The Weekly Dis
The Columbus Crew sign a center back, an excellent week in Discasting with Condor and Porty, and an appearance from Mark Knopfler.
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On Monday, The Disrespected looked like this:
Michael Arace
On Friday, the Crew announced they'd signed a center back, Eric Bailly, 32, a veteran of the English Premier League and, more recently, La Liga.
It's a sensible signing on a number of levels. Bailly is on the wrong side of 30 and he has a history of injuries, but that's why he's a free transfer. He fills a valuable international slot – but he's not a Designated Player. He has experience at the highest level, and in big games. If he has something left in the tank, it's a smart little move to get him to CBus.
Press release and instant takes
The press release.
Disrespected Media's Associate Technical Director, Matthew Arace:
Eric Bailly is a physical, veteran defender who answers a lot of the questions plaguing the Crew’s defense this season, on paper. Bailly primarily operates as an athletic CB who wins duels and is not afraid to make aggressive tackles and close-outs (sometimes to the official’s ire). Bailly was a core piece of Jose Mourinho’s Manchester United squad, winning the Community Shield, EFL Cup, and UEFA Europa League in the 2016-17 season, with Bailly being Mourinho’s first signing for a fee of €38 million, to give a sense of his skill level and importance.
Bailly brings top-flight experience and skill in exchange for fitness and age-related questions. While brilliant on the pitch, Bailly’s availability was always in flux at United due to a string of injuries, particularly a multitude of knee issues that ended his run at the club. Since 2020, Bailly has bounced around Bestikas, Villareal, and Real Oviedo, never quite returning to the form he had under Mourinho.
Bailly is an intriguing gamble for a Crew team that is under a spell of poor defensive play. Bailly is not the player he was 10 years ago, but even at 32 he is still both younger and better than starting CB Rudy Camacho. He can be a bit of a chaotic force, throwing his body in front of shots and flying over opponents to be the first to a header. He is not afraid to be aggressive in the box, but he usually nails his timing to avoid fouls. This athletic twitch is a core part of his game, but it remains to be seen how this decision-making will age in a league like the MLS. He isn’t your first choice to play the ball out of the back, but he is a capable fit in the Crew’s system. Injuries will certainly be a risk, but on a free transfer, that risk is mitigated. If Bailly can stay on the pitch, his aggressive yet experienced presence could be a revelation on a struggling back line.
The view from Patrick Murphy
I reached out to Tom Reed, the sportswriter's sportswriter, and longtime Liverpool follower, for his take on Bailly.
"I remember him from his days at Man United," Condor said. "He was there for a long time, but other than his first full season, he was never a regular. He certainly has played for some major teams, but it doesn’t look like he was ever a mainstay. You would hope all that experience serves him well in the MLS.
"He’s not very big for a center back by European standards, but he’s about average size for the Crew. Like just about everyone who joins the Crew, we’ve got to wait and see how he fits in. I would ask Pat Murphy. He’s a Man U fan. He’d probably have a better read on his days in the Premier League."
Patrick Murphy has worked at Massive Report (and other 247Sports sites) for, goodness, nobody knows how long. His colleague, Tyler Fisher, posted the following after the news broke:
Tyler Fisher
I reached out to Murph, a pure No. 9, and asked him for his opinion on Bailly. Murph was effusive on the subject; Man U fans can be brutal that way. Here's Murph:
I like it conceptually at least. He is very athletic and having the experience of playing in some big games across top leagues will obviously help. From my understanding, he’s a really good teammate. It seemed like every game, the other team would have someone who came over to hug him and chat.
The injuries have been an issue. He’s had two semi-serious knee issues that kept him out a while. But he did play a good amount last year. Some people think MLS is easier on players and therefore past injury issues matter less. I disagree. I think the physicality and travel tend to wear on players more. So that’s something to watch.
He will probably be their best target on set pieces with his height and athleticism. Good movement in the box. I believe he has experience playing in a back three. I don’t think of him as a great passer out of the back, but I think he’s competent enough to do what they ask of their guys. There’s also this perception that he’s old (probably because most people remember him at United and that was a while back) but he’s three years younger than Camacho.
To me, the injuries are the question, but that’s probably why he was available on a free transfer. Also, and I know fans won’t want to hear this, I think (coach Laurent) Courtois is okay with Zawadzki-Camacho-Moreira as his backline, so this could be a (Yevhen) Cheberko replacement. Given the number of games coming, that could be an important role, but I don’t know if he steps right into the starting 11.
That’s my thinking. I honestly think he’d be best used on the outside of the back three, where his pace can be a weapon (assuming the injuries haven't sucked that all away). But his size and experience should make him able to play in the center. One more thing: good dribbler.
ICMI: The Blue Jackets' schedule dropped on Thursday
This week in Discasting
Reed's support of England has come full circle. His interest was first piqued during the 1990 World Cup, when England lost on kicks to West Germany in the semifinals. He has remained stalwart through tough times and close calls. At this year's World Cup, England once again was beaten by a German coach in the semifinals (rimshot).
Condor on full vent is wonderful to see. In this pod, he has an excellent foil in Disrespected Media's First Team Video Coach Analyst, Timothy Arace. They harp on England, run through the other semifinal and make predictions on the Spain-Argentina final, to be played Sunday afternoon.
We had much fun with this one.
Aaron Portzline, a regular on the Cannon Balls podcast, returns to do some midsummer housework. We go into the weeds on restricted free agents, arbitration, no movement clauses, and what, exactly Zach Werenski said when he requested/didn't request a trade. Among other things.
Time with the Mayor of Jacketville is always well-spent.
And we have just one world/But live in different ones
I spent a lot of time commuting on the Mass Pike when I was covering the Celtics in the early 1990s. I had a 1990 Honda Civic Si with a factory-installed CD player. There were a dozen albums that kept me alive on the dark rides home in the snow. This is the title track from one of them.
From top to bottom, I like the big sound of "Making Movies" better than "Brothers in Arms," but those are tracks for another day.
I can't remember the last time I listened to a whole album in one sitting.
Man, I miss that car.
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Michael Arace
