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Nottingham Forest signs Findley

Robbie Findley (ISIPhotos.com)

Robbie Findley played out his MLS contract in search of a European contract and appears to have secured one.

The U.S. national team striker and former Real Salt Lake forward has signed with English League Championship side Nottingham Forest, the club announced on Thursday.

Findley will join Forest pending receipt of a work permit.

Findley played out his contract with RSL last fall and will join Forest on a free transfer, assuming he is able to secure a work permit on appeal. He falls short of the number of U.S. national team appearances needed to qualify automatically for a UK work permit, but he has played in 10 of 14 U.S. matches in 2010 and stands a good chance of winning an appeal.

In other Nottingham Forest related news, Houston Dynamo midfielder/defender Geoff Cameron will be joining the club for a training stint. Forest manager Billy Davies became familiar with Cameron having spent time with Dynamo visiting his brother-in-law and former Dynamo assistant coach John Spencer (now the head coach in Portland). Davies made it clear that Cameron is going over for training, and not a trial.

What do you think of Findley joining Forest? Think he can do well? See him flopping and returning to MLS?

Share your thoughts below.

Comments

  1. Robbie Findley is horrible. I don’t know, maybe playing in the Championship will help him develop actual soccer skills. I can’t imagine him doing well. He sucks.

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  2. Really?? What has your golden boy Vela done lately? Oh that’s right, get more splinters in his arse at Arsenal. At least Jozy gets SOME games for Villareal, I can’t remember the last time I saw Carlos even see the pitch. All of your players 23 and under minus Chicarito haven’t done anything in multiple years in Europe expect ride the pine, so you should be the last one talking.

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  3. “afc said in reply to afc…

    Plus 10/14 equals 71% close enough for an appeal.

    (SBI-If you consider that of the four he missed, one was due to suspension, one to injury and two to club commitments, his case is even better.)”

    He needs to appeal either way, but doesn’t the 75% rule apply only to “offical” matches over 2 years? Friendlies do not count….

    Just did a little research, I count 3 of 24 “offical” matches. Not very good.

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  4. Well, I’m not entirely convinced going to the English League Championship is “the next level” compared to MLS, as someone above mentioned; however, it will offer solid weekly competition. I would contend that the bottom of the table teams in the League Championship would have a hard time competing with teams like L.A., NYRB, or Columbus. However, the league did make Jay DeMerit a very solid player.
    Also, somebody above stated you cannot teach finishing…that’s bunk. Of course you can. Hopefully Notts Forest can do that for him. If he could actually finish, he would be a very dangerous striker for the Nats with his speed. I’m not sure what kind of 40 yard time he has, but clearly he is a player that can create separation between himself and defenders. Develop that into somebody who can consistently put it low and hard in the corners, and he could turn out to be a true diamond in the rough.

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  5. Agreed. And how much harder will our young players work .. (and how many more kids will stick with it rather than switch sports)when they see our young players graduating to europe by way of MLS.. to greater fame and fortune.

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  6. In the tune up against Australia, Robbie seemed (to me) capable of having what it takes.. but rusty and/or unexperienced against that level, that speed of play.

    I’m hoping that is the case and that after more reps at the higher level he will adapt and step up his game.

    Does bob get a cut, for bringin robbie along throughout 2010 when we were scratching our heads?

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  7. Did anybody watch the Turkey game. He can be a good player. The world cup was obviously out of his league, but he showed one or two bright spots. Best of luck to him at my favorite club. Forrest!!!!

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  8. Cameron’s agent has a brother in law who happens to be Forest’s manager.

    Cameron has said it is just a training stint and besides, Cameron cannot qualify for a work permit. I wouldn’t read too much into it.

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  9. “at least he’s earning more than he would in MLS”

    Now there is an understatement.

    I read where Geoff Cameron just signed an improved contract for Houston and was now making more than the league minimum which he had been making $40,000/year. For a good player like Cameron, I found that amazing.

    I bet you QB’s in top ten Division one schools make more per annum.

    Assuming I didn’t mess that up, I can just imagine how much Findley was making. Clearly you can’t pay a guy like Findley DP money but the MLS really ought to think about raising their floor if they want to keep their young stars from having to take a second job flipping burgers.

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  10. Scoring 12 goals in 35+ games is in no way special at all. Findley will fail just like he did with your national team. Laughing at the future of your national team….jajajajaja.

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  11. According to quotes from the Wolves manager McCarthy, Wolves had not yet offered Findley a contract. He went to Forest because they were already offering him one.

    So it doesn’t appear that Findley really had much of a choice.

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  12. Ya, scoring 12 goals in 2009 was nothing special. I mean, being in the top 3 in goals is overrated. I’ve never really rated Findley, but I at least give him credit when he deserves it. He’s got potential, he just had a atrocious year in 2010.

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  13. According to my FM-2010 game, Tyson and Earnshaw are fast forwards on the Forrest squad. I would suspect that they will be his biggest competition for playing time. Best of Luck Robbie Findly!!

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  14. Fact is BB thought he was USMNT’s best option as striker at Cup…I and many others thought he was wrong, but landing Forest to me at least feels about fight for Robbie.

    IF – 2 big ifs – he can improve his finishing, finally, and Nottingham can get promoted, then we may see Robbie in the Premiership…in 2 years.

    Otherwise at least he’s earning more than he would in MLS, getting good coaching against competitive players and benefiting from the experience. Good for him.

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  15. Imagine how good the Brasilero league would be if Lucio, Kaka, Robinho, Daniel Alves, Maicon, Pato, Nilmar, etc stayed?Or how good would the Primera Divison be if Teves, Di Maria, Mascherano, Samuel, Aguero, etc never left. It happens to every league that is not the Premier League, La Liga, Serie A or the Bundesliga the best players leave.

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  16. Sadly, I don’t think you can teach finishing either. Still, all the best to Findley, maybe he can find some form and confidence and make Bob look less bad for starting him three times in the WC.

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