Official: Maximiliano Moralez signs as 3rd DP

[Fantazma]

I'm not saying I wanted Elis either, I didn't. Just that there were other options out there than Maxi.

Yeah, his signing won't hurt. But not hurting the team is something we should be shooting higher for with our DP's. The DP's we sign should be the best players in their position in the league.

true, i mean lampard situation did hurt the team. but still no one is a guarantee in this league ...someone who looks good is a top player may not even have the impact intended.

and you say shooting higher ....elis and almiron are not "shooting higher" they are definitely talented but they have yet to prove themselves as they are very good prospects. but not guarantees that they are the best DP's in the league .

and pirlo is not the best in his position in the league..he has been burned since he didnt have the help....so are you mad he is here.

 

[Nick_nycfcfan]

true, i mean lampard situation did hurt the team. but still no one is a guarantee in this league ...someone who looks good is a top player may not even have the impact intended.

and you say shooting higher ....elis and almiron are not "shooting higher" they are definitely talented but they have yet to prove themselves as they are very good prospects. but not guarantees that they are the best DP's in the league .

and pirlo is not the best in his position in the league..he has been burned since he didnt have the help....so are you mad he is here.

To the italicizes portion, I agree with you. I was just saying that there were other options out there, and while I would have been happier with those two, I would have still been disappointed.

To the bold point, yes.

 

[JayH]

Obvi take it FWIW, but here's MLS's love fest piece on Maxi (sorry if I missed it already posted):

http://www.mlssoccer.com/post/2017/...oralez-he-could-be-nycfcs-sebastian-giovinco?

 

[Fantazma]

To the italicizes portion, I agree with you. I was just saying that there were other options out there, and while I would have been happier with those two, I would have still been disappointed.

To the bold point, yes.

im just curious ...what caliber of player would you been ok with ( say an example even if the player is not even remotely possible for MLS) ...messi esque? or who

 

[Fantazma]

Obvi take it FWIW, but here's MLS's love fest piece on Maxi (sorry if I missed it already posted):

http://www.mlssoccer.com/post/2017/...oralez-he-could-be-nycfcs-sebastian-giovinco?

mls website always surprises me...they hype their own rumors and etc ....so this is expected.

 

[Nick_nycfcfan]

im just curious ...what caliber of player would you been ok with ( say an example even if the player is not even remotely possible for MLS) ...messi esque? or who

No, I'm not looking for someone like Messi.

Its not even specifically the caliber of the player that we need, its a mixture of that and the need for our team.

I think we should always shoot to have the best players in each DP position, but I know thats not possible, and not even predictable. I think we should at least give it a shot though. As long as those players are in a position we need.

For example, I wouldn't want to use a DP spot to sign David De Gea, even though he would clearly be probably the best player in the history of the league. We don't need the best goalie in the league to be a great team.

I think we need a very high caliber player (among the best in the league, not necessarily the best), in a defensive midfield position, or a similar role.

We have a great foundation and thats why we made it to playoffs. But, when we got there we got spanked 7-0 by a team that didn't even win. A player that "makes good runs" isn't going to help that, at all, even if he is a very very good player. So I feel bad that I'm so hard on Maxi, but he's neither good enough, or in the right position for me to be happy with him as a DP player.

 

[SoupInNYC]

I understand some of the disappointment with the signing, and it is a bit underwhelming considering some of the the names of our past DPs. But I'm with JayH on this one and going to take a wait and see approach. There are some exciting prospects to this and it can turn out well.

I do not think we need to start labeling him as a terrible DP, and one we will be "stuck with" for three years, etc., etc. when they guy hasn't even stepped foot on a practice field for us.

My understanding is that he was supposed to be a splashy get for the Mexican league, with a decent fee paid (5 or 6 million, if I recall), and for whatever reason (maybe some bruises, team turmoil, coaching turnover, etc.) it didn't work out. He's got the game to be a great player in Mexico or the US, but now with the DP tag, he really has to earn it to justify it. I wouldn't be surprised if he does. Though I still can't help thinking about the sure(er) things we could have gotten for the right price. I am very excited to have him, but will wait for hindsight to decide whether we aimed too low for the DP.

 

[Fantazma]

No, I'm not looking for someone like Messi.

Its not even specifically the caliber of the player that we need, its a mixture of that and the need for our team.

I think we should always shoot to have the best players in each DP position, but I know thats not possible, and not even predictable. I think we should at least give it a shot though. As long as those players are in a position we need.

For example, I wouldn't want to use a DP spot to sign David De Gea, even though he would clearly be probably the best player in the history of the league. We don't need the best goalie in the league to be a great team.

I think we need a very high caliber player (among the best in the league, not necessarily the best), in a defensive midfield position, or a similar role.

We have a great foundation and thats why we made it to playoffs. But, when we got there we got spanked 7-0 by a team that didn't even win. A player that "makes good runs" isn't going to help that, at all, even if he is a very very good player. So I feel bad that I'm so hard on Maxi, but he's neither good enough, or in the right position for me to be happy with him as a DP player.

guess giovinco's runs didnt do anything then in the 7-0 beating....

but i see what you mean...but at the end of the day not every player is "dying to come to MLS" thats just fact...this is why i prefer the focus to be academy and their coaches to produce the best from waht we can in cities pool.

we can still get good south americans or from other places ( africa, asia, europe) in the mean time...i mean if we got a highly rated japanese prospect from J league people will say he is shit because he was in J league

i wanted Honda....but hey maybe he would not of come here and rather stay trying to get into AC milans 18, you move on to the next.

EDIT: Also....i dont like this high horse stuff where "this player is not good enough for our team"....lol come on we have not shit in this league we dont demand stuff like galaxy yet.

we still working to get there

 

[Midas Mulligan]

You mean like when Liverpool went out and bought Rickie Lambert and Christian Benteke cc: Midas Mulligan

Sounds about right. Fuck you.

 

[JayH]

No, I'm not looking for someone like Messi.

Its not even specifically the caliber of the player that we need, its a mixture of that and the need for our team.

I think we should always shoot to have the best players in each DP position, but I know thats not possible, and not even predictable. I think we should at least give it a shot though. As long as those players are in a position we need.

For example, I wouldn't want to use a DP spot to sign David De Gea, even though he would clearly be probably the best player in the history of the league. We don't need the best goalie in the league to be a great team.

I think we need a very high caliber player (among the best in the league, not necessarily the best), in a defensive midfield position, or a similar role.

We have a great foundation and thats why we made it to playoffs. But, when we got there we got spanked 7-0 by a team that didn't even win. A player that "makes good runs" isn't going to help that, at all, even if he is a very very good player. So I feel bad that I'm so hard on Maxi, but he's neither good enough, or in the right position for me to be happy with him as a DP player.

While I don't disagree that a CDM is a crucial need, if not the most crucial (I salivate(d) at the prospect of having Sami), we may have put ourselves in a position to fill that role sufficiently with recent additions. Right behind, is the need for a dynamic offensive player to compliment Villa and provide some fluidity to the link between front and back. We sorely missed that last season with the clunk of Lampard, etc., and we often had to resort to embarrassing kick ball, were dominated in the midfield, and were susceptible to a press. I won't reiterate what I've said about whether or not Maxi will sufficiently solve that in a DP-worthy manner, but simply am addressing your suggestion that it is a position we don't need.

And if DdG were interested in playing for us right now, I would without hesitation burn a DP on him, even in a position not necessarily of need.

 

[ktdNYCFC]

He may have followed a strange career path for a marquee DP tag in NYC, but I'll reserve my judgment for after I see him on the field in sky blue.

One of my personal biggest concerns regarding the roster over the last 2 seasons has been a competent backup for Villa should the unthinkable happen. We've been extremely lucky in that regard, almost to the point where I don't even want to mention it, but I feel like Maxi (with his experience and skill already what it is) can fulfill that role if need be. Yes he will be a starter either on the wing or attacking mid, but we finally have someone reliable enough to step in up top if really needed. Villa was previously a winger as well. Ever since we jettisoned Mullins we've been left with unproven, inexperienced kids who would have to fill Villa's shoes. I had high hopes for Okoli, but after yesterday I've tempered my expectations on him.

TL;DR - I can see Maxi being a competent backup for Villa should he break something.

 

[Viewfrom226]

Obvi take it FWIW, but here's MLS's love fest piece on Maxi (sorry if I missed it already posted):

http://www.mlssoccer.com/post/2017/...oralez-he-could-be-nycfcs-sebastian-giovinco?

Unlike that sort of weird puff piece, this is actually some more interesting insight. Tom Marshall is a pretty good source for info on Liga MX from my experience, though I admit it is not a league I follow closely.

http://www.mlssoccer.com/post/2017/02/16/who-maxi-moralez-liga-mx-perspective-nycfc-s-new-signing

 

[FootyLovin]

Why are the expectations unrealistic? Those guys are on similar wages. They play the same position.

The DPs you named were not exactly superstar names. Yet they came in and performed waaaay above expectations - like MLS first team level. Expecting us to do that with any/every DP signing is unrealistic. How many DPs were signed in MLS last year that didn't perform at the Valeri/Piatti level? Sometimes these work out. Sometimes less so. Requiring every signing to light your world on fire is unrealistic expectations.

 

[FootyLovin]

we are stuck with a potentially terrible DP signing for two years, when we could have had a dynamite one next season.

We can still have a dynamite one next season as Pirlo rolls off the books. At this point our DPs are perfectly staggered so that every year we open up a spot for a new DP signing. You're complaining we didn't get a spectacular signing this offseason and want us to be in a position where we need to get two in one window next year. And all of this without ever seeing how Maxi does against MLS competition.

 

[LionNYC]

If MLS Fantasy is any indicator, he's being priced at $9.0

$11: Lodeiro
$10: Díaz, Piatti, Kljestan, Kaká, Valeri, Feilhaber
$9.5: Higuaín, Meram, Nguyen, Alonso, Molino
$9: McCarty, Finlay, Morales, Alessandrini, Pirlo, Morález, Felipe, Blanco, Rusnak, Bradley, Cooper, Almiron

 

[Midas Mulligan]

leon was not a mediocre side...they were not a relegation team still making playoffs or mid table....leon has some of carlos slim money so it was probably easier for them to meet the transfer fee/salary than an argentenian side.

I think you just described a mediocre side. I think we were all using mediocre in the American way, not the English way, where it is the nice way of saying you fucking suck.

 

[danger]

Here's the question - moving to Leon is a weird move in my eyes for a guy in his prime playing in Serie A. Why did he move to a mediocre Liga MX side? I'd be more comfortable if he had gone back to Argentina

I didn't include this in my prior post because I thought it was getting too lengthy, but I did find an article where he gives a first person account of why. (milenio, via google translate). Basically, that he had fulfilled his dreams in Serie A and was up for helping Leon try to be a title contender. But, again, given that he had considered going to the Saudi PL at age 29 the year before, make of that what you will.

racing and boca juniors wanted him this winter period....i dont think one more year will change that...especially racing since thats where he started his pro career.

I'm relying on admittedly crappy translations, so feel free to draw on the original source, but some of the comments coming out of Racing (including from one of their VP's) was that he might like to "retire" with them, which contemplates a different kind of motivation for reacquiring him than what you might expect from an MLS side acquiring a DP. (amLeon, via google translate).

 

[Midas Mulligan]

I guess it all depends on what we are paying him. There's a different between wanting a player and being willing to take on his wages, see the current Mix situation.

And besides, who knows when they will actually play? Anyone talking about Argentina needs to understand how bad things are there. They already delayed the start of the 2nd half of the season... (eta - I posted the wrong damn article, but in any event, just google the schedule. It's all "TBD")


If he wanted out of Leon and wanted to get a pay check he knew wouldn't bounce, we were likely his best shot. Makes me feel better that we likely didn't have to pay a whole lot.

 

[adam]

If MLS Fantasy is any indicator, he's being priced at $9.0

$11: Lodeiro
$10: Díaz, Piatti, Kljestan, Kaká, Valeri, Feilhaber
$9.5: Higuaín, Meram, Nguyen, Alonso, Molino
$9: McCarty, Finlay, Morales, Alessandrini, Pirlo, Morález, Felipe, Blanco, Rusnak, Bradley Cooper, Almiron

 

[sbrylski]

Unlike that sort of weird puff piece, this is actually some more interesting insight. Tom Marshall is a pretty good source for info on Liga MX from my experience, though I admit it is not a league I follow closely.

http://www.mlssoccer.com/post/2017/02/16/who-maxi-moralez-liga-mx-perspective-nycfc-s-new-signing

The two players that "beat out" Moralez for playing time last year:

Luis Montes (a center mid):
http://www.transfermarkt.com/luis-montes/profil/spieler/52618
http://sofifa.com/player/184703

Germán Cano (a forward):
http://www.transfermarkt.co.uk/german-cano/profil/spieler/54590
http://sofifa.com/player/214206