Chris Richards’ lack of playing time in the English Premier League could see him reportedly on his way back to the German Bundesliga.
VfB Stuttgart are linked with acquiring Richards on a season-long loan from Crystal Palace, German outlet Kicker reported Friday. Stuttgart are also considering Sturm Graz’s Alexander Pass and Magdeburg’s Daniel Elfadli as potential acquisitions, according to the report transcribed by Bulinews.
A move to Stuttgart would reconnect Richards with former manager Sebastian Hoeneß, whom he worked with at both Bayern Munich and Hoffenheim.
Richards joined Crystal Palace last summer in a permanent deal from Bayern but was reduced to only 10 appearances across all competitions. The 23-year-old featured in Premier League matches against Liverpool, Manchester United, and Newcastle United.
He recently logged 90 minutes for Crystal Palace’s U-21 side this week.
He previously made 35 Bundesliga appearances with Hoffenheim and Bayern before moving to England.
A former FC Dallas academy player, Richards has earned 10 caps with the U.S. men’s national team to date, scoring one goal.
Stuttgart hosts Bochum on Saturday in its Bundesliga opener.
Bottom line…players need to be playing in order to reach their full potential.
If that means that Chris needs to be loaned out to Stuttgart than so be it.
Yes, guys who are riding the bench can still play/contribute to a national team, but they’ll often struggle to with the physical demands of playing 90 minutes or multiple games during tournaments. We saw this first hand during the 2022 WC where many of our players just couldn’t maintain the physical and mental energy expenditure after being bench players at the club level in the run-up to the cup.
At the start of this cycle it at least appears as if our players have made club decisions that will give them every opportunity to be playing at a good level and will hopefully stay healthier this cycle.
Hoover, AL did great v Mexico in the NL. I finally saw a right footed U.S. CB understand what needs to be done. His 1st -2 out his 3 passes were with his left foot. (A right footed bomb to Weah, U20 days goes to Weah’s right foot, but that’s neither here nor there). That’s 66 %. Antuna or whoever is @ RW can’t press, or stay on his weaker foot, forcing the CB (Richards) to kick the ball back to the GK. His 1st 10 passes he used his left 8 times, w/ a short right footed pass to Miles. That’s 80%! Now, the defense has to be honest, and the fact he can get the ball to the front 3. This in turn allows us, the fans not to see the ball repeatedly kicked back to the GK. I don’t have any opinion about the move. As long as he plays, when he’s healthy, and he continues to progress and build upon his last 2 matches w/ USMNT.
more reyna-esque revisionist history dissing our players again i see. in terms of crystal palace, he was out a few weeks before the world cup break, and US left him off. but he was back playing CP games in december. in reality he played a few games in august and a few games in january where they gave him a sincere run. both periods are notable as transfer windows where teams sometimes try things out while they kick the doors on purchases. otherwise he was a healthy scratch most of the season ie unused bench. that’s both before and after the injury. read between the lines whether that was about injury or just a numbers game. what i saw of him in january i thought he was exceptional. he then didn’t get hurt again. he just got sent back to the bench when the window closed. what does that tell you??
likewise, while i have some concern he’s had 3 stints out in the last 2 years, in terms of his transfer market, it’s a poor explanation. the coach at stuttgart was his coach during 2 of those 3 outages. does his transfer offer sound like he’s nervous he’s made of glass?
if you remember the REAL ISSUE here was hoffenheim was a loan and so he went back to bayern who weren’t very interested and are loaded, who then sold him not to happy hoffenheim but instead CP who again spent the money but weren’t enthused. i personally think get out of EPL and B.1 and go someplace new and start. however stuttgart is a bottom half team like hoffenheim and he got along with the coach and played. that move is just as well — but only on sale terms. loan terms it’s back to the same circles over and over. works, doesn’t, works, doesn’t. i am sure based on hoffenheim the coach is happy to have him in on loan and play. his fair weather reception here will then improve. but for long term stability i wish it was “permanent.” or that next chance he gets it’s made his long term home.
otherwise this contract runs through 27 and this could go on forever.
A few weeks, two months those throwing revisionist stones shouldn’t live in glass houses.
that’s a dumb argument. you’re suggesting i can’t correct your inaccuracies because sometimes i am not perfect. pffft wow that logic
facts is facts here. he was healthy most of the year and got maybe two 3 game runs where they really let him play. he was out a month but that’s not why he’s not staying CP nor an accurate explanation of his market response.
Saw the writing on the wall for Chris when Viera was fired and Hogson hired. Get out of the Premier league. It’s a dark hole of a league.
Some rumors that Guehi will still be sold this window so if they loan out Richards that tells you they have no plans for him in the future.
That’s surely what it seems like. I’m just shaking my head. When he’s healthy, he’s the most-complete CB in our pool. And he did extremely well almost every time he set foot on the field in Germany and he didn’t look bad at all the few opportunities he got for CP.
It could definitely be TK’s correct that the knock is availability, or at least the perception of fragility.
I’m often confused by Premier League teams, though. They frequently seem incredibly knee-jerk…not to mention profligate and wasteful with their talent and spending and often seem eager to seize on any excuse to scream “unworthy!” and go on to the Next Big Thing.
Definitely a contrast in how a national team player is rated versus how club teams rate them. One given is a national team has a finite player pool and club teams and leagues have an infinite pool to choose from. National teams are built around being competitive in tournaments and club teams are built to make money through league and cup competition success.
As teams progress in Champions League play those successful teams are always full of EPL castoffs and generally from top four teams
i think unless they are hurt or can’t kick a ball straight we should give less a crap what their clubs think. the best CB in the pool doesn’t become bench or cut because of a career move. it’s based on a flawed notion that country = club that turner has long disproved. that decades of experience have disproved.
Mr. IV
” we should give less a crap what their clubs think. the best CB in the pool doesn’t become bench or cut because of a career move. ”
Maybe you should but not the players.
The players have to worry a very great deal about what the clubs think.
That’s who pays their bills.
The National team doesn’t pay their bills either. Most of our guys can have a perfectly wonderful life and career if they never play another second for the USMNT.
But fuck up their club gigs? Then they better find another way to make a living.
first off he was a healthy scratch most of the spring which should be your first big hint you’re not in the plans. he played “a” PL game after week 25. 1. they were stuck midtable in may, no chance for europe but no risk of relegation and he sat. sat the last 5 games and sometimes i see those as auditions for next year jobs. second i don’t know if it’s a big league obsession or a capitalist thing but everyone seems to treat a new camp like a fresh start, a first day of school again, and not like there’s a good chance the organization treats you the exact same as before. which, well, was my experience with new school years. you come in energized, they treat “you” like “you” before.
and far be it from me to suggest that perhaps teams sometimes run like businesses cynically keep around americans for their american tour to sell tickets and jerseys before they cashier them for even further pounds or euros. or that they are around more as a purchaser showcase than a sincere roster player.
The thought has been Guehi, who is projected to be a starting CB for England for the next 5 to 10 years will be sold to one of the big clubs and then Richards after some seasoning last year would step in. Viera was giving him some minutes when Anderson was hurt. When Viera was ousted Hodgson only gave him one match. Guehi and Anderson are highly rated and pretty durable so that they play isn’t a huge conspiracy. Why Tomkins came in when Guehi went out last week is odd. Maybe they were already working on this loan so why play him or maybe that was the final straw that made Chris want out.
JR: i think i made clear he wasn’t in their current plans and it had nothing to do with injury. what you’re missing is why did they camp and scrimmage a guy you’re saying that about. it was either showcasing the asset for a move or it was to sell americans jerseys and tickets to watch them play here. y’all seem to want to pretend these europeans do things for pure soccer reasons despite the fact some of the players signed never see a minute on their field. i mean, let’s pretend that teams making american tours harvesting cash are purely naive sporting organizations who never eye the money angles.
IV where did I say anywhere that A) Richards shouldn’t be included with the national team when healthy (in fact find me a quote from anyone who’s said that on this board). Didn’t keep him from playing in NL this summer.
B) no where did I say he was being moved out at Palace because of his fragility, in fact I pointed out he hasn’t missed that many games to injury.
C) do I think someone in the marketing department wanted Richards brought along on the US Tour, of course. Do I think that was the only reason they gave their 3rd or 4th CB minutes in preseason, no. Hodgson must not rate him, so it looks like Guehi will be there another window and if not, Roy thinks he can find someone better than Richards with the money they make.
D) there’s a chance we’re all over reacting and Palace wants him to get 2500 mins at Stuttgart this year so he can replace Anderson or Guehi next year after his loan ends.
IV,
“second i don’t know if it’s a big league obsession or a capitalist thing but everyone seems to treat a new camp like a fresh start, a first day of school again, and not like there’s a good chance the organization treats you the exact same as before. which, well, was my experience with new school years. you come in energized, they treat “you” like “you” before.”
What exactly did you expect? EPL teams, like most Professional teams tend to clean out the coaching staff when they axe the manager. And they often bring in new players, sometimes in significant numbers and often in key positions.
For example, including Pochettino, Spurs have had five managers since 2014. I don’t know if the life of an athlete in high school or college is some obsession of yours but you should be aware that the EPL and the USMNT are not high school or college. For starters, players are openly paid cash money.
By and large, in an inaugural Camp for most high school or college teams, there is likely a much greater degree of continuity and familiarity between the players and the coaching staff than you would find in a similar EPL or USMNT camp
Obviously some EPL teams and some national teams have a greater degree of overall wherewithal stability than others of their ilk. Man City, Liverpool, France are examples, but Crystal Palace isn’t one of them.
“and far be it from me to suggest that perhaps teams sometimes run like businesses”
Only sometimes? What part of “professional football” do you not understand? Like a lot of businesses, Crystal Palace employs a lot of non-billionaire type regular people.
“cynically keep around americans for their american tour to sell tickets and jerseys before they cashier them for even further pounds or euros. or that they are around more as a purchaser showcase than a sincere roster player.”
Nothing cynical about it. Rather than some American player, I think US fans are more concerned about whether these teams bring their star players, or not. You have to give the fans something.
Did you think EPL teams are non profits or as they are called elsewhere, charities? Your high school obviously had only the molding of young minds into upstanding citizens of sterling moral character in mind but Crystal Palace is a professional organization and needs to maximize revenue. The more revenue they produce the more likely they are to spend money on an American player.
And isn’t that what we all want?
V: when i say let’s not be naive about money why are you assuming i was the one being naive? strange. what i was criticizing was the idea they act strictly on soccer. you in no way corrected that, you agreed but tried to spin only you understand.
you then engaged in some obnoxious ad hominems which seemed more designed to troll than to make an accurate point. i think for 80-90% of pro players on elite squads, if you are not a global star and get benched, you would be naive hoping they forget the last few years and send you back to a fresh start because you decided “new coach new year.” good luck with that. how many of our players in recent years thought that then either got benched or loaned or sold? talk all the smack you want. you’re flat wrong on the facts.
“V: when i say let’s not be naive about money why are you assuming i was the one being naive? strange.”
WTF are you talking about? I never wrote that I assumed you were the one being naïve. This is the post I responded to:
“The Imperative Voice
August 18, 2023 at 5:45 pm
first off he was a healthy scratch most of the spring which should be your first big hint you’re not in the plans. he played “a” PL game after week 25. 1. they were stuck midtable in may, no chance for europe but no risk of relegation and he sat. sat the last 5 games and sometimes i see those as auditions for next year jobs. second i don’t know if it’s a big league obsession or a capitalist thing but everyone seems to treat a new camp like a fresh start, a first day of school again, and not like there’s a good chance the organization treats you the exact same as before. which, well, was my experience with new school years. you come in energized, they treat “you” like “you” before.
and far be it from me to suggest that perhaps teams sometimes run like businesses cynically keep around americans for their american tour to sell tickets and jerseys before they cashier them for even further pounds or euros. or that they are around more as a purchaser showcase than a sincere roster player.”
“what i was criticizing was the idea they act strictly on soccer you in no way corrected that, you agreed but tried to spin only you understand.”
Bullshit. You were suggesting that when teams do not act strictly on a soccer basis that there is something cynical about it. There is nothing cynical about pro teams marketing their merchandise, which includes their players.
“you then engaged in some obnoxious ad hominems which seemed more designed to troll than to make an accurate point.”
You insist on making equivalencies between your experiences as an amateur player and those of an EPL player. I’m merely pointing out the pitfalls in that argument.
“i think for 80-90% of pro players on elite squads, if you are not a global star and get benched, you would be naive hoping they forget the last few years and send you back to a fresh start because you decided “new coach new year.” good luck with that. how many of our players in recent years thought that then either got benched or loaned or sold?”
Revisionist history on your part. That’s not the take you took before. You’re contradicting yourself.
This is what you wrote:
“second i don’t know if it’s a big league obsession or a capitalist thing but everyone seems to treat a new camp like a fresh start, a first day of school again, and not like there’s a good chance the organization treats you the exact same as before. which, well, was my experience with new school years. you come in energized, they treat “you” like “you” before.”
A new camp for many pro teams like Crystal Palace is a new camp for all of the players.
In fact, “you” are not “you” before”. Not in the pros.
The EPL is very competitive. You’re either better or you’re worse. You’re never the same. If in the new camp you show signs of deteriorating, they start to think about replacing you.
“talk all the smack you want. you’re flat wrong on the facts.”
What facts? We’re talking about opinions, perceptions, styles of expressing one’s self, posing, etc. .
It’s mostly bullshit not facts
No facts here.
Needed. CP can’t rely on him, or anyone since he moved to Europe, as he is made of glass. At least Hoeness knows him well and is willing to keep giving hm shots.
Adams, Reyna and Chris. Three of our players who can hang with top players, and they are all fragile beyond belief. Sigh.
He really hasn’t missed that much time over the last couple years compared to others he just has bad timing of getting hurt around international windows. 29 matches over 4 years. Of course the last 2 seasons he’s gotten injured at the end of the season and had summers to recover.
JR.
” he just has bad timing of getting hurt around international windows. ”
It is WHEN you get hurt that matters.
Pulisic usually got hurt just when it looked like he was about to go on a run and impress everybody what he had.
Gio gets his calf messed up on just when it looks he has proved to everyone that he is the #10 the USMNT needs and that maybe BVB could use more.
Instead it’s back to same old same old.
Our injuries draw more than normal attention because we have so few decent players. Remember France lost Benzema, Pogba and Kante just before the Qatar got serious and still made the final and no one missed them.
Of course France’s replacements for those three guys are a little different from the guys who would replace Tyler, Pulisic and Gio.
If you’re naming those 3, Pulisic has to be atop that list bruh
Listed it on the Gio thread, Adams is just barely ahead for matches missed do to injury but only because of the last 5 months.