New England - Postmatch

[SoupInNYC]

Seems like its an unpopular opinion here but that was another part of the problem... he started out one footed but finished going in 2 footed and opened his legs up, his legs then got wrapped around the player. That's a red card slide. Add to that that his studs were up. It was one of those grey area fouls were the rulebook says its a red, but sometimes the ref wont call it. I personally had no issue with the call, it was a silly reckless tackle on jacks part and he should have known better.

ETA: also a lot of people are saying that it wasnt intentional so it shouldnt be a red. It doesn't always have to be intentional for it to be a red card challenge. Could it have been a yellow, sure. But red wasnt a bad call. If it happened to one of our guys and they didnt give a red id be livid.

I think a lot of the frustration with the call was that it is often not given as a red within this league. We've seen many similar studs-up tackles that are only given as yellows.

That said, I didn't necessarily disagree with the red card decision. But I definitely would have liked the ref to have consulted VAR on it.

 

[Ulrich]

Well sure, that's probably the definition of a dangerous play, no?

For Jack’s future family.

 

[Ulrich]

Seems like its an unpopular opinion here but that was another part of the problem... he started out one footed but finished going in 2 footed and opened his legs up, his legs then got wrapped around the player. That's a red card slide. Add to that that his studs were up. It was one of those grey area fouls were the rulebook says its a red, but sometimes the ref wont call it. I personally had no issue with the call, it was a silly reckless tackle on jacks part and he should have known better.

ETA: also a lot of people are saying that it wasnt intentional so it shouldnt be a red. It doesn't always have to be intentional for it to be a red card challenge. Could it have been a yellow, sure. But red wasnt a bad call. If it happened to one of our guys and they didnt give a red id be livid.

My issue with it is that the Ref made this call, and that’s his decision, but he didn’t use VAR to confirm it. Having done this (the red) he then wildly didn’t enforce other plays that were of equal or worse danger to the victimized player. How many forearms to the back of the head/neck does TMac and Villa need to take to draw a red? When does a kick to the head constitute dangerous play?

I didn’t like Harrison’s red, but once it was called I expected an evenly called game for other fouls. Since they weren’t called, I’m angry that the distribution of punishment was one way.

 

[roxfontaine]

I'm completely resigned to the fact that we just aren't ready. We had a great season again but we are missing something/someone very important. I don't know what it is exactly. We're stumbling forward still and have shown absolutely no signs of turning it around. I can always take a competitive loss. We were trash on the day and were it not for Sean Johnson being fantastic, the score line could have been significantly worse.

Now we have to go to CitiField and spill our guts one more time for a team that just looks lost. I'm not enthusiastic about it.

 

[Jon]

I'm completely resigned to the fact that we just aren't ready. We had a great season again but we are missing something/someone very important. I don't know what it is exactly. We're stumbling forward still and have shown absolutely no signs of turning it around. I can always take a competitive loss. We were trash on the day and were it not for Sean Johnson being fantastic, the score line could have been significantly worse.

Now we have to go to CitiField and spill our guts one more time for a team that just looks lost. I'm not enthusiastic about it.

We haven't played with our best XI on the field all season and we're short 1 DP because of Pirlo. Unless we see some life from this team on Sunday I'm resigned to the fact that it'll be a quick exit out of the playoffs.

 

[sbrylski]

I'm completely resigned to the fact that we just aren't ready. We had a great season again but we are missing something/someone very important. I don't know what it is exactly. We're stumbling forward still and have shown absolutely no signs of turning it around. I can always take a competitive loss. We were trash on the day and were it not for Sean Johnson being fantastic, the score line could have been significantly worse.

Now we have to go to CitiField and spill our guts one more time for a team that just looks lost. I'm not enthusiastic about it.

I had a scary thought. The last few weeks, this team has felt like it's missing a heart. That heart has always been David Villa. Are we watching his step get lost?

That's not to blame our recent struggles on Villa. One player is not the team. But if Villa needs help, who steps up?

If we don't nail the next DP signing over the winter, and Villa needs more rest next year or starts to show his age out of the gate, we could easily have a lost season.

 

[mgarbowski]

We haven't played with our best XI on the field all season and we're short 1 DP because of Pirlo. Unless we see some life from this team on Sunday I'm resigned to the fact that it'll be a quick exit out of the playoffs.

Yeah but Rox is right. Lately things are worse. We didn't have our best 11 all year and Pirlo has been a coach's decision DNP since the first quarter of the season. NYCFC was riding pretty high until about 2 months ago. We never recovered from the September international break. It might be that Villa is still not himself. Maybe other players are playing through knocks.

 

[roxfontaine]

Are we watching his step get lost?

Yes.

Nobody even has the chance to step up unless Vieira adjusts the philosophy to accommodate the talent. Right now it's just "Get the ball to Villa. Only shoot if you have an Opta shot."

We couldn't put the damn ball on frame with 20+shots before. Now we can't even get a shot in the first place. Trash.

 

[sbrylski]

Yes.

Nobody even has the chance to step up unless Vieira adjusts the philosophy to accommodate the talent. Right now it's just "Get the ball to Villa. Only shoot if you have an Opta shot."

We couldn't put the damn ball on frame with 20+shots before. Now we can't even get a shot in the first place. Trash.

His game ratings from WhoScored since he made an appearance for the Spanish National Team:

5.81
6.58
6.47
7.63
7.03

That's compared to his overall of 7.58. He's either battling an injury, or just can't carry this team alone for 34+ games straight.

 

[roxfontaine]

He's either battling an injury, or just can't carry this team alone for 34+ games straight.

Both. Rodney has been a non-factor in the attack. Yangel hasn't looked the same. We were missing Maxi. Jack gets sent off early but he hasn't been all that threatening either.

Everything is off. It's on Vieira to figure it out and FIX IT FAST! We know that these guys are capable in various configurations. There are definitely some very weak links but the players aren't the biggest problem right now. The philosophy and strategy is.

 

[LionNYC]

Both. Rodney has been a non-factor in the attack. Yangel hasn't looked the same. We were missing Maxi. Jack gets sent off early but he hasn't been all that threatening either.

Everything is off. It's on Vieira to figure it out and FIX IT FAST! We know that these guys are capable in various configurations. There are definitely some very weak links but the players aren't the biggest problem right now. The philosophy and strategy is.

 

[Christopher Jee]

I'm completely resigned to the fact that we just aren't ready. We had a great season again but we are missing something/someone very important. I don't know what it is exactly. We're stumbling forward still and have shown absolutely no signs of turning it around. I can always take a competitive loss. We were trash on the day and were it not for Sean Johnson being fantastic, the score line could have been significantly worse.

Now we have to go to CitiField and spill our guts one more time for a team that just looks lost. I'm not enthusiastic about it.

I agree, but I think it's more of a case of timing than personnel. We got hit by a lot of injuries at the wrong time and we probably could have used another month to have them integrated and firing on all cylinders again. We don't have that month, and as Gotham Gator said, we needed this and the Columbus game to be about game-testing whatever work we've been doing in training to build the fluency and familiarity back up.

I also feel like morale has dropped, but I might just be projecting. I'm not sure if it's unrelated to the lack of chemistry, caused by it, or the cause of it. Villa's hands are spending a lot of time on his hips or on his head. We've had one disruptive and morale-sapping venue change with another one to come next week. When Khiry's sub was announced, I felt like all of the air left the team and the supporters' section. After the send-off, it looked to me like we were playing for fouls to make a point about the unbalanced refereeing, instead of trying to get back into the game. The entire team is playing like everything's against them and it's not fair and they're doomed to fail for reasons out of control. Basically, they're throwing a tantrum.

I'd love to see somebody on the team or staff turn this into a leadership moment and use all of the hardship and inconvenience to galvanize the team, Mourinho-style, into some really gutsy, backs-against-the-wall, no-fucks-given performances from here until the season is over. But I can't help but feel like the season is mentally already over for some of the players, if not the entire squad and staff.

 

[Christopher Jee]

I agree, but I think it's more of a case of timing than personnel. We got hit by a lot of injuries at the wrong time and we probably could have used another month to have them integrated and firing on all cylinders again. We don't have that month, and as Gotham Gator said, we needed this and the Columbus game to be about game-testing whatever work we've been doing in training to build the fluency and familiarity back up.

I also feel like morale has dropped, but I might just be projecting. I'm not sure if it's unrelated to the lack of chemistry, caused by it, or the cause of it. Villa's hands are spending a lot of time on his hips or on his head. We've had one disruptive and morale-sapping venue change with another one to come next week. When Khiry's sub was announced, I felt like all of the air left the team and the supporters' section. After the send-off, it looked to me like we were playing for fouls to make a point about the unbalanced refereeing, instead of trying to get back into the game. The entire team is playing like everything's against them and it's not fair and they're doomed to fail for reasons out of control. Basically, they're throwing a tantrum.

I'd love to see somebody on the team or staff turn this into a leadership moment and use all of the hardship and inconvenience to galvanize the team, Mourinho-style, into some really gutsy, no-fucks-given performances from here until the season is over. But I can't help but feel like the season is mentally already over for some of the players, if not the entire squad and staff.

Except Johnson. And Kwame. Kwame looked like a total baller for those 10 minutes.

 

[Ulrich]

Except Johnson. And Kwame. Kwame looked like a total baller for those 10 minutes.

Dude, be careful, I was already called out for saying Awuah looked good after only 10min.

 

[Fake Jew]

Am I the only one that thought Yangel was insane last night? Dude was fucking everywhere.

 

[Seven]

Am I the only one that thought Yangel was insane last night? Dude was fucking everywhere.

His passing was terrible* though

*terrible for him

 

[Marito]

Ring was also excellent, and committed almost no fouls. Callens and Brillant were good. And I liked Struna and was puzzled he was subbed. On the negative side, I have to say Rodney looks more and more like a bench quality player to me. Horrible first touch and atrocious finishing cannot be masked by his work rate and defense. Not in a team that aspires to be good.

 

[SoupInNYC]

Ring was also excellent, and committed almost no fouls. Callens and Brillant were good. And I liked Struna and was puzzled he was subbed. On the negative side, I have to say Rodney looks more and more like a bench quality player to me. Horrible first touch and atrocious finishing cannot be masked by his work rate and defense. Not in a team that aspires to be good.

Yeah, Ring had quite a lot of great tackles yesterday. Many of them coming at the defender from behind, and he was able to do so without fouling.

After being down a goal and down a man, the team was going balls out to find the equalizer and left ourselves open to so many chances on the break. Johnson saved our asses so many times there, Ring prevented SJ from having to do so many more times.

 

[DudesInBlue]

I would argue that we never put in our best XI or set the best bench.
We need someone who can make a play and score a goal when we need one. Lewis can do that.

We talk about the lack of Lewis in our show this week. The kid needs to see minutes. Was a stoppage time GAME WINNER not enough to show this kid can score????

 

[Jon]

We talk about the lack of Lewis in our show this week. The kid needs to see minutes. Was a stoppage time GAME WINNER not enough to show this kid can score????

That's the thing... Someone on Twitter commented that a friend who watches practices said Vieira is down on Lewis because of defensive lapses... Christ, our defense isn't the issue. We can't score a friggin' goal. Lewis is a possible answer to this problem.