We're paying how much for this guy and we're pinning our hopes on him?? Based on Transfer Markt, he hasn't played since December and he's missed 19 games in past two seasons. Sounds like Lampard. YIKES!
2019 Roster Discussion
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We're paying how much for this guy and we're pinning our hopes on him?? Based on Transfer Markt, he hasn't played since December and he's missed 19 games in past two seasons. Sounds like Lampard. YIKES!
It’s curious that we’re buying a player from a euro club and the euro transfer market is closed. So this guy was basically superfluous to their needs, and let’s be real when asking if they’re a “rich” club with the roster resources to lose a bedrock-type player - probably not, and almost definitely not.
Hopefully this guy pans out, but this once again has the stench of a massive FO panic purchase since they’re poaching from a closed league.
Some of the articles mention that he'd been sold to a team in China during the transfer window but the deal fell through at the last min as a result of issues on the buying teams end. It's possible they shut him down once that deal looked like it was happening and they may have brought in a replacement. The injuries are concerning but it's possible he's been healthy for a while now and just not played, at least he comes well rested. I do agree that the rate this team is forced into panic purchases is not a good sign for the competence of the FO.
It’s a bit concerning that the Chinese team stopped the transfer - very curious why. Were there lingering health issues? Was it a financial issue that the team didn’t have the cash? Short of those, not sure why an initiated transfer would halt midstream. And if it was a money issue, the selling team just happened to have extra cash lying around to replace the player prior to transfer making Heber superfluous- again, I’d bet this isn’t a rich team flush with cash to burn - Rijeka plays in an 8k stadium.
His club is also 17 points back yet still in 2nd place as the season winds down. And Heber hasn't played since December as mentioned, so he's completely expendable.
Hasn't played since December is a bit of a misnomer. The league went on break from December-late January. If they expected to sell him after the break, it makes sense not to play him at that point.
Except he is 10 years younger and not fat.
This might be true. I also wonder how much we are held back by factors beyond our FO. Specifically, I would think recruiting is influenced by a number of factors.
- Money - For non-DPs we are in the same boat as every MLS team. For DPs we spent a ton, then a little, then a lot. We'll see where this trend goes from here.
- FO - Not inspiring confidence. But also hard to tell from the outside.
- Coach - PV was a draw. I doubt the same is true of Dome, especially the more the media says things like, "Dome broke the team."
- Facilities - Combination of stadium and training grounds. Ours just sucks, sucks, sucks.
- Location - Have to assume NY is going to attract some and repel (weather) others.
- Teammates - Don't underestimate the value of El Capitan urging you to join him.
I agree there is a ton we don't know about the process, we only get tidbits of the end results but there is starting to be a recurring theme. The factors we will never know that I'd be interested in know more about are:
1. How much control does CFG have over the decision making process and do we have additional sign off steps going back and forth between our FO and CFG that slow down our signing and scouting processes as compared to other MLS teams?
2. How does the FO determine the feasibility of actually being able to get a player before we start chasing them. We seem to get into a lot of drawn out chases that result in either the player choosing not to come or the team refusing to sell. Are we just unlucky or is there room for the FO to improve the decision making process on who they target with regards to actual feasibility of acquisition.
3. How does the FO hedge against missing on a key player? How many backup plans do they have and how many players do they chase simultaneously. I know you can't get a rep for bailing on deals and have to be careful but from the outside it seems like our FO chases players in a very serial process. Opps didn't get that guy, back to the drawing board. There has to be a way to have a few moves tentatively lined up so when we miss we aren't scrambling in the middle of training camp like when they got Maxi or now 3 games in with no CF on the roster.
We really have no evidence this is a panic buy. For all we know they've been negotiating with this team for weeks and they finally budged. Let's give the guy a chance before we kill him. Remember when people were doubting whether Mitrita was the real deal?
Paraphrased, if I might be so bold:
The coach definitely hasn't delivered. It could be our FO isn't delivering. And everything tangible points to ownership not delivering anything close to all they could, even given obvious constraints.
So it could be that all of them suck really, really hard, but we can be certain one or more does.
Counterpoint:
We were known to be chasing Kamara. And there were supposed other targets, in a league a bit better known to everyone than Croatia.
Héber looks like a good striker and we should always give players time to settle in before we try to evaluate a transfer. But I don't think it's unfair to call this a panic signing. The club waited too long to make a move on a center forward, had at least two near-deals that we know about fall through, and now they're closing on a backup plan several weeks into the season. None of that means he won't be a great addition, just that we're pretty clearly scrambling to make up for something that should have been taken care of a month or two ago.
So, he went to manchester to have his medical because he's waiting for his visa, I assume? And I would also guess they decided to do all this now due to the international break, so if he comes during the break he has a week to incorporate into the team.?
I don't think it being a panic buy is any indication that the player isn't good but I think we have plenty of evidence that this is a full on panic buy:
1. We're 3 games into the season
2. It's clear we desperately need a CF
3. The European transfer window is closed so we are buying at a time when options are considerably limited
4. We publicly missed on Kamara
5. The narrative from the team has changed 3 times in under a month:
- First it was: We don't need a true CF we are going to play a fluid front 3 with winger type players (Dome interview in camp)
- Then: we think we need a CF eventually but will likely wait till the summer window to get a one because we think we can get by with what we have (Dome/Reyna at the start of the season)
- Now we need a CF and we are working on bringing one in sometime in the next few weeks. (Recent Dome quotes)
That's all fair. I know they missed on Kamara, but this seems to be their second option. Mackay-Steven was a winger, and I don't remember hearing anything about any other potential strikers. So while their statements to the media changed, that doesn't necessarily mean they believed what they were telling us. This could have been in the works for weeks. If this is a good player, I don't care if it's a panic buy.
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