2017 Roster Discussion

[Kjbert]

With the size of the pitch Sunday night, and the Pirlo and Lampard injuries, Diskerud should have played.

You win with possession football all year round. Allen, Lopez and Mendoza struggle with possession football. You can get away with it with Mendoza because he's higher up the pitch, but Allen kills you with his decision making. And to Lopez, the ball is a hot potato.

I don't think Diskerud is this great player that he was made out to be, but he's decent in possession. IF there was a time to play him this year, Sunday was the night. I am disappointed in the decision to start Lopez instead. Even McNamara would have given a good shift and is better in possession.

 

[joe]

Maybe he's just been spending all season learning a super secret position and is just gonna come out next year and crush it.

Hat tricks every game.

Or maybe the whiskey gingers are starting to get to me.

Can't it be both?

 

[NYCFC_Dan]

?

He posted a pic on Instagram and it said 'looking at potential investements'
It was an apartment or something

 

[sbrylski]

Guaranteed no-trade, no-waive contract. If NYCFC want to release/waive him, it's a multi-million dollar buyout. (From what I'm told).

Wait. Does this mean what I think it means?

I wonder if we told Mix we were going to transfer him out, and he told us he'll block any move in order to force us to buy his contract out and deposit a few million in his checking account. Hence the complete blacklist from the roster. I've been assuming something more sinister is going on behind the scenes by either us or him, maybe it's something along those lines.

I assume that even if we have to pay him a multi-million dollar buyout, it still doesn't count against the cap under the "one free cut per year" rule.

If any of that is true, it sure was a learning experience for Reyna. Once Mix is gone we may get some leaked details on what was going on.

 

[Midas Mulligan]

Wait. Does this mean what I think it means?

I wonder if we told Mix we were going to transfer him out, and he told us he'll block any move in order to force us to buy his contract out and deposit a few million in his checking account. Hence the complete blacklist from the roster. I've been assuming something more sinister is going on behind the scenes by either us or him, maybe it's something along those lines.

I assume that even if we have to pay him a multi-million dollar buyout, it still doesn't count against the cap under the "one free cut per year" rule.

If any of that is true, it sure was a learning experience for Reyna. Once Mix is gone we may get some leaked details on what was going on.

If he did that, good for him. He's not guaranteed to make money forever as a pro athlete.

The bigger question then becomes why not use him when it hurts the team and club finances to sit him? If Mix had the contractual trump card and our FO did this, then Tom in Fairfield CT 's assessment of Reyna is 100% correct. Don't overplay your hand when you're in a weak position.

I hope you're wrong, because if you're right, that means we have some egomaniacal jackasses running things

 

[Ulrich]

I hope you're wrong, because if you're right, that means we have some egomaniacal jackasses running things

Q.E.D.

I'm very happy with how the season turned out, but that fcknut game from Sunday was PV and/or Reyna (or whomever is responsible for blacklisting Mix) denying the reality of the team's abilities and strengths/weaknesses by sitting the one guy that could have saved the midfield/attack. So while I applaud the 2nd place finish this year (even though we'd have taken 1st with Lurch), the coaches/staff are personna non-grata for nearly pissing away the playoffs in one game, all because of some hush-hush policy/punishment. Non wanting a guy on your payroll is one thing, but not using everybody on the payroll is egotistical stubbornness.

 

[Kjbert]

Some of you guys are absurd. Playoffs are funky. Three months ago, Seattle was 10 points out of the playoffs and they fired the second most successful manager in MLS history. Their star player then misses the remainder of the season with an irregular heartbeat.

Guess what - they're playing better soccer than anyone else in MLS right now. Might be the favorites.

Don't judge the season or management on two games. Judge the growth of the team over 34 games. That's a better barometer. The team has existed for 20 months for Christ's sake.

 

[Ulrich]

Some of you guys are absurd. Playoffs are funky. Three months ago, Seattle was 10 points out of the playoffs and they fired the second most successful manager in MLS history. Their star player then misses the remainder of the season with an irregular heartbeat.

Guess what - they're playing better soccer than anyone else in MLS right now. Might be the favorites.

Don't judge the season or management on two games. Judge the growth of the team over 34 games. That's a better barometer. The team has existed for 20 months for Christ's sake.

Seattle is in the playoffs entirely because of Lodeiro. Once they got him their offense started to roar. If they win the Cup, it's because of him - they were completely dead in the water before.

 

[Kjbert]

Seattle is in the playoffs entirely because of Lodeiro. Once they got him their offense started to roar. If they win the Cup, it's because of him - they were completely dead in the water before.

Yet they're winning now because Nelson Valdez and Jordan Morris are hot.

Just like Portland got hot last year. Throw out the regular season. This is the nature of American sports and playoffs. Be playing your best in the playoffs.

Dallas wins the SS. They're probably getting eliminated on Sunday.

 

[Ulrich]

Yet they're winning now because Nelson Valdez and Jordan Morris are hot.

Just like Portland got hot last year. Throw out the regular season. This is the nature of American sports and playoffs. Be playing your best in the playoffs.

Dallas wins the SS. They're probably getting eliminated on Sunday.

Those two are good, but they don't do anything without Lodeiro breaking down the defense.

 

[Kjbert]

Those two are good, but they don't do anything without Lodeiro breaking down the defense.

I'm saying they won twice in the past week because of Morris and Valdez. Playoffs are funky.

 

[QuigrNYCFC]

Q.E.D.

I'm very happy with how the season turned out, but that fcknut game from Sunday was PV and/or Reyna (or whomever is responsible for blacklisting Mix) denying the reality of the team's abilities and strengths/weaknesses by sitting the one guy that could have saved the midfield/attack. So while I applaud the 2nd place finish this year (even though we'd have taken 1st with Lurch), the coaches/staff are personna non-grata for nearly pissing away the playoffs in one game, all because of some hush-hush policy/punishment. Non wanting a guy on your payroll is one thing, but not using everybody on the payroll is egotistical stubbornness.

Putting the tinfoil hat firmly on so bear with me.

Maybe top brass don't want Mix on the field. Maybe they know he's too expensive and are forcing PV's hand not playing him.

The sitting of a fully fit Lamps, the bizarre game time decision injury to Pirlo...

Maybe starting Lopez and Bravo was Viera's grand protest.

Maybe Viera wanted to play Mix all along!

But in reality it sounds like a contractual stalemate. Smells like Bobby Bonilla.

 

[adam]

But in reality it sounds like a contractual stalemate. Smells like Bobby Bonilla.

So we'll be paying Mix till 2033. Lucky dude

 

[FootyLovin]

The whole Mix conversation is nuts because it assumes he is available for the 18. Whatever the reason for him being out, it is a permanent one, at least for 2017 and I think we all suspect forever. With a game time scratch you don't suddenly go back and revisit the Mix situation.

Might they have played TMac, Mendoza or Harrison in that CM role instead? Sure. Those are all in the realm of reality. But saying PV should have played Mix and therefore PV was stupid is, well, kinda stupid.

 

[adam]

The whole Mix conversation is nuts because it assumes he is available for the 18. Whatever the reason for him being out, it is a permanent one, at least for 2017 and I think we all suspect forever. With a game time scratch you don't suddenly go back and revisit the Mix situation.

Might they have played TMac, Mendoza or Harrison in that CM role instead? Sure. Those are all in the realm of reality. But saying PV should have played Mix and therefore PV was stupid is, well, kinda stupid.

Not really, because he played in Mexico 3 matches ago. If he'd been MIA since the USOC I'd tend to agree. But they opened that can of worms themselves this month.

 

[Midas Mulligan]

The whole Mix conversation is nuts because it assumes he is available for the 18. Whatever the reason for him being out, it is a permanent one, at least for 2017 and I think we all suspect forever. With a game time scratch you don't suddenly go back and revisit the Mix situation.

Might they have played TMac, Mendoza or Harrison in that CM role instead? Sure. Those are all in the realm of reality. But saying PV should have played Mix and therefore PV was stupid is, well, kinda stupid.

I think it's just continuing the same argument. Even if it's objectively pointless, it's not objectively wrong and continues to pop up. When situations occur where we need help possessing the ball or a midfielder other than Pirlo, AI, or Frank, it's going to be brought up that we have a guy who used to be fairly highly regarded, was our most important player last year, and looked at least decent/better than the alternatives this year who is just hanging out.

And then there's this point, too.

Not really, because he played in Mexico 3 matches ago. If he'd been MIA since the USOC I'd tend to agree. But they opened that can of worms themselves this month.

I think we're all just throwing our hands up because it makes absolutely zero sense. Someone somewhere is being dogmatic about this to the detriment of the onfield product.

The only alternative I can think of that seems remotely plausible as a theory is some player/s blackballed him. And given the timing and the rumors surrounding why it happened, that doesn't seem likely to me.

 

[JayH]

Not really, because he played in Mexico 3 matches ago. If he'd been MIA since the USOC I'd tend to agree. But they opened that can of worms themselves this month.

I would not be shocked if whatever happened at whatever point resulted in a negotiated agreement subject to a side letter or simply an understanding that if he wasn't moved during the window, he would still be a member of the team, be permitted to train, make appearances, play a friendly, but, under no circumstances, would he be included as a game day player. It's kind of like an employer allowing a "terminated" employee to hold himself out as an employee, keep his company email address, and have a profile on the website for an agreed period of time.

It doesn't change the appropriate speculation as to why this happened (we may never know), whether the team fucked up by then not moving him, or whether not having the appropriate fill-in for Pirlo caused serious harm then or just a few nights ago - I'm just offering a thought as to the mechanics of these peculiar circumstances.

 

[Kjbert]

I think the only reasonable complaint any of us could have with the line-up, due to fitness concerns, is why McNamara wasn't given the start in midfield and Lopez was. That's your nit to pick.

 

[The Toe]

I'm so sorry to bring this up here, but was Pirlo warming up with the 18 in Toronto? Is that when he acquired his injury?

 

[Paul]

I'm so sorry to bring this up here, but was Pirlo warming up with the 18 in Toronto? Is that when he acquired his injury?

During the radio broadcast Glenn Crooks stated that Pirlo was ruled out on Sunday morning. He picked up the injury during Saturday's light training session and the team waited until hearing from Pirlo on Sunday to make a final decision.