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Maurice Edu is now a member of the Philadelphia Union. Shocking? It is for all of us. After all of the waiting we've endured this offseason, the Union have answered criticism in the biggest way. Now the question arises, does the addition of Maurice Edu improve the Philadelphia Union?
I posed this question to the Brotherly Game writing staff. Lets see what they think:
Nicholas Youngstein - Yes, if he supplants Brian Carroll in the regular XI.
Frank Cobbina - Yes, because with Edu I imagine the Union will do a much better job of owning the middle of the pitch with better midfielders like Maidana, Pfeffer, and Edu.
Eugene Rupinski - It gives the Union arguably the best CDM in MLS right now, which means the team can move Brian Carroll and his huge salary or force him to take a pay cut to stay on. The downside to this is that Amobi is now 3rd on the depth chart at CDM, so any hopes of him playing this position anytime soon are, as Hackworth would say, laughable. If he is used properly he'll be a huge asset, however this team doesn't have the best track record when it comes to using players properly.
William Murphy - Regardless, better players make a better team. You can say that tactics and such matter, and they do when all else is about level, but when you bring in players who are the next level or higher, it makes you a better team.
JC Escobar - Yes, anytime you bring talented players into your roster, is a good situation. The real question is, Will Hackworth know how to utilize him properly?
Jared Young - So I love the Edu signing but I'll throw out the naysayer argument. To get Edu we had to put Ethan White at CB (at this point) and for me that downgrade from Parke is a bigger problem than Edu is a solution. White is a big gamble as everyday starter and there is very little defensive depth right now. I see that as a huge issue.
John Whitesall - The midfield is a mess. His presence alone will help out greatly.
Doop cast - Yes, it improves the midfield without question. The signing of Kléberson also improved last year's midfield but he was terribly undervalued by the coaching staff until it was too late. Perhaps a more pertinent question would be 'Will Hack use the parts he has to create a negative or a positive midfield?' Of that I am not so sure.
Maurice Edu's acquisition is a huge signing for Philadelphia. The pure fact he is on the roster improves the team regardless of where he plays. He is a player on a different level from anyone on the roster right now. Extensive experience in Europe and with the USMNT is more impressive than any other player on the Union roster. The only questions that remain aren't on Edu's shoulders, they're on Hackworth's. If Hack can't hack it tactically with the shiny new piece he just snatched, the Union will find themselves in a similar situation as they did with their previous two marquee designated players.
