Jack Mac Frustrated with Lack of Playing Time:
On Tuesday morning at Montreal Impact training, TSN690 reporter Joey Alfieri grabbed this interesting quote from striker Jack McInerney:
Jack McInerney: “I’ve had opportunities and I’ve scored. If they don’t want to keep me on the field, that’s not my problem.” #IMFC
— Joey Alfieri (@joeyalfieri) May 19, 2015
Growing Tension:
And with those words the tension grows between Impact striker Jack McInerney and Head Coach Frank Klopas. The striker from Tennessee currently has four goals for the Impact in all competitions this season including important goals in the first leg of the Canadian Championship and the second leg of the CONCACAF Champions League (CCL) semi-final against Club Alajuelense in Costa Rica.
It has been just over a year since McInerney was acquired by the Impact in a trade with the Philadelphia Union, which sent Andrew Wenger the other way. In his first season with the Impact McInerney scored 11 goals in 32 total appearances often playing second fiddle to Marco Di Vaio.
Lost Opportunity:
2015 was suppose to be an opportunity for McInerney to take the reigns of the Impact attack with the retirement of Di Vaio, however things have not gone according to plan. During the MLS offseason there were many rumours involving world class Italian striker Alberto Gilardino moving from his team in China to Montreal. Club President Joey Saputo did not hide his desire to bring in the 32 year old Italian striker to replace and even admitted a deal was almost in place to bring Gilardino to Stade Saputo. From this moment on McInerney’s future in Montreal did not look promising.
With the arrival of Dominic Oduro and signing of Cameron Porter just before the start of the CONCACAF Champions League life for McInerney became that much more difficult. With Oduro joining the injury bay in Montreal the Impact may have no choice but to stick with the disgruntled forward and hope the storm blows over.
Trade Bait?
As the rift between Klopas and McInerney appears to deepen, there are a number of teams around MLS that would certainly be keen to acquire the strikers services. On Tuesday it was announced that Toronto FC have lost Jozy Altidore for 4-5 weeks. There is no doubt that McInerney could help fill the void left by the injury to Altidore at TFC.
Will he stay or will he go? Only time will tell.
Main Photo by Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images
