Toronto FC place Reggie Lambe on waivers

Well, he made it through the off season and through all the pre season games, but just before making it to the start of his 3rd season with Toronto, Reggie Lambe was released to the slaughter house that is the MLS waiver system, available to other teams to pick up if they wish. The official release was a little more detailed than some of them have been, getting up to 3 paragraphs and warranting a thank you and best wishes quote from Little Tim so that's nice.

Regular readers here will know I don't really think much of Lambe's play so i don't see this as too big of a loss really. It does leave TFC a bit thin when it comes to wide players but hopefully the roster spot, cap space and international spot that this release clears will be filled in some way soon. You'd have to think there's a plan if they waited this long to waive him.

Without knowing what TFC are planning to do with the room created, it's difficult to say this is a good move or not, I was no big fan but he was relatively cheap and a reasonable depth option, his defensive work making up to an extent for the lack of production up front.  There's definitely something to be said for stability, and allowing a squad to improve through familiarity rather than always trying your luck with whoever's next through the revolving door which has never really helped TFC out in the past. Issey Nakajima-Farran was previously here on trial and if he's the one who comes in. I'd certainly take that swap, but I guess we'll have to wait and see what happens from here.

As for Lambe, defensive work is all well and good but a winger's always going to be judged by his attacking talent and contribution and sadly that just wasn't there. At the end of the 2012 season Paul Mariner referred to him as a one in sixer, which was fair, he certainly had some good games that year. The home game against Chicago stands out, not just for his two goals but watch the first half highlights, he's all over them.

Sadly there wasn't enough of that, and things got even worse in 2013 as he barely contributed anything on the attacking side. His only assist came after a woeful sequence where he gave the ball away, a DC defender gave it right back to him then he put in a cross for Bobby Convey to score.

The timing of this release is harsh on Lambe given that most MLS teams have finished their pre season and are just a few days away from their season opener. Hopefully whether somewhere in North America or elsewhere he can find another club. I'll miss the puns and the one in six jokes, but at least we'll still have his often strange, often amusing tweets.

If the Chicago game was probably his best game with TFC, his most important goal was the one he scored to clinch the 2012 Canadian Championship and keep Vancouver's filthy name off the Voyageurs Cup. If for nothing else, thanks for that Reggie.