I thought he was our worst starting defender the first few games of the season. I felt he really turned it around and has been one of the more consistent players this season.

He did not have a great game vs LAG, but looked like clichy compared to Boxall.

I think Leathers is pretty sound defensively and he seems to have the speed to make up any misplays upfield.  A Jonhny Hustle type of guy.  Now that the backs have been given a green light to push forward, i don't think this is his strong point but I don't know that we have too many other options.  If DeMerit was healthy, he wouldn't be a starter.

 

Several times he was way too far forward and not just on set pieces. Maybe Soehn is requesting that of him?

Its a coaching decision. Leathers is not out of the line-up if DeMerit is back. He's been a quality starter all year. His ventures forward are TS's attempt to add some offense. Personally I don't agree with it. Its asking to much of the player, particularly when you have your best defender out. It makes no sense.

Hate to say it, but is actually becoming a common theme of Schwoins to ask players to play a game they are not comfortable with. I know it may be hard to remember so far back, but we were praising TD early in the year as well. The boys on the post game were talking how it's maybe time to put Dede back wide. Players are all out of position including Leathers. Dede played great yesterday, problem is he was a winger. The centre of the pitch was wide open. TT had him out wide and gave him the freedom to roam and had Rochat behind him to make up for deficiencies. I don't want to turn this into a TT v TS thread, so I'll just say my opinion is TS has NO clue how to organize a team. Leathers is digressing because he's being asked to play an overlapping back behind a winger who cuts into the middle!!! Man, this is frustrating. He wouldn't qualify to coach my 8 year old. Tiebert played in TT's system because he kept his heels to the chalk. There has to be a reason why players are on the pitch. "Rigid system" you might say is what soccer is - 11 guys working together. This team right now is NOT a team it's a small pocket of guys playing around at a church picnic. Let's have Boxall all alone in the middle - there's a good strategy. Let's have Leathers run an overlap and send the winger into the box - nice. Let's leave Harvey isolated on the counter - great. These are basic U10 coaching strategies! C'mon! Why is the right back making wide runs on plays on the left with no support? Schoeyn clearly has NO idea.

That said, I no longer have any expectations which makes going to the stadium fun.

And just so this isn't all negative - I believe player by player we have good quality. (actually that only makes it worse - forget I said anything).

Could it be a fitness problem with Leathers? Perhaps fatigue ( physical and mental) in the later stages of matches. Just a thought. I know as a professional you have to prepare yourself  for the rigors of travel,busy schedule etc, but some players are just better at dealing with it and overcome the difficulties.

I thought he was fine early in the year but yeah, I'd have agree that his play has dropped off.

Southside_Regular said:

Could it be a fitness problem with Leathers? Perhaps fatigue ( physical and mental) in the later stages of matches. Just a thought. I know as a professional you have to prepare yourself  for the rigors of travel,busy schedule etc, but some players are just better at dealing with it and overcome the difficulties.

I thought he was fine early in the year but yeah, I'd have agree that his play has dropped off.

Physical and mental fatigue may be the answer!  Perhaps a couple of games off would do him some good and he can come back refreshed.  When you are at the bottom of the table the mental fatigue also gets worse.

from what I understand, and listed on the Caps website, He's no longer a whitecap

^ And so he should !

Good riddance cowhide !

Yah, I thought he would be a good back-up. He's on a low salary, $42k.

Leathers, at a reasonable salary, is worth having. He wasn't a problem in the dressing room. He had his moments. But he lacked consistency. If he moves on, I hope he finds a better situation for him. If he sticks around, I wouldn't object to him being a squad player.

He did have a few decent games under TS as well, but as mentioned above, a lack of consistency.

Perhaps he was offered a contract and it was his choice to not return, as I'm sure the Caps wouldn't offer him much more than league minimum.

I thought he was total garbage

I'm sure we'd be better off without the twat

Joey_Barton said: I thought he was total garbage

I'm sure we'd be better off without the twat

way offside.... he didn't deserve that kind of critique. Whether you like his playing abilities or not, why do you think he is a "twat"?

Great experienced MLS backup, nothing more. Good to have him on the bench but never a starter in my books. Work rate never questioned, clueless with ball at feet and space, has the odd ability to get back after being beaten and making heroic tackles... not necessarily a good thing. But speaks to his desire, just not technically savvy at all. If he'll take similar dollars keep him as SAFC said.

Yah, so far no one.

Nothing on the Google.

On a scale of 1-10 how much do you enjoy bumping your old threads?

OldFan said:

Montana said: On a scale of 1-10 how much do you enjoy bumping your old threads?

Well, I wanted to know of any news of Leathers. Would you rather I make a new thread? Oh no... then you would say I am trolling again by making repetitive threads. So, I use an old leathers thread so I DONT get in trouble for making repetitive threads; and boom! you still whine about it!

No shit. Given we replaced him today with a rookie ND grad, it seems topical, too.

Montana said:

Montana said: On a scale of 1-10 how much do you enjoy bumping your old threads?

...still curious.

I can't answer that silly question. It is not "bumping an old thread" that I am doing; I am simply using a topic to ask a question about a player instead of making a new thread (which I am sure a guy like you would have made a remark about as well).

So, any information to share about the topic at hand?

Trolling the troll ... where's my gun? :-P

Subhedgehog said: Funny to see the 'troll hunters' do all of the trolling lately...

Back on topic: I thought I had seen somewhere that Leathers was rehabbing something and looking for work in NASL, with Asia as a backup plan. No idea where I saw that at all though, so classify that as a solid RUMMOR.

Thats the kind of information I was looking for. I was thinking he had some sort of health issue that was holding him back; hope to see him in the NASL perhaps. I don't think the MLS is an option for him at this point.

As for your trolling comment; Hey, I have a reputation that is not easily dismissed. I have to put up with the heckling.... I take it with a smile :)

EDIT : why a - 1? lol

I am also curious, as I would love to get his 2-stick signed by everyone and give it to him. He played admirably, and while many here had issues with his play, he ws by far our most reliable RB all season.

I am also curious where he ended up and seriously Montana, you couldn't just let him ask? I'm sure alot of us were thinking it and he was just the first one to ask it...

I think I found Leathers.

I had a dream last night; at one point in the dream there happened to be a TV on with a Caps game. Leathers scored 2 goals during my dream and the announcer happened to say it was his 7th goal in 6 games.