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Report: Holden to trial with Burnley

Stuart Holden 2 (Reuters)

Stuart Holden is undoubtedly an up-and-coming player for the U.S. national team, but that apparently has not convinced English Premier League club Burnley enough to sign the now-free agent midfielder.

According to reports, Holden will go on trial with Burnley, although when the trial begins and for how long has not been revealed. Holden will train with the club and play in reserve games in order for Burnley to decide whether it wants to sign him.

While Holden's former club, the Houston Dynamo, has not given up hope on re-signing him, it will start to look at possible replacements, according to the club's chief operating officer, Chris Canetti. 

What do you think of this development? Surprised Burnley is only offering a trial at this point? Should Holden just re-sign with Houston? Where should the Dynamo look for a replacement if Holden does leave?

Share your thoughts below.

Comments

  1. just pulled it off the IFFHS site, its just an opinion thats floating around out there, I dont think the league is that bad either, just not ready to be placed up there with the EPL!!

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  2. If I were Holden I wouldn’t do it, I would sign with that club in Denmark and get on with it… but then again, I’m not Holden. I wonder if that Denmark option is in his back pocket which gives him the freedom to take a shot at the EPL.

    As a USMNT fan I’m going to enjoy observing the outcome of this trial– I’ve always wondered about Holden’s pace and this should reveal much more about how his career will turn out.

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  3. Holden plays in Houston.

    Yeah I can’t figure out why MLS doesn’t have the money to keep the top players here and people have to watch the joke of EPL for top level soccer.

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  4. for the people asking what a garbage EPL team is….16 teams are all but eliminated at the half way point of the season…do you really need to ask that question ?

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  5. In the EPL, if Holden plays, he will face very good players, much better than the routine quality in MLS, even if you are one that believes MLS teams are as good as Burnley, MLS teams do not compare to Chelsea, Arsenal, Man. U, Aston Villa, Liverpool, or even Fulham.

    Bottom line, Holden would be in a more competitive environment at Burnley than at Dallas.

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  6. This is mid-season for the EPL. Teams doing well are looking mostly to find players who can help in case an injury befalls a starter, or looking for a real star to improve things. Clubs at the bottom are looking for players who can step in and improve the team now. (The bottom clubs might covet real stars, but finances generally mean they will not land a fit star). Burnley needs fit players that can improve the team now.
    It is not surprising they want a tryout for a host of reasons as others have pointed out. The downside is that it pretty much takes Holden out of consideration by other teams for a while; if things do not work out, that might hurt him.

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  7. Given the hit/miss ratio of young MLS stars going to Europe, I think a trial is a good idea for any Euro team.

    On the other hand, Holden does not want to sell him self short and his stock would most likely increase after WC. I do not agree that the bottom English teams are better then the top MLS teams. If he can’t get with a good them there, he should move to a better MLS venue than Houston. I’m sure there are many teams that would love him

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  8. I hope Holden has other options other than Burnley. They just don’t impress me in the EPL, and wouldn’t impress me in any league. You could put Burnley in any other European country and they would sink to the bottom. On the other hand, Blackburn although even on points has some tradition.

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  9. Interesting fact on Burnley. did you know that they had their preaeason tour of the US this summer as well without the Chelseas type fanfare. they played the Ventura County Fusion of the USL(I believe). http://www.burnleyfootballclub.com/page/LatestHeadlines/0,,10413~1726158,00.html

    And for the MLS vs EPL debate. I’m a huge MLS supporter and know that the EPL is the better league and that the lower teams have some great players on them but if you look at a team like Burnley that is a solid well coached team and you see how good that they have been able to do this season in the Prem then it is fair to say that a well coached MLS team for a few games here and there could compete with the the lower EPL. The difference is in squad depth and money and obviously more money would give MLS teams more depth. I read all these Robbie Rogers vs Joey Gudjonsson statements and how one is better than the other and you can’t really compare. There have been a lot of succesful Europeans that have come to MLS and failed just like MLS has sent a lot of players overseas that have failed.

    Players like Jozy and Adu hadn’t even really ever even broken into their teams respective lineups. Altidore was not a starter for much of his last season in NY and Adu’s salary earned him his spot.

    Burnley’s starting keeper is Peru’s #1 goalkeeper. D.C. United had one of Peru’s U20 national team keepers, Jose Carvello last season and he was eventually cut by the team and they were desperate for a keeper. Bottom line is you can’t really compare player for player as every player reacts differently in different situations.

    MLS was prepared to offer Stu Holden $4,000 a week. Burnley which is one of the lowest budgets in the premiership pays 15,000 pounds a week. Gee. I wonder who can attract more top notch players.

    http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/leagues/premierleague/burnley/5639998/Burnleys-15k-per-week-salary-cap-bucks-footballs-freakonomics.html

    And Schelotto would be great in the right situation in any league in the world. He is a great player that has just lost a step or 2 but can still put a ball where he wants anytime he wants and is a fierce competitor. Warzycha was stupid not to play him in leg 1 of the playoffs!

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  10. Personally I think Stu could find a better situation for himself than this. The way it sounds Burnley isn’t sold on him hence the “trial”. Even if he impressed enough he would no doubt see very limited playing time. Not the best thing to do 6 months out of the World Cup. Hold out for a little longer and see what interest you can attract, if nothing materializes re-sign with Houston for the shortest time you can. After all Houston is the best MLS team over the past 5 years, and they play not only in domestic league but also Superliga and CONCACAF Champions League.

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  11. Well, as NYCRover points out, Burnley’s pockets are not as deep as say, Liverpool or Fulham, so they need to be more careful about selections. They don’t want to go and spend a large salary allotment on somebody who doesn’t pan out. They’re just being pragmatic from a business standpoint…fair enough as far as I see it.

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  12. The MLS is not even one of the top 50 leagues in the world(most rankings have them somewhere in the 70’s), please dont tell me that the MLS can compete with any team in the best league in the world.

    (SBI-Now you’re just being ridiculous.)

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  13. All those teams still have more talent then any MLS team, the level of competition he would be facing would be of a much higher caliber if he can figure out a way to get some playing time.

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  14. Burnley are the poorest club from the smallest town in the epl (wigan may be smaller not sure) They need to do a trail just because they cant afford to lose a half a years worth of wages. I guess this proves thats the 4 year deal with rovers was never offered.

    If Burnley are strong anywhere its in the midfield so it may be tough for stu but I still wish him the best personally. As for Burnley my Rovers scarf says I hope they go down.

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  15. jo is shiet. theres a reason hes been loaned to efc twice and they refuse to buy. he’ll be gone sooner then later. u think Rogers,gaven,schelotto,marshall are of the same quality?!? lol. theres a reason why rogers came back from hereveen. and it says something about mls that players like schelotto and blanco can come in and be star players. thats not good. youre telling me gaven could survive in the epl? lol. take off the red,white and blue glasses bro.

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  16. 2nd division England has seen mixed results for American players. Eddie Johnson at Cardiff City and Bobby Convey at Reading come to mind. Mike Grella is having a good run at Leeds, but overall, I don’t see 2nd tier England as the answer. I like the Dutch league because their coaching style emphasizes on-the-ball skills, which is something many American players lack compared to top European players. I think SC Heerenveen did great things for Michael Bradley. I do agree with you about the Mexican league…there are several teams down there that I think would be good for American players.

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  17. Really? You think a MLS team can be compared to a EPL team, the best league in the world. First, you have to compare player for player when comparing to the MLS. Bolton,Hull,Portsmouth have players that the MLS could and only dream off. Secondly, MLS players wouldn’t make it to the reserves for these clubs even if their lifes depended on it.lol The top MLS teams can’t compete with the lower seats in the EPL, that’s a fact, just compare pound for pound and you will get your answer sir.

    Also where are you getting this Adu,johnson,Jozy, arrogant or “American entitlement statements from? I have looked everywhere for anything that links them to such behavior and I had no luck in finding statements like yours to back up those ignorant assumptions. If your sources are not legit, why keep posting nonsense. Adu,Jozy,Johnson, didn’t get playing time because they were fighting for a spot on the bench team, easy to figure out. For God sake people, our players are good players, but not that good to start playing immedietly,.. especially players who just arrived from the MLS.:) There are many players who arrive from,Celtic,Path,Rangers,Ajax,Boca,River, from all over the world and have to ride the bench for years, why people think that the MLS is much superior is beyond me.

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  18. Any move to Europe, no matter what league, or who the player is, is only a good move if your going to get playing time.

    Personally I think that more US players need to start looking at options out side of Europe (the Mexican League is a step up from MLS in terms of over all quality of play,) or should at least look at some of the lesser Euro leagues.

    I’d rather see Holden playing in the 2nd division in England and starting, than sitting on the bench, or worst, at Burnley.

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  19. I think it could be a good move, if Burnley don’t lose Owen Coyle to Bolton. I am fond of him as a manager, and think that Burnley can stay up. They are a tough team to play at home, and play some decent ball. They kinda remind me of fulham a few years ago. Either way, I honestly don’t see Stu as a starter at the WC, so the experience he will get there will be good for him.

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  20. wow,really, lets see, Jo has been in the prem for three seasons and he has 0 goals in 15 games, apples to oranges Hull coldn’t pass the all to an open player if they where playing 9 v 11. The moment Klasnic came off Bolton fell apart so there goes your quality. and Rogers,gaven,schelotto,marshall, equal quality to your guys if not better.

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  21. I think Burnley (14th EPL) is a good move, as Blackburn (13th EPL) would have been if the rumor were true. Both clubs offer good chances for playing time and experience against superior competition, especially when they face the top 7-8 EPL teams.

    Holden should do the trial and work hard to earn a senior squad spot. From there, I think lots of good things will fall into place.

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  22. I’m really curious on Rico too, there’s been little mention of him since the Livorno rumors several months ago. He is definitely leaving MLS, however, officially informed the Dynamo near the end of the season.

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  23. You all want our guys to go to top flight European teams. The only places our boys will get any consistent playing time will be with these smaller teams in the lower half of the tables (Goalkeepers excluded). This is a good move if he thinks it’s a good move. Stu knows he needs to play to be a lock for the summer tournament. He isn’t locked into anything and if either side thinks it won’t help it won’t happen. I like this move.

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  24. What?

    All he said is that it doesn’t serve players’ development to go a big league and sit on the bench; it would be smarter to actually play in a smaller league before making the jump. What’s eurosnobby about that?

    Goodness me, people are tetchy.

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  25. Regardless of there being a transfer fee or not, it kind of makes clear just how much Villareal overpaid when they bought Jozy. If Jozy’s worth 10 mil, then Holden must be worth at least 7.

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  26. A trial is good. It’s best as if Stu and any other good US players take nothing for granted. Go Stu, knock their socks off.

    It’s like take the first step onto a ladder that goes all the way up. Look at Valencia who transferred from Wigan to Man Utd.

    Holden steps onto the training pitch and he is asked the question: where do you rank among the top players in the world, if at all? I think Stuart has the mentality to answer that question well.

    And none of this can be bad for the USMNt WC prospects.

    Question – is Holden is free, that’s a free transfer, right? If they offer a “transfer” fee of $1M isn;t that whole kitty Stu’s?

    No matter anyway, the point is to climb the ladder, money comes with performance in the very capitalistic world of top flight football!

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  27. I don’t think the trial is a bad thing at all. He goes and trains/plays for two weeks in an EPL setting. He gets to test his metal against others that are striving for the same thing he is and are farther along in the process than who he has been playing against in MLS.

    At the very least the experience will be good for him. Burnley gets to see if they want to offer, but let’s remember that he still gets to decide if he accepts the offer if they make it. Maybe he goes, they offer, but he decides the environment isn’t right for him and says no. There are still other option out there for him.

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  28. We shouldn’t overestimate or underestimate Holden; this kid went 4 years in his professional career before getting a cap with national team and he stepped on almost flawlessly, as if he’d been there his whole life. Part of that is due to his experiences with Dominic Kinnear and the youth national teams, but I feel that while he won’t get on to as easily or have as much of a rampage on EPL teams as he did CONCACAF teams, it shouldn’t be too long before he finds the bench, and then the field.

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