Official - Dero on trial with CELTIC

[Roogsy]

I don't know if I totally agree with that

DeRo's contract is entirely MO's mess. He promised Dero the world to get him to Toronto. He told him that he would be the DP of the club. Don't forget that Dero's first contract dispute with TFC took place before he had even donned the red jersey.

I don't blame Earl or TFC for telling Dero they don't think he's worth the treasure chest that Mo promised him.

I said yesterday that this looked like TFC were out to make Dero look like the bad guy, but I don't know if anyone is the bad guy here.

TFC is sticking to their guns on the contract (which I agree with)
Dero is looking for a better opportunity (which I don't blame him for)

I told Rooney yesterday, this is two sides with big egos on the line duking it out and the fans got caught in the crossfire.

If people don't like DeRo is not something surprising given everything that has happened. But letting TFC off the hook is the part that bothers me. It's their mismanagement, their disrespect and their avoidance that caused this whole issue to blow up.

There are certain fundamental activities that are necessary for a front office when dealing with your professional athletes. Responding to messages is one of them. I have witnessed first-hand (not just with DeRo) the frustrating experience it is to try to get a TFC staffer to respond back. When you treat your franchise player that way, you don't expect problems?

So blame DeRo, blame his agent, I can totally understand that. But if that's the case, TFC shares in the blame as well. These are two former spouses battling it out in an divorce and nobody ever looks good in that situation.

[Waggy]

I told Rooney yesterday, this is two sides with big egos on the line duking it out and the fans got caught in the crossfire.

If people don't like DeRo is not something surprising given everything that has happened. But letting TFC off the hook is the part that bothers me. It's their mismanagement, their disrespect and their avoidance that caused this whole issue to blow up.

There are certain fundamental activities that are necessary for a front office when dealing with your professional athletes. Responding to messages is one of them. I have witnessed first-hand (not just with DeRo) the frustrating experience it is to try to get a TFC staffer to respond back. When you treat your franchise player that way, you don't expect problems?

So blame DeRo, blame his agent, I can totally understand that. But if that's the case, TFC shares in the blame as well. These are two former spouses battling it out in an divorce and nobody ever looks good in that situation.

Morning Roogs. So look, we agree both parties are to blame- why continue to defend Deros actions? Can't we all just agree everyone was wrong, Deros agent acted like a DICK, Dero at best is extremely negligent and callous. The club incompetent and stupid. But the club isn't the one who can fix this situation, Deros the only one who can. Why isn't he? Why hasn't he?

[Roogsy]

Morning Roogs. So look, we agree both parties are to blame- why continue to defend Deros actions? Can't we all just agree everyone was wrong, Deros agent acted like a DICK, Dero at best is extremely negligent and callous. The club incompetent and stupid. But the club isn't the one who can fix this situation, Deros the only one who can. Why isn't he? Why hasn't he?

My position has never been that DeRo is blameless. My position has always been that DeRo is not guilty of what people here are accusing him of and had permission to go to Celtic. Permission for what? Well I too was very careful not to be specific because I did not have that information until later.

My defense of DeRo isn't that he is innocent in all this. In fact, I readily admit and have admitted on several posts that this is a negotiation play. This is the agent forcing TFC's hand to respond. I am quite certain that this "trial" or "training" with Celtic is not actually meant to result in anything. Celtic have obviously done business with Baldwin before and probably took on DeRo for the week as part of their ongoing relationship. At no point have we heard any serious talk about Celtic looking at DeRo. But it did force the TFC front office to get their ass in gear.

My guess is that this will finally result in direct contact with DeRo's agent. Something that I know has been in short supply from the TFC FO. The key statement from DeRo's camp has been that DeRo wanted the whole situation resolved by January. He did not want to go into Training Camp without knowing how things were going forward. Obviously he has not gotten any response. It's not that he got a "no" from the team, it's that they have not responsed at all. How long has it been since the infamous "cheque signing"? How long has it been since the season ended? I think their patience ran out and they had to make TFC snap out of their slumber, which we all agree seems to have been the case for the past month.

We are in the middle of a game of brinkmanship. One that I don't think will have a winner. Both reps are sullied. The relationship damaged. My guess is DeRo will be on an American team once again by the start of the season.

[jloome]

My position has never been that DeRo is blameless. My position has always been that DeRo is not guilty of what people here are accusing him of and had permission to go to Celtic. Permission for what? Well I too was very careful not to be specific because I did not have that information until later.

My defense of DeRo isn't that he is innocent in all this. In fact, I readily admit and have admitted on several posts that this is a negotiation play. This is the agent forcing TFC's hand to respond. I am quite certain that this "trial" or "training" with Celtic is not actually meant to result in anything. Celtic have obviously done business with Baldwin before and probably took on DeRo for the week as part of their ongoing relationship. At no point have we heard any serious talk about Celtic looking at DeRo. But it did force the TFC front office to get their ass in gear.

My guess is that this will finally result in direct contact with DeRo's agent. Something that I know has been in short supply from the TFC FO. The key statement from DeRo's camp has been that DeRo wanted the whole situation resolved by January. He did not want to go into Training Camp without knowing how things were going forward. Obviously he has not gotten any response. It's not that he got a "no" from the team, it's that they have not responsed at all. How long has it been since the infamous "cheque signing"? How long has it been since the season ended? I think their patience ran out and they had to make TFC snap out of their slumber, which we all agree seems to have been the case for the past month.

We are in the middle of a game of brinkmanship. One that I don't think will have a winner. Both reps are sullied. The relationship damaged. My guess is DeRo will be on an American team once again by the start of the season.

So, it turns out it was halfway between -- he asked for permission, but didn't get it or it hadn't been dealt with yet.

Can't defend that Roogsy. Even if it was the club's fault by ignoring the request, you don't just break the covenant and go train without confirmation from your own club first. That's wrong.

[ensco]

So, it turns out it was halfway between -- he asked for permission, but didn't get it or it hadn't been dealt with yet.

Can't defend that Roogsy. Even if it was the club's fault by ignoring the request, you don't just break the covenant and go train without confirmation from your own club first. That's wrong.

I think you misread that. The "no" is to the broader question, the renegotiation. Dero's camp are still saying he had permission.

The Dero camp are saying that he had a bad relationship with the team, so he went and got permission from the league, the ultimate contract holder, to train. Which was sufficient for Celtic from a legal point of view.

But why wouldn't the league check with TFC first? That is amazing. That's the piece of string I would like someone to pull on a little harder.

[Roogsy]

But why wouldn't the league check with TFC first? That is amazing. That's the piece of string I would like someone to pull on a little harder.

I have alluded to this earlier. MLS and TFC don't communicate. I have noticed it myself personally. It is a strange partnership they have and one that allows for episodes of miscommunication.

[ManUtd4ever]

I think you misread that. The "no" is to the broader question, the renegotiation. Dero's camp are still saying he had permission.

The Dero camp are saying that he had a bad relationship with the team, so he went and got permission from the league, the ultimate contract holder, to train. Which was sufficient for Celtic from a legal point of view.

But why wouldn't the league check with TFC first? That is amazing. That's the piece of string I would like someone to pull on a little harder.

The MLS head office denied granting any such permission to DeRo though. In fact, MLS indicated that they weren't aware of the situation at all until DeRo was already "training" on Celtic ground.

I believe DeRo's agent intentionally circumvented FIFA regulations and orchestrated this maneuver to try and expedite the process of Celtic evaluating his client...

[ensco]

The MLS head office denied granting any such permission to DeRo though. In fact, MLS indicated that they weren't aware of the situation at all until DeRo was already "training" on Celtic ground.

I believe DeRo's agent intentionally circumvented FIFA regulations and orchestrated this maneuver to try and expedite the process of Celtic evaluating his client...

I don't believe that the Celtic legal people are quite that gullible.