Will Ream be a Dream? Now with added Pitch Shirt Grin....

[TANGODANCER]

Whoever we get I hope they have some pace. The quick balls pushed or knocked through exposed us time and time again yesterday.

[Lord Kangana]

I'm sorry, but y'know, fnarr.

[Salford Trotter]

i seem to recollect that he wanted reassurances that he'd have a permanent place in the side, he doesn't sound like the panacea we're searching for but happy to give the guy some slack should he sign

[Prufrock]

I just hope he can point and shout.

[wanderers_on_tour]

I believe someone posted something similar in either this thread or the transfers one but here's the clips in full;

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a4vTKilnUUA" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=peNUURdnn-U" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Of course judging the lads talent off a few youtube clips would be a bit stupid but overall impression seems he's a decent bloke with some potential and appears to be cracking value for money for a international.

[thebish]

I believe someone posted something similar in either this thread or the transfers one but here's the clips in full;

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a4vTKilnUUA" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=peNUURdnn-U" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Of course judging the lads talent off a few youtube clips would be a bit stupid but overall impression seems he's a decent bloke with some potential and appears to be cracking value for money for a international.

sign him up!!

[Ianmooreslovechild]

Yes ,but is he beter than Neymar.There's only one way to decide. Fiiiight!

[officer_dibble]

well he sounds like a footballer...about 86,000 y'knows in that clip

[ChrisC]

Worryingly a certain Mr Wenger tried to sign him last season.. And we all know Arsene has a cracking eye for a defender

[thebish]

Worryingly a certain Mr Wenger tried to sign him last season.. And we all know Arsene has a cracking eye for a defender

aye - but he also tried to sign our Gary.... the ones he lets get away are still untainted!

[ChrisC]

Done deal for Ream now according to Nixon.. Sounds like we are just waiting for him to roll in and sign on the dotted line..

[boltonboris]

They left on a flight at about Half 8 (our time) last night, so I'm assuming that will be imminent

[bobo the clown]

They left on a flight at about Half 8 (our time) last night, so I'm assuming that will be imminent

I hope to God they've landed by now then !

[BWFC_Insane]

They left on a flight at about Half 8 (our time) last night, so I'm assuming that will be imminent

Take a couple of weeks for a work permit.

So wouldn't hold your breath.....

[thebish]

They left on a flight at about Half 8 (our time) last night, so I'm assuming that will be imminent

I hope to God they've landed by now then !

nahh - plane crashed and he's broken his leg... shame is - we signed him in-flight by mobile phone...

[Hutskizzle]

Hey all, I'm posting from across the pond as a Red Bull New York supporter. Figured since his now-wife posted on twitter that they're heading over to England, this deal is all but done (he got married a few days ago - which is why he wasn't called in to the US national team for this month's friendlies against Panama and Venezuela). I'll tell what you're getting with Tim and what you're not:

He is by far, one of the more intelligent CB's the US has produced in quite sometime, if ever (honestly). That is his main strength. He will look to pass the ball before booting it out of bounds or up field. He's been with us for 2 seasons since we "drafted" him out of college and has played pretty much every minute of every game for the past 2 years. After watching your recent FA cup match over the weekend, that's definitely something you need (no offense haha) and I honestly see him starting right away for you guys. He reads the game very well, which compliments his distribution. Over the past 2 seasons he has fouled the least of any CB in MLS and cautioned the least as well (if not the least, definitely the top 3). He's very down to earth, well spoken, humble and not outspoken. He always puts the team ahead of his personal interests. Extremely composed on the ball, which will you make you have a heart attack as he dances around with it in the penalty area with 3 opposing players closing down on him but he'll manage to get out of there (most of the time lol)

Negatives: strength and speed. He is not a physical defender at all and if it's a foot race, 9 times out of 10 he's going to lose it. However, he makes up for his (lack of) speed with his intelligence. He is always in the right place at the right time since he can read the game so well. However looking at you're current CB's, you don't need the physicality. He spent the last 1 1/2 years learning from Rafa Marquez (take that as you may, with a massive grain of salt) even though Marquez publicly called him out in the press (which caused Rafa to be suspended for a game) for making "infantile/childish mistakes" last season. Which he did, a few of his mistakes lead to game winning goals. But that happens to every defender a few times in their career.

In 2010, his first season with us, he was robbed of the rookie of the year award (or how you English would say "the young player of the year award" or whatever). And was easily the top defender in the league. That lead to his first cap with the US. Last season, was his "sophomore" slump. Definitely no where near the level of play that he played at in 2010, but still very good. I blame fatigue personally.

You are getting a very solid, intelligent CB. Our team's tactics in 2010 was the play from the back, having Ream/Marquez distribute the ball because that we're their strengths. In 2011, teams caught on, and basically every time Ream had the ball, every opposing player, their mother and grandmother would rush him and take away his strength of distribution, which also lead to the "bad" year (again compared to 2010, but overall another VERY GOOD season). He's also played with 4 different CB's partners (Petke, Mendes, Marquez and Keel). So he's never really had a chance to solidify an understanding with his other CB half.

Even though he's 24, turning 25 in October, he has only played 2 full seasons as a professional. College doesn't really count at all (consider it Sunday league player if you would). So don't expect to him be up there with other 24 year old top-level CB's in England. He still has A LOT to learn. If you're willing to take the good, with the bad, and there will be bad, you have yourself a very, very, very good, intelligent, centerback. He will be the US's CB for Brazil 2014 and for the foreseeable future.

Any questions let me know. Visit us at http://www.metrofanatic.com" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; if you want. We have a thread of our own on this transfer on our forum

EDIT: Also he's left footed if any of you care

[Athers]

Thanks for that, I for one know nothing about him so this is all useful, good & bad.

As well as being left footed, does he prefer a particular side of the two centre back slots?

By the way, "Sophomore slump" = "Second season syndrome" over here

[thebish]

cheers! that's very useful - and good to hear!

I for one am glad to hear we are not getting another hoof it merchant - some have been noting on here that we would miss Cahill's distribution - and ability to carry the ball out - if Ream can do that (in the pressure keg of the Barclays Premier League) - then that's a real positive!

we've had him on trial - so we've obviously seem something in him...

[officer_dibble]

Cheers yank dude

Sounds ok...nervous about his supposed lack of pace and his lack of experience, natch.

Still the work permit to sort - how long will that take?

[Hutskizzle]

Thanks for that, I for one know nothing about him so this is all useful, good & bad.

As well as being left footed, does he prefer a particular side of the two centre back slots?

By the way, "Sophomore slump" = "Second season syndrome" over here

I haven't seen him as a right CB ever. I've always seen him on the left with NY and the national team. To be fair though, when needed his right foot is serviceable, he's not entirely one-footed. He is definitely not a left fullback either. Again no speed what-so-ever haha

cheers! that's very useful - and good to hear!

I for one am glad to hear we are not getting another hoof it merchant - some have been noting on here that we would miss Cahill's distribution - and ability to carry the ball out - if Ream can do that (in the pressure keg of the Barclays Premier League) - then that's a real positive!

we've had him on trial - so we've obviously seem something in him...

He'll definitely need some time to adapt to the PL but if you're patient he'll definitely improve. The only thing I'm worried about is that Coyle gets sacked after this transfer goes through (relegation battle, no offense), and your new manager doesn't like him and he just rots away on the bench. He needs playing time to get better (also to help out the national team. Our centerbacks are basically on the wrong side of 30 right now).

Two things I forgot to add which you might have already figured out, is he is very, very, very composed on the ball. He does not rush things when needed, which drastically improves his distribution. I mean he's no Xavi of the backline, but I think you all will be presently surprised just how smart, for an American, he is on the ball and what he does with it. The second would be is that he's average in the air. He's no world beater up there, but makes the necessary defensive headers when needed.

Cheers yank dude

Sounds ok...nervous about his supposed lack of pace and his lack of experience, natch.

Still the work permit to sort - how long will that take?

His lack of experience is very annoying, I admit. The whole college thing is just how we Americans unfortunately do it, when it comes to soccer. However teams have started to sign more and more of their academy players. On our team, we have 19yo Juan Agudelo, the first player to play AND score for the national team to have come from an MLS' team academy. Liverpool are rumored to bid $4M for him, after he did a similiar "trial" with them as Ream with you and West Brom. I personally believe, if he was 21 with 2 seasons as a professional under a belt, he could easily be converted into a DM and be up there with Owen Hargreaves (in his prime) with the way he can read the game.

The work permit thing has been discussed at length on our boards about this transfer. We basically just dismissed this transfer because we can't possibly see how he will get a work permit. But now that he's traveling to England, and the British press basically saying the deal is done, Bolton must feel they have a good case on appeal.

Right now Robbie Findley, an American striker for Nottingham Forest, somehow got a work permit having played no where near the amount of games required for the US. We think it was because he was on our World Cup roster. Ream was on our Gold Cup roster this past summer (the North American version of your Euro's) and was the starter for the first 2 games (I believe) before he had a shocker of a bad game and was dropped for the rest of the tournament.

Another case would be that apparently if you have a college degree, which Ream has from St. Louis University, that would help a work permit appeal since he could contribute to the British society with a college degree or some crap like that lol. I don't know, you all probably know better than we do. An example of this would be Matt Pickens a GK for the Colorado Rapids who basically only sniffed the US national team with training stints, don't think he ever made the 18 for any of our matches and got a work permit to play for QPR in 2008, all because he has a college degree. So that has to be used as precedence in the appeal I would assume