Most MLS teams don't play a system that requires CBs with the ball skills to play from the back the way we do. Maybe NYCFC will be forced to pay a bit more than other teams if they are committed to this system. Can you imagine what it would look like if the San Jose CB pair we watched this weekend, which by all accounts is a decent MLS CB duo, tried to play our system?
2017 Roster Discussion
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Most MLS teams don't play a system that requires CBs with the ball skills to play from the back the way we do. Maybe NYCFC will be forced to pay a bit more than other teams if they are committed to this system. Can you imagine what it would look like if the San Jose CB pair we watched this weekend, which by all accounts is a decent MLS CB duo, tried to play our system?
I don't know if he's a good fit anymore.
I think we'll go for another Premier League midfielder or winger, maybe a big Bundesliga name (like Khedira)
Iniesta's an option. But both he and Khedira have been a bit injury prone.
Torres makes the biggest impact, in my opinion, even if he's not a perfect fit.
Let's say we do grab a midfielder though. What position would you target over the winter then, after Pirlo retires?
DID SOMEONE SAY KHEDIRA?!?!?!?!?!
Where do you see Torres playing in the formation? Especially if we do end up keeping Villa for another year?
I wonder if we could move Villa to CM, he obviously has the creativity and vision, but I don't know about the legs
Waston is really good.
That defender who was really good up until he the end of his career at RB...Olave. He was quite good. Roman Torres is good, too.
Oyongo is good enough to start for Ghana, which means he's pretty damn decent to really good for MLS. He's been here a while.
So I might argue your reasoning is right, but your conclusion is questionable.
ETA: Let me add that the circumstances now are so very different than they've ever been. We have a foreign CB making well over $200k to sit on the bench. That's never been the case with anything close to regularity in the past, and yet it's entirely plausible with current salary budget mechanisms.
Assuming you're an above average but not great relative to MLS, prime-aged player (defender or otherwise), there aren't many better places to go play in the world when you consider the lifestyle, pay, etc.
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Move Villa to LW like during WC 2010.
Villa---Torres---Harrison
Wallace either gets relegated to the bench or replaces Matarrita should he be sold. Or replaces Pirlo and becomes a left midfielders behind Villa, in front of Matarrita.
If asked a few weeks ago, I would have said Villa would fit great in Lampard's position high up underneath the striker. But our midfield is playing completely differently this year, extremely fluid. Maxi often drops down as the deepest midfielder.
So I would put Villa at LW. Yes he would have to track back, but he does that to an extent already, and he would have complete freedom in the attack. As part of a 3-man midfield team, he would be a little bit more restricted with positioning.
It would put more pressure defensively on Wallace/Matarrita at LB, but if one of them isn't up to snuff, put in the other one. Either would make a good late game sub either defensively (for Villa/Torres) or offensively (switch to a 3-3-4).
The only way you add a Striker is with a formation change. You don't move your best player away from goal.
The summer DP is interesting. On one hand, the obvious place to upgrade right now is RB. In the winter, we may lose Pirlo and Ring. So tell me if Ring is back and I will tell you who to sign.
If Ring returns, you sign a playmaking CM - Iniesta fits well with Ring.
If Ring leaves, then you get the best CM available - maybe Jack Wilshere wants to leave.
The summer DP is interesting. On one hand, the obvious place to upgrade right now is RB. In the winter, we may lose Pirlo and Ring. So tell me if Ring is back and I will tell you who to sign.
If Ring returns, you sign a playmaking CM - Iniesta fits well with Ring.
If Ring leaves, then you get the best CM available - maybe Jack Wilshere wants to leave.
The summer transfer window is interesting because any player we have that has aspirations of playing in Europe would move at that time to get a full preseason with the new team. The one player I can see moving during the window is Mata. If that happens, we sell for maximum GAM that can be used to either buy Maxi down to TAM-level, or bring in another player of DP quality than can be bought down to TAM. The new player either replaces Mata or Wallace replaces Mata with the new player replacing Wallace at LW. My money is on the new player replacing Mata. In fact I'm putting a lot of money on the PtbNL (Player to be named later) replacing Mata. No matter what, I think the Mata-GAM is essential to any major player acquisition.
I doubt Ring leaves in the summer, but I could see Pirlo being offered something at Juve that he can't turn down. That's the other route to another DP, provided some GAM is thrown in for us.
I'm not so concerned by smoke, it's when there's no smoke, but should be some, that a deal is being made.
And Harrison isn't going anywhere. He's got his green card and citizenship is next.
I wonder if they would sign someone in Summer and loan him out until the beginning of next year.
Big names available on free transfers this summer:
Santi Cazorla - CM
Jesus Navas - RW
Zlatan - ST
Yaya Toure - CM
Mario Balotelli - ST
Fernando Torres - ST
Daniele De Rossi - CDM
John Terry - CB
Lucas Leiva - CDM
And yes, I chose big names because I think we're going back that way.
Santi Cazorla - CM
Jesus Navas - RW
Zlatan - ST
Yaya Toure - CM
Mario Balotelli - ST
Fernando Torres - ST
Daniele De Rossi - CDM
John Terry - CB
Lucas Leiva - CDM
And yes, I chose big names because I think we're going back that way.
Also RB Zabaleta.
Andres Iniesta's contract expires the summer of 2018. I might call him a speculative favorite to become our Pirlo replacement.
I want Khedira also, but not the one in the Bundesliga. I want his brother in Serie A.
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I'm big on Balotelli also. Will be very difficulty to pry away though especially if it looks like Nice may qualify for Champions league.
Outside of Zlatan, the guy that would crush MLS is Sanyo Cazorla. I've mentioned him before and if healthy, that's the guy
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