2023 Roster and Transfer Discussion Thread
- Thread starter Shwafta
- Start date
We don't have one good DP signing right now. Martins is a starting level MLS CB, above average even, but in no way worth a DP spot. This is the second time he let a bad play at Citi Field multiply into a farcical performance. It's hard for a defender to add excess value so he has to be near perfect in not hurting you. Two years in, Talles Magno is not working out as a DP experiment. I'm not putting all the blame on him, however. His best run of form was when he played regularly with Taty in the first half of 2022 and his goals plus assists were both benefitting from a nice winger-striker partnership. Then the club decided to make him play differently and stunted his progress and killed his value by making no effort to replace Taty or Heber. I don't fault the club trying to leverage CFG's cash in a Covid market. It was a worthwhile bet. But it has not paid off and the club's self-sabotage ensured that. Santi Rodriguez is a below average DP level winger, or 10, or whatever it is we're trying to use him as game to game. I like him, and wish we could have kept him as a non-DP, but using the last DP slot on him when the club has a severe lack of offensive stars was malpractice.
Outside of DPs, and looking at other acquisitions in the last 2 years: I don't know why Braian Cufré is on the team. He seems to have been given a 9-game run out and then placed into the same left back netherworld as Malte Amundsen. Ilenic has quality, but has injury and fitness issues, averaging 53 minutes per game and just 67 minutes when he does appear. Matt Freese gets mentioned whenever Barraza misses a shot or allows a rebound, but I'm not sure Freese is better. I mean he could be, but one USOC game is nothing real to go on. But we almost certainly could have gotten a backup keeper for less GAM.
Pellegrini is a shadow world Jesus Medina. His best asset is his work rate, but he scores even less than Mackay-Stevens. Haak has disappeared, and it seems nobody misses him. Ledezma is the best pickup since Pereira in March 2022. It's a shame we did not acquire Ricky permanently and crazy we have to pay off 2 teams to extend or purchase after 1 year. Everyone but those 2 has issues.
Since winning MLS Cup we lost Johnson, Callens, Medina, Shradi, Tinnerholm, Thorarinsson, Maxi, Taty, Heber, Andrade, and Acevedo. And by my measure we have 2 solid acquisitions, 2 who would be solid but not as DPs, and everything else is at best potential, most notably Ilenic, Freese, and Talles (who was signed before winning the Cup).
Final random observations. First, I don't expect to get a left-footed CB. They only make up 20% of the top level league CBs in the world, and they are very in demand. I checked, and among LAFC, NSH, CIN, SEA, PHI, NWR and ATL, not one has a left-footed CB who has played as much as 30 minutes a game this season. LAFC has Chiellini but he does not play regular minutes. Having a league best CB who was also left-footed and CONMEBOL starting caliber for several years was a unicorn. We'll be lucky to get an Ibeagha-level LF CB in MLS.
Second, I don't know how to apportion blame between Lee and CFG. Martins and Santi are CFG acquisitions, and it's impossible to know when we get those players mostly for our benefit, or for us to to fulfill a promise CFG made them or whatever. Magno is probably a CFG investment bet. Taty was loaned to a CFG team. Generally, we don't know how much autonomy our GMs have. I think Claudio had more, but not as much as his pedigree would have suggested. That scene in WIN! where Claudio has to eat the Frank Lampard shit sandwich that Soriano forced on him is burned in my mind.
Third and finally, I'm not on the Nick Out train. But I won't fight it either. Wrong fit, wrong time, bad luck, lack of support. It's probably not fair. Even though it seems we invent a new way to lose every week it mostly comes down to a weak offense that means every mistake is a killer. If Martins has a solid game last night we still only scored 1 goal on less than 1.5 xG. We don't have the weapons. I do think he's managing for his job over the last third of the season. He probably doesn't deserve that and does deserve a fair shake. But Kries didn't get a fair shake either and it wasn't wrong to move on from him.
Last edited:
all good points. We don't have the best roster, but I think we have a roster that is at least capable of winning some games. We have underperforming players, questions marks on some players who just fell off the planet for one reason or another. I have to ask, would a different coach do more with the same roster? It's not unheard of for a different coach to bring struggling players back to life. It happens at every level of the game. Is nick just not the kind of guy these players want to play for? Is nick not the guy who can bring out the best talents of these players?
My personal opinion is he's not. He may be a good coach for a certain type of player, but not for a team full of young egos. I've said this for at least a few games already - this team just doesn't play like a team. For a team that is relentless about talking about their togetherness, they couldn't seem more disjointed. That is unfortunately, a coaching thing. Yes, nick got dealt a shitty hand for a lot of the reasons you explained. But a team who plays together will at least fight when they're down goals at home.
Summer transfer window better be fucking amazing with an eye on building a squad for 2024.. not just trying to paper over cracks to finish the season.
I think my big question with Nick is how many players have regressed under his leadership. I think he's a really good guy and probably a very good assistant coach, but there's a chance he's too nice a guy to be head coach. Ronny, Dome, and Patrick had that edge to them, I don't think Nick has it.
How many players have regressed since Taty was sent out on loan?
"it’s honestly bizarre to see a group with this much talent on paper struggle the way they are."
www.mlssoccer.com
Sam Jones is not dumb. I'm not saying he's right, but it's at least interesting to consider how an informed outsider views the team.
Power Rankings: Charlotte FC, Houston Dynamo climb after Matchday 15 | MLSSoccer.com
What a week in MLS. St. Louis won by multiple goals, FC Cincinnati won by one goal and Orlando couldn’t pull out a win against Atlanta. It was truly a week unlike any other. In case you forgot, the Power Rankings are voted on by +/- 15 different people. It
www.mlssoccer.com
Sam Jones is not dumb. I'm not saying he's right, but it's at least interesting to consider how an informed outsider views the team.
Took me a good twenty seconds to realize what he was talking about. Send coffee."it’s honestly bizarre to see a group with this much talent on paper struggle the way they are."
Power Rankings: Charlotte FC, Houston Dynamo climb after Matchday 15 | MLSSoccer.com
What a week in MLS. St. Louis won by multiple goals, FC Cincinnati won by one goal and Orlando couldn’t pull out a win against Atlanta. It was truly a week unlike any other. In case you forgot, the Power Rankings are voted on by +/- 15 different people. It
Sam Jones is not dumb. I'm not saying he's right, but it's at least interesting to consider how an informed outsider views the team.
Attachments
"it’s honestly bizarre to see a group with this much talent on paper struggle the way they are."
Power Rankings: Charlotte FC, Houston Dynamo climb after Matchday 15 | MLSSoccer.com
What a week in MLS. St. Louis won by multiple goals, FC Cincinnati won by one goal and Orlando couldn’t pull out a win against Atlanta. It was truly a week unlike any other. In case you forgot, the Power Rankings are voted on by +/- 15 different people. It
Sam Jones is not dumb. I'm not saying he's right, but it's at least interesting to consider how an informed outsider views the team.
I've been saying this. Not exactly as optimistic about the roster as Sam, but i don't think we have such a shit roster. We have enough talent that we should be winning some games instead of on a 6 or 7 winless streak that we're on.
Who is our leading goal scorer and how many goals does he have through 14 games?
No peaking
The hardest thing in the sport is scoring goals. It’s why defenders go for 1/5th the price of a Striker.
We don’t have a Striker/goal scorer. Bunch of creative guys. That’s it
ok. so what you're saying is we need a reliable striker we can count on for ~15 goals a season? so nothing new then? ok.
Same thing I’ve asked for since last June.
But please - tell me how Lee is your lord and savior. Guy won a Cup with Claudio’s guys and now he’s floundering.
you seem to be misunderstanding something. i never said Lee is doing an amazing job. All I've ever said is that this roster can do better than it is currently doing. Doesn't mean we are title contenders. but we are definitely good enough to be a playoff team. I'm not sure where to place the blame when it comes to players underperforming. It's easy to throw the blame on Nick because it's his job to get the most out of the players he has. But i don't think I can put 100% of the blame on him.
You're clearly unhappy with the roster. and maybe i wasn't clear, but I am also unhappy with the roster. We are lacking in many areas for starters and depth pieces. HOWEVER, i still think with everyone healthy, our current best XI should be able to get some fucking results and not get 1 point out of a possible 18. no, we aren't contenders. no, we won't win trophies. but if this is gonna be a rebuilding year then let it be respectable at least.
This is something people say when they know they’ve lost the argument.
What is our record post Taty? It’s not good
Similar threads
