Media Microscope: Landon Donovan's Loan to Everton

From an American perspective, the move could hardly have worked out better: our best outfield player gets to face some of the world's top competition in a side where he will undoubtedly get some serious run. American soccer blog baron Ives Galarcep agrees:

“Everton would be a perfect short-term destination for Donovan....With Yakubu set to play in the African Cup of Nations, Jo struggling to score, and Louis Saha a notorious injury risk, Donovan could certainly get minutes in what will be a congested fixture schedule. Nevermind the fact that Donovan can contribute at multiple positions.”

Goal.com's Greg Lalas points out the odd, but undeniable fact that this, Donovan's third stint in Europe is the first where he's actually been desired by the club at which he is playing.

“Honestly, it's hard to see any negatives in Landon Donovan joining Everton. Number one, it's a club that actually wants him. I never got the feeling last year that Bayern was interested in really having Landon Donovan there.”

Over at ESPN's Soccernet Blog, Conor Nevins focuses on the implications and ramifications this move will have for the national team this summer in South Africa (hint: positive).

“The real winner in this deal is the U.S. national team....American fans have long seen team success at the international level and the migration of young players to Europe as being intertwined. Which brings us back to Donovan. Fair or not, he's the standard for which the national team is judged. And the reality is, the greatest talent America has to offer doesn't play against the greatest talent the world has to offer..... Perhaps now we'll get to see how Donovan fares in arguably the greatest league in the world.”

True story. So, with all of the accolades being thrust towards Donovan's Everton loan, surely, there are some dissenting voices. Well of course there are! For those, we'll hop across the pond and poll some journalists from America's 18th century -and now June 2010- foe: The Redcoats. Reuters UK's Simon Evans, take it away.

“Donovan’s place in the U.S squad is absolutely secure and his coach Bob Bradley would be the last person urging him to go and play in Europe during a period of the year when MLS players are supposed to be recovering ahead of the new season. What is driving Donovan’s possible move is not the World Cup or any thoughts about the U.S national team but his own lack of satisfaction with his club career.

“Although he has frequently impressed for the U.S, European clubs have not been lining up to make offers for Donovan and at the age of 27, he must know that unless he moves soon he will be forever remembered as a player who scored in CONCACAF qualifiers and in MLS but who failed in Europe. Donovan is not a physical player and his game relies on his deftness of touch, intelligent passing and finishing ability. The feeling of many in the game was that he was ill-suited to the physical game in the Bundesliga. England is even tougher on that front.”

How selfish! Donovan's personal career motives are causing him to play competitive matches against some of the world's best teams for three months leading up to the biggest tournament of his life, when he could be at home in Los Angeles being a good teammate and....running on the beach? Watching film? Surfing? Playing FIFA 2010? Evans' second point about the EPL not being well suited to his style of play may be salient, but arguing that Bob Bradley is going to lose sleep over his top player getting more matches in the world's best league is unsubstantiated, at best.

At Premier League Fanhouse UK, Jason Mellor highlights Donovan's past European stints as predictors of his upcoming move, then sneaks in a solid MLS jab:

“A cursory glance at his domestic career will hardly fill the average Evertonian with anything other than dread. Donovan barely made it into the teens in terms of appearances at a decent standard for Bayer Leverkusen and Bayern Munich in Germany's Bundesliga, while failing to trouble the scorers in any of those games.

“In between, he may have made the ground move with the San Jose Earthquakes, and outshone the fading Becks in LA, but we all know that's at a level more Mickey Mouse than the main attraction down the road at Disneyland”

Ouch. Despite some skepticism emanating from the British Isles, the most common sentiment in England with respect to Donovan's loan is that of indifference. In a sampling of some of Britain's media standard bearers- The BBC, The Guardian, Sun, The Times, Telegraph, and Daily Mirror- the only stories reporting Donovan's arrival were short news features, featuring quotes from Everton manager David Moyes, some history of Donovan's career and a few stats here and there.  In short, the coverage given to a player added to strengthen the numbers, not a major international star. Given Donovan's past performances in Europe, it's hard to fault them for this type of coverage.

Your move, Landon.

Seth Vertelney, Goal.com

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