2023 Roster and Transfer Discussion Thread

[ZYanksRule]

Here is a not necessarily complete list of players registered by MLS clubs during the Secondary summer window, who have already appeared in games for their new clubs. This excludes Americans and Canadians (even if transferred from foreign league) and at least 2 players who previously played in MLS.

Aaron Boupendza, Gabon, Cincinnati
Eugene Ansah, Ghana, Dallas
Teemu Pukki, FInland, Minnesota

This can be done.
It has been 360 days since Taty left, 202 since Heber, and 178 since Alex Callens officially departed. And their replacements aren't in country yet.

I would assume -- and this is just an educated guess on my part -- that Miami (and these other teams) started the process before making the official announcement. Messi was obviously happening for a long time before the official announcement. For whatever reason, NYCFC seems to wait on the visa until the official announcement is made.

 

[ZYanksRule]

Of course. That's how you do it. Or do it in the Winter Window. And so I conclude that either NYCFC was unaware of this one neat trick, or Bakrar was the only player in the entire world who was acceptable and we had no choice but to wait, or even after NYCFC knew the roster was crap, they had zero urgency to getting things done and they consider 2023 a write-off, with playoffs probably still a goal in some aspirational sense, but not necessary.

I do believe they considered 2023 a write-off after the departures of Maxi and Callens, and especially when they realized Talles wouldn't work as the 9. This very quickly turned into a rebuild/retool year, and I have pretty high hopes that 2024 will be a lot better.

 

[FootyLovin]

yea but none of these teams have been spending time and money trying to sign neymar

I do wonder if there is a plot line where they needed to sell Taty AND find a buyer for Magno to clear the way for Neymar. The intent was always to craft an 11 like so:

neymar - bakrar - gabby
parks - santi - sands
cufre - risa - martins - ilenic
barraza

key subs - pelegrini, morales, chanot

It's not a bad looking squad.

 

[mgarbowski]

I do believe they considered 2023 a write-off after the departures of Maxi and Callens, and especially when they realized Talles wouldn't work as the 9. This very quickly turned into a rebuild/retool year, and I have pretty high hopes that 2024 will be a lot better.

A somewhat overlooked element of the Lampard fake-signing-late-arrival fiasco is that when he finally was done with Man City and the 2015 summer transfer window opened NYCFC told him, "Don't hurry. Take a vacation We know you've been deferring your honeymoon. Take it in the middle of OUR season, which by the way is not going well at all!" He showed up last of all the summer acquisitions in 2015, missing 3 games for which he absolutely should have been on the roster, and it was all done with management's OK. Of course he lacked all the self-awareness in the world so he was surprised and hurt when fans blamed him. But part of that is management absolutely said it was fine.

I'm glad they let Kreis go and hired Vieira. But if Kries is holding a grudge against CFG and this team he has every damn right. They hung him out to dry before they threw him under the bus. Even Pirlo. Consensus is he was signed not because we needed a deep playmaker but to overcome disastrous PR that year. NYCFC/CFG has been consistent in not going all out to fix a season once it starts to circle the drain.

 

[mgarbowski]

I do wonder if there is a plot line where they needed to sell Taty AND find a buyer for Magno to clear the way for Neymar. The intent was always to craft an 11 like so:

neymar - bakrar - gabby
parks - santi - sands
cufre - risa - martins - ilenic
barraza

key subs - pelegrini, morales, chanot

It's not a bad looking squad.

I do think they're planning to get a better striker than Bakrar and it might have to wait until the Taty deal is 100%. But I'm not expecting Neymar. The Talles side of things is a total enigma.

 

[ZYanksRule]

A somewhat overlooked element of the Lampard fake-signing-late-arrival fiasco is that when he finally was done with Man City and the 2015 summer transfer window opened NYCFC told him, "Don't hurry. Take a vacation We know you've been deferring your honeymoon. Take it in the middle of OUR season, which by the way is not going well at all!" He showed up last of all the summer acquisitions in 2015, missing 3 games for which he absolutely should have been on the roster, and it was all done with management's OK. Of course he lacked all the self-awareness in the world so he was surprised and hurt when fans blamed him. But part of that is management absolutely said it was fine.

I'm glad they let Kreis go and hired Vieira. But if Kries is holding a grudge against CFG and this team he has every damn right. They hung him out to dry before they threw him under the bus. Even Pirlo. Consensus is he was signed not because we needed a deep playmaker but to overcome disastrous PR that year. NYCFC/CFG has been consistent in not going all out to fix a season once it starts to circle the drain.

There was no saving that 2015 season, to be fair.

I kind of disagree with your premise because since that awful year, we had the best record in the entire league from 2016-2022. Plus an MLS Cup and two conference final appearances. They did right by us during that era of NYCFC soccer. Now we're retooling the roster. We allowed players who were already aging out to leave. The focus is clearly on 2024, and maybe making a good run to end the regular season this year. If we were to win a playoff round this season, I'd consider that a successful end to the year.

I really do think, considering the success we had from 2016-2022, we're not giving NYCFC/CFG enough credit and are being unduly harsh on them for this season. Yes they messed up. Yes there was some hubris in believing Talles could be a No. 9. They made a mistake, and in a salary-capped league it burned them. But this ownership group gave us a hell of a 7-year run, and I have no reason to believe we won't go on another run perhaps as early as next year.

 

[mgarbowski]

I kind of disagree with your premise because since that awful year, we had the best record in the entire league from 2016-2022. Plus an MLS Cup and two conference final appearances.

That works if you ignore that I pretty explicitly directed my criticism to seasons that go poorly. They handled both the same way. Once it gets close to the half way mark and the PPG is near 1, they start working on next year. In between, I agree it's been great.

 

[ZYanksRule]

That works if you ignore that I pretty explicitly directed my criticism to seasons that go poorly. They handled both the same way. Once it gets close to the half way mark and the PPG is near 1, they start working on next year. In between, I agree it's been great.

Are you saying that's the wrong way to deal with it? It's similar to MLB teams that are 50-50 and decide to sell even though they're only 5 games out of a playoff spot. Sure they could go on a run, but the likelihood is small and it makes more sense from a competitive standpoint to focus on a season with greater chances of success.

Our ceiling this season is probably a 7-seed in the East. That means an incredibly tough road through the playoffs. The greatest likelihood, even if we get hot, is maybe win a round or two, then bow out. Does that excite anyone? Is that why we're here? I'd rather, at this stage of an unsuccessful season, focus my attention on a year that has a better chance of being successful. That means get pieces that will be here next year, use this year to acclimate them, then try and make a run in 2024.

 

[FootyLovin]

I do think they're planning to get a better striker than Bakrar and it might have to wait until the Taty deal is 100%. But I'm not expecting Neymar. The Talles side of things is a total enigma.

You may be (probably are) right. Then that puts Bakrar on the bench with an 11 of:

magno - non-DP-striker - gabby
parks - santi - sands
cufre - risa - martins - ilenic
barraza

Key subs - bakrar, pelegrini, morales, chanot

Can we land someone to make enough of a difference there with non-DP money?

 

[mgarbowski]

You may be (probably are) right. Then that puts Bakrar on the bench with an 11 of:

magno - non-DP-striker - gabby
parks - santi - sands
cufre - risa - martins - ilenic
barraza

Key subs - bakrar, pelegrini, morales, chanot

Can we land someone to make enough of a difference there with non-DP money?

So many unknown-unknowns.

Window closes in 2 weeks.

 

[LionNYC]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1681712552818901017

 

[Gene]

But if Kries is holding a grudge against CFG and this team he has every damn right. They hung him out to dry before they threw him under the bus. Even Pirlo. Consensus is he was signed not because we needed a deep playmaker but to overcome disastrous PR that year. NYCFC/CFG has been consistent in not going all out to fix a season once it starts to circle the drain.

 

[Gene]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1681712552818901017

NVM. Reading is fundamental.

 

[mgarbowski]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1681712552818901017

Well that's not mysterious or disconcerting at all. Not blaming Mr. Tactics. It is what it is.

 

[moogoo]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1681712552818901017

watch them send gabby somewhere and we all riot. lol

 

[Fantazma]

watch them send gabby somewhere and we all riot. lol

thats my concern. him being the only player doing well enough and attracted interest from somewhere. talles was the only one rumored in twitter but who really wants him in this current form.

 

[erosenbaum97]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1681728106606805013

Not a great sign for the hopes of signing a better striker if they've already giving Bakrar the 9, I'd imagine.

 

[FootyLovin]

Hearing some interesting outgoing transfer rumors about @NYCFC for a South American player.

Not a great sign for the hopes of signing a better striker if they've already giving Bakrar the 9, I'd imagine.

I do wonder if there is a plot line where they needed to sell Taty AND find a buyer for Magno to clear the way for Neymar. The intent was always to craft an 11 like so:

neymar - bakrar - gabby
parks - santi - sands
cufre - risa - martins - ilenic
barraza

key subs - pelegrini, morales, chanot

It's not a bad looking squad.

Hmmmmmm.

 

[mgarbowski]

Hmmmmmm.

Are we getting back aboard the Neymar train? Lol. We're so desperate for hints, it's as bad as he stadium "signs of smoke" days.

 

[FootyLovin]

Are we getting back aboard the Neymar train? Lol. We're so desperate for hints, it's as bad as he stadium "signs of smoke" days.

As bad? Nay. I say thee - as gooooooood!!!