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Posted by
Steve Bottjer,
March 14, 2013 |
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Email Steve Bottjer
Twitter @BottjerRNO |
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It certainly didn’t take long for Robert Earnshaw to endear himself to Toronto FC supporters. Scoring two goals in your new team’s home opener against a top opponent and being named Major League Soccer Player of the Week in only your second week in a new league will do that nicely.
As for the player himself, he admits that while he is enjoying his time with Toronto FC so far, he is still going through a period of adjustment and he expects his own performances and those of TFC as a whole to get better in the weeks to come.
“It has been a huge adjustment and it is going to take a little bit of time. It’s going to take me a few weeks to settle in and to just get to know my teammates as well. That’s the thing that people forget in soccer. You have to get to know your teammates – what their habits are, what they like to do – and they have to know me as well,” Earnshaw told RedNation Online recently.
“I think there is some good potential here. I think we are going to get better. Game by game and in every training session that we have, I feel like we are getting better. And that is a positive sign. As a player who has been around and been on different teams, I think what Ryan (Nelsen) is bringing to the team is something very good. It does take time and you can’t ask for miracles overnight. But you could see it even from our first game. There were some good signs there and some good play.”
While the 31 year old Wales International is still adjusting to his new surroundings, he was also quick to admit that his familiarity with and admiration of his new Head Coach, Ryan Nelsen, has played a part in his relative quick start in the North American top flight.
“I think it has helped (having Nelsen as his new gaffer). Ryan worked under Mark Hughes and the coaching staff that I had with Wales years ago. So I knew what type of mentality he probably he had. And I spoke to a few guys about him as well and everything was positive,” Earnshaw added. “When I met him and we talked about what he wants, it was really good to see. It definitely helped and made me a bit more comfortable in the move. He has played at a very high level and has played in some very big games, so that will help the team, including me. He has been very good since I have been here and I think it is going to help me settle in and help me improve my game as well.”
“Ryan has tried to help us settle in and to give us as much information as he can. I’m learning from him, which was one of the reasons I came here. I’ve played against him back in England, but you realize once you work with him one on one in training that he is very clever and has a good football brain. I want to learn from him and get better all the time.”
Like any striker, Earnshaw knows that confidence is a big part of his success and, in that vein, he also admitted that he was happy to get his first goals out of the way early in his tenure with his new club.
“It is very important (to get that first goal out of the way). It’s the first thing you have on your mind. But I was very calm going into the game. I wanted to be calm and to let the game flow and to not think too much. Sometimes it is your first game and you get really excited and you can go too much. I tried to stay calm and it paid off, as I straightaway got those first two goals,” Earnshaw said. “It was important for the team as well that we scored at the right time. It gave us a huge lift (against Kansas City).
The veteran forward also pointed to another new TFC acquisition, John Bostock, as another player who will likely only get better as he acclimatizes himself to his new team and league.
“He did very well (against Kansas City). He is trying to get his fitness and to try and know the team. He has been training with us for a few weeks and has actually been here longer than me and he knows a few of the guys pretty well now,” Earnshaw stated. “He did well (against Kansas City) and I was pleased for him. It was his first game and you always want to impress and do well. I think there will be more to come from him.”
While he was brought to Toronto mainly for his goal scoring prowess, the veteran of English football was open in stating that he would also like to use his experience to help the talented young players on the Toronto roster.
“I have played a lot of games, so I have a lot of experience. But I do like to learn the game as well. There is never a point where you reach a certain age and you think, ok, I will pass things on now. That’s the thing with soccer. You can always keep learning and get better. I’m going to try and help the team as much as I can and give them good advice based on what I have learned, what I have seen and the players I have played with. I’ve always tried to be like a sponge with people like Ryan Giggs, Gareth Bale and Craig Bellamy. If I can help my team in certain ways and we can get better, I will definitely throw that out there. I will embrace helping teammates and helping them to grow. We also all have to grow as individual players and that will make us better as a team. I will look to help the young boys as much as I can.”
Ultimately, while the rebuilding word has been thrown around plenty with respect to Toronto FC over the last several months, Earnshaw believes that Toronto has the necessary ingredients to win their fair share of matches this year.
“I think first of all you have to have the passion to win, which I see in our team. Secondly, you have to really think about the game when you are out there and really work hard whether you are attacking or defending. I can see those things as well. I can see good signs. I haven’t been here that long, so every day I have been looking to see if my teammates really have what it takes. And they do have that and I am seeing the right signs,” Earnshaw said.
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