What is going on with Boyd?

by grantgarner on Aug 27, 2025 10:20 AM PDT

So as you all have noticed, though not much has been posted about it, our $1.5 million, Scottish Premier League all time leading scorer Kris Boyd, has now sat out 2 entire matches as well as a reserve game. If he wasn't match fit previously, he certainly isn't now. What does he need to do to get back into the starting 11? Does he not match well with our "new style"? Is he on the way out with Spenny? Is he working harder on his finishing in practice or has he given up?

quoting GCA of the Oregonian:

"Boyd's form in recent games made Wilkinson's decision easier. Boyd leads the Timbers with seven goals, but he hasn't scored in six consecutive games, dating back to his two goals in a 5-3 loss to Los Angeles on July 14."

Sadly, I personally think he might be through with the Timbers if our style is younger and faster attacking football now. Is this KFC all over again? What are your thoughts?

Alright guys, I don't believe I have to say this but, just in case, please do not submit anything racist, homophobic, sexist or otherwise not appropriate for even the younger Timbers fans.

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Read More: Kris Boyd (F - Portland Timbers), Portland Timbers

Comments

Boyd

Overpriced for what we get. Nagbe is almost caught up with his goals scored at a fraction of the price. Dike is a bigger bully in the box and we have great depth with Mwanga, Fuctio, and Richards Do we really need to be putting that kind of money towards a guy who is a one trick pony and hasn’t been able to even do his one trick right? I think not. Either Boyd decides to contribute to the team game instead of demand the team contribute to his game, or get rid of him. Honestly, we could use the money for a good CAM and defender. .

by daniel.hillshafer on Aug 27, 2025 11:18 AM PDT reply actions

Nagbe is a fraction of the price for this season

After he graduates from GA he’ll get one hell of a pay raise, one on par with what M’wanga is pulling down.

Blazers win!

by The X-man on Aug 27, 2025 11:03 PM PDT up reply actions

A fraction of the price against the cap...

but I believe Nagbe is well-compensated currently but the GA status mitigates the cap hit. He’s certainly getting a raise next season but the real kicker is that his entire salary will count against the cap.

That’s my understanding. We all know how hard it can be to understand the structure of MLS.

by doozdooz on Aug 28, 2025 3:10 PM PDT up reply actions

Wrong fit

Boyd is a last piece of the puzzle type player. If your team is good at creating opportunities and is just looking for that finisher to tie everything together, he is that guy.

If you need a forward who can hold up the ball, distribute to teammates, and be a part of opportunity creation, Boyd is not and will not be that player.

He was a bad signing. It is a shame that was not recognized earlier, but it is what it is.

by BrianDB on Aug 27, 2025 12:10 PM PDT reply actions

I share most of this...

I think he’s on his way out because he doesn’t fit with the style of play we’re using and presumably we’re headed toward, particularly if Porter is brought in to coach.

I’m not going to say it was a bad hire…. he was hired under one system and doesn’t fit under the one we’re headed toward. I’m not enamored with him, but neither was I surprised. I think we got what people told us he would be. I respect him and for both parties sake I think we should both move on.

by pdxsoccerdad on Aug 27, 2025 1:26 PM PDT up reply actions

JS

I don’t think Boyd was a great fit there, either. They wanted him to be more of a target than he’s capable of being. Too many times the ball would be played to him and then be coughed up to the opponent. It’s just not his game.

If you are Rangers in Scotland, overwhelm every team you play, and need a guy to find gaps and finish, Boyd’s your man.

by BrianDB on Aug 27, 2025 4:47 PM PDT up reply actions

Interesting thoughts

Ultimately, there were times where he got the ball and dished it off alright—-I thought overall he’s been a pretty decent passer when he has actually had the ball and made a pass.

But ultimately, this is all valid. His touch on receiving a long pass is not consistent enough. The ball bounces off of him awkwardly too often.

I don’t understand why Spencer thought he was so much better as a target forward than Kenny Cooper——ultimately he may be better at redirecting a serve on frame, but you’ve also got to be able to receive the ball and control it.

Watching Feilani for Everton receive and control multiple long passes IN TRAFFIC in their win over Manchester United a couple weeks ago (and he’s a MIDFIELDER!), was really a revelation to me as to what an effective BIG target in a system with a lot of long balls should be able to do with long passes

by TimberGreen on Aug 27, 2025 4:53 PM PDT up reply actions

the criticisms against boyd were all true...

…he is lazy and one dimensional.

We need to ditch him asap, and use his salary on to shore up our D and add depth and quality to our midfield.

by Cruyff's Turn on Aug 27, 2025 12:34 PM PDT reply actions

He is one dimensional...

Which makes him look lazy. His dimension is to stand in a spot and put the ball in the net. If that were Messi’s one dimension he would look lazy too.

by smorris793 on Aug 27, 2025 4:37 PM PDT up reply actions

Spot on

See also: RVN, Inzaghi, older Romario. He is a POACHER, which is completely lost on most people here.

by Daaaaave on Aug 28, 2025 11:45 AM PDT up reply actions

I always think of RVN and Shearer when I see Boyd play, actually

Le Tissier, too, at least in his later years.

He is a POACHER, which is completely lost on most people here

“poacher” is kind of a lost art these days, which is sad.

by pdb on Aug 28, 2025 12:26 PM PDT up reply actions

It might be apocryphal

but I remember hearing a stat that, of the ~100 goals RVN scored for Man Utd, he had exactly one from outside the box. Expecting him to have a Dirk Kuyt-like workrate is like complaining because your Ferrari is a poor commuter car.

by Daaaaave on Aug 28, 2025 12:33 PM PDT up reply actions 2 recs

Rec

And as pdb says being a poacher is a lost art but that might because the tactics are going away from having someone solely there to stand in or near the box to score.

Managing Editor at Stumptown Footy the Portland Timbers SBN blog.

by Ryan Gates on Aug 28, 2025 12:35 PM PDT up reply actions

True story

I don’t know if Fox Soccer or Miami FC maybe have some archives to peruse, but check out their 2006 season when they had Romario. He literally never left the 18 yard box. Not to track back for defense, not even to get onside. He’d wait for Zinho or the wingers to bring the play to him. Standing like a statue for 45 minutes at a stretch, eventually a defender would forget he’s there and BANG! he’d score a goal. 19 goals in 25 appearances or something like that (didn’t play a full season because he didn’t want to travel too much or play on turf) and still strolled his way to the goalscoring title.

Not that Boyd = Romario or USL = MLS defenses, but that’s the way Boyd should be measured. Not long balls for him to wrestle for or through balls for him to try to outsprint someone for, but a ball at his feet in the box. I’m not yet convinced it can’t/won’t work in a 4-3-3 “progressive” “tiki-taka” formation with the right structure and training. Brendan Rodgers used Borini excellently while on loan at Swansea who is a similar type of player, albeit more mobile.

The danger is that we’ll pendulum our way to the other side, like early Seattle days with Ljungberg, Zakuani, and Montero creating dynamic chances for no one to finish, and end up just as toothless.

by Daaaaave on Aug 28, 2025 1:09 PM PDT up reply actions

I can't agree more with you

Boyd if utilized correctly can really help this team. Just look at a lot of the goals Portland has scored in the last three games. I believe Dike’s could be the only one which could be classified as off of a cross. Which is about the only service Boyd was getting prior to him being benched, you never know if he could work in this system now that the other players are actually comfortable in the system.

Managing Editor at Stumptown Footy the Portland Timbers SBN blog.

by Ryan Gates on Aug 28, 2025 2:00 PM PDT up reply actions

Boyd wouldn't have been there

In time to finish that one. He’s had a couple of decent finishes and capitalized on some mistakes to get some sneaky goals. But he was the type of player we did not need.
If you believe he’s still a class finisher and to me that’s a big if, he was still wrong for our team.
I think a big part of Spencer’s firing was his recommendation of Boyd.
He never scored much against Celtic, the only team on a par with Rangers in Scotland, MLS through salary cap is a fairly even league. If his team’s not utterly dominant then he’s not scoring heavily.

by mccusk on Aug 29, 2025 11:29 AM PDT up reply actions

I almost want to go dig up video of all his goals now just to see if that's true because it's an awesome stat if so

And just because I never miss a chance to post this:

by pdb on Aug 28, 2025 12:53 PM PDT up reply actions

Forgot one

Alan Shearer.

Seriously, people should look at a collection of Super Pippo or Wor Alan goals and count the number of times they took as many as two touches before scoring.

Hate him because he’s not finishing, not because he’s not running himself into the ground.

by Daaaaave on Aug 28, 2025 12:11 PM PDT up reply actions 1 recs

Boyd's work rate has actually impressed me

He was always much lazier than that. But yes he has missed a lot of chances.

by mccusk on Aug 29, 2025 11:33 AM PDT up reply actions

Boyd is also the Timbers' leading scorer at this point in the season, but don't let the facts get in the way of your narrative

by pdb on Aug 27, 2025 6:11 PM PDT up reply actions

He's the leadings scorer on a cellar dweller of a team that can't even crack the starting 11 because....

…he’s fricken lazy.

“looking” lazy IS lazy. He’s not “languid” or “comfortable” he is lazy. Dude let’s balls run out of bounds. He complains when he doesn’t get balls right to his feet and will refuse to chase. We score when our attacking players move in to space to receive passes, and when we run on to balls that are slipped in behind the opposing backline. If Perlaza was able to finish, he would have doubled Boyd’s total by now (and he is a bench dweller too).

I LIKE Boyd. He’s my kind of a**hole. His fire is important. But the dude does not put in a shift. This was always the dig on him, and it remains true. We heard it when he signed. It’s not me making up facts to fit a narrative. It is a fact that fits the narrative because sometimes facts create the narrative.

by Cruyff's Turn on Aug 28, 2025 8:28 AM PDT up reply actions

I always kind of chuckle when I heard the “he’s not match fit” comments. They were there at the beginning of the season, they were there after the long break (when he got married?!?!), and they’re there again now.
He’s getting paid $1.5 million, he should freakin’ be fit!!! If he can’t get out the door and do some extra running and get himself in shape, we needed to cut him loose a long time ago.

by SEDave on Aug 28, 2025 7:44 PM PDT up reply actions

The Turks had the right idea

If we stop paying him he might leave.

by mccusk on Aug 29, 2025 12:01 PM PDT up reply actions

Dump him and Chara

I’d transfer both Boyd and Chara .. and improve our defense. Boyd doesn’t fit our system and clearly was a Spencer hire. Perhaps Chara can still improve, but as a DP I’d free that spot up as well and continue the youth movement while we sort out which of our young guys have real potential.

by twbivens on Aug 27, 2025 9:38 PM PDT up reply actions

Again, the DP status is questionable. His transfer fee creates this appearance.

Eventually he will no longer be a DP, but it will take one more year.

Jag kom, jag såg, erövrade jag.

by Kejsare on Aug 27, 2025 10:47 PM PDT up reply actions

Are there people who don't think Chara is our best player?

Maybe I’m high?

by Cruyff's Turn on Aug 28, 2025 8:29 AM PDT up reply actions

apparently

only two of us

by #1 Leverage Fan on Aug 28, 2025 9:01 AM PDT up reply actions

i think there are way more than 2 that are high...

by Cruyff's Turn on Aug 28, 2025 9:02 AM PDT up reply actions

Not impressed with Chara either

Visca el Barça sempre!

by Sempre on Aug 28, 2025 11:05 AM PDT up reply actions

Fit well with JS' tactics ...

Unfortunately Spencer’s tactics were out-of-date and predictable to the point of unimaginative. Boyd worked well when playing against clubs other than Celtic, but that’s like saying your Championship-level guy scored really well against the League Two clubs. A poacher in a lone striker capacity is relatively easy to defend against, which is why they do better when either there are multiple attackers and/or the opposing side is exhausted and a poacher is placed in there as a late-game substitution.

Visca el Barça sempre!

by Sempre on Aug 27, 2025 1:25 PM PDT reply actions 1 recs

I just love how everyone was so excited to get Boyd when it was announced he was signed

And now everyone’s piling on “he’s lazy”, “he’s not right for the new system” (the one we had no idea was coming when we signed him), “get rid of him now”, etc.

Personally, I think there’s a bit of an adjustment period for European players who come over. Henry didn’t exactly light it up his first season in MLS, nor did Beckham. They’ve improved with MLS experience. I don’t see why Boyd would be any different.

I think part of his benching also has to do with the FO looking at what their “young talent” is capable of up front. Richards has had his shot and shown promise, raw as it is. Dike is obviously making the most of his chance in the XI. I think we’ll probably see M’wanga get another shot in the XI as well. Fucito, probably not, as they know what he can do, and he’s more of a depth/sub player at this point in time.

Blazers win!

by The X-man on Aug 27, 2025 11:20 PM PDT reply actions 1 recs

good point

Perhaps they are thinking further ahead and blooding young players at the end of this wasted season. He might get another half season when it counts next year, paired up with the best of the young guns from this season, then see if he stays.

by grantgarner on Aug 28, 2025 8:53 AM PDT up reply actions

This.

I really think a lot of it is viewing our last few games this season as a resource to test our young guys. Especially if this will be Porter’s team, we need info since he’s all about the young player development. We need to know what we’ve got so we can figure out who to keep and work with and who to farm out to other teams to fill our holes. The only way we’re gonna get that information is in real game situations. We know what Boyd can and can’t do. Richards, Rincon, Nagbe, Dike, etc. not so much.

by burnsbabe on Aug 28, 2025 9:53 AM PDT up reply actions

honestly

i dont remember everyone jumping for joy when we signed boyd, i remember a whole ton of apprehension. but perhaps im remembering it wrong.

by #1 Leverage Fan on Aug 28, 2025 9:01 AM PDT up reply actions

There was excitement but also a lot of "wait and see" if I remember right

by pdb on Aug 28, 2025 9:28 AM PDT up reply actions

I think your point about the adjustment period is a very good one.

Particularly for a player who hadn’t been playing a ton before coming over.

As far as the fit for the system, I think it’s an issue but not something Boyd should necessarily be blamed for. He seems like a guy who just doesn’t have the endurance to cover a lot of ground. I don’t think that means he’s lazy. Some guys can run all day; some can’t.

The 4-3-3 the Timbers are playing isn’t so different from a 4-5-1 (or a 4-1-4-1 or whatever). The center forward basically is alone up top, needs to occupy both center backs, and has to run a lot. That just doesn’t seem to suit Boyd. So if the FO decides to see what they can get for him, I would understand. I just wouldn’t be surprised if he went somewhere else and scored a bunch of goals.

by bndwgn on Aug 28, 2025 11:50 AM PDT up reply actions

I said he was a bad buy at the start

People who hadn’t seen him before might have been excited by his stats, but I knew what the stats meant – scoring on weak teams.
Comparing a guy who had never played a WC or in a top league to Boyd is a bit of stretch.

by mccusk on Aug 29, 2025 12:04 PM PDT up reply actions

Sorry, I mean to compare him to Henri or Beckham

Is a stretch.

by mccusk on Aug 29, 2025 12:05 PM PDT up reply actions

Kris Boyd

I’m a huge Kris Boyd fan (not a popular opinion these days). When that guy is ‘on’, he’s unbelievable (go batch and watch the second LA Galaxy game). He literally carried the team the first and middle part of the season and was directly, or indirectly, responsible for 10 of the 19 goals.

But, I just don’t seem him working with Gavin. I think he’s checked out at this point playing for a last place team and watching his friend Spencer being shoved out the door.

If he’s used correctly, he’s absolutely devastating. I doubt he’ll go to another MLS team and will probably find his way back to Scotland next year. Pity, because the guy is a world-class striker that just wasn’t used properly.

by Hoodriveroneill on Aug 28, 2025 9:40 PM PDT reply actions