2021 Roster Discussion
- Thread starter EganSoccerWords
- Start date
The people who were named in the Athletic article were "Kevin Christen, now 38, its lead trainer, and Melvyn Pamplona, now, 34, NYCFC’s assistant trainer who also oversaw the interns."
Judging by the social media tributes to Ro coming from Kitman Dan and photographer Katie C, he seems like a good dude
edit: also clarifying that I cut-and-pasted something that was speaking about staff at the time of the allegations. Later in the article: "Christen left the club in early 2020, months before Badillo went public with her accusations against Villa. But Melvyn Pamplona still works at NYCFC."
With the CBA [all but] resolved, pending votes, the one excuse they've had for sitting still is gone. Time to move.
I do think that with the season starting a month later than normal, it's not terribly abnormal for them to make signings throughout January. And since everything is a month later this year, we're basically at January 6 of a normal offseason right now.
I'm bored too, and I want them to improve the team, too. I just continue to not think it's a five-alarm fire for them to have no signings yet. If we get into March with no signings I'll start to get concerned.
No doubt there’s time, but my point literally is if they were waiting it’s time to start.
But also, compared to the past, we might not be very behind in terms of acquisitions, but we’ve also never before had a year where five players left, six if you count Taty, and 7 if you count Mitrita, which I think we should, of whom 5 got regular minutes, and there’s 2 DP slots open, and not one player brought in yet.
And many other leagues closed their windows, which though not an barrier to us bringing anyone in, means some teams are less likely to sell because they can’t get a replacement.
Link to @FootyLovin’s excellent chart:
2021 Roster Discussion
id say the country travel restrictions is a potential issue for sure, I think we are very unlucky to have 2 open DP spots and a fairly substantial overhaul otherwise in Covid Year 2. In times of stress people are wary of risks and big changes. They get very conservative in their life choices...
nycfcforums.com
No doubt there’s time, but my point literally is if they were waiting it’s time to start.
But also, compared to the past, we might not be very behind in terms of acquisitions, but we’ve also never before had a year where five players left, six if you count Taty, and 7 if you count Mitrita, which I think we should, of whom 5 got regular minutes, and there’s 2 DP slots open, and not one player brought in yet.
And many other leagues closed their windows, which though not an barrier to us bringing anyone in, means some teams are less likely to sell because they can’t get a replacement.
Link to @FootyLovin’s excellent chart:
2021 Roster Discussion
id say the country travel restrictions is a potential issue for sure, I think we are very unlucky to have 2 open DP spots and a fairly substantial overhaul otherwise in Covid Year 2. In times of stress people are wary of risks and big changes. They get very conservative in their life choices...
I would also posit that there's no way this team would have made all those moves (especially Ring and Matarrita) if they didn't expect to make high-priced signings to replace those players. It just makes no logical sense. I know a lot of people here think that CFG isn't willing to spend money on this team, but the evidence suggests differently.
I get that there's a lot of anger at the business side of the organization, but that's unfairly leaking into the sporting department, which has put together the best regular season record in MLS over the last number of years. MLS is not a league where lots of teams stay competitive for multiple years, but we have. That speaks to the strength of the sporting department, and I have faith they will come through once again.
I do agree with you that it's time for the signings to start. I sure hope we hear some news soon. Training camp begins Feb. 22, and while we've seen major signings come in during training camp (Moralez a really notable example), it would be nice to have the majority of our team when the team sets out on camp.
The sporting dept you speak so highly of is in Austin now.. the one we currently have gave us gudi.
Claudio Reyna was not a one-man sporting department. The majority of the team that's been there for the last few years is still there. Sure there's been some turnover, but not much. David Lee has been with us since the beginning. By all accounts he's well-respected around the league.
I tend to agree with him. Everyone seems to be really down on the team (myself included sometimes), however on the sporting side we HAVE been incredibly good / consistent outside of the coaching changes.your optimism knows no bounds. let's hope you're right
I second that.your optimism knows no bounds. let's hope you're right
U youth think zYR is an agent of CFG?
If this team signs some mediocre talent from the North Sea Region again and the team ends up mid table...
If Sands goes to Europe would it be mid year at the earliest or could it be sooner? Anybody?
Sounds like we're getting close to the annual prognostication thread
If the results on the field go south, of course there's room for criticism. I just think the panic here is overboard. We're all upset with the stadium situation and the lack of customer service, etc. But on the field in the reguler season, the results have been there. IMO the changes this winter are about trying to get this team over their playoff issues. We also know how NYCFC/CFG like to move in quiet. We don't really hear about most rumors until just before they're confirmed. So I like to think they have a lot of feelers out all over the place, and hopefully soon we'll start to hear something soon.
It does seem likely the DP signing(s) are going to underwhelm us because they're not going to be big names. But the team has been willing to spend money on DP's, and if they do sign a DP for a large transfer fee, it will be evidence that they are trying to win. If they don't make big signings, my tune will change. Because you don't get rid of the guys they got rid of unless you're doing it to improve the roster. If they don't bring anyone in, then it would seem to me they are cutting costs and the criticisms here will then be valid.
I would also like to know what the plan is. Are they rebuilding, or are they retooling? Are they trying to make a run this season, or are they comfortable taking a step back to reevaluate the roster. I hope it's option A, because this is still a very good team even with the guys they've dropped. They are not far away from being a championship team, so I have to hope they are trying to make another run this season.
Panic is your word, and I don't think it's fair. I agree there is a lot of negativity and doubt, and I think at least doubt (which is the camp I'm in) is warranted.
Besides the sheer number of players we need to replace (6-7) depending on whether Taty goes, and that deal seems to have stalled so he might stay, I'm concerned about needing so many players who will put the ball in the net. The large roster rebuild would seem less daunting to me, if we needed some more CBs or D-mids, or backups to backups. Scoring already was an issue last year, with the team netting 0 or 1 goals in 60% of the games. It was just 2019 when NYCFC led the East with goals scored.
Our top scorers from 2019 are:
1. Coming off injury, prone to injury, and mostly non-productive when healthy in 2020.
2. Gone to Saudi.
3. Maybe going.
4. Turning 34 this month and possibly prone to breakdown.
5. Prone to injury and streaky at best when he plays.
6. Gone to Austin.
7. Jesus Medina.
And the top scorers in 2020 are:
1. Maybe going.
2. Jesus Medina.
3. A right back.
4. Off to Austin.
5. Off to Saudi.
6. Unreliable/streaky.
7. Parks.
Right now there is not one player I would bet to score 10 or more goals over a full 34 game season. There are couple who would not shock if they do so (Heber if healthy, Taty if back), but no solid likelihoods. Also, I don't discount how irredeemably boring the club was last year in all those games where it struggled to score. It's about 70% as important as the results. It's hard to watch another season like that. That affects everone's mood.
Best case scenario
- Heber comes back healthy and productive
- Maxi comes back healthy and productive
- Taty comes back (he's presumably both healthy and productive until events intervene)
With that offensive core, it's not hard to fill in some additional parts.
But without those 3 back and healthy, this team needs to pick up 4-5 reliable scorers (1-2 CFs, 1-2 wingers, and an attacking mid) just to be presentable. Plus a left back. We absolutely have to get a solid Maxi attacking-mid backup regardless. Even if he's healthy all year he will need rest.
The other thing unsettling to me is Taty. I'm not sure if I want him to stay or not. He solves a lot of problems if Heber is here and producing, but he's not a #1 CF. So if Taty goes, I figure David Lee and gang know we have to get those 1-2 CFs to supplement Heber. But if Taty stays, I fear they roll the dice and rely on a highly uncertain Heber to be our #1 scorer and Taty to be our fill in CF, which did not work so well.
Honestly, having thought about this, the Heber/Maxi/Taty uncertainty has as much to do with my unease as the open roster slots.
Last edited:
Sounds like we're getting close to the annual prognostication thread
hold the line
I agree with you. I've thought all offseason that the team needed to do a complete overhaul of the attack. Let's see what happens in the next few weeks.
Similar threads
- Poll
