Steve Davis writes that “the managers, movers, shakers and deciders in Major League Soccer and in the U.S. Soccer establishment simply have to break free oftheir schoolboy crush on all things UK.” The infatuation leads to the signing of players out of the English second division — the League Championship, about which Davis says, “I’ve seen gamesin the Championship. I’ve seen the quality, and it’s not any better than MLS. It’s about the same.”
As yet another example of where the infatuation with British ball can bedestructive: Why is Toronto trying to sign Paul Dickov, who is 37 and scored a grand total of two goals in 16 matches this year before being released by Derby? If he can’t scoremore than twice in the Championship, why is Toronto even looking at him? It’s highly doubtful Dickov is willing to sign for league minimum. But Toronto general manager Mo Johnston isseriously tied into his Scottish and English league past, so there is Dickov, now training with TFC down in Florida.
Davis recalls the Kenny Deuchar, who arrived at RSL in2008. In four previous seasons with Gretna in Scotland’s lower tiers, Deuchar scored 72 goals in 95 matches. He arrived at RSL as, ostensibly, the answer for a club that needed a big striker. In29 games for RSL and his scored just three goals.