Stuart Holden's trial with Bolton is going well, and manager Owen Coyle has revealed that he is considering offering Holden a contract.
Coyle wouldn't say anything definite about a contract, but he did state that Holden was doing well during his trial.
"Stuart has come in and trained well with us," Coyle told Sky Sports. "It is something we will look at in the next few days.
"We have a good group of players but we are looking to improve the squad we have. That's an ongoing process," Coyle said. "He's obviously got talent, good technique and quick feet.
"We just have to make that judgment about whether he is better than what we have already got. "
Starting to think Holden will wind up with Bolton? Worried that an offer still hasn't come yet?
Share your thoughts below
I am concerned that both Holden and Altidore could end up in the Championship next year… that said, as long as Holden plays – Altidore already seems well entrenched at Hull (still needs a few goals, or one)- I think the move can’t be anything but good in the short term.
I’m not sure that the championship wouldn’t be a good spot for either of them. Especially Jozy who needs a little toughness and plenty of playing time.
Eric,
Altidore is only on a loan deal so that would be up to Villareal.
Holden is a gamer… Bolton would certainly be upgraded by his presence on the field… there is no transfer fee and his salary requirements when weighed with his talent are a great deal… Coyle is just being coy IMHO… No transfer fee, lower wages then players not as good as him.. young… YES PLEASE!!
hmmm…. I think he will. But I think his judgement of… “better than what we have already got” is terrible. The kid has been in MLS for his entire career, and you expect him to be better than players you already have?? I think Coyle should look more along the lines of… “If he’s this good after a few years in MLS, imagine what he can be after a few years in the EPL”.
wtf is up with the pic of stu that sky sports has on that story? lol
i gotta say that if they are even mentioning the possibility of a contract, then it is a done deal, he is getting an offer… no contract would be similar to the freddie adu, “he is a great young guy, and we like his progress”
I agree. Coyle initially brought him in to trial at Burnley and pulled him over to Bolton when he made his own switch. That shows a tremendous amount of interest and faith in Holden.
Why would CHampionship be bad? Is it bad for DeMerit? Is it worse then MLS?
Playing consistent minutes at the Championship would be a fine outcome, just not as good as EPL.
“than”
“Altidore joined Hull on August 6, 2009 in a deal extending until the end of the season, with the Tigers having the option to purchase his rights at the end of the campaign for a fee believed to be £6.5 million.”
It’s not as cut and dry as you would make it seem. The fee for Altidore might be a huge impediment for a squad heading down a league but I am not so sure Villareal would be jumping at the return of a player who didn’t tally in the EPL either. As to where this leaves Altidore who can say, but Hull does have the power with this loan.
Let’s just hope Altidore figures it out and I don’t think league championship would football would do anyone any good (see: bobby convey).
link to miniurl.com
Ives,
Do you know if other EPL teams are monitoring Holden’s situation? I thought there would be way more interest in Holden…
Championship is more physical so it suites a physical CB like DeMerit.
Holden doesn’t seem capable of going toe to toe often so he wouldn’t be able to shine properly.
I would love to see him at Bolton. A crap team since Big Sam left so there is room for him to break in. I agree that he is playing silent lips as Holden as received other interest.
He’d be satisfied with a low ball contract compared to what he is used to earning. Rather him there than some random league so I can watch his progress : )
yea a little worried that no offer is in, im a huge american football fan and i want for the game to grow or better yet i would like to see the group of fans in the states and players become more knowledgable and better, so i want all american national teamers to ply their trade overseas. holden has been doin very well wit the nats and bolton arent great this season so im hoping he goes there and makes an impact.
Bobby Convey was doing fine before he got hurt, so I don’t think that’s a fair assessment. If you want to cite Coca Cola League failures, Eddie Johnson would be more appropriate.
You think that Hull is going to pay that much for a guy who has yet to score? Let alone anybody, they are trying to unload players more than anything.
If our starting national team players can only find playing time in the Championship. We are in a lot of trouble
It is funny how people keep saying things like Holden is a huge success INSPITE of him playing in MLS.
Seems to me some of the biggest concerns on the national team are the guys that play ( or don’t play ) in Europe.
Ummm. I watched him play in about 10 games last year. 3 in person.
IF I were a huge American fan, I would want him to stay.
Maybe attend a playoff game ( 15 min drive ) where my Sounders play his Dynamo, rather than try to fly to Bolton ( expensive 8 hour flight ) to watch a game to see who is the worst team in first division England.
“Holden has been doin very well wit the nats and bolton arent great this season so im hoping he goes there and makes an impact.”
benny feilhaber to derby ring a bell anyone?
the world cup is in six months. stay in houston and go after the summer when his stock has skyrocketed by helping lead the yanks to a world cup final.
I’m not sure this is such a good move for Holden. Playing time is going to be an issue at Bolton and if he wants to prove to Bradley he should be on the roster for SA sitting on the bench at Bolton is not going to do it. Bolten’s first choice midfield is Taylor, Cohen, Muamba and Chun-young Lee. All are solid and their subs are decent too in Gardner, McCann, O’Brien and others.
With Bolton fighting relegation, I just don’t see Coyle going to a unproven young player like Holden. Bolten will have no gimme games in the EPL for Coyle to experiment with his lineup. Every game, Bolton will have to try to get a result.
Hate to see Stu leave the Dynamo but I think this is a good move for him, seems like a side he can break into and have an impact. Even if Bolton do get relegated there’s also always a good chance that he’ll get picked up by another Premiership or promoting to the Premiership club if he has a good season, someone solid on low wages like his would be ideal for a promoted side.
“Holden has been doin very well wit the nats and bolton arent great this season so im hoping he goes there and makes an impact.”
benny feilhaber to derby ring a bell anyone?
the world cup is in six months. stay in houston and go after the summer when his stock has skyrocketed by helping lead the yanks to a world cup final.
i think we would all rather see Holden in MLS than the championship next year…1) we would still all be able to watch him every weekend. 2) his size definately does not suite the harsh and rugby like football in the championship. 3) TALENT WISE/COMPETITION, MLS and the Championship are very equal(the training would be better, but it isnt so much his style either)
BUT, i personally think Bolton have a good chance of staying in the prem this season
BTW….Altidore definately wont be with Hull next season anyways, so everybody stop mentioning Altidore
What happens in Houston, stays in Houston.
I don’t think Hull is going to pay that money but I also don’t think Villareal will be featuring him anytime soon. I think that puts Jozy in a tough position come the end of the season.
Feilhaber was not playing anywhere near the standard Holden is at right now at the time he went to Derby…..Holden is arguably better than Feilhaber right now and Benny has no doubt developed much since his Derby days
i dont care either way where Holden goes…..i want him to remain in MLS, but since he is a good player for the nats i would like to see him playing in the EPL as well
If Jozy stays with Hull and ends up in the CL. I don’t think it would neccessary be a bad thing. He could excel in the first half of the season and by the following Jan 2011 transfer window he could be a big prize.
But if i had my choice I would like him to return to Spain and make an impact there.
I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again — the level of play in the Championship is considerably higher than the MLS. There’s nothing wrong with Stu and Jozy earning their stripes in the Championship. If they are as good as we’d like to believe, they will play extremely well in the Championship and earn their way back to the Prem. There are numerous talented young players that top squads loan out to Championship sides (or squads in relegation battles) and come back for the better. Stu should go now. He’s outgrown MLS.
Bolton has a solid midfield for a mid-table EPL team. All the starters and most of their subs are solid. He is not going to break into the starting lineup and he might be luckey to make the sub bench. The only consistant action he might see for Bolton is in reserve games.
I disagree. I don’t think Holden is a physical monster, but he does have some bite to his game(I mean, the kid broke the New York Red Bulls’ Carlos Johnson’s foot). Plus, what he lacks in physical ability, he makes up for in technical ability and tactical awareness. I think Holden would be able to deal with the Championship.
Of course, nobody knows if Blackburn are even going down so this is a specualtive and potentially moot point.
Also had Jozy gone to a mid table team I think he would have faired much better by now. Playing for a team like Hull is not an ideal situation for Jozy. Having one of your best payers (19/20 years of age) having the responsiblilty to lead the team is unfair.
Well if Ryan says it, it must be true.
Me three. Holden following Coyle to Bolton has to be a good sign.
He’s singing the national anthem during the pre-game. He gets pretty enthused.
I think Stu will find his place somewhere in Europe, but I hope Ricardo Clark had the foresight enough to buy a round-trip ticket.
Bolton are a team that are on the down right now, hence why they fired their manager.
They need to be BETTER than they are THIS season.
Coyle is appropriate in saying that it is pointless to add anything less than a ‘better than’ player, adding some ‘good as’ doesn’t help them escape a low league finish.
That said, I think Holden is better than most of the Bolton midfield and that his work-rate and final touch will land him a starting spot @ Bolton. His delivery has been unreal for the USMNT and if he’s replicating that at Bolton he’ll be a hit.
Stu is a good player. He played well in the Gold Cup, Olympics, MLS and WCQ. So talent is not the issue. Getting accustomed to the pace of the EPL is the most important thing. If he can do that he will be fine.
thats what i feel like saying…..
Ryan, you arent backing anything up here….what players? What makes you think Holden would be a better player playing in one of THE MOST PHYSICAL leagues in the world when he is just not that type of player?
AND AGAIN….JOZY WILL NOT BE WITH HULL NEXT SEASON! He is on loan
I dont like to use this to compare leagues, but lets just take 5 good MLS players(and im not even mentioning the best, but you can argue that they are very good) and you can go ahead and compare them to any 5 championship players, then tell me the level of play is considerably higher in the championship
Freddie Ljungberg
Chad Marshall
Shalrie Joseph
Dwayne de Rosario
Conor Casey
it wouldnt be an upgrade of a league and its not his style
I know we are trying to give the USMNT experience versus the English teams, because we’re playing England in the WC, BUT remember their coach is Italian through and through. England will field a 4-5-1; a very defensive formation and play for a 1-0 victory.
I would much rather send Stu to an Italian club and go right to the source of defensive football and the style of game that Stu will be facing. If it wasn’t for John Terry’s ugly mug and haircut, I’d think he was an Italian by his play.
In addtion, Eff Bolton! They’re relegation trash. That’s all the USMNT needs is a player with his confidence shook up, because he goes to losing club for three months and then drops down to the pub leagues of england.
Am I the only one thinking this doesn’t work out for Holden right now in the EPL? I have a feeling he ends up back in Houston again, and maybe he moves after the World Cup. It does worry me that nothing has been offered yet. The Dynamo beat writer has a lot of contact with Stuart and the Dynamo, and he still thinks (as of this week) that Stuart will be wearing Orange come the start of the MLS season.
I don’t think Rico is having trouble finding a team. Stuart is a more high profile player, so that’s why he’s getting the press. Rico is very under the radar, but I think his situation is more concrete.
but that also goes against what you said above…which was that he would be in the Championship next year.
i think everyone agrees that Hull won’t keep him unless he can score 5,6, 7 goals in the next few games. otherwise, it is back to Villarreal to probably get loaned again or sold for good.
Hull’s finances are in the crapper, so I doubt they will put up the money to buy him. If they are heading back to the Championship, Jozy will probably head back to Spain.
Hull is a terrible side that have no midfield. He should go back to Villareal, so he can learn how the game is really played.
EPL is not the best league. It is probably the best attended league. The football is overrated. Look at Ronaldo in La LIga. He is not having the same impact for Real Madrid as he did for Man Utd.
If Bolton signs him, he gets loaned out to a CCCship side probably, anyhow, since they have a first and second unit they like right now already.
There is more to this than just going to England and possilby facing challenges of regular PT and relegation battles.
Short Term: Training and Fighting for a roster spot NOW on a EPL/Championship Team Vs. MLS offseason and a given spot on the starting IV once the league starts up in March. Personally I think it would do Holden good to compete for PT, as I don’t see him as part of our Starting IV at the WC, unless BB does make the move to put Dempsey up top as a striker.
Long Term: Even if Bolton do drop down a League Holden would still be able to make significant improvements. If they don’t drop down a league then having another player playing in the EPL would be great. And if it doesn’t work out he can always come back to MLS.
IMO….going to Bolton is a Win/Win for Holden and the USNT.
The Championship is not a bad thing for U.S. Players. In fact I think it is a great place to grow. Convey did amazing at Reading and was a very important part of Reading’s record breaking season that saw them promoted. Convey just never overcame injury. Much of Demerit’s grit has been developed in the championship.
Well the main issue is that he has been hurt. He does have 7 goals in 9 games which I would call quite an impact. Real Madrid do not look like the same side when he is not in the startin XI.
I haven’t seen them play much, but browsing their message boards they seem to feel they’re really weak on the left and that Lee wasn’t necessarily impressing yet either. I’m assuming he isn’t going somewhere where he won’t play as he knows how critical that is to his South Africa spot, I guess we’ll see.
a little off-topic, but does anyone know what the deal is with Ricardo Clark? I’m worried that I haven’t heard anything in this transfer market thus far, and hope he locks in somewhere soon since he wants to make our South Africa squad
People keep saying that Holden should resign with the Dynamo but he can’t just resign a year long contract as MLS doesn’t offer one. If he resigns with MLS any team wanting him is going to have to pay a large transfer fee to MLS which many will have a hard time doing for an unproven player. He’s now a free transfer, hence a much more attractive prospect.
I also wonder if the potential work stoppage in MLS has some guys more strongly considering Europe, especially those with World Cup aspirations.
Celtic, Burnley, Livorno, and Bolton have all been suiters…..
Rico is just looking for the perfect offer, if he doesnt get on with a club in time for the close of the january market then he will just sign back on with MLS, not a big deal….
did you read the article?
“Stuart has come in and trained well with us”
sounds to me like he is doing WELL….getting loaned out would mean he wasnt ready, i dont know how “well” translates to getting loaned out in your brain Turgid
They also said that they wouldnt sign him unless they knew he would be an upgrade for the team
Holden needs to go over, his ability is more highlighted when there are better players around him to finish those incredible crosses he bends in. He is the US Beckham
Isn’t Holden a free transfer? I am wondering if Coyle was more interested in Holden at Burnley than at Bolton. My guess is that his transfer budget and player salary budgets are limited and if his midfield has decent depth (I don’t follow Bolton closely) than he needs to be careful where he spends his money….This Season. Maybe the need help elsewhere on the field.
MLS offered him a very lucrative contract and he most certainly is not unproven and wouldnt be unproven after more time with the US like at the world cup….European clubs will have no problem coming back for Holden with a transfer fee
Rangers bought Edu from Toronto and you can say Holden is unproven now then you could say Edu was unproven back then
I hope so, and I hate Houston.
But the money is probably a lot more. Obviously MLS is going to have trouble competing with England’s wages with the amount of $ the big teams bring in, but hopefully there are other things to consider.
You CAN win the league here
You live in the US…he might like both
but Houston vs England for weather ?
No playing for 21st place next year
Right, well, since the article encompasses all known information about the topic, I guess that’s that.
I hate to burst the bubble for many of you, but Holden has mentioned in several interviews since the end of the MLS season that the World Cup will not immediately affect his decision on where he goes. He has stated that he believes in his ability and believes that he will be able to succeed wherever he goes, so he is going to make the best decision for his long term career. He obviously knows that he has a great opportunity to play in South Africa, but he isn’t going to let the fear of not playing (or not making the WC squad) drive his decision on whether he goes or stays.
I realize MLS offered him a lot of cash, but his is unproven as far as playing in a high level European league (as was/is Jozy).
He and Edu aren’t really comparable situations, Edu was pretty raw and just a great athlete. You better believe Holden, who will become the poster boy of MLS if Donovan leaves, would cost a LOT more than Edu did.
No, you go when you have the chance, because for all we know there may not even be an MLS next season, or he may get injured, etc.
Doors like these don’t stay open for eternity, Holden needs to make the jump while he can and it’s a free transfer.
EPL is not the best attended league. Bundesliga is. It is the most watched league though.
Holden has played a bit more for the national team as far as that goes though…..definately more than Jozy and Edu at that time
and Donovan seems to be pretty loyal to LA right now, so i wouldnt be surprised if he just stayed in MLS the rest of his career and kept going on loan to Europe
With Zaki on the verge of joining Hull, I wonder what Jozy’s playing time will look like.
Keep in mind that Holden will add something that Coyle has specifically said he wants to bring to the team. Coyle had a specific style of play at Burnley– kinda like West Brom last year, with a better defense. One can imagine that the reason he wanted Holden on trial at Burnley is that he thought Holden would fit in with that system. Upon taking the job at Bolton he said he wanted to get away from the direct style that Bolton has been playing. I’d say Holden has a good chance if that’s what Coyle really wants to bring.
Here are six for good measure just off the top of my head… Geremi, Marek Cech, Jay Bothroyd, Robbie Savage, Wayne Routledge, and of course, Jay Demerit. Whats more, I would argue that some of your list would be no better than average in CCLC…with Conor Casey being downright poor.
But I think you are missing the point… the quality of a league is not determined by the quality of its best players, but of its middling-worst. We can take 5 of the best players from many “lower” leagues (Poland, Greece, Argentina, even Japanese) and they can contribute at a high level in MLS.
We may disagree about this point as well, but I consider the DEPTH of the Championship infinitely better than that of the MLS, and not just in talent. Facilities, coaching, competition in training, training itself, pressure environments, etc. are all superior in the “Fizzy Drink” league.
It is definately an upgrade and as for “style,” it would be better for his development were he being challenged to adapt to all types of styles right?
Im with Ryan.
this blog is getting so annoying with all these Debbie downer, sky is falling, chicken little, ignorant comments. Guys, celebrate Stu’s success. If he succeeds great, if he doesn’t- at least he’ll still get paid. The world won’t end if it doesn’t work out. US soccer won’t die if Stu fails. Lighten up.
I am going to say you will be seeing Holden playing for the Dynamo next season. I just see Bolton making some excuse to why they wont sign him now but maybe later. As for Jozy, I think if he is going to go down in England, then he might as well go back to the MLS, because I really do think that they are equal in play. He should come to the MLS where you know he will be a starter and wait to go back to Europe in 2 or 3 years. If Jozy where to stay in England, I would love if he went to Arsenal. If he were to be coached by Arsene Wenger, I think he would deffently become the best player the US national team has ever had.
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I’m concerned by this move. If he transfers to England and promptly finds himself on the bench through the World Cup we’ll be out another excellent contributor. If he plays a lot then it’s a great move. Of course, if MLS closes its doors than training in the Prem is far more valuable. I personally wish he’d stick it out for another year in MLS, then make the move. Regardless, I’ll be behind his decision but I sure hope it’s for the better for not only him but the Nats as well.
As a Bolton fan i would be in favor of signing him. The biggest problem we have is a lack of any sort of creative presence in central midfield. Lee has been a breath of fresh air on the wing, but Taylor and Muamba have been out of form and while Cohen and McCann are hard workers, they don’t offer much beyond that. Even if Holden could get in the squad as a late game sub, I think his his passing skills would make him a useful signing, particularly on a free transfer. I think if Coyle didn’t think he could play a role this season, he wouldn’t have taken Holden with him after he moved.
Also I would make the case that Bolton isn’t a prime candidate for relegation this season. We have three games in hand on most of the table and are still only five points out of 12th. If you look at some of the other teams at the bottom (Pompey, Wolves, Hull, Blackburn, Burnley) they’re in a lot more trouble than we are, especially now that Coyle is in charge and the attitude around the club is a lot more positive than it’s been in quite some time.
He seemed a little out of form the last national team games.
I agree with Micah. He’s may be ready to headline a USA B-roster at the Gold Cup or an MLS Best IX match, but I don’t think he’s ready to step up and play week in – week out in the EPL, IMO.
I think he has the potential, but he will need to develop first. At this stage in his career, I think he’s your ideal 70th minute substitute at this level.