Davies is 17 and does not have a European passport (or if he does none of the articles about the transfer mention it). Does he have sufficient international stature to make that moot?
2018 Roster Discussion
- Thread starter The Toe
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I have been assured dozens, if not hundreds of times, that CFG would be a league leader in providing resources to NYCFC. Now I give them slack for not building a stadium yet. I get how hard it is. I wrote the posts somewhere deep in the stadium thread about the history of NYC stadium and sport arena difficulties.
But as they are deferring that giant expense, perhaps involuntarily, I think it is reasonable for them to move forward on other big investments. And they have lagged. I'd put our ownership in the top 25% of the league overall, and would entertain arguments that they fit in the 10-20% slot, but they definitely are not leaders.
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dummyrun
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All I really ask is that they spend enough on the roster to play good soccer. The stadium, the USL team, the fan base, all the rest will flow from that. I think CFG itself will show a lot more interest in the team if Dome can build a Pep-style juggernaut in New York City. But to do that they're going to have to show some ambition in the transfer market, just like Man City did.
I would argue, rather adamantly, that the USL team goes hand-in-hand with “spending enough on the roster to play good soccer.” Funneling from the Academy to the first team is another roster mechanism that *should* pay dividends because of the 4(?) HG spots that don’t impact the cap. We’re using two, but are we really using them?
Agreed. Just look at what NJ does. If Sands had been getting minutes on a USL squad the last couple years, he’d have saved us $260k on Hountondji. And he would have actually played a few minutes.
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dummyrun
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Sure, building a team is a virtuous cycle. Building a stadium grows the fan base which funds the USL team which improves the roster and so on. We know all the things we want to see this club do as it grows. But if we're talking priorities, I really don't care about a stadium or a USL team right now. I care about fielding a team that will get people excited about soccer in New York City. That's the sine qua non here. And we're getting close.
I agree with the general point, although you have to acknowledge that neither of those guys is as good as Davies.
I would like to believe that if we had a guy that good, he would play.
None of which changes the fact that we need a USL team to develop the guys that are a level below.
The deal with Sands and Scally is not that they were MLS ready. It was that they could benefit by training in a professional environment. So, they get to practice with the first team, maybe get a run out here and there, and play a lot with the academy. It’s not as good as a USL team, but the Club knows it needs one. It’s just moving at its usual measured, deliberate pace.
He turns 18 in the fall. The belief is that he will be loaned back to Vancouver for the rest of the season, but that’s not official. Would be good to see him close up in a couple weeks.
A higher level of training is always good, but training does not equal game minutes. There’s a different level of effort put forth and speed of decision making involved with game situations.
And people are still not getting excited, as our attendance numbers are slightly down. Which I guess is an indictment against the human race or newyorkers or whatever, but bears mentioning. Is disappointing. I guess a parade by November would wake them up?
I don’t think we’d ever be selling Sands for $20mm. Or even $10mm. But as I posted already he could have saved us $260k vs the cap as an option instead of Hountondji if he has the requisite development.
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dummyrun
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Yeah, but isn’t that really just Frank and Pirlo being replaced by Maxi and Jesus? I think everyone would agree those are good moves, and I have to believe spending across the balance of the roster is up.
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dummyrun
Guest
Yep. But the simple fact is that we're not spending as much money on the roster as we have in the past or as much as we could right now if CFG chose. Now that we've got a coach who could get the most out of that extra investment, it'd be a shame not to see what he'd do with it.
This is just my informed guess, but I doubt an MLS championship, or even 2, bumps interest and attendance significantly higher than the club had in Year 1 when they averaged 29k per game. I expect them to top out at 30-32. Happy to be proven wrong.
I’ll say that a championship doesn’t increase attendance at all. Only a SSS or big name signings help the gate.
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dummyrun
Guest
Seems like a reasonable target. A sustained 30k would give us the third-best attendance in the league.
I agree that what drives attendance isn't championships per se, it's a culture that's genuinely excited about soccer and sees it as a legitimate big league sport, like in Atlanta and Seattle. And I think fielding a team that raises the bar for American soccer is the best way to get there.
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This has been a really good thread the last few days.
I don't think not having a USL team has been because the Club is cheap. I think it's a by product of there having been very little upside of having one until now. It would be a significant money loser and what purpose would it serve? Our squad isn't deep enough to warrant having a USL side right now.
The hope is that in 2, 3, 4 years team you have a USL side where guys like Kwame Awuah, James Sands and even a Jonathan Lewis can play week in and week out. Right now, I don't see how a USL side is feasible.
I don't think not having a USL team has been because the Club is cheap. I think it's a by product of there having been very little upside of having one until now. It would be a significant money loser and what purpose would it serve? Our squad isn't deep enough to warrant having a USL side right now.
The hope is that in 2, 3, 4 years team you have a USL side where guys like Kwame Awuah, James Sands and even a Jonathan Lewis can play week in and week out. Right now, I don't see how a USL side is feasible.
think the idea was that the class grows into the age that would warrant a USL team, i think we are close to that point. they will have to have mls rejects and other dudes to make up the team
maybe USL D3 is a cheaper option even though first year will be like 8 teams only.
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