Hey guys, no post or links here just keeping it pretty straightforward. Got a chance to talk to Reyna about a few things tonight here's a transcript:
On making the playoffs:
It was our first goal we achieved, to make the playoffs. So it was good to do that even with three games left in the season. So after that we were very focused and try to finish as high as possible. It's a big credit to the players and coaching staff and the rest the support staff to put together such a good season. Now we're focused on the playoffs and it's slightly different of course. The intensity goes up a little bit, everybody knows what's at stake. You gotta win and get through to the next round but not too much changes in terms of preparation and focusing on the day, and the training, and the next game so I see a team that is very focused together, knows what they need to do. There's good competition for places which is always good and that's probably Patrick's only challenge, to pick his 11 for the games. But it's a good problem to have, so it's been great really good, exciting, it was a great way to end the season to get a win and finish in second place.
On winning the cup before RBNY:
To be honest we've never from day one thought about what anybody else does whether it's the Red Bulls or any other team in MLS. We know what we believe in, in terms of our club culture in building our squad in New York City, so our focus is only on ourselves we don't get sucked in to any other things. I think everybody loves some drama or a rivalry, but for us we don't worry about that. I think if you ask our players, it's "we play them three times a year" and that's it. The rest the time you're focused on all the other opponents you have to respect everybody else the same so no we really don't. We don't consume ourselves with anybody.
On putting this team together:
I think we have a very good squad. You're always wondering how you can get better and to be honest I think every technical director, sporting directors, always are looking to see how they can improve their team. Even the teams that win the cup or go to the finals, you're always looking to see how you can improve it, so you do all the work you can I think having a way of playing helps because then you can try and fit players into a system so that helps us and I think always with players you have some very good players and sometimes it may may not work for whatever reason.
You can see in all the teams that do really well also sometimes 14, 15, players are used and that doesn't mean the ones that aren't playing as much are not good players either. I think we've been really pleased with our squad. I think last year we put a competitive team together for our expansion year and this year we were of course able to improve a little bit more because it was our second year. And of course you'll see the team come to life when you see the team in person you can tell more than when it was only on paper last year. But I think it's all credit to the coaches the players we have of course we have the players with a lot of experience, we have pretty young talent so it's a pretty good mix but all the time you're looking to improve and nobody has a magic formula.
Some technical directors think they have a magic formula but it doesn't exist in soccer. You need hard work, you need to believe in the team you build, the coaches need to improve players, the players have to have the right attitude, so it's never me if the team loses and it's never me if the team wins it's a collective effort. So of course attracting and bringing good players who want to be here is the most important thing.
From day one every player who's been at the club is giving 100%, is committed to the club, for me when you recruiting players and coach, that's something you want to see everyone at the club committed from day one and that's when they can be proud.
On Villa:
We'll sit down at the end of the year. We've not discussed anything. He's here until next year so with all the players it's at the end of the year. Now the focus is playing not on anyone's personal situation, the players know that we're only focused on the games now.
Our plan is to keep our young talent in New York for a long time. I'm sure if you ask them they're happy. They're developing at a great club that cares about them. They're competing with the best teams in the league.
That's about it. He went on about how great the DPs are and trying to keep young players but how you don't know what will happen with the Expanison Drafts. He said they'll try and get a USL affiliate next year which they'll announce around December. They're in talks with a few teams right now over it, they also eventually would like a NYCFC B like many other MLS teams have but stressed that it's not a high priority right now.
On making the playoffs:
It was our first goal we achieved, to make the playoffs. So it was good to do that even with three games left in the season. So after that we were very focused and try to finish as high as possible. It's a big credit to the players and coaching staff and the rest the support staff to put together such a good season. Now we're focused on the playoffs and it's slightly different of course. The intensity goes up a little bit, everybody knows what's at stake. You gotta win and get through to the next round but not too much changes in terms of preparation and focusing on the day, and the training, and the next game so I see a team that is very focused together, knows what they need to do. There's good competition for places which is always good and that's probably Patrick's only challenge, to pick his 11 for the games. But it's a good problem to have, so it's been great really good, exciting, it was a great way to end the season to get a win and finish in second place.
On winning the cup before RBNY:
To be honest we've never from day one thought about what anybody else does whether it's the Red Bulls or any other team in MLS. We know what we believe in, in terms of our club culture in building our squad in New York City, so our focus is only on ourselves we don't get sucked in to any other things. I think everybody loves some drama or a rivalry, but for us we don't worry about that. I think if you ask our players, it's "we play them three times a year" and that's it. The rest the time you're focused on all the other opponents you have to respect everybody else the same so no we really don't. We don't consume ourselves with anybody.
On putting this team together:
I think we have a very good squad. You're always wondering how you can get better and to be honest I think every technical director, sporting directors, always are looking to see how they can improve their team. Even the teams that win the cup or go to the finals, you're always looking to see how you can improve it, so you do all the work you can I think having a way of playing helps because then you can try and fit players into a system so that helps us and I think always with players you have some very good players and sometimes it may may not work for whatever reason.
You can see in all the teams that do really well also sometimes 14, 15, players are used and that doesn't mean the ones that aren't playing as much are not good players either. I think we've been really pleased with our squad. I think last year we put a competitive team together for our expansion year and this year we were of course able to improve a little bit more because it was our second year. And of course you'll see the team come to life when you see the team in person you can tell more than when it was only on paper last year. But I think it's all credit to the coaches the players we have of course we have the players with a lot of experience, we have pretty young talent so it's a pretty good mix but all the time you're looking to improve and nobody has a magic formula.
Some technical directors think they have a magic formula but it doesn't exist in soccer. You need hard work, you need to believe in the team you build, the coaches need to improve players, the players have to have the right attitude, so it's never me if the team loses and it's never me if the team wins it's a collective effort. So of course attracting and bringing good players who want to be here is the most important thing.
From day one every player who's been at the club is giving 100%, is committed to the club, for me when you recruiting players and coach, that's something you want to see everyone at the club committed from day one and that's when they can be proud.
On Villa:
We'll sit down at the end of the year. We've not discussed anything. He's here until next year so with all the players it's at the end of the year. Now the focus is playing not on anyone's personal situation, the players know that we're only focused on the games now.
Our plan is to keep our young talent in New York for a long time. I'm sure if you ask them they're happy. They're developing at a great club that cares about them. They're competing with the best teams in the league.
That's about it. He went on about how great the DPs are and trying to keep young players but how you don't know what will happen with the Expanison Drafts. He said they'll try and get a USL affiliate next year which they'll announce around December. They're in talks with a few teams right now over it, they also eventually would like a NYCFC B like many other MLS teams have but stressed that it's not a high priority right now.
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