Andrew Moran M LA (loan from Brighton) b.2003

[SkStu]

I don't know. If I was to put on my other sporting hat as a Connacht supporter...Connacht finished down near the bottom of the table last season. But, in 2016, they came from nowhere to win the whole thing.

Much as that's unlikely to happen again next season, if I was told that the league was being split into two tiers with promotion and relegation I'd likely be dead set against it. But, in football, where my team would be Hibs and that jeopardy already very much exists for them, I accept it. So I do think there's a historical element to it.

in isolation, a sport with a limited number of teams, you can get that it would make sense for there to be limits on how far you go and little attraction in promotion/relegation for the sake of it - so I understand there's a basis there. Accept that completely. The debate in LOI circles for a very long time was also whether there should be one division or two - now we are talking two or three interestingly.

But if you step back and look at NA sports as a whole system it is designed around maximizing revenue for rich owners rather than sport in the truest sense, no? P/R is one example, the concept of post-season is another, the number of breaks during a game, the "best of seven" idea (this is the only different concept that has actually produced some great sporting moments imho)...

[Razors left peg]

in isolation, a sport with a limited number of teams, you can get that it would make sense for there to be limits on how far you go and little attraction in promotion/relegation for the sake of it - so I understand there's a basis there. Accept that completely. The debate in LOI circles for a very long time was also whether there should be one division or two - now we are talking two or three interestingly.

But if you step back and look at NA sports as a whole system it is designed around maximizing revenue for rich owners rather than sport in the truest sense, no? P/R is one example, the concept of post-season is another, the number of breaks during a game, the "best of seven" idea (this is the only different concept that has actually produced some great sporting moments imho)...

I do like sports out here in general, theres no doubt that its 100% about entertainment and money rather than sport. The consistently make rule changes and even league structure changes based on TV revenue. Fans are more like customers. You go to a NBA game and theres a guy beside you eating popcorn like hes just at cinema.

I visited Old Trafford 3 weeks ago, and it really brought home the difference between the sporting cultures that I had honestly even forgotten about myself, even though Utd are such a commercial club themselves.

Moran going to the MLS would be a disaster. He'd be far better going to L1 for a year if it came down to that.

[Razors left peg]

Yeah, but with the greatest of respects, you were born there you poor mite! Auld Razor choose to move there. Left the land of saints and scholars(TM) to try and connive those poor Valley strippers into 2nd & 3rd mortgages and profit from their sexy stupidity to go live it up with Jack and Leo courtside at the Staples Centre (dramatization: may not have happened

Strippers are people too!!!

[Eirambler]

Headed to LAFC on loan it seems. Even if he does well there it will be hard to guage whether that's worth anything in terms of his standing with Ireland. If he's no good over there, we can probably forget about him for the foreseeable.

[Razors left peg]

Headed to LAFC on loan it seems. Even if he does well there it will be hard to guage whether that's worth anything in terms of his standing with Ireland. If he's no good over there, we can probably forget about him for the foreseeable.

When is he actually joining. The season ends in October and doesn't start again until March so a loan at this stage of season doesn't make a lot of sense.

[elatedscum]

Reported to be a short term loan until December 31st

[elatedscum]

When is he actually joining. The season ends in October and doesn't start again until March so a loan at this stage of season doesn't make a lot of sense.

LA likely to make the playoffs? I think they take place in November with a final in December.

[Exgrad]

Dissapointing, but not suprising i guess after two poor enough championship loans. Can't see what this does for his career tbh.

[Eirambler]

Not much, other than he'll hopefully get game time in a less physical league. But arguably it's his physicality that he most needs to improve and he has shown no signs to date of making a conscious effort to bulk up - him being so easily brushed off the ball in the lead up to the Senegal goal was just awful, you couldn't have him anywhere near an important qualifier with that weakness in his game.

I'd agree that this move has likely come about as a result of a lack of a better available option as much as anything.

[Exgrad]

Yeah would say that cameo v Senegal would have out him out of picture as far as Heimer is concerned, and a 4 month loan to MLS won't change that.

[Razors left peg]

LA likely to make the playoffs? I think they take place in November with a final in December.

Yeah didnt think of that.

On the bright side, even though I hate how LAFC were just created a few years ago they do seem to be run better than most. Their stadium is at least purpose built for football and does have the feel of an English football stadium, whereas most MLS are just US sports stadiums. They weirdly have very passionate fans (this is the main part I dont understand). Most the fans seem to be Chivas USA who transferred to LAFC after Chivas was disbanded.

I might try get to a game if hes playing regularly, but it is a bit soul destroying seeing him go to MLS at this stage give how brilliant he was as an underage player. I thought he was a cert to "make it"

[Eirambler]

I think, moreso than any other type of player, it's hard for a stereotypical "number 10" (I.e. a technically gifted but lightweight/non-athletic attacking midfielder) to make it at a high level. Compared to centre backs or defensive midfielders or whatever they need to be absolutely amazing to make it, because they're usually seen by coaches as luxury players that don't protect the ball enough or put in the hard yards tracking back. Managers will almost always favour a Bosun Lawal over an Andy Moran.

We've seen it in the past with many others, including most recently Connor Ronan and Jack Byrne. Wes Hoolihan was probably the one who came closest to making it to the top, but even he peaked at Norwich. Finn Azaz has goals in his game which gives him a better chance than most. In truth I've never really had huge expectations for Moran and I'm even less hopeful now seeing him going to LA.

[Razors left peg]

I forgot that LAFC just signed Son a couple of weeks ago.... so at least there'll be one other decent player in the team :D

[SkStu]

Agree ER. I also think, just on Azaz, that he is tall and strong - different from Moran, Ronan, Byrne and Hoolohan - so he definitely has that going for him as a 10 (in addition to being very good) and how he is seen.

[Predator]

Had a quick scan and the internet (Wiki, stats sites, EA Sports FC info sites) seems to think Moran is 5'10" and that's definitely wrong, right?

Anyway, I happened to listen to a snippet of one of the interminable ex-footballer podcasts the other day where an English player recalled playing against Lionel Messi and the one thing he was amazed by was Messi's strength. David de Gea recently commented on the same thing too and noted that it wasn't just that he was physically powerful, but he had a hard mentality too, a belief that he wasn't going to take sh1t just because he was small. Need to see more of that from our short-king tricky midfielders.

[Razors left peg]

This is a bit of an Old Man yells at cloud rant by me, that is very loosely related to Moran...

On the way into work this morning I was listen to an interview with Ben Jacobs, who I keep hearing is supposedly one of the better football journos. He very confidently went on a spiel about how modern day managers now want to eliminate the tag of CDM or #6 in midfielders, and they now want players to be able to move freely between the #6 and #8 positions and into the #10. He said that modern managers want their midfielders to be equally as good around the opposition box as around their own. He compared it to the way wingers played in the 90s when they used to get up and down the pitch. In this lecture about "modern football" it seemed to completely escape him that this is what we just used to call midfielders just playing box to box! Bringing up wingers as the comparison instead of Roy or Vieira was hilarious and infuriating at the same time. To me it just showed the level of absolute b0ll0cks guys that are paid to talk about the game speak.

In regards to Moran, I think even though he has played in midfield he will never be a box to box traditional midfielder, but he also isnt really pacey enough to play as a wide forward. Looking as LAFC, they play 4 3 3, it is hard to see where Moran fits into that given how he lacks in physicality

[SkStu]

This is a bit of an Old Man yells at cloud rant by me, that is very loosely related to Moran...

On the way into work this morning I was listen to an interview with Ben Jacobs, who I keep hearing is supposedly one of the better football journos. He very confidently went on a spiel about how modern day managers now want to eliminate the tag of CDM or #6 in midfielders, and they now want players to be able to move freely between the #6 and #8 positions and into the #10. He said that modern managers want their midfielders to be equally as good around the opposition box as around their own. He compared it to the way wingers played in the 90s when they used to get up and down the pitch. In this lecture about "modern football" it seemed to completely escape him that this is what we just used to call midfielders just playing box to box! Bringing up wingers as the comparison instead of Roy or Vieira was hilarious and infuriating at the same time. To me it just showed the level of absolute b0ll0cks guys that are paid to talk about the game speak.

I enjoyed this rant FWIW. Accurate, succinct and not too ranty.

[elatedscum]

It’s a bit of a complicated one. I’d say he’s really about what 5’7? He’s a very good technical number 10 in a traditional sense, however I’d say only a quarter of the teams play with that type of player these days.

He could try bulk up and become a more traditional midfielder when he improves his frame. Alexis MacAllister was a number 10 in Argentina, before becoming a more traditional midfielder in England.

On the other hand, he might lose a lot of the mobility that makes him technically brilliant if he bulks up too much. And I’m not sure that Andy has the required mettle to play that position while being so much physically smaller than his counterparts. MacAllister despite his size really put himself about and is prepared to leave a foot in on someone. And is also a technically wonderful midfielder. Maybe it’s a bit like Giles was, where he felt he had to become tough as ****, simply to take care of himself

Regarding this move, I would much rather him playing in a league like the Bundesliga 2 or the Dutch league or the Belgian league rather than in MLS. But I guess it’s just for three months and maybe it’ll be a shop window to something better, I guess. Him being stuck out there for the long-term would be a disaster.

[Predator]

Offical LAFC site has him down as 5'8".

[seanfhear]

Could be a nice sojourn.

[tetsujin1979]

Came off the bench yesterday for his LAFC debut
1967086354032214256

[Trequartista20]

I hope does well.

[Trequartista20]

Conor Ronan started a win against Houston, too.

Has suffered a difficult time with injury, recently.

[tetsujin1979]

Assist for Moran last night
1969962135397789831

[third policeman]

Assist for Moran last night
1969962135397789831


Lovely pass. We simply can't afford to write off players with his level of technical skill. Maybe he doesn't have the physicality to play in the PL or the hurlyburly of The Championship even, but that doesn't mean he would never be useful in international football.

PS Even Florian Wirtz is struggling in the PL at the moment.

[Exgrad]

Lovely pass. We simply can't afford to write off players with his level of technical skill. Maybe he doesn't have the physicality to play in the PL or the hurlyburly of The Championship even, but that doesn't mean he would never be useful in international football.

PS Even Florian Wirtz is struggling in the PL at the moment.

He struggled when he played for Ireland is the problem.

[Razors left peg]

He struggled when he played for Ireland is the problem.

Hes still only 21 so as much and all as I hate that hes in MLS, we cant write him off completely

[Fixer82]

He struggled when he played for Ireland is the problem.

How often did he play for Ireland though? He’s still young and with a bit of maturity to his game could be a top class player

[Exgrad]

Yes hopefully he pushes on at some point, and he can come into consideration for Ireland down the line. He wont do it in the MLS though.

[tetsujin1979]

First goal for LAFC last night. Last minute equaliser against Colorado rapids, who'd only taken the lead a few minutes earlier
1979747537218417011

[Fixer82]

Nice goal. I don't think he's on the radar because he doesn't offer much else compared to what we have. I think HH could possibly become a bit Trappish where he has one or two creative players but ultimately set this team up to be very defensive.

[third policeman]

He offers the ability to play a forward pass that isn’t straight to an opposition defender.

[Eirambler]

To be honest he'd probably be brushed off the ball like he wasn't there before he even got the chance to play the pass. Similarly to Connor Ronan, he's in the MLS for a reason.

[Trequartista20]

Obviously other teams around/above our level select MLS players. It needn't automatically be a disqualifier.

We're pretty bad at the moment, so I'm not sure we'd necessarily be risking a whole lot.

[elatedscum]

To be honest he'd probably be brushed off the ball like he wasn't there before he even got the chance to play the pass. Similarly to Connor Ronan, he's in the MLS for a reason.

i wouldn't be too quick to write off MLS given where we are, especially in positions where we're weakest regarding depth and quality (fullback and centre-midfield).

in the last window the following lads were called up from Europe:



NI - Paddy McNair (San Diego)
Slovenia - David Brekalo (Orlando City)
Denmark - Anders Dreyer (San Diego)
Ukraine - Oleksandr Svatok (Austin)
Georgia - Saba Lobzhanidze (Atlanta United)
Poland - Bartosz Slisz (Atlanta United)
Finland - Robin Lod (Minnesota United)
Finland - Matti Peltola (DC United)
Israel - Tai Baribo (Philadephia Union)
Israel - Dor Turgeman (New England Rev)
Albania - Enea Mihaj (Atlanta United)
Albania - Myrto Uzuni (Austin)


Then there's a list who didn't make the last squad but have been called up recently:



Sweden - Emil Forsberg (NY Red Bulls)
Scotland - Ryan Porteous (LA FC)
Scotland - Lewis Morgan(NY Red Bulls)
Ukraine - Yevhen Cheberko (Columbus Crew)
Iceland - Dagur Dan Porhallsson (Orlando City)
Hungary - Daniel Gazdag (Columbus Crew)
Poland - Dominik Marczuk (Cincinnati)
Finland - Onni Valakari (San Diego)
Norway - Stian Rode Gregersen (Atlanta United)
Israel - Ilay Feingold (New England Rev)

11. Israel - Liel Abada (Charlotte)


Most of those countries are competing at a similar level to ourselves and have all recently used MLS players

[Razors left peg]

We've also used MLS players in the past. Robbie and Im pretty sure that Kevin Doyle was picked while he was in Colorado.

My biggest issue with Moran being there is that hes too young to be there long term. Its grand if this is only a stop over and he goes to a better league after. Hes too talented to say he'll never be a decent international

[third policeman]

To be honest he'd probably be brushed off the ball like he wasn't there before he even got the chance to play the pass. Similarly to Connor Ronan, he's in the MLS for a reason.


Pretty much what was said about Wes for all those wasted years before he finally got a cap.

[elatedscum]

We've also used MLS players in the past. Robbie and Im pretty sure that Kevin Doyle was picked while he was in Colorado.

My biggest issue with Moran being there is that hes too young to be there long term. Its grand if this is only a stop over and he goes to a better league after. Hes too talented to say he'll never be a decent international

Ah it's just a loan where he won't be there too long and it's a slightly unique situtation with the MLS U22 Initiative Slot where LA are incentivised to sign a guy born in 2003. They save a $150k fine by signing him and the first $200k of his acquisition cost is covered by the league, so in effect they'd be able to overpay Brighton for a short term loan. No harm as long as he gets minutes from now till the end of their season and gets a good move in January.

[Exgrad]

Pretty much what was said about Wes for all those wasted years before he finally got a cap.

Problem with Wes was moving to Livingston from Shelbourne. And then bad luck / decsison trading blackpool for Norwich just as Blackpool were on their way to Premier League and Norwich on way to League 1. Hopefully Moran makes some better calls, he'll need to over next year or so.

[Jolly Red Giant]

Moran is contracted to Brighton until June 2027 - if he moves someone is going to have to cough up a decent fee.

[Eirambler]

Pretty much what was said about Wes for all those wasted years before he finally got a cap.

I think the Wes thing is our version of the period in England where every half decent non-league player was argued as a potential future Premier League player because Jamie Vardy managed the jump. In reality Wes, like Vardy, was the exception. Most of these lightweight attacking mids - Ronan, Byrne, Carey, Henderson etc. end up drifting. Moran may make it, but he's probably more likely to go the other way.

[samhaydenjr]

I think the Wes thing is our version of the period in England where every half decent non-league player was argued as a potential future Premier League player because Jamie Vardy managed the jump. In reality Wes, like Vardy, was the exception. Most of these lightweight attacking mids - Ronan, Byrne, Carey, Henderson etc. end up drifting. Moran may make it, but he's probably more likely to go the other way.

I disagree. He's already had two full Championship seasons. Ronan, Byrne, Carey and Henderson never got close to that level and Hoolahan was 27 when he finished his second season there. Maybe Moran wasn't outstanding last season and that is why he didn't get a big move in the summer but a few months in MLS isn't bad. He's a still only 22 and there will probably be a few teams looking for someone like him in January.