2018 General MLS Transfer Rumors

[Ulrich]

As an NYCFC fan I am envious of SKC's consistency. Consistent coach, consistent playing system, consistent team building principles. Red Bulls and SKC success make a very strong case that consistency matters at times more than budget. Regardless of our budget and the differing levels of competency of our coaches I don't think constantly needing to rotate personal to fit new systems brought by each new coach is sustainable in a capped league. Fans just accept it as the norm because we are all used to it with the top flight teams in Europe, new coach means new system and roster turn over. That doesn't work in the MLS because the roster building rules are too complicated and rigid. It took years to move from the Kries diamond personnel to a PV cut in wingers 4-3-3. Now there's speculations that we need different wingers and outside backs to play the Dome way. It sounds overly constricting but I honestly think we'd be better off if the "city way" meant a set formation and approach rather than this loose philosophy of playing pretty passing soccer. If city doesn't want to do it NYCFC should consider it just for themselves, choose an approach and stick to it. Get players that fit, coaches willing to stick with it and play it in all levels of the organization from the academy to the Sr. team.

Yep. Everything about the Dome hire and implementation was malpractice as his philosophy and needs have destroyed 3 years of roster creation and training philosophy that the existing players bought in to. I give the FO a lot of grief but they methodically overhauled the Kreis disaster into a functioning team fitting PVs tactics, and while they whiffed on some players, they were at least building towards a set goal..... until Dome decided these players weren’t right for how he wants to play. Overhauling rosters in a capped league is like pounding sand.... far easier to just scoop 1-2 players out for replacement than to turn over everybody.

 

[Christopher Jee]

Yep. Everything about the Dome hire and implementation was malpractice as his philosophy and needs have destroyed 3 years of roster creation and training philosophy that the existing players bought in to. I give the FO a lot of grief but they methodically overhauled the Kreis disaster into a functioning team fitting PVs tactics, and while they whiffed on some players, they were at least building towards a set goal..... until Dome decided these players weren’t right for how he wants to play. Overhauling rosters in a capped league is like pounding sand.... far easier to just scoop 1-2 players out for replacement than to turn over everybody.

Is trying to get true wingers and a "twin 8" / "10" really an overhaul?

 

[Ulrich]

Is trying to get true wingers and a "twin 8" / "10" really an overhaul?

Replacing current wingers with “true” wingers, 8/10 reconfiguration, 3ATB, utilizing outside backs differently as inverted fullbacks/wingbacks requiring reindoctrination..... so yeah, an overhaul of players and philosophy.

 

[Christopher Jee]

Replacing current wingers with “true” wingers, 8/10 reconfiguration, 3ATB, utilizing outside backs differently as inverted fullbacks/wingbacks requiring reindoctrination..... so yeah, an overhaul of players and philosophy.

Of the changes you suggested, I really only think finding true wingers actually requires replacing current squad members.

Getting another 10 is currently looking like a drop-in replacement (Herrera already gone, Medina arguably eligible for that role).

3ATB - I'm not at all sure we'd go in this way. It will be interesting if we face more 2-striker systems going forward, because Bielsa-inspired coaches like to set up their backlines so that you have 1 CB for every forward + 1. In any case, we are laden with CB and CB-eligible players, so this is more of a tactical change than a roster change.

Inverted fullbacks / wingbacks - this is a tactical change rather than a roster change.

One of the ironies of this particular mini-thread is that we were all about wanting more tactical flexibility when Paddy was trying to play-our-way-out-of-the-back into predictable oblivion against high pressing teams, and failing in the playoffs. Now that we are trying to introduce tactical flexibility, we're complaining it's an overhaul of philosophy and players.

 

[Ulrich]

Of the changes you suggested, I really only think finding true wingers actually requires replacing current squad members.

Getting another 10 is currently looking like a drop-in replacement (Herrera already gone, Medina arguably eligible for that role).

3ATB - I'm not at all sure we'd go in this way. It will be interesting if we face more 2-striker systems going forward, because Bielsa-inspired coaches like to set up their backlines so that you have 1 CB for every forward + 1. In any case, we are laden with CB and CB-eligible players, so this is more of a tactical change than a roster change.

Inverted fullbacks / wingbacks - this is a tactical change rather than a roster change.

One of the ironies of this particular mini-thread is that we were all about wanting more tactical flexibility when Paddy was trying to play-our-way-out-of-the-back into predictable oblivion against high pressing teams, and failing in the playoffs. Now that we are trying to introduce tactical flexibility, we're complaining it's an overhaul of philosophy and players.

The "overhaul" referred to both players and tactics since not all players are comfortable/capable of playing desired tactics. hence the inverted fullbacks is part of that since our currently players are traditional bombing-forward types.

 

[gbservis]

One of the ironies of this particular mini-thread is that we were all about wanting more tactical flexibility when Paddy was trying to play-our-way-out-of-the-back into predictable oblivion against high pressing teams, and failing in the playoffs. Now that we are trying to introduce tactical flexibility, we're complaining it's an overhaul of philosophy and players.

I was certainly in the group wishing for more tactical flexibility but I've found hindsight has me appreciating more what PV was trying to do. I still think PV could have been better at in game adjustments but I think we'd be in a better place if we had maintained his 4-3-3 play from the back system as our foundational identity. We were starting to build an identity, it was different than other teams in the league, it was fun to watch and it felt like the team was getting better at it each year. Maybe after a few years we would have found that it wasn't an approach that could win in this league but it feels like we've were forced to give it up too soon.

If Dome's tweaks require no modifications beyond filling outgoing player slots with different types of incoming players it wont be bad. Where it gets really bad is if we have to sell players that could start in the old system because they don't fit in the new one. You can never recoup the TAM/GAM you applied to acquisition fees even if the new player costs exactly the same. If you applied some type of AM to the transfer fee its gone and it's all a game of diminishing returns. You get no money from the transfer unless you sell the player for more than you bought them for and even then you only get a profit at a rate of 2/3 capped at $650K. Your TAM/GAM ends up getting double dipped into positions you already invested it in rather than being used the next year to upgrade other areas.

 

[mgarbowski]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1078079362984001536

 

[Ulrich]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1078079362984001536

Sad. He was a great coach when the league started out and helped lift MLS out of 1.0.

Was it ever divulged what his ailment was? Heart? Diabetes?

 

[Shwafta]

Sad. He was a great coach when the league started out and helped lift MLS out of 1.0.

Was it ever divulged what his ailment was? Heart? Diabetes?

They mentioned he was in the hospital with heart stuff a few weeks back.
This is actually extremely sad. I had no connection to him, but I do know what he's done for this league and Seattle /LA.
US Soccer legend.

 

[Ulrich]

They mentioned he was in the hospital with heart stuff a few weeks back.
This is actually extremely sad. I had no connection to him, but I do know what he's done for this league and Seattle /LA.
US Soccer legend.

Before MLS, soccer in the US was dominated by Virginia (Arena), Indiana (J.Yeagley), and UCLA (Schmid). Two went on to be massive influences in the pro realm and they showed the supposed “pro” and foreign coaches that there were a couple minds that could go toe to toe and get the better of them. Would have been nice for Yeagley to have also made the step up, but I think he really liked the collegiate environment. Schmid did it everywhere he went, and to think that Schmid won the Cup in Columbus is pretty crazy.

 

[Ulrich]

Before MLS, soccer in the US was dominated by Virginia (Arena), Indiana (J.Yeagley), and UCLA (Schmid). Two went on to be massive influences in the pro realm and they showed the supposed “pro” and foreign coaches that there were a couple minds that could go toe to toe and get the better of them. Would have been nice for Yeagley to have also made the step up, but I think he really liked the collegiate environment. Schmid did it everywhere he went, and to think that Schmid won the Cup in Columbus is pretty crazy.

Some of the players Schmid was responsible for:

Brad Friedel
Cobi Jones
Frankie Hejduk
Joe-Max Moore
Mike Lapper
Chris Henderson
Paul Caligiuri
Eddie Lewis
Carlos Bocanegra
Jimmy Conrad
Kevin Hartman
Ante Razov
Nick Rimando

 

[Christopher Jee]

Some of the players Schmid was responsible for:

Brad Friedel
Cobi Jones
Frankie Hejduk
Joe-Max Moore
Mike Lapper
Chris Henderson
Paul Caligiuri
Eddie Lewis
Carlos Bocanegra
Jimmy Conrad
Kevin Hartman
Ante Razov
Nick Rimando

I'm pretty new to US soccer having migrated here about 12 years ago. Thanks for the didactic posts (+ adam 's power ranking). Good stuff.

 

[Ulrich]

I'm pretty new to US soccer having migrated here about 12 years ago. Thanks for the didactic posts (+ adam 's power ranking). Good stuff.

Migrated like a bird during the winter

 

[Gotham Gator]

The outpouring on line makes it clear that he was not only respected but beloved. Seems like a really good guy.

 

[Ulrich]

The outpouring on line makes it clear that he was not only respected but beloved. Seems like a really good guy.

There was a nice eulogy about him taking some media folk out to lunch after he was let go by LAG(?). Seemed like he was a straight shooter with everybody involved in the game.

 

[Christopher Jee]

Migrated like a bird during the winter

Lol, immigrated technically.

 

[Shwafta]

With the European transfer window now open, I expect to see lots of shit going down within the next few days.
Also, Steffen officially has moved to City right?
ETA: NVM, that's a summer move.

 

[mgarbowski]

With the European transfer window now open, I expect to see lots of shit going down within the next few days.

ETA: NVM, that's a summer move.

I hope so. This offseason has been so boring. But technically, the European transfer window has no effect on transfers to MLS (except indirectly in that it might make European managers more open to dealing). Transfers to MLS depend on the MLS transfer window. This opening only affects deals such as Almiron potentially going to Europe.