Antonee_robinson_-_asn_top_-_fulham_-_december_2023
2024/25 England Preview

England Preview: Adams looks for healthy return, Sargent, Wright, & Morris seek promotion

ASN's Brian Sciaretta previews the 2024/25 season for Americans in England with a look at each player, where they stand, and what are their respective goals in the coming 2024/25 campaign. 
BY Brian Sciaretta Posted
August 15, 2024
6:10 AM

WE CONTINUE WITH our Americans abroad season preview from country to country. After opening in Germany, we will now head to England where the are fewer Yanks in the Premier League, but the Championship is full of American players at the moment.

Overall, there are roughly the same numbers of Americans in England. Tim Ream left for Charlotte FC, but Aidan Morris has joined Middlesbrough. Then you have the minor move of Vaugh Covil who was at Hull but left for Las Vegas in the USL Championship. There is also Gaga Slonina whose loan to Eupen ended with relegation out of Belgium’s top tier. He returned to Chelsea but will go out on loan again, this time to Barnsley.

As for the outlook, the summary is that for the key national team players the core issue is health and minutes. For players like Antonee Robinson, everything is safe. Chris Richards, meanwhile, had a very good second half of the season and finished with 2000 minutes for the first time in his career at the first-team level. For Tyler Adams, it’s about getting healthy and staying healthy. For Matt Turner, he’s a backup. Will he make a move or remain as a backup?

The Championship has a few very good stories. Josh Sargent can lead Norwich in a promotional fight if he can remain healthy. He played well while hurt since December. But now he needs to be healthy to take the next steps. Haji Wright also out of fantastic numbers in his first season at Coventry.

Aidan Morris also completed the move from the Colombus Crew and will look to anchor the Middlesbrough midfield. He was missed in the Olympics, but he can make a push for the national team with continued growth and an new open-minded manager.

But here is my preview for the 2024/25 season for the Yanks in England, knowing that even with the window still open, changes could still happen with both players leaving and players arriving.

 

The Premier League regulars

 

Antonee Robinson (left back, Fulham): Robinson has reached a great level in his career in that he can routinely turn out solid performances at the Premier League on a weekly basis. He’s one of the most consistently good American players in the game right now (probably only just behind Christian Pulisic). He has had back-to-back 3000+ minute Premier League seasons and Fulham safely avoided a relegation last year. He just turned 27 and is entering the prime of his career. It wouldn’t be surprising if a team with Champions League aspirations took notice. Left backs as good as him aren’t easy to find.

Chris Richards (central defender, Crystal Palace): It was a tough start for Richards in 2023/24 as he appeared glued to the bench, dealing with injuries, and a move on the horizon. But Richards stayed at Palace and enjoyed a big turnaround as he broke into the starting lineup and stayed there for the rest of the season – surpassing the 2000 minute mark for the first time in his career. Palace signed Moroccan national team centerback Chadi Riad from Real Betis this summer, but appears ready to sell Marc Guéhi, so Richards probably won’t get bumped from the starting XI. For Richards, it's about keeping that starting job. Palace ended last season playing great. Richards needs to start this season the same way he ended last season.

Tyler Adams (center midfielder, AFC Bournemouth): The last 18 months have been brutal for Adams. He was injured in March 2023 playing for Leeds. He made a move to Bournemouth while still hurt. He suffered multiple setbacks and only played 180 minutes in 2023/24. Over the summer, he played hurt at the Copa America and had to have back surgery. Things must improve for Adams in 2024/25, and he must play. Otherwise, Bournemouth and other clubs won’t be able to trust his reliability. He just needs to get healthy and stay on the field. It’s simple.

Matt Turner (goalkeeper, Nottingham Forest): The USMNT No. 1 goalkeeper (for now) is in a bad situation. He moved to Arsenal and didn’t play. Then he moved to Forest for minutes. It didn’t work out and kept buying keepers until they found one they were comfortable with to replace Turner. It was quite an expensive effort from Forest to replace him. After all that, he’s not going to return to the XI unless there is an injury. Even then, he won’t have the confidence of the coaching staff and front office behind him. The only positive situation for Turner is one where he leaves for a team where he can compete for a starting job.

 

The Championship regulars

 

Josh Sargent (center forward, Norwich City):  Last season was a wild ride for Josh Sargent. He injured his ankle at the start of the season and then had to miss four months. He returned after Christmas and scored 16 goals in 1994 minutes but still played with pain that affected him in the promotional playoffs. At his best, he showed he can be a starting forward capable of leading a team to promotion. This season it is about keeping up scoring and staying pain-free where his minutes are limited. If he does, Norwich can contend for promotion again. This time under a new manager after David Wagner was fired after the playoff loss. Norwich’s hopes rely heavily on Sargent.

Haji Wright (forward/winger, Coventry City):  It was a big season for Wright, who played both right wing and center forward. Between a 9th place finish in the league and a run to the FA Cup semifinal, Wright scored 19 goals. He was very effective in the Championship and Coventry are hoping to be in the mix for a playoff position this season. That will come down to Wright and him scoring at the same rate he did in 2023/24 and not having a let-up.

Auston Trusty (centerback, Sheffield United): Trusty played a lot last season in the Premier League. That’s the good news. The bad news is that Sheffield United was easily relegated and unserious in the league due to having arguably the worst defense in the history of the league. That is not all Trusty’s fault, but he was a part of it. Now he has to go from a team that was expected to lose to a team that is expected to win after relegation. He played well in the bottom half of the Championship with Birmingham City two seasons ago. But playing well for team expected to contend for promotion is a different challenge. Trusty has to play and help keep the defense together.

Aidan Morris (center midfield, Middlesbrough): Morris had a great run with Columbus leading them to two MLS Cups and a run to the CONCACAF Champions Cup final. He did everything he could do there, now it was time to move on. Middlesbrough came in for Morris, 22, and made the deal happen. The goal for Morris is to solidify a spot in their starting lineup and help them contend for a playoff spot after an 8th place finish last season. The early returns are promising based on his debut and early cup start. He has the ability to be in the mix for the USMNT, so the bar should be raised for him. He’ll require an adjustment period, but Morris needs make that as short as possible and hit the ground running. Our early bet is that he's one of the more pleasant surprises in Americans abroad this season - although people who have watched him in recent years will tell you (rightfully) that it wouldn't or shouldn't be much of a surprise. 


Lynden Gooch (defender, Stoke City): Gooch, 28, had an up and down year in his first full season with Stoke but still managed to play just shy of 2000 minutes (mostly due to an injury). He’s back to playing wing after playing right back in his final few years at Sunderland. Stoke City have been in the bottom half of the Championship in recent years. Gooch will be asked to provide goals and assists while being dangerous on the wing. Stoke needs production from savvy veterans like Gooch to avoid another relegation battle. As for the national team, it’s unlikely. But with another coach and goals and assist from Gooch, you never know.

Ethan Horvath (goalkeeper, Cardiff City): After being left off Nottingham Forest’s roster the first half of last season, Horvath made the move to Cardiff and was their immediate No. 1. He will assume that role this season. He played pretty well but needs to return to the level he was at two years ago when he helped lead Forest to promotion. He’s been solid in the Championship, now he just needs to cut out as many mistakes as possible and be a steady presence.

Reggie Cannon (right back, Queens Park Rangers): Cannon has had a very rocky run in Europe since leaving FC Dallas. He’s moved to Boavista but then sought to force a move. He claimed unpaid wages and unilaterally terminated his contract. But he recently lost a court battle and now owes Boavista €1.3 million. Meanwhile, his minutes faded badly in the last few months of 2023/24 with Queens Park Rangers and he’s only slated to be a bench player now, absent injuries. He’s another player in a tough spot right now and the lawsuit might affect him mentally.

Daryl Dike (forward, West Brom): Dike is expected to return to the field in the second half of the season for West Brom. He’s talented and very effective in the Championship but the simple need is for him to stay healthy whenever he returns. He’s had two straight Achilles injuries on the heels of other injuries. Anything he gets beyond staying healthy is a bonus.

Matthew Hoppe (forward, Middlesbrough): Hoppe has had a tough run in his career and he’s out of the plans at Middlesbrough. The question is whether Boro can find a taker that can eat some of his salary? There has not been much information from him.

 

League One regulars

 

Gaga Slonina (goalkeeper, Barnsley): The former Chicago Fire homegrown will spend this season on loan from Chelsea at Barnsley. A midtable finish is expected but to do any better, the club needs better goalkeeping. Last year’s loan to Eupen was tough for Slonina. Still just 20, he was with a club that was easily relegated and Slonina was bombarded every game. Some games he performed well, but mostly he had no chance. Unfortunately, we learned little about him. League One isn’t a high level, but for the first time in Slonina’s career (including the Fire) he will be at a team with a shot. The club needs Slonina to achieve their objectives. It’s still not a bad place for a player his age.

 

Donovan Pines (central defender, Barnsley): Pines, 26, showed some promise after joining Barnsley from DC United in January but has been dealing with injuries the past six months. He needs to get healthy and maybe get into a promotional race. At his age, he should be expected to be a leader – even if he’s new to England.

Charlie Kelman (forward, Leyton Orient): Kelman, 22, has shown glimpses of being a productive forward but hasn’t been able to stick with Queens Park Rangers. This will be his fifth loan away from QPR but his second to Leyton Orient. Last season he showed progress at Wigan, but this season will go a long way towards proving whether he has a future at QPR in the Championship. If QPR can’t stay up, Kelman likely has a role with them in League One

 

American coaches in England

 

Fabian Hurzeler (head coach, Brighton & Hove Albion): Hurzeler’s first head coaching gig was a homerun. He took over St. Pauli at the age of 29 in a relegation battle midseason. By the end of the season, he nearly had them promoted. Then in his second season, he got St. Pauli promoted. Now the Houston-born, Germany raised Hurzeler is in charge of Brighton & Hove Albion in the Premier League. He will be looking to help the club improve on an 11th-place finish in 2023/24. It’s a huge job for a manager who is just 31. He is one of the more promising young managers in the game right now.

 

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