NYCFC Sign Maxime Chanot

[ktdNYCFC]

This would definitely be a good signing, but I'm still nervous as hell going without any real backup to Villa at striker. All it takes is a Lampard-esque knock that puts him out for "two weeks," and we could be crawling into the playoffs with Mullins up top.

Please don't throw things at me.

 

[Rimil]

Probably worth noting too that he is going to be missing a lot on FIFA international dates.

pretty lame to lose a guy to international duty when he plays for Luxembourg. I mean not like he needs a lot of training to prepare for 6 nil defeats.

 

[Fantazma]

This would definitely be a good signing, but I'm still nervous as hell going without any real backup to Villa at striker. All it takes is a Lampard-esque knock that puts him out for "two weeks," and we could be crawling into the playoffs with Mullins up top.

Please don't throw things at me.

a valid concern ...but i guess PV says hey mullins/ taylor can go

 

[Ulrich]

a valid concern ...but i guess PV says hey mullins/ taylor can go

I'll take Taylor any day over Mullins. PM's lack of hustle is infuriating and Taylor has a great engine. Albeit neither are oozing with skills, I'll still take the guy that makes an effort and has good speed.

 

[ktdNYCFC]

I'll take Taylor any day over Mullins. PM's lack of hustle is infuriating and Taylor has a great engine. Albeit neither are oozing with skills, I'll still take the guy that makes an effort and has good speed.

Shit, if Villa were to go out injured (please no - just thinking worst case) I'd start Lampard up top as a target striker. All we need to do is fire balls at his body and he'll get it on frame with whatever body part it ends up smacking into.

 

[Taurus]

You guys wanted news right?

http://thenycfcnation.sportsblog.co...-close-to-signing-defender-maxime-chanot.html

We're close to signing another French defender, and he's played with Brillant (albeit a while ago and not that much)

Hope he is the real deal and it works out. I've tried hard to accept Mena but keeping going back to Hernandez for the start. If this guy is an upgrade to Hernandez that would be fantastic.

 

[sbrylski]

Shit, if Villa were to go out injured (please no - just thinking worst case) I'd start Lampard up top as a target striker. All we need to do is fire balls at his body and he'll get it on frame with whatever body part it ends up smacking into.

Or Harrison. Seems to have the nose and engine most similar to Villa on the team.

 

[doctorhoosier]

Shit, if Villa were to go out injured (please no - just thinking worst case) I'd start Lampard up top as a target striker. All we need to do is fire balls at his body and he'll get it on frame with whatever body part it ends up smacking into.

I'm not totally sure he would work there. Lampard finds space late -- he doesn't make space, which is what you really need out of a striker. I think he works best at this stage as a sort of shadow striker coming forward from the midfield.

 

[Ulrich]

Or Harrison. Seems to have the nose and engine most similar to Villa on the team.

If Villa were to need some time off, I'd feel pretty confident playing Harrison up there in a Romario-style manner. He wouldn't post-up on CBs like Villa is currently doing, but he may break some ankles with his crossover footwork - tall CBs just don't have the dexterity to match up with him.

 

[ktdNYCFC]

Agree with all of you, but that nightmare situation (which we are stupid to pretend will never happen) would be best solved now by picking up someone more reliable than Mullins in backup. Someone who isn't international. Someone who can also play on the wing. Imagine trading off some dead weight and getting a guy like Sapong? He could start for us now at left wing and fill in for Villa if needed. I agree Harrison could probably pull it off but he can't be our answer for everything.

Edit: I guess TT fits that mold the best right now, but he's been riding the pine so long I'm not sure he can walk anymore. Need a proven MLS goalscorer who is affordable. Maybe that's when we play the Mix card?

 

[Gotham Gator]

There is nobody we can pick up that would replace Villa in a meaningful way, nor do I think we could realistically get anybody that is much better than our current backups. Villa is the League MVP for the first half of the year. Losing him would be a disaster, and there is not much we could do about it. Better to pick up help where the starters are falling short.

 

[Davo15]

If he's as good as Brillant I'd be thrilled. Doesn't get talked about that much because he's sort of no thrills but that's what you want from a central defended no?

 

[dark knight]

Can the mods please ban anyone talking about Villa not playing every game? #knockwood

 

[Kjbert]

Mena is a physical specimen with no brain for the game. If he ever put it all
Together, he would be a VERY good MLS player.

I like Martinez. He needs games. I hope he is loaned out and gets to play every game.

 

[Viewfrom226]

If he's as good as Brillant I'd be thrilled. Doesn't get talked about that much because he's sort of no thrills but that's what you want from a central defended no?

I agree that Brillant has been good this year after the debacle of a start in Chicago. Hopefully Chanot is a bit more athletic, which is really the only complaint I have about Brillant. I like Mena and he was great in the Red Bulls game, but his passing has been pretty brutal and he seems to get lost a lot. Given our current options, I'd continue to run him out there, but assuming we have real aspirations for this year (which we certainly should), I'd love to upgrade that spot.

I also think it is a good sign that QPR is chasing him. They generally aren't the smartest organization to be sure, but a guy who is in the mix for a team that has swung between the premiership and championship is probably a pretty talented defender by MLS standards. See, for example, Liam Ridgewell.

 

[Shawn S]

Mena is a physical specimen with no brain for the game. If he ever put it all
Together, he would be a VERY good MLS player.

I like Martinez. He needs games. I hope he is loaned out and gets to play every game.

Completely agree. We should really loan Martinez out to Wilmington. Talented, young defender and fairly cheap contract. No need to sell him. In conjunction with that, just cut ties with Mendoza since he's on loan, not contributing and has an expensive buyout clause. Would free up two international slots immediately if we wanted to pursue Chanot + an international winger/striker

 

[Viewfrom226]

I like Martinez. He needs games. I hope he is loaned out and gets to play every game.

I think he's looked good in his limited appearances too. He covered well for the defensive void that was Poku against Toronto and was one of the few players that looked pretty good against the Cosmos.

While I didn't expect him to play that much given Matarrita's presence, I've been a bit surprised that Vieira has really buried Martinez and preferred to move Allen to LB and use White/Hernandez at RB when Matarrita isn't starting.

 

[Ulrich]

I think he's looked good in his limited appearances too. He covered well for the defensive void that was Poku against Toronto and was one of the few players that looked pretty good against the Cosmos.

While I didn't expect him to play that much given Matarrita's presence, I've been a bit surprised that Vieira has really buried Martinez and preferred to move Allen to LB and use White/Hernandez at RB when Matarrita isn't starting.

This!!! Very surprised we go with a RB noob in Hernandez rather than keeping RJ comfortable and slotting in a true LB.

 

[Viewfrom226]

This!!! Very surprised we go with a RB noob in Hernandez rather than keeping RJ comfortable and slotting in a true LB.

The first time he did it against NYRB, I was thinking maybe he wanted the three CBs given our set piece deficiencies. Don't really know why he went that route Sunday. It is too bad, because I actually still would like to see Matarrita at LW in some games, but not if it comes with that backline. While it didn't result in that much on Sunday, there were many extenuating circumstances and I think it is still an interesting possibility.

That said, Vieira seemed unhappy with the interplay between Allen and Matarrita during the match, and there was one point late in the half when he flipped Matarrita to the RW and he failed to track Medranda at all and it created a goal scoring opportunity for SKC. So, still very much a work in progress.

 

[Kjbert]

I would like to see the heat map on Hernandez at RB. I gather he has been more of a third CB than anything else. Especially when you consider Brillant was the LCB and Mena was the RCB. Brillant anchored the back line 3. Hernandez rarely pushed up the field.