Rubbish.
Freddy Adu
- Thread starter maniak
- Start date
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In the latest episode of the United Hour Podcast, Nik @Rood and Imran @Annihilate Now! start with the good news by celebrating Manchester United Women's emphatic FA Cup win over Spurs at Wembley and the future of manager Marc Skinner.
Then it's the bad news and the ever worsening form of our Men with losses to Arsenal and Palace.
Finally the main debate - ETH Out now or keep him until the end of the season - if not longer. Are you Team Nik or Team Imran?
By what standards?
With his frame and stature, he would just be a typical athletically built kid on this side of the pond.
Is it ridiculous to think he may have been a small 12/13 year old at the time?
Customs officers will just check legal documentation against what they see, if his legal documents say he was 8 then he's 8 in their eyes.
You think Kanu is 34?
Genuinely?
I don't just think it mate. I'm certain. Get your hands on Ajax training DVD'S of the early 90's. It will leave you in no doubt his age is very genuine.
I don't think that even really matters.
Imagine the scenario, a family get's their greencard and they have a 15 year old son. Let's take football out of it for now, he's not had much of an education and at 15 he'd be well behind the other 15 year olds so they decide he is 11 or 12 despite clearly being older.
How does the person who gives out these passports decide his age? There is no evidence other than the appearance of the child and let's say he is genuinely a big 12 year old, do they just look at him and say "no sorry mate, you look about 15 or 16, I'm going to say your date of birth is 12 October 1996" and in doing so deny him the education he would rightfully have.
It's an impossible situation and while it might make a huge difference in Football wether the child is 4 years older than he actually is, to the authorities it's probably more beneficial that he actually gets some education so he stands a chance of making a living for himself when he is of working age.
I dunno about this African business, but I can say for nothing, the thought of Darron Gibson passing for 17 is bizarre ... sounds like a bad comedy sketch, him in a school uniform trying to queue for dinners
Back in the MLS now. Still only 22. Hopefully he can do a Donovan, develop and make a success of himself later on in his career
He was never 22.
He became a pro aged 14.
fecking hell! He's been around for as long as I can remember! He cant be only 22.
On loan to a Brazilian club called Bahia. Really sad for him that even MLS teams don't want him.
Is the Brazilian league not a better standard than the MLS?
Our very own Kleberson moved the other way in the swap deal:
http://www.esporteclubebahia.com.br/noticia/13104-freddy-adu-e-o-novo-reforco-do-bahia.html
http://www.esporteclubebahia.com.br/noticia/13104-freddy-adu-e-o-novo-reforco-do-bahia.html
according to the article, 14.
This thread is brilliant. It's like a CMOT.
Released by Bahia last week and currently doesn't have a club.
Meteoric fall, surely has to go down as the most overhyped youngster in history or the biggest disappointment.
I never really saw him play, but was it genuinely all hype, or did he at least put in some decent performances at senior level?
He was never brilliant at senior level, I wouldnt' say he had one game at senior level that justified his tag, it was more how much he stood out at 14/15 that earned him the title of the next 'insert name', from what I've seen he just didn't kick on for whatever reason..
I remember him having a decent game against Mexico summer 2011 or something, looked like he MIGHT turn the corner as it was a good performance.
But no.
But no.
Both very good reads on the 'Curious case of Freddy Adu'...
http://www.soccersouls.com/2013/09/...list-and-the-new-pele-of-major-league-soccer/
http://www.4dfoot.com/2013/05/30/the-curious-case-and-age-of-freddy-adu/
http://www.soccersouls.com/2013/09/...list-and-the-new-pele-of-major-league-soccer/
http://www.4dfoot.com/2013/05/30/the-curious-case-and-age-of-freddy-adu/
He really was.... much adu about nothing...
/gets coat
/gets coat
I was just about to say that, RedSky. He has to be older than 24 if Shakespeare wrote a book about him.
I think it was Geroge Weah taht said Freddy Adu would be one of teh most important ever African footballers. I think after that comment the whole world wanted to sign him. Adu was a multimillionaire before he had ever done anything in the game through mega sponsorship deals such was the hype....maybe his taste for women and nightlife at the age of 16 overtook his taste for success seem as he had already made very nice cash
He looked immense at U14/15, but to be fair he was about 28 at the time.
I'm struggling to think of another player in any sport with such a gaping chasm between hype and reality. He was basically a household name by 16.
Lamptey? D'Allesandro? Two big names at 16/17 that never achieved the stardom predicted. Similarities?
Adu shares blame as well as MLS and his personal handlers, all seeking dollars and not what's best for the player. Perhaps had he joined a proper academy and worked on his game...but hard for any kid to turn down 500k per year and endorsement money. He got a massive ego thinking he should play ever game for DC United (and the MLS fixed that draft so DC would get the pick from Dallas so Freddy could play close to home). But playing against actual men is not as easy as playing against kids.
Part of Adu's problem is his lack of tracking back and putting in defensive work. I've also read he has a massive ego thanks to the hype at an early age. He's clashed with coaching at a few clubs. I see him trying MLS again or perhaps NASL will bring him in (for hype of course).
Adu shares blame as well as MLS and his personal handlers, all seeking dollars and not what's best for the player. Perhaps had he joined a proper academy and worked on his game...but hard for any kid to turn down 500k per year and endorsement money. He got a massive ego thinking he should play ever game for DC United (and the MLS fixed that draft so DC would get the pick from Dallas so Freddy could play close to home). But playing against actual men is not as easy as playing against kids.
Part of Adu's problem is his lack of tracking back and putting in defensive work. I've also read he has a massive ego thanks to the hype at an early age. He's clashed with coaching at a few clubs. I see him trying MLS again or perhaps NASL will bring him in (for hype of course).
Probably close to the truth. I always suspected he was older than was let on. The only reason he really stood out at youth levels is because he was physically so superior to others his 'age'.Sort of reminds me of Obafemi Martins. Who seemed like a huge talent at 18 or 19 but it has since been claimed by various Nigerian sources that he is 7 years older than claimed. Meaning he wasn't the spritely 22 year old Newcastle thought they were getting, but instead 29 going on 30. Makes sense. This 29/36 year old is now playing in the MLS and not doing much.
Another good one is that MacAuley Chrisantus. All the big clubs were allegedly after him following the SIlver Ball at the 2007 u17 world cup. I remember United being linked to him as some sort of phenomenon. Signed for HSV, played 12 games in 4 years, now in Spanish second division. Reason? Because he's about 35. Allegedly...
It's actually quite common in the States for parents to hold their athletic sons back a year when they are still in elementary school. At the end of the day athletic people are gonna end up at about the same place athletically once everyone finishes growing, but not everyone is going to get to that maturity at the same time and if you arrive there first you will have more opportunity to receive the kind of training and instruction that can push you over the top in terms of a college or even professional career.
Sort of reminds me of Obafemi Martins. Who seemed like a huge talent at 18 or 19 but it has since been claimed by various Nigerian sources that he is 7 years older than claimed. Meaning he wasn't the spritely 22 year old Newcastle thought they were getting, but instead 29 going on 30. Makes sense. This 29/36 year old is now playing in the MLS and not doing much.
Another good one is that MacAuley Chrisantus. All the big clubs were allegedly after him following the SIlver Ball at the 2007 u17 world cup. I remember United being linked to him as some sort of phenomenon. Signed for HSV, played 12 games in 4 years, now in Spanish second division. Reason? Because he's about 35. Allegedly...
They are not tricking anyone obviously because it is plain as day that the kid is a year older, but he's still going through the system at the same time as someone who is a year younger and potentially a year less developed physically.
In my own experience, I was a big, tall, athletic and coordinated kid growing up for my age. I was also born in November which put me in the same age category as kids who were almost a full year older than I was. I can't even imagine how silly sports would have been for me had I been held back. As it was, one year our local soccer association changed the age categories to a September 1st split. This put me at the top of the heap in terms of age. This happened to be 13/14 year olds for us which coincides with puberty for many boys. I was over 6 feet, 165 pounds or so, playing with kids that in some cases were just BARELY 5 feet tall and 120 pounds soaking wet with their pockets full of marbles. Needless to say it wasn't very competitive for me and my soccer career peaked at age 13
I think I averaged about 2 and a half goals a game. Gosh I was good.Jokes aside, I'm pretty sure it goes down to that. There's only one Ryan Giggs.
I wouldn't say he was physically superior when he was a youth. Here he is when he was 14 against 17 year olds.
considerably smaller than the other players.
considerably smaller than the other players.
He's shorter, for sure, but then so would any other 5ft 6' man be against most athletic 17 year olds. I don't think he looks slight though.
Fixed.
He didnt score - rubbish
That's because a new league in a country with the best media machine in the world decided he would be the face of the new league. He was used up and spit out.
Gold Cup 2011. Looked like he was going to turn it around. Probably the best player on the pitch in the final against Mexico.
Didn't do anything after, though
http://soccer.si.com/2013/11/07/freddy-adu-set-to-be-seeking-another-new-club/?xid=ob_top
---What’s next for Adu? After making some calls on Thursday, I learned that for now the NASL (the U.S. second division) is not a destination that is currently on Adu’s radar screen. One possibility may be Mexico, which could potentially suit Adu’s playing style and has been the site of career revivals for U.S. players like DaMarcus Beasley and Hérculez Gómez.---
Adu may not have many options so NASL could end up his final destination this time around.
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1168400/
Article from 2010 by the same journalist above.
--The prevailing view among Greek journalists and fans is that Adu has good technical skills, especially with his favored left foot, but he plays "too young," with an underdeveloped awareness for tactics, defensive duties and knowing when less is more on offense.--
I'm inclined to feel he still plays this way, and his lack of defensive duties has been criticized repeatedly. He's not good enough to sacrifice the team shape to accommodate him. Maybe at MLS level but not in a top league, or for that matter any league with promotion/relegation potential.
---What’s next for Adu? After making some calls on Thursday, I learned that for now the NASL (the U.S. second division) is not a destination that is currently on Adu’s radar screen. One possibility may be Mexico, which could potentially suit Adu’s playing style and has been the site of career revivals for U.S. players like DaMarcus Beasley and Hérculez Gómez.---
Adu may not have many options so NASL could end up his final destination this time around.
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1168400/
Article from 2010 by the same journalist above.
--The prevailing view among Greek journalists and fans is that Adu has good technical skills, especially with his favored left foot, but he plays "too young," with an underdeveloped awareness for tactics, defensive duties and knowing when less is more on offense.--
I'm inclined to feel he still plays this way, and his lack of defensive duties has been criticized repeatedly. He's not good enough to sacrifice the team shape to accommodate him. Maybe at MLS level but not in a top league, or for that matter any league with promotion/relegation potential.
How old is he now? 22? We should sign him up.
Bulk him up and we'll get him when he turns 18.