Based on your story, it sounds like in the Vancouver game Boli will come on at the 45 or 60 mark for ... one of Niezgoda, Ikoba or Fogaca. I wouldn't mind seeing Ikoba start; he's the only one in the group who hasn't so far. Let's see what you've got young man. And if you are scoring goals, then stay on and sub off somebody else, move to wing or as a second forward - like a 4-3-1-2.
Once Boli is fully fit, there isn't any question he's the answer this year to the striker question and seems suited to the team. He's a dribbler, an attacker and a scorer and this may work out for him and the Timbers very well. He has experience. That makes Niezgoda expendable. Would Boli be here if Niezgoda were banging in goals? Unless Niezgoda turns into a scoring machine, he's out, maybe by the summer window. It will be better to develop the young talent than hope for Niezgoda's former self to return.
Messing up the scouting so bad that you have two TAM level forwards who don't get a shot off in 6 months would be peak Timbers, but yeah, I don't think that's gonna happen with Boli. Even if there are questions about how successful he will be, the man definitely appears to have the dawg in him: https://www.fradi.hu/en/football/men-s/news/thanks-for-everything-franck
Who are you playing in your 3 and 1 lines with our current injury list? Diego is literally our only 90 minute fit central midfielder right now and our only 90 minute fit wingers are Gutierrez and Moreno (who admittedly probably play either).
I'd go with same as last week v Dallas. Gutierrez and Mosquera at wing. Williamson and Moreno midfield with the ageless wonder underneath. Gutierrez can hold the fort until Asprilla is fully fit. Being in Dallas, that was pretty impressive what the Timbers did in the first half and latter stages of second half. So, build off that and try to control the game v Vancouver.
It’s too soon to get excited about Boli but I’m not encouraged by how I’ve heard his play described. I really dislike the target forward, hold-up forward, or poacher styles of strikers. Every forward should have different tools in their box but the over-emphasis and reliance on those styles is antiquated, ugly, doesn’t seem to fit our personnel, and is arguably ineffective. I prefer a striker that can create their own chances, press, track back, beat opponents on the dribble AND be opportunistic. I like Fogaça aside from the finishing, which ultimately means I don’t like him. Hopefully he improves, but I don’t know how likely that is at this point. I don’t have enough Ikoba to go on either. I like Mora except for the injuries, which may ultimately mean I don’t like him. Niezgoda isn’t helped by our inability to get him the ball but he also seems a shell of his former self when he does get it, lacking confidence, fearing further injury, or just being out of form.
I’m also discouraged by talk of Evander as a CAM/10. I know we need someone who can perform that role but it’s outdated and limiting to depend so much on one playmaker. I’m encouraged by the creativity of Santi and Williamson, and hope Blanco contributes something if he ever comes back, but our other attackers seem too one-dimensional. For a while it seemed like we might have a swarm of bees interchanging in the attack. Lately it’s seemed more like most players are just going to run toward the touch line to be on either end of a speculative cross. It’s freaking boring.
We’ve been promised some brand of possession-oriented, passing, pressing, attacking football for nearly 10-years now but have rarely achieved more than route one hoof and prayer ball or counterattacks. We are far too predictable.
I have no idea what our style or philosophy are supposed to be. I just see how regressive it looks. Sometimes I’d rather lose pretty than win ugly. The results matter but I also want to see good, entertaining, games. When we win it’s too often like a sad handjob.
Tbh... All descriptions of his "play" that I've seen have come from people that watched a couple of highlight reels on YouTube and who have zero idea about other aspects of his game (which is fair because who watches the Hungarian league).
Dude singlehandedly won the Budapest derby 3 times and scored a brace against Juventus in the Champions League, so at the very least he's got the dawg in him. I'm skeptically optimistic that he'll be a decent player for us.
That's fair. I could qualify it by saying, "if what I've read about his supposed style of plays is true then..." I don't know if I'm more guarded about Boli, not even considering his supposed locker room issues, or just lacking confidence in our FO, but I feel like I'm not going to let myself get hyped too soon. We have an absolutely terrible track record of signings at certain positions. At least one centerback is usually garbage, right back is regularly cursed, at least one wing falls off, and at forward we don't even get long-term results to compensate for toxic personalities. So, I guess that leaves me assuming nothing about Boli per se but expecting the FO probably failed at scouting in some way.
We have zero evidence that Gio is capable of delivering possession- and passing-oriented play. I'm resigned myself to watching huck-and-pray and cross-and-pray until he is relieved of duties.
Yeah, even Porter only managed it for a season and a half before personnel limited his options to counter-attacking. We’ve been stuck ever since. I’d love to see a season where we don’t start with half the club injured before I lay all the blame on the coach. Gio confounds me though.
I'm definitely going to vote for Franck Boli. Watch his films and you'll see he's a multifaceted player that can regularly nutmeg goalkeepers. He's got shots, strong ones. He can be fed the ball, dribble and strike or clean up shots. Let him take the position and lose it. But I don't think he will. He will definitely give us facets of the game better than Niezgoda. I also think he will open up shots for others like Asprilla, Yimmi, Evander, Moreno or teamed with Nathan or Ikoba or later Mora. Evander, Asprilla, Moreno, Mora or Williamson can feed him, he will draw defenders but can still score authoritatively. I think Boli will be this years answer and next. I think he has tools to be a GK humbler. Let him play.
I think Boli is this year's answer. I don't think he's the long-term answer. I thought that would be Mora, but after such a long layoff I sorta think he'll be a complementary piece rather than the focus of the attack. If they can hoodwink someone into taking Niezgoda off their hands, they have money to play with and can find a more permanent answer this summer.
I would honestly give minutes to Ikoba at this point. Let him grow into being the answer and use Boli to take the pressure off Ikoba a little bit as he develops.
Nobody is going to take Niezgoda of their hands. At this point, MP is just gonna have to shell out money and buy him out with our single amnesty spot if he wants to free to the cap space this year.
How many more losses does the team need to see before realizing that something different, tactically and personnel-wise, needs to happen? If not now, when is this magic moment? I like the idea of two strikers up top, with Boli being one of them. IMO, it's obvious that Niezgoda can't be the answer, and our lack of scoring points to tactical deficiency.
A tough question about our forward options Alex. Mora has been out for two years, so we only have memories to base his come back on. Boli has what, seven minutes of play? I'm sure we all hope he gives us a BFerandez level of attack. Ikoba, although young, has great size and speed showing, perhaps the most potential. Fogaca, definitely a work horse, needs to improve on his goals/finishing. Niezgoda, like Mora, has fonder memories than his current offerings. Based on what we have 'today', I'd lean towards Boli up top based on his experience. His one and only shot/goal, to me, showed great instincts and reaction. (Giving him the benefit of the doubt that it wasn't all just luck.)
Boli shows significant potential, and looked good in his second appearance at Vancouver. I think he can play at a high level. Niezgoda definitely needs talented offensive players around him so he can receive the ball in dangerous places and then score. He seems to be working harder at adding to his game, but he just isn't the same type of forward that Mora brings to the team. Hopefully, Mora will return at a level somewhat near where he was prior to his injury, but will it be soon enough to make a difference this year? I agree that Ikoba has some good skills and that Fogaca needs to develop some of Niezgoda's traditional patience and quality around the goal.
5 shots on target since July? Damn, that’s an insane stat for a DP/high TAM striker. If by summer he’s not clicking with Evander on the field (which was the hope for him going into this year) then we need to find a way to move on from him so we can make other moves to reinforce the roster, because we all know we need that. I’m getting skeptical that we will be adding a CB this window since there’s been no news on that front, and I assume budget is making that difficult.
I think Boli should be ready to start vs Seattle next week, he’s gotta be the clear #1 right now with Nathan and Ikoba as worthwhile projects to keep around. I’m not going to factor in Mora until we see how he is once he comes back
Beggars can't be choosers - and even with all the other problems PTFC are clearly begging to have a striker step up.
By this point I've seen enough of Niezgoda. Whatever the reason, he will not/cannot be the answer to this dilemma - so sad to say, but I feel he should sit until/unless further emergencies dictate otherwise.
The current injury/rehab situation dictates that we're gonna play 'striker by committee' for at least the next 5-6 matches; and it seems we'll be seeing 3 strikers in the next 2-3 due to minutes restrictions as everyone works back into full game shape.
So, it's an ideal time for a trial by fire - let's see who will step up to lead the line.
I definitely would move on from Nogooda (as quickly as possible because Gio is prone to putting him into the game and things seem to go South when that happens). I don't know that I'm a fan of Gio's preference for only playing one striker at a time. I'd start Boli and either Nathan of Asprilla along with him and see if that lights any fires.
Definitely the question of the moment. From a personal point of view, I would start with Boli and have Ikoba and Niezgoda as the backups. I honestly don't expect much from Mora this year, he really hasn't played in 2 years. And while Nathan has been more effective than Niezgoda, I think Niezgoda has a better track record. If we move on from Niezgoda, which I think we are going to by the end of the year, then we have Mora/Nathan as the 3rd striker on the team.
Ikoba and Nathan are fringe MLS guys. Though it would be nice to see Ikoba get a little more run. I don’t think they represent any sort of significant concern about a log jam.
Boli is an unknown as is Mora. Niezgoda has shown some good things here, but has the yips or sucks now plus his poor fit to roster and tactics.
So basically we have lots of guys and no proven talent. Quantity is good, quality—ehhhhhh.
Hopefully by the end of the summer it’s Boli (and he’s good) Mora, and some other guy who has a chance to be an MLS contributor, with Ikoba and Nathan as emergency depth and Niezgoda can figure things out elsewhere.
Seeing more Dairon up top isn’t a non-starter for me. But now we’re so thin at midfield we need him in his usual spot.
I'm just very leery of hoping for a lot from/depending on Mora after nearly two years out. He won't be a meaningful contributor probably until during or after the Leagues Cup, and even then I'm not sure what kind of contributor he can be. I hope for the best, but I hope that Ned & Co are planning for the contingency of "what if he's not where he was" and shopping accordingly.
I don't think there is a contingency plan at striker. Boli is it. By the time Mora comes back, if we aren't winning games, we're done for the season and just need to rebuild.
We often give “savior” status to whoever scores a goal for us. Then reality sits in. We did this for Niezgoda and others. We should acclimate Frank slowly. Thought the same for Evander but with the injury he’s had a chance to step back. Until there’s consistency, then none are the answer. But without a Hernandez type, we’re all just hoping like usual.
One thing Timbers fans are really good at, in the MLS era, is taking the infinitesimally small sample size of one or two good games early in a player's Timbers career and thinking that that player is automatically always forever gonna be that good, and will inevitably become a Timber legend on par with Clive Charles (I'm not saying you or anyone in this thread is doing that, it's just a general observation). Then there's the inevitable souring on said player when they don't.
"We should acclimate Frank slowly."
Agree completely. He'll be fine, but he needs to not be anointed the Potential Savior Of The Timbers, because he was brought here on a one-year contract almost solely as a warm body while others recover from injury. He needs to be given the chance to just be the player he is, not some mystical hero brought in to rescue the club. Hopefully fans don't expect him to singlehandedly make the Timbers good again, because that's neither his skillset nor what he was brought here for. He will be a good contributor to the Timbers I think, at least based on last weekend's appearance.
In other words, players come in, show a spark, the fans get excited that someone can play dangerous soccer, and then Gio extinguishes it with his smothering #gioball tactics. That's the patter.
To be fair, Boli seems to be the best option as a striker right now. It's a low bar, but that is what we have there. If he can go 60, he should be starting. Ikoba should also be in the mix. Between the two of them, I would hope we can get a decent 90 minutes on the pitch. The likelihood of either of them being a great striker is quite low, but what else do we have? Niezgoda who hasn't taken a shot in 6 months? Nathan who works hard but can't put the ball on target? Mora who hasn't played meaningful minutes in almost two years?
If neither of them are ready for meaningful minutes, by all means ease them into the game. But get them into the game because we simply don't have effective options right now.
Counterpoint: Adi came in as a similarly unknown striker, scored late in his first brief appearance, then kept scoring. Hopefully Boli can do that. Only hope at this point though.
Heck... Valeri some dude on the miracle Lanús team that then flamed out at Porto and Almeria and then scored a goal in his first appearance with the Timbers. Rest is history!
Nice write up Alex.
Based on your story, it sounds like in the Vancouver game Boli will come on at the 45 or 60 mark for ... one of Niezgoda, Ikoba or Fogaca. I wouldn't mind seeing Ikoba start; he's the only one in the group who hasn't so far. Let's see what you've got young man. And if you are scoring goals, then stay on and sub off somebody else, move to wing or as a second forward - like a 4-3-1-2.
Once Boli is fully fit, there isn't any question he's the answer this year to the striker question and seems suited to the team. He's a dribbler, an attacker and a scorer and this may work out for him and the Timbers very well. He has experience. That makes Niezgoda expendable. Would Boli be here if Niezgoda were banging in goals? Unless Niezgoda turns into a scoring machine, he's out, maybe by the summer window. It will be better to develop the young talent than hope for Niezgoda's former self to return.
After that debut goal, I dubbed him Dank Boli. He's our guy.
Yes!
Odds are slim he disappears for six months without getting a shot off ;)
Messing up the scouting so bad that you have two TAM level forwards who don't get a shot off in 6 months would be peak Timbers, but yeah, I don't think that's gonna happen with Boli. Even if there are questions about how successful he will be, the man definitely appears to have the dawg in him: https://www.fradi.hu/en/football/men-s/news/thanks-for-everything-franck
Great write up. Thanks for sharing. He seems to perform well in pressure moments and on big stages. Past success would indicate future of the same.
Who are you playing in your 3 and 1 lines with our current injury list? Diego is literally our only 90 minute fit central midfielder right now and our only 90 minute fit wingers are Gutierrez and Moreno (who admittedly probably play either).
I'd go with same as last week v Dallas. Gutierrez and Mosquera at wing. Williamson and Moreno midfield with the ageless wonder underneath. Gutierrez can hold the fort until Asprilla is fully fit. Being in Dallas, that was pretty impressive what the Timbers did in the first half and latter stages of second half. So, build off that and try to control the game v Vancouver.
It’s too soon to get excited about Boli but I’m not encouraged by how I’ve heard his play described. I really dislike the target forward, hold-up forward, or poacher styles of strikers. Every forward should have different tools in their box but the over-emphasis and reliance on those styles is antiquated, ugly, doesn’t seem to fit our personnel, and is arguably ineffective. I prefer a striker that can create their own chances, press, track back, beat opponents on the dribble AND be opportunistic. I like Fogaça aside from the finishing, which ultimately means I don’t like him. Hopefully he improves, but I don’t know how likely that is at this point. I don’t have enough Ikoba to go on either. I like Mora except for the injuries, which may ultimately mean I don’t like him. Niezgoda isn’t helped by our inability to get him the ball but he also seems a shell of his former self when he does get it, lacking confidence, fearing further injury, or just being out of form.
I’m also discouraged by talk of Evander as a CAM/10. I know we need someone who can perform that role but it’s outdated and limiting to depend so much on one playmaker. I’m encouraged by the creativity of Santi and Williamson, and hope Blanco contributes something if he ever comes back, but our other attackers seem too one-dimensional. For a while it seemed like we might have a swarm of bees interchanging in the attack. Lately it’s seemed more like most players are just going to run toward the touch line to be on either end of a speculative cross. It’s freaking boring.
We’ve been promised some brand of possession-oriented, passing, pressing, attacking football for nearly 10-years now but have rarely achieved more than route one hoof and prayer ball or counterattacks. We are far too predictable.
I have no idea what our style or philosophy are supposed to be. I just see how regressive it looks. Sometimes I’d rather lose pretty than win ugly. The results matter but I also want to see good, entertaining, games. When we win it’s too often like a sad handjob.
Tbh... All descriptions of his "play" that I've seen have come from people that watched a couple of highlight reels on YouTube and who have zero idea about other aspects of his game (which is fair because who watches the Hungarian league).
Dude singlehandedly won the Budapest derby 3 times and scored a brace against Juventus in the Champions League, so at the very least he's got the dawg in him. I'm skeptically optimistic that he'll be a decent player for us.
That's fair. I could qualify it by saying, "if what I've read about his supposed style of plays is true then..." I don't know if I'm more guarded about Boli, not even considering his supposed locker room issues, or just lacking confidence in our FO, but I feel like I'm not going to let myself get hyped too soon. We have an absolutely terrible track record of signings at certain positions. At least one centerback is usually garbage, right back is regularly cursed, at least one wing falls off, and at forward we don't even get long-term results to compensate for toxic personalities. So, I guess that leaves me assuming nothing about Boli per se but expecting the FO probably failed at scouting in some way.
We have zero evidence that Gio is capable of delivering possession- and passing-oriented play. I'm resigned myself to watching huck-and-pray and cross-and-pray until he is relieved of duties.
Yeah, even Porter only managed it for a season and a half before personnel limited his options to counter-attacking. We’ve been stuck ever since. I’d love to see a season where we don’t start with half the club injured before I lay all the blame on the coach. Gio confounds me though.
I'm definitely going to vote for Franck Boli. Watch his films and you'll see he's a multifaceted player that can regularly nutmeg goalkeepers. He's got shots, strong ones. He can be fed the ball, dribble and strike or clean up shots. Let him take the position and lose it. But I don't think he will. He will definitely give us facets of the game better than Niezgoda. I also think he will open up shots for others like Asprilla, Yimmi, Evander, Moreno or teamed with Nathan or Ikoba or later Mora. Evander, Asprilla, Moreno, Mora or Williamson can feed him, he will draw defenders but can still score authoritatively. I think Boli will be this years answer and next. I think he has tools to be a GK humbler. Let him play.
I think Boli is this year's answer. I don't think he's the long-term answer. I thought that would be Mora, but after such a long layoff I sorta think he'll be a complementary piece rather than the focus of the attack. If they can hoodwink someone into taking Niezgoda off their hands, they have money to play with and can find a more permanent answer this summer.
I would honestly give minutes to Ikoba at this point. Let him grow into being the answer and use Boli to take the pressure off Ikoba a little bit as he develops.
Nobody is going to take Niezgoda of their hands. At this point, MP is just gonna have to shell out money and buy him out with our single amnesty spot if he wants to free to the cap space this year.
When does his contract end? 'goda's?
End of this year.
How many more losses does the team need to see before realizing that something different, tactically and personnel-wise, needs to happen? If not now, when is this magic moment? I like the idea of two strikers up top, with Boli being one of them. IMO, it's obvious that Niezgoda can't be the answer, and our lack of scoring points to tactical deficiency.
Welcome to team #GioOut! Good to have you aboard.
(even if that's not what you're saying, that's the easiest way to get to what you're saying)
A tough question about our forward options Alex. Mora has been out for two years, so we only have memories to base his come back on. Boli has what, seven minutes of play? I'm sure we all hope he gives us a BFerandez level of attack. Ikoba, although young, has great size and speed showing, perhaps the most potential. Fogaca, definitely a work horse, needs to improve on his goals/finishing. Niezgoda, like Mora, has fonder memories than his current offerings. Based on what we have 'today', I'd lean towards Boli up top based on his experience. His one and only shot/goal, to me, showed great instincts and reaction. (Giving him the benefit of the doubt that it wasn't all just luck.)
That shot had a ton of skill involved. It wasn't just dumb luck.
Boli shows significant potential, and looked good in his second appearance at Vancouver. I think he can play at a high level. Niezgoda definitely needs talented offensive players around him so he can receive the ball in dangerous places and then score. He seems to be working harder at adding to his game, but he just isn't the same type of forward that Mora brings to the team. Hopefully, Mora will return at a level somewhat near where he was prior to his injury, but will it be soon enough to make a difference this year? I agree that Ikoba has some good skills and that Fogaca needs to develop some of Niezgoda's traditional patience and quality around the goal.
5 shots on target since July? Damn, that’s an insane stat for a DP/high TAM striker. If by summer he’s not clicking with Evander on the field (which was the hope for him going into this year) then we need to find a way to move on from him so we can make other moves to reinforce the roster, because we all know we need that. I’m getting skeptical that we will be adding a CB this window since there’s been no news on that front, and I assume budget is making that difficult.
I think Boli should be ready to start vs Seattle next week, he’s gotta be the clear #1 right now with Nathan and Ikoba as worthwhile projects to keep around. I’m not going to factor in Mora until we see how he is once he comes back
Beggars can't be choosers - and even with all the other problems PTFC are clearly begging to have a striker step up.
By this point I've seen enough of Niezgoda. Whatever the reason, he will not/cannot be the answer to this dilemma - so sad to say, but I feel he should sit until/unless further emergencies dictate otherwise.
The current injury/rehab situation dictates that we're gonna play 'striker by committee' for at least the next 5-6 matches; and it seems we'll be seeing 3 strikers in the next 2-3 due to minutes restrictions as everyone works back into full game shape.
So, it's an ideal time for a trial by fire - let's see who will step up to lead the line.
I definitely would move on from Nogooda (as quickly as possible because Gio is prone to putting him into the game and things seem to go South when that happens). I don't know that I'm a fan of Gio's preference for only playing one striker at a time. I'd start Boli and either Nathan of Asprilla along with him and see if that lights any fires.
Definitely the question of the moment. From a personal point of view, I would start with Boli and have Ikoba and Niezgoda as the backups. I honestly don't expect much from Mora this year, he really hasn't played in 2 years. And while Nathan has been more effective than Niezgoda, I think Niezgoda has a better track record. If we move on from Niezgoda, which I think we are going to by the end of the year, then we have Mora/Nathan as the 3rd striker on the team.
Ikoba and Nathan are fringe MLS guys. Though it would be nice to see Ikoba get a little more run. I don’t think they represent any sort of significant concern about a log jam.
Boli is an unknown as is Mora. Niezgoda has shown some good things here, but has the yips or sucks now plus his poor fit to roster and tactics.
So basically we have lots of guys and no proven talent. Quantity is good, quality—ehhhhhh.
Hopefully by the end of the summer it’s Boli (and he’s good) Mora, and some other guy who has a chance to be an MLS contributor, with Ikoba and Nathan as emergency depth and Niezgoda can figure things out elsewhere.
Seeing more Dairon up top isn’t a non-starter for me. But now we’re so thin at midfield we need him in his usual spot.
I'm just very leery of hoping for a lot from/depending on Mora after nearly two years out. He won't be a meaningful contributor probably until during or after the Leagues Cup, and even then I'm not sure what kind of contributor he can be. I hope for the best, but I hope that Ned & Co are planning for the contingency of "what if he's not where he was" and shopping accordingly.
I don't think there is a contingency plan at striker. Boli is it. By the time Mora comes back, if we aren't winning games, we're done for the season and just need to rebuild.
We often give “savior” status to whoever scores a goal for us. Then reality sits in. We did this for Niezgoda and others. We should acclimate Frank slowly. Thought the same for Evander but with the injury he’s had a chance to step back. Until there’s consistency, then none are the answer. But without a Hernandez type, we’re all just hoping like usual.
Hush now, this is no time for rational thought. Boli is better than Messi and we’re gonna win the league!
One thing Timbers fans are really good at, in the MLS era, is taking the infinitesimally small sample size of one or two good games early in a player's Timbers career and thinking that that player is automatically always forever gonna be that good, and will inevitably become a Timber legend on par with Clive Charles (I'm not saying you or anyone in this thread is doing that, it's just a general observation). Then there's the inevitable souring on said player when they don't.
"We should acclimate Frank slowly."
Agree completely. He'll be fine, but he needs to not be anointed the Potential Savior Of The Timbers, because he was brought here on a one-year contract almost solely as a warm body while others recover from injury. He needs to be given the chance to just be the player he is, not some mystical hero brought in to rescue the club. Hopefully fans don't expect him to singlehandedly make the Timbers good again, because that's neither his skillset nor what he was brought here for. He will be a good contributor to the Timbers I think, at least based on last weekend's appearance.
In other words, players come in, show a spark, the fans get excited that someone can play dangerous soccer, and then Gio extinguishes it with his smothering #gioball tactics. That's the patter.
Just joking, just joking.
Kind of.....
To be fair, Boli seems to be the best option as a striker right now. It's a low bar, but that is what we have there. If he can go 60, he should be starting. Ikoba should also be in the mix. Between the two of them, I would hope we can get a decent 90 minutes on the pitch. The likelihood of either of them being a great striker is quite low, but what else do we have? Niezgoda who hasn't taken a shot in 6 months? Nathan who works hard but can't put the ball on target? Mora who hasn't played meaningful minutes in almost two years?
If neither of them are ready for meaningful minutes, by all means ease them into the game. But get them into the game because we simply don't have effective options right now.
Counterpoint: Adi came in as a similarly unknown striker, scored late in his first brief appearance, then kept scoring. Hopefully Boli can do that. Only hope at this point though.
Heck... Valeri some dude on the miracle Lanús team that then flamed out at Porto and Almeria and then scored a goal in his first appearance with the Timbers. Rest is history!
Adi was good. The opposing goalie had to at least pay attention and CB’s had to deal with him and his physicality.