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Paul King - Becoming Royalty

Started on 10 June 2019 by TheLFCFan
Latest Reply on 2 October 2019 by ScottT
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Lamah Leaves For Israel


Roland Lamah, has today completed his move to Israeli side Amutat Hapoel Be’er Sheva

FC Cincinnati winger Roland Lamah has completed his move to Israeli champions Amutat Hapoel Be’er Sheva for a reported $450,000.

With the former Belgian international joining FC Cincinnati at the end of 2018, he has only managed to make one appearance in Paul Kings FC Cincinnati squad. Lamah joined the Ohio side, from DC United at the end of the 2018 season on a free transfer. With many expecting the Belgian to be a key player for the club this season, he has seen a lack of game time due to the arrival of Julian Gressel.

Roland Lamah started his career at Belgian side Cercle Sportif Visé, playing in the Belgian second division. Making his debut in 2003, at just 16 years old, he made a total of 17 appearances for the side before a move to Belgian giants Anderlecht in 2005. Struggling to force his way in to the side, playing in just six games, Lamah was loaned out to Dutch side Roda Kerkrade in 2007.

Following a highly successful time in Holland, where the young winger scored 11 goals in 32 games, Le Mans UC 72 (now Le Mans FC) signed the Belgian for $5,250,000. It was at the Ligue 1 side that Lamah started receiving consistent game time. Making 92 appearances for the French side in his three years at the club, Lamah was given his full Belgium debut in 2009. However, his time at Le Mans 72 was cut short following the clubs relegation to Ligue 2 in 2010. Playing one season in Ligue 2, Lamah couldn’t help the side to promotion and was therefore moved on to Spanish side CA Osasuna.

Osasuna paid a total of $1,700,000 for the winger as he once again saw his game time limited after his initial 30 game season in his first year at Spain. Having only played four games in his second season, Lamah was loaned to Premiership side Swansea. In his 18 month loan, the Belgian made 14 league appearances whilst also helping the Welsh side to a Capital One Cup (now Carabao Cup) in 2014. Despite the option to buy Lamah, Swansea declined and he became a free agent.

Hungarian side, Ferencváros who play in the first division of Hungarian football, signed Lamah on a free transfer. The Belgian proved his worth playing 54 games and scoring 12 goals for the club. Whilst at Ferencváros, Lamah helped the team to their first league title for 12 years, ending a horrid run in the 2015/16 season. Despite this success, Lamah once again moved on and entered the MLS for the first time in his career.

Signing on a free transfer for FC Dallas in 2017, Lamah joined up with former Premier League player Maynor Figueroa, adding experience to the side which had just won the Supporters Shield and US Open Cup double the year before. Despite positive performances, scoring 19 goals in 61 games in his two year stint, Lamah couldn’t help bring further success to the team. With his move to Cincinnati, Lamah was expected to play an important role however, the emergence of Emmanuel Ledesma and Julian Gressel saw Lamah very often left off the bench, let alone the First XI.

Due to the lack of soccer, Lamah reportedly went to team manager, Paul King, asking to be moved on which King subsequently agreed. With a deal worth $450,000 potentially rising to $550,000, Lamah will join up with Hapoel in Israel.

Hapoel Be’er Sheva, are five time winners of the Ligat Japanika, having won the past three in a row. With young manager Barak Bakhar in charge, Lamah will be joining a club who continue to strive for the success that has currently been built. He will play alongside former AZ and PSV midfielder, Adam Maher, once considered a star for the future. Maher joined the club at the start of last season and has so far made 17 appearances scoring twice and assisting on four occasions. Hapoel Be’er Sheva fans will certainly be hopeful that the two can form a good partnership leading them to future success.

Seeing Lamah leave will benefit FC Cincinnati as they cut $818,000 (per annum) from their wage bill. This contract saw Lamah as the clubs second highest earner and it will certainly please manager Paul King, that he will have some more flexibility around the wage cap now.

“It is a shame to see Roland leave, but with the performances of Emmanuel (Ledesma), Julian (Gressel) and our draft pick David (Cooper), he often found himself not in the first team squad. Understandably, Roland wanted more game time and requested to leave so we are happy to grant his request and receive a good deal in return. We wish him the best of luck in Israel and for all future endeavours.” commented Paul King on the deal.

Lamah joins Matt Turner and Darren Mattocks in leaving FC Cincinnati in the past couple of weeks as the pair were waived by the side. Turner is still searching for a club, whilst Mattocks is waiting for a work permit which will see him move on to Scottish club Kilmarnock, who finished third in last seasons Scottish Premiership.

Replies


BigMaguire: I would of liked to keep Turner as a backup but he wanted to leave so rather than cause issues in the squad, we let him leave. Mattocks just never felt like a player I wanted to use, and probably didn't get the game time he deserved but like you said seeing both of allows us more freedom within the Salary Cap.
Scott:In all fairness Mattocks was a player I saw and initially had a dislike for and I am not sure why, I also knew him previously but for some reason he just didn't feel like the right fit and therefore saw barely any game time. Both players being moved on certainly helps us out in terms of Salary cap so I am very happy to see them go.
Justice:Atlanta are certainly one of the sides I was expecting to be challenging especially after their year last season, but they have never really put any sort of run together. They have been playing in the CONCAF Champions League which could be proving a distraction so we will see how they do in the next couple of months.
SOA: It is certainly going better than anyone expected, being between the two New York clubs is a good place to be this early and hopefully in the coming years we can be above the both of them.
Once a very highly-rated player, sad to see him go. The decision must have been a difficult one, but sometimes the necessary ones are. The money you got in return is good, so that'll be of great benefit.

Rossi Scores Cincy Trial


The former Italian striker playing at Serie A side Fiorentina

American born, former Italy International Giuseppe Rossi has today agreed to a two week trial with FC Cincinnati.

FC Cincinnati have today announced that Giuseppe Rossi, a 30 time capped Italian International, has agreed to join the side on a trial basis. Rossi, who last played for Italian side Genoa, has been searching for a new club since leaving the Serie A team in 2018.

Rossi, born in New Jersey, began his career at Parma, where he signed a contract at the age of 12, leaving his home nation at a young age. Coming through the youth rankings, Rossi was seen as a talented player from a young age and attracted English giants Manchester United, who signed him aged 17. At United, Rossi was given his club debut in November 2004 aged just 17 before his premier league debut in October 2005. Coming off the bench against Sunderland in the 78th minute, Rossi sealed the game for the Red Devils scoring a debut goal. However, Rossi struggled to gain a place in a very strong United side and was loaned out to Newcastle United in 2006.

Whilst at Newcastle, Rossi made a total of 11 league appearances and failed to find the net, with his only Newcastle goal coming against Portsmouth in the 3rd round of the League Cup. Come January 1st, Rossi’s deal ran out and he was once again loaned out, this time to former youth club, Parma. The Italian found more success at Parama as he netted nine times in 19 games. However, his performances wasn’t enough to convince then Manchester United boss, Sir Alex Ferguson, that he should remain a United player and was instead sold to Spanish side Villareal .

With a deal worth up to $12,500,000, Rossi soon began showing his class, scoring on debut once again with his first Villareal goal coming against Valencia. He soon became a fan favourite at the club and ended his Villareal career with 132 league appearances scoring 54 goals for the Spanish club. It was at Villareal where Rossi received his first Italy call up in 2008, making his debut against Bulgaria in a World Cup qualifier. Rossi had a breakout year, showing the world his class in the 2010/11 season scoring a remarkable 32 goals in all competitions playing a total of 56 matches. However, the following season saw an anterior cruciate ligament injury, starting a theme of injuries that has plagued the striker throughout his career.

Despite suffering two ligament injuries in a two years and being out injured for 16 months, Rossi was signed by Fiorentina for $13,250,000 in January 2013. The 2013/14 season started brightly for Rossi, who was the Serie A top scorer with 14 goals in 18 games, however, a poor tackle from Leandro Rinaudo once again saw Rossi injure his knee.

Continuing to suffer injuries, Fiorentina loaned the nicknamed Pepito Rossi (meaning Diminutive in Spanish) to Levante and then Celta Vigo in 2016. Rossi showed flashes of his brilliance throughout both spells but once again his fitness couldn't match the performances. A ruptured ACL in April 2017 whilst at Celta Vigo, saw Rossi run his Fiorentina contract down, becoming a free agent in July 2017.

Genoa, signed Rossi in January 2018 on a free, but the Italian only managed five appearances for the club before a failed drug test in May 2018 saw him leave the club at the end of the season. He was later given a warning, as it was found there was no intention from Rossi to take the banned substance, however, Rossi has been without a club since leaving Genoa.

It was reported in January of this year that the Italian was training with former club Manchester United in order to build up his fitness in the hunt to find a new side. This may have paid off for him as it seems that FC Cincinnati are interested in the striker.

Rossi was seen training as a free agent at Manchester United in January.

With Fanendo Adi reportedly unhappy with his lack of game time this season, the fourth of the season for Cincy, following Matt Turner, Darren Mattocks and Roland Lamah, who have now all left the club, this deal could be a precaution for manager Paul King. If the Orange and Blue were to sell Adi they would be left short in the striker department with only Brian Black, the number one overall pick in the 2019 Superdraft, and Diego Forlán able to perform upfront for the side.

Manager Paul King commented on Rossi’s trial stating.

“Yes, Giuseppe is currently training with us and we are looking at him. He is obviously a very talented footballer who has been ridiculously unlucky with injuries throughout his career. His class is clear to us after one session, we are analysing his fitness and at the moment it seems to be up to standard. We won’t be making any rash decisions and for now this is just a player picking up fitness, however, we are paying close attention.”

Cincinnati have performed to a very high standard this season so far, sitting in 3rd place just behind New York City (in second) and New York Red Bulls (in 1st) in the Eastern Conference. Brian Black, the most played striker in the side, has scored four goals in 14 games whilst Diego Forlán, has come off the bench eight times failing to find the net yet. Therefore, Rossi could be a new addition to find a few more goals for the club who have relied on midfielders Jimmy Medranda (6 goals in 17 games) and David Cooper (4 goals in 14) to score the teams goals.

With King not being clear on whether Cincinnati will be signing the Italian, it does seem evident they are interested in the idea. Time will tell if the American born star will be coming back to his country of birth.

Replies


Justice: It was a tough one, I would of liked him to stay as a rotation option but the game time hasn't been enough for him so we needed to let him go. His salary was also a concern as he was the second highest earner and only played a handful of games. Thankfully we have bought in a decent fee for him and his salary is now of the cap.
Lamah's departure makes sense given his lack of minutes. The likes of Gressel have phased him out of the side completely, so it was in everybody's interests that he left the club. The additional funds can be used in other means. Rossi has been very fortunate with injuries which have hampered his ability to play sufficient minutes of football within the past few seasons. However, when fit, his ability is fantastic and if he can prove his fitness during his two-week trial, it could be worth investigating whether he would be open to a move. It's important that Paul makes the right decision, as you don't want him on a high-wage and not playing enough football to make that contract worthwhile.
Giuseppe Rossi, wow what a player in his hey-day. Hopefully you can sign him on a permanent basis to replace Lamah and co., as im sure he still has a lot to give
Obviously out of his prime years and has suffered an unfair amount of terrible injuries throughout but the idea of MLS has proven to be an attraction to any player of any reputation, especially those who are ageing and still want to compete at a very high level. Hoping Rossi can provide the goods on his trial and then be taken on permanently!
Landing Rossi could prove to be a massive coup, if he can hold his fitness. He used to be considered as one of the top up-and-coming strikers, but then his career fizzled out. One last chance for him now to secure a big move. Hopefully he makes the most of it and becomes an asset for you.
TheLFCFan's avatar Group TheLFCFan
5 yearsEdited


King Signs New Cincy Deal


FC Cincinnati General Manager, Gerrard Nijkamp, has today announced that manager Paul King has signed a new contract keeping him at the club until at least December 2020.

Paul King has once again extended his FC Cincinnati contract, ensuring he stays at the club until 31st December 2020. After signing his first contract at the club 1st December 2015, becoming the clubs first, and as of so far only manager, Paul has continued to take the club to new heights.

King, a Cincinnati native, was born in 1987 to English parents, has represented Cincinnati at every level of soccer. Having attended Turpin Highschool in Cincinnati, King was a key part of the sides DII State Championship wins in 2000 and 2001, despite being just 14 and 15 in those years. Clearly a standout player from a young age, King moved to the University of Cincinnati on a scholarship in 2005 for his soccer ability.

The following year, the University appeared in only their third NCAA tournament, with King, a strong central midfielder being a key part of it. The Bearcats, as they are known, couldn’t make it out of the first round, and King started to develop some injury concerns. With a year left at the University, King had to stop playing the game he loved and instead stepped into an assistant coaching role.

Under the mentorship of Hylton Dayes, King developed a knack for coaching and began taking his coaching badges. When Dayes left the University at the end of 2011, King was immediately promoted into the role. His aim was to take the University back to the NCAA tournament and do better than any Bearcats side before, leaving the first round.

After three years of coaching at the University, King finally achieved his goal, taking his side to the 2015 NCAA tournament. Ranked as the 16th seed, they face Ohio State University in Round One. With the game at a deadlock, Eman Appiah, now of the LA Galaxy, scored the winning goal in the 72nd minute for the young coaches side. Having taken the University out of the NCAA first round for the first time, King was invited to an interview as the Head Coach of FC Cincinnati.

With a deal being agreed at the end of 2015, Paul King was announced as the first Head Coach of the club, something owner Carl Linder III and Team President Jeff Berding, are yet to regret. King led the side to a USL playoff in 2016 before a disappointing 6th placed finish in 2017. However, in 2018, FC Cincinnati were announced as the newest Major League Soccer side.

Since joining the MLS, King has taken Cincy to further heights. With the arrival of Diego Forlán, boosting the clubs reputation, along with a number of deals including making Brian Black the number one pick in the 2019 Superdraft, Cincinnati currently sit 1st in the Eastern Conference. With many predicting the Orange and Blue to be a mid-table side at best, King has certainly led his side to exceeded expectations.

Current General Manager, Gerrard Nijkamp had the following to say on the renewal of Paul Kings contract.

“We are very happy that Paul has decided to stay at our club. He has taken us from a club with no players, no staff and very little facilities and helped lead us to the MLS. We now have our own training ground, the recently built Mercy Health Training Complex and we will be moving in to our very own stadium in 2021. We also have some of soccer’s biggest names at the club now, with the likes of Diego Forlán and Pauls assistant Avram Grant. Sitting in 1st place in the Conference is an incredible feat and we hope that Paul can continue to lead this team to glory.”

The new deal sees the 31 year olds wage rise from $833,000 a year to a staggering $916,000, an increase of almost $100,000.

Replies


Scot: That was certainly the thinking with Lamah, he was a good player but unfortunately was on way to much money for my liking. That was the main reason for the trial instead of just signing him up immediately, his injuries have destroyed his career which is unfortunate. Time will tell if we sign him up permanently
BigMaguire He was a great player and had tons of potential but injuries hampered him so we are still unsure on the risk.
Jack: It certainly has and at 32, Rossi still has a good few years left where he can compete at this level. He will have to prove his fitness first and it will be interesting to see if we take the plunge.
Justice If he can prove his fitness, he will certainly be a big coup for us, but it is a big if after the amount of injuries and length of time he has missed throughout his career.
A huge increase in his wages, something which Paul has certainly merited given his successful spell in charge of the club in their debut MLS season. Who knows, the ultimate prize may be heading to Cincinnati!


30 Minutes with: Paul King


Our second edition of “30 Minutes with:” see’s us talk to our Manager/Head Coach Paul King, who has recently signed a new contract with the club. King, who became Head Coach in 2015, has taken us from USL to now sitting in the top spot of the MLS Eastern Conference.

Welcome Paul to, today's edition of 30 Minutes with. Thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule to talk to us today.

Thank you, I’m more than pleased to sit down and talk with you today.

Let’s get stuck in to it. You were a keen soccer player from a young age, playing and winning two state championships in High school and competing in the NCAA tournament for University of Cincinnati in 2006. How do you look back on your school soccer career?

My career wasn’t what I had imagined when I first started playing football which, when you grow up with English parents it's what you call the game. I was a talented player, I was always one of the key players in any side I played in and I also grew and got stronger a lot earlier than most kids. I think that certainly helped me especially in High School as I was playing against 17/18 year olds as a 14 year old. Winning those two state championships was great for me and I loved every moment of it, it gave me my first real taste of success and it made me hungrier for more. Joining University of Cincinnati was also massive for me, and helping the side to its third ever NCAA tournament was another push towards wanting more. But unfortunately my early growth had caused me problems and I started developing back problems that meant after games I could barely walk or stand up straight. It led me walking away from the game but thankfully I never fell out of love for it.

So after the disappointment of ending your soccer, or as you say, Football career, how quickly did coaching become an option?

It became an option almost immediately I guess. I hadn’t really thought about it until I went and spoke to Coach Dayes. My mindset going into the meeting was to tell him I couldn’t play anymore and that I will still be at every match supporting the boys. I was going to focus on my final year of College and see where that led me. But after I said to Coach that I couldn’t play anymore he immediately asked me about coaching. As I said, I hadn’t even considered the possibility but as soon as he said it I jumped at the chance. Initially I was going to become one of two Assistants but the other coach left leaving me as Coach Dayes only number two. I had always enjoyed the tactical side of the game, especially after watching the great Brian Clough’s Nottingham Forest side on VHS tapes. My Dad used to let me watch them as a treat and I was always interested from a young age, how each team set up and in what formations. It was only around the time I got the job as Assistant Coach I realised just how important a great number two is, something Clough was lucky to have in Peter Taylor. I had always wanted to be a coach but just didn’t see how it would be possible without a playing career, thankfully Coach Dayes ignored that and gave me the chance.

You mention Coach Dayes, What impact did he have on you as a Coach?

Coach Dayes was great. He was always there for me but also told me when I had done something wrong, I always knew where we stood with each other, which I think is an important relationship to have with your players. When he made me an Assistant, I look back on it now and realize he was grooming me into a Head Coach from the word go. He has since told me that he knew I had the potential to Coach at the highest level and was determined to see me achieve my dreams. For that I am forever thankful to him. He certainly helped me learn in the coaching game, and when he left in 2011 he told me straight away that I was ready for the Head Coach role. Without those words of encouragement I don’t think I would of lasted in the job.

Clearly a man you have a tremendous amount of respect for. It has been stated numerous times before that when you became Head Coach your goal was to take the side to at least the second round of the NCAA tournament. Why was this your ultimate goal?

I loved the University. I had been there hundreds of times before, even before I joined it, as me and my Dad used to go and watch games there whenever we could. So the Bearcats had always been in my heart. Despite playing Soccer for years, they had only ever reached the NCAA tournament three times and had never left the first round. So I was determined to change that. It might not be seen as the most incredible achievements, but for me, it will always be something I cherish.

It was certainly an impressive feat to overcome that Ohio State side. How important do you think that win was to becoming FC Cincinnati’s first Head Coach?

Oh it was of utmost importance, if we don’t win that match, I am almost certain they go elsewhere. Us reaching the NCAA tournament was big news around the city as that was very unexpected. But beating Ohio State, that became national news and probably grabbed the clubs attention. I know both Carl and Jeff are Cincinnati born and bred like myself, so I think that also played a part in their decision. But getting that win against Ohio was certainly the key in my opinion.

So what was the conversation like when you were first contacted by the club?

Like everyone in the city who loved football, I was very excited about the new side, but I was focused on my job at the University of Cincinnati. I got a call sometime in October whilst walking around Cincinnati Zoo famous for Harambe, from Carl Linders, the clubs owner. At first I didn’t believe it was him but after a while I started to realize it was really him. He invited me to come and talk with him and Jeff (Berding) later in November. He never really mentioned it as an interview more as a look towards the club and the aims it should have. I thought he just wanted a Coach, from the city, to give their perspective. Little did I know they were ready to give me the Head Coach role and just needed to see my vision.

What was the discussion like?

It was good. We spoke about the vision of the club, the goals they had set out where they wanted to be in five years time and so on. I was really excited just listening to them, but when they offered me the job at the end of the talk I was blown away.

You say you were offered the Job instantly, Why did it take so long for the announcement?

We had the first talks in the middle of November, I verbally agreed at the end of the talks and we spent a couple weeks going over paperwork and what we wanted. The club also had to agree to a compensation fee with the University but it didn’t need to be rushed at that point. The Pre-season was still weeks away and me and Jeff who was the General Manager at the time were in constant communication about players and staff.

You were officially announced on 1st December 2015. What was the first act you made as Head Coach?

Myself and Jeff had already set up trials for the week after, we had no players at that point so we had to see our options. We found a few good players and bought them in before making deals with players and teams around the league. It was very stressful at times but a lot of fun building a team from scratch.

How do you look back on the USL years?

In a word, fondly. We certainly weren’t the best team in the league, we never really had the most talented players or best coaches there but we had an insane level of support. The fans continued to turn out and the amount of records we broke for attendances in that league was crazy. It made me fall in love with this club straight away and ultimately helped us become an MLS franchise.

You mention the MLS. How was the transition to the Major Leagues?

Again, it was tough, very tough at times, but also very enjoyable. We weren’t quite rebuilding from scratch this time, but we did make a lot of changes. Gerrard (Nijkamp) came in as the new General Manager. I then completely refurbished my coaching staff as well as the scouting department and medical team. I think bringing in Avram (Grant) was a great deal for us. Having a very experienced man in as my assistant has helped the transition tremendously. We also bought in some much needed new faces. The likes of Diego (Forlán) joining boosted our quality and experience. The draft also bought in some really talented players, firstly in the expansion draft with the likes of Julian (Gressel), Jimmy (Medranda) and Rasmus (Schüller). Then in the Superdraft we picked up some very good young talents like Brian Black and David Cooper who have both played some very important minutes so far this year.

This season has been incredible for the club, currently topping the Eastern Conference. How do you assess the season so far?

It has been incredible so far, the boys have been excellent, as have the fans and we are playing some very attractive football. But the thing is, it is only ‘So far’ we still have what 14 or 15 games left this year, so we are only just over half way. We can’t sit back and say ‘after 19 games we were top of the conference’ it won’t suffice. We need to continue what we have done up to this point and ensure we don’t lose our heads. We are only top by a point and New York City and New York Red Bulls have two games in hand on us. So as much as it has been a season that has exceeded most peoples expectations, we are not settling.

It certainly has exceeded almost everyone's expectations, and that has seen you rewarded with a new contract. Can we get your thoughts on that?

I am delighted to have signed a new deal at the club, it adds an extra year on to my current contract and means I have at least another 18 months here. I hope within those 18 months I can continue to impress and keep the fans happy. We are building something big here and I am overjoyed to play my part in it.

We are delighted to have you here as well. Thank you Coach King for taking time to speak to us today, hopefully we see you again soon.

Replies


Scott: It will be tough to deliver but that will certainly be the end goal for King. Still a long way to go this season though!
Fantastic update and a great insight into Paul and his work at the club, as well as his life prior to Cincinnati. He has very clear aims in his mind and is determined not to rest on his laurels. It's easy to admire the current league position but it now has to be solidified, with tough competition following you closely.
Ah Harambe, good to see our King show his devotion to the good cause. A humble man and a humble creature. May Cinci live on knowing that they're in charge of a man who was groomed as a young man, and has a love for monkeys.
Great writing Seb. Paul King seems to be very down-to-earth and to be a very knowledgeable guy, especially considering he played high level football himself.
Coach Dayes certainly knows what he's looking for when he pointed out you as becoming a potentially great manager. I'd say his assessment is fair given your current league stance!
Thank God Coach Dayes did what he did or else we wouldn't have the King boy as a manager. A proper mentor!

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