that works from home. He mentions not wanting to leave unless it's a great offer cause they're really settled here. Seems he's not getting big enough offers to uproot. Kinda weird and intricate story, cause he asked for a trade 2-3 years ago, he was getting good offers and interest in MLS and in France but CFM refused. He compared his stats to Johnston and Herrera. Had some options during the winter break, but it seems like none of them worked out. He realizes his value is going down the longer he doesn't play. Says he has a great relationship with CFM and still talking to other clubs. This guy had a lot of potential, I'd be shocked if his soccer path just ends at 25. This guy is a starter on most MLS teams. GasPed, PiedPilko, NVsoccer and 5 others 5 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Obinna Posted May 27 Share Posted May 27 19 minutes ago, costarg said: I was curious, wanted to know more about the situation regarding moving, so I took a deep dive. His wife is a lash artist/educator that works from home. He mentions not wanting to leave unless it's a great offer cause they're really settled here. Seems he's not getting big enough offers to uproot. Kinda weird and intricate story, cause he asked for a trade 2-3 years ago, he was getting good offers and interest in MLS and in France but CFM refused. He compared his stats to Johnston and Herrera. Had some options during the winter break, but it seems like none of them worked out. He realizes his value is going down the longer he doesn't play. Says he has a great relationship with CFM and still talking to other clubs. This guy had a lot of potential, I'd be shocked if his soccer path just ends at 25. This guy is a starter on most MLS teams. Thanks for this. He popped into my mind given the roster drop. Good to know he still has a great relationship with CFM and is still talking to other clubs. Too bad there was no CPL in Montreal and Ottawa is probably too far. Hard being a new father, it's a difficult time in a man's life. Hopefully things settle for him so he can make a decision this fall in regards to what he wants to do. Can't stay inactive for too long. Canuckia and costarg 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
InglewoodJack Posted May 28 Share Posted May 28 1 hour ago, costarg said: I was curious, wanted to know more about the situation regarding moving, so I took a deep dive. His wife is a lash artist/educator that works from home. He mentions not wanting to leave unless it's a great offer cause they're really settled here. Seems he's not getting big enough offers to uproot. Kinda weird and intricate story, cause he asked for a trade 2-3 years ago, he was getting good offers and interest in MLS and in France but CFM refused. He compared his stats to Johnston and Herrera. Had some options during the winter break, but it seems like none of them worked out. He realizes his value is going down the longer he doesn't play. Says he has a great relationship with CFM and still talking to other clubs. This guy had a lot of potential, I'd be shocked if his soccer path just ends at 25. This guy is a starter on most MLS teams. He’s very solid- I just mentioned Montreal CPL if he’s that dedicated to staying in the city, but he definitely has a place in MLS. I think he could even help Montreal this year. dyslexic nam, Obinna, johnyb and 1 other 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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