UPDATE: Ben Olsen has responded to Davies' comments, telling Steve Goff "We enjoyed having Charlie as a part of D.C. United last year. Ultimately, we decided to part ways, but we wish him nothing but the best in the future and hope he has a very successful career."
Do you realize it's been almost exactly one year since D.C. United signed Charlie Davies on a loan deal from French club Sochaux? My, how time flies and how things change.
As we know by know, Davies got off to a flying start, scoring two goals in his first United game, but struggled with injury and a lack of playing time towards the end of 2011.
Earlier this week, Davies opened up about his time in D.C. in an interview with MLS ExtraTime Radio. He started off by saying all the right things about his time with United. "It was a wonderful experience for me," he said, adding that "Benny [Olsen] was good for me."
And then, his tone shifted.
About D.C. United's choice not to extend his loan.
"They never really told me what they were feeling. They never exactly came to me and said, ‘You know, we’re going to keep you, we’re not going to keep you and see what happens.’ I kind of got the feeling they were planning on trying to keep me and maybe get a trade going [in MLS]. … I was in the dark, and all of a sudden, my agent called and said they weren’t going to take the option."
It went from: 'Charlie, you're the main man, we need you to score goals, let's get you the ball, create chances. We're confident in you.'
"To 'Okay, DeRo [Dwayne De Rosario] is the man, get him the ball, just make crazy, deep runs and stretch the defense to have space for him.'
"To really no communication: 'When you play, get off the bench, make something happen.'"
Davies went on to describe Olsen as "hard-headed when he makes a decision," description that certainly rings true.
Contrary to appearances, I don't think there's a whole lot of contradiction in Davies' statements. He was going nowhere at Sochaux when United picked him up, but he's improved enough since returning to D.C. to actually be named to the gameday squad for Saturday's match against Rennes. There's no doubt he should be grateful for that.
On the other hand, Davies was clearly more and more upset and disillusioned as the season wore on and he spent more time on the bench, so his frustration is equally understandable.
Either way, it's an interesting interview with one of the most tantalizing players this country has ever produced.
H/T Soccer Insider