Toronto FC coach John Carver has welcomed the arrival of Chad Barrett from Chicago Fire. The striker will train with his new team for the first time on Friday and is set to make his debut in Sunday's clash with FC Dallas (kick off 4:00 p.m. live on CBC).
"I'm pleased it has eventually happened," said Carver. "It was very frustrating to get to Salt Lake and be so close to having him available, and then it didn't happen. It's a boost for everyone to get him on board."
"It's great to have somebody with his experience. We know for a fact that he gets goals and he can assist. We've got a young player who has a good future ahead of him, and hopefully he'll be part of our future. He's been playing regularly for Chicago so he's ready to play. We'll have to gauge what his fitness levels are like, but the way I look at it, he comes in as our main striker."
Carver admits it has been a difficult few weeks with a shortage of strikers available for selection.
"We've had to play young Ibee Ibrahim all the time, and Jarrod Smith has been playing out of position. He's a wide player not a striker so it's been a difficult situation. Hopefully now we've got Chad in that can change. Ibee is ready for a break now. I've had to play him because of not having other options but I want to give his a rest. His work has been fantastic but he's ready for a break," explained Carver. "He can be such an effective player coming off the bench with 25 minutes to go and that's how I would like to use a young guy who is learning his trade."
Carver is still looking to add another striker to the squad. "We've signed Chad, but we're not going to stop there. We've got other things going on as well. Paul Dickov is one of the options but there are other options as well. Another striker is a priority for is at the moment."
