Rumours fred

Not sure where you got that from but MSL is no where near PL or Champuonship top end.
There are a few players yes that anre good players and the odd team that would be able to compete mid Champs at best rest would be similar standard to us.

 

US international centre-back Donovan Pines has been at Barnsley FC this week with negotiations ongoing over a contract.
Nothing is signed, and he's flying back today as planned, but he is one of the Reds' options as they look for a new centre-back.

 

Jordan Rhodes anybody still lives in Barnsley area

 

https://www.globalfootballrankings.com/?utm_content=cmp-true
These have MLS at #16 - with the top team slightly below Forest and the bottom team slightly higher than Reading (last season).

https://theanalyst.com/eu/2023/08/the-strongest-leagues-in-world-football-opta-power-rankings/
These have MLS at 29th best, with Philadelphia similar to Sheffield Utd and every team except Toronto above QPR (Aug 23).

So very similar to the Championship - but we'll probably never know as the teams will never play as a league. If they did, the English teams would struggle to adapt to the conditions in Florida, California and Arizona and probably vice versa.

What we do know is that every season, some Championship teams beat Premier League teams in cups games and some thrive after promotion. And also some of the relegated teams struggle. In practice, there isn't much difference between the bottom 10 in the PL and the top 15 in the Championship.

 

So, even by that reckoning, there can't be too many complaints about the standard that he's played at if we sign him?

 

Errm the EFL? More specifically & realistically league 1 or league 2, but wouldn't rule out a loan from the league above, but ideally players with more than say 100+ games in their career, its no good gambling on premier league youth players, we need first team experience.

And there is no way the MLS is championship standard, more like national league with the odd ex over the hill premier league player thrown in.

 

If Dike is pronounced "Dee Kay" will this Donovan bloke be pronounced "Pee Nay"?

 

An MLS team would absolutely bury a National League Team, the USA team are no pushovers these days either - ask England after last year's world cup. If he signs he's come down a level to play in League 1.

 

I really hope so

 

Which is exactly what Dike did, although with much less experience, and why I think we'll be a very quick stepping stone if he comes here and does well, like Dike.

 

Not from me

 

Also has DC United 100 places below us

 

Nearly; if he turns out to be 5hit.

 

Would imagine were not the only club he’s talked to while he’s been over here but on paper looks a decent signing if we can get it over the line.

 

Whiners will whine whoever we sign.

 

That site is amazing. We are the 422nd best team in the world.

 

Hopefully he has his head screwed on and a decent agent / family. Get game time here and reap the rewards later on.

Looks at Mads and Kitch. Centre halves who developed and got their big moves off the back of it. Would never have happened sat rotting on the bench elsewhere.

He could probably get a few quid a week more elsewhere in the short term. But that’s not always the best route longer term.

 

You would imagine Mads & Pinnock as centre halves would be held up as real life examples, they could even add Dike to that list for this guy as a relatively unknown American player getting a move (and presumably money) as a result of signing for us.

 

Seeing as his father is an aerospace engineer and president of Maryland University, I'm guessing that the family aren't lacking in brain cells. He comes across as a very bright and articulate lad in the interview I've watched, very much like Dike. He definitely seems the type to choose his next move for the right reasons and not just a big paycheck.

 

I’ve posted this link before, worth a watch.


MLS sits after top 5 championship clubs alongside rest of championship regarding the criteria set out in the video.