2019 Roster Discussion

[Gotham Gator]

I think this is a very valid point and what you pose is definitely an option to try. Who knows if Heber is fully fit enough to start on Saturday, so perhaps that would be a good option to try this (and then bring Heber on in the 60' and move Mitrita back to LW).

Or perhaps he hasn't been passing as much due to the lack of a true CF there for him to link up with. Perhaps Heber will help remediate that, but I agree with you that we don't know for certain and there is some room for concern there.

One question is whether we try Mitrita in the CAM spot in the event that Maxi can't go.

 

[gbservis]

I think the issue with Mitrita in the center is the same issue with any of our players across any of the forward positions, which is basically a lack of willingness to make a run that breaks the defensive line. Which is what it seems like Héber gives us.

My only concern is that it's less about player tendency than a lack of rehearsal. When player A receives the ball, are they looking for that run? Is player B making it? Is it the second touch or the third touch? Can player B tell when player A is making that pass or can player A tell when player B is shaping to make the run? Lack of rehearsal, consistent lineups or consistent systems might make player tendency irrelevant.

Mitrita would have fit well with Berget. Say what you will about his first touch but there's not many CFs that will keep making that run even if it's the 12th time and they've yet to see a pass. Mitrita doesn't seem all that inclined to feed the runner so it would have been an interesting pairing.

 

[Christopher Jee]

One question is whether we try Mitrita in the CAM spot in the event that Maxi can't go.

I think he loses the ball too often. Doesn't have the vision or the skill at shielding the ball that someone like Maxi or Parks does.

 

[mgarbowski]

I think the issue with Mitrita in the center is the same issue with any of our players across any of the forward positions, which is basically a lack of willingness to make a run that breaks the defensive line. Which is what it seems like Héber gives us.

My only concern is that it's less about player tendency than a lack of rehearsal. When player A receives the ball, are they looking for that run? Is player B making it? Is it the second touch or the third touch? Can player B tell when player A is making that pass or can player A tell when player B is shaping to make the run? Lack of rehearsal, consistent lineups or consistent systems might make player tendency irrelevant.

I think with Mitrita it is at least partly his tendency. He seems to be in love with long range bombers. Alexander Ring is making more and better runs to take shots from inside the box than Mitrita is. Mitrita has taken almost twice as many shots as Ring by 21 to 12. But they have the same number of shots on goal (7), Ring leads on goals 2-1, and and Mitrita has only 0.2 more xG because he shoots from way out and Ring is poaching.

 

[Christopher Jee]

I think with Mitrita it is at least partly his tendency. He seems to be in love with long range bombers. Alexander Ring is making more and better runs to take shots from inside the box than Mitrita is. Mitrita has taken almost twice as many shots as Ring by 21 to 12. But they have the same number of shots on goal (7), Ring leads on goals 2-1, and and Mitrita has only 0.2 more xG because he shoots from way out and Ring is poaching.

Oops, I meant the hitherto lacking tendency of making line-breaking forward runs.

Those are some great (ETA: as in insightful) stats though.

 

[JohnB]

Maybe the whole new league/MLS draft/New York City thing has Dome confused, and he thought he had to tank for Zion.

We would definitely have an aerial threat

 

[Kjbert]

If only our best athletes played soccer

 

[Ulrich]

If only our best athletes played soccer

He’d definitely be able to swat away Ring’s shots that are destined for the Supporters section.

 

[Gotham Gator]

He’d definitely be able to swat away Ring’s shots that are destined for the Supporters section.

But can he do this?

https://twitter.com/x/status/1114687730628399105

 

[Shwafta]

On this day one year ago we played against RSL and the academy team was there, and I probably became the first person to ever stop and interview Haak at a gameday before he was even well known. LOL

 

[sbrylski]

So is this our best XI then?

F | Mitrita, Heber, Maxi*
M | Matarrita, Ring, Ofori, Tinnerholm
D | Callens, Sands, Chanot

I list Maxi as a forward because the heat maps showed him in a cluster with Mitrita and Heber rather than as a midfielder, in a 3-4-2-1 type formation. Maybe in other games with the same formation he'd show up a bit deeper though in a more true 3-5-2.

 

[Kangaroo Jack]

So is this our best XI then?

F | Mitrita, Heber, Maxi*
M | Matarrita, Ring, Ofori, Tinnerholm
D | Callens, Sands, Chanot

I list Maxi as a forward because the heat maps showed him in a cluster with Mitrita and Heber rather than as a midfielder, in a 3-4-2-1 type formation. Maybe in other games with the same formation he'd show up a bit deeper though in a more true 3-5-2.

as much as ive liked Ofori id make one change to this lineup

F | Mitrita, Heber, Taty
M | Matarrita, Ring, Maxi, Tinnerholm
D | Callens, Sands, Chanot

 

[Christopher Jee]

as much as ive liked Ofori id make one change to this lineup

F | Mitrita, Heber, Taty
M | Matarrita, Ring, Maxi, Tinnerholm
D | Callens, Sands, Chanot

There's a decent amount of defensive work and positional discipline required from that double-pivot. I feel like that might shackle Maxi and that's something that neither he, the fans or his new hairstyle would be all too happy with.

If I'm choosing between Taty up front + Maxi as double-pivot vs. Maxi up front and Ofori or Parks as double-pivot, I'd go for the latter on current form and track record.

 

[Kangaroo Jack]

There's a decent amount of defensive work and positional discipline required from that double-pivot. I feel like that might shackle Maxi and that's something that neither he, the fans or his new hairstyle would be all too happy with.

If I'm choosing between Taty up front + Maxi as double-pivot vs. Maxi up front and Ofori or Parks as double-pivot, I'd go for the latter on current form and track record.

 

[mgarbowski]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1121870059834630145

Sigh.
NYCFC's best for anyone who meets the very reasonable 300 minute minimum is Taty at 0.64. Ignoring the minimum minute floor, Heber is 1.48 and Shradi is 1.31. Also nobody on the roster has more than 3G+A (exPK). Hell, nobody has a PK goal anyway.

 

[sbrylski]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1121870059834630145

Sigh.
NYCFC's best for anyone who meets the very reasonable 300 minute minimum is Taty at 0.64. Ignoring the minimum minute floor, Heber is 1.48 and Shradi is 1.31. Also nobody on the roster has more than 3G+A (exPK). Hell, nobody has a PK goal anyway.

Meh, this doesn't stress me out. The first three or four games of the season, nobody was set up to succeed, and I really don't blame any individual player for playing poorly during that stretch. It was on Dome for back or no tactical approach and Reyna for not completing any of the attempts at a striker replacement pre-season.

With Heber in place and a move to a 3-man backline and inverted wingers, I'm nothing but optimistic. Mitrita feels like he might be a streaky kind of player, the kind that could throw up a hat trick on a weak defense then go cold for four games straight. I think Heber and Mitrita can combine for 30 goals and Maxi will rise to about 10/10 again. Approaching 40 goals from our top three offensive players puts us about on pace for the same goal total as last year (15/12/9 from Villa/ITS/Maxi).

 

[sbrylski]

What's the forum's opinion on Fuchs these days? While I'd take him in Sweat's role as a backup LWB/LCB, that's not worth very much in a vacuum. That said, Callens is likely to go missing for a few weeks in June and Sweat appears to be the only other player that Dome comfortable with at LCB. Fuchs could slot right in. A 2-year deal on salary wouldn't be bad, but not sure he's even TAM anymore.

 

[mgarbowski]

Meh, this doesn't stress me out. The first three or four games of the season, nobody was set up to succeed, and I really don't blame any individual player for playing poorly during that stretch. It was on Dome for back or no tactical approach and Reyna for not completing any of the attempts at a striker replacement pre-season.

With Heber in place and a move to a 3-man backline and inverted wingers, I'm nothing but optimistic. Mitrita feels like he might be a streaky kind of player, the kind that could throw up a hat trick on a weak defense then go cold for four games straight. I think Heber and Mitrita can combine for 30 goals and Maxi will rise to about 10/10 again. Approaching 40 goals from our top three offensive players puts us about on pace for the same goal total as last year (15/12/9 from Villa/ITS/Maxi).

I'm with you sort of. I've not yet decided whether I'm optimistic, but it's possible. My sigh was more because I'd like to once again have a high profile signing come in and just start killing it from the get go, which has not happened since our very first player.
ETA: and to be fair, there is a chance Heber will do that. Also Mitrita could have a great season, but we're past the point where one could say he was stellar from the outset.

 

[Ulrich]

Meh, this doesn't stress me out. The first three or four games of the season, nobody was set up to succeed, and I really don't blame any individual player for playing poorly during that stretch. It was on Dome for back or no tactical approach and Reyna for not completing any of the attempts at a striker replacement pre-season.

With Heber in place and a move to a 3-man backline and inverted wingers, I'm nothing but optimistic. Mitrita feels like he might be a streaky kind of player, the kind that could throw up a hat trick on a weak defense then go cold for four games straight. I think Heber and Mitrita can combine for 30 goals and Maxi will rise to about 10/10 again. Approaching 40 goals from our top three offensive players puts us about on pace for the same goal total as last year (15/12/9 from Villa/ITS/Maxi).

Is that Maxi 10/10 representative of PKs taken/missed?

 

[mgarbowski]

And building on the previous point, our second most successful big signing is Maxi, who is routinely held up as an example of why we should maybe show patience with any other given signing who doesn't do well at the start, or even the entire first year.