Maybe Girona has a CB they could loan us.
2023 Roster and Transfer Discussion Thread
- Thread starter Shwafta
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Withholding my doomsaying for now, given that we just blanked NE without any particularly outstanding contribution from him. I probably just jinxed us, but open play defending hasn’t been a particular issue so far. Haak was solid against NER, Alfaro so far hasn’t proven a huge liability, Sands and Fredo are actually pretty adaptable, and while we all would like more depth at the back, any defensive issues pale before our inability to finish.
And a big part of the reason for this is that we tend to dominate possession even when we don’t score.
We need a striker. And if we don’t get that at least we need to penetrate the box and draw pens. My greatest frustration is that we play well in tight spaces but we don’t do so in the box, where we could generate chances or draw pens. Can’t do the latter if you aren’t in the box.
And a big part of the reason for this is that we tend to dominate possession even when we don’t score.
We need a striker. And if we don’t get that at least we need to penetrate the box and draw pens. My greatest frustration is that we play well in tight spaces but we don’t do so in the box, where we could generate chances or draw pens. Can’t do the latter if you aren’t in the box.
NYCFC has the third best xGA in open play this year.
i feel like this would have been a good move for us:
www.mlssoccer.com
Real Salt Lake acquire former LAFC striker Cristian Arango | MLSSoccer.com
TRANSFER TRACKER STATUS: Signing UPDATE (June 10) – Real Salt Lake have completed the acquisition of striker Cristian ‘Chicho’ Arango from Liga MX side Pachuca, the club announced Saturday. The 28-year-old Colombian international’s deal runs through the 2025 MLS season with an option for 2026...
www.mlssoccer.com
As someone who is currently in recovery for a knee injury, 6-8 weeks is nothing. Could have been a lot worse.
i feel like this would have been a good move for us:
Real Salt Lake acquire former LAFC striker Cristian Arango | MLSSoccer.com
TRANSFER TRACKER STATUS: Signing UPDATE (June 10) – Real Salt Lake have completed the acquisition of striker Cristian ‘Chicho’ Arango from Liga MX side Pachuca, the club announced Saturday. The 28-year-old Colombian international’s deal runs through the 2025 MLS season with an option for 2026...
if you believe the nycfc source guy, they did go after him in the offseason but that it would of been lots of GAM/TAM or whatever is still left. that said it may have been easier to buy him from pachuca since he was ok there only.
I really liked his game and thought he'd be a great fiti feel like this would have been a good move for us:
Real Salt Lake acquire former LAFC striker Cristian Arango | MLSSoccer.com
TRANSFER TRACKER STATUS: Signing UPDATE (June 10) – Real Salt Lake have completed the acquisition of striker Cristian ‘Chicho’ Arango from Liga MX side Pachuca, the club announced Saturday. The 28-year-old Colombian international’s deal runs through the 2025 MLS season with an option for 2026...
We're sticking with 15M and Girona isn't in a financial position to buy...
Top scorer at his club which finished at the top half of the table, I don't see any reason we shouldn't stick at our asking price. Here's hoping West Ham and Sevilla get into a bidding war over him!
Two whole goals last season. His xG+xA/90 was a very mundane 0.27. Couldn't get minutes on a relegated team, and really, is the 19th best team in Ligue 1 all that much better than MLS? Isn't that arguably the most top heavy big league in the world?
We already have a young player who was supposed to develop into a goal scorer but has regressed this year over last year. Taty had the benefit of starting under first Villa and then Heber.
I'd very much like to get a proven goal scorer, not more potential. We need goals.
This would be an expected disappointment.
Honestly it would be disappointing out of the gate. We waited a whole year and sat out two windows for this?
But if he comes I’ll try to be optimistic.
5 goals in 821 minutes last year in Ligue 1 (0.55 goals/90). Among players with at least 500 minutes played in MLS this season, only 9 players have a higher goals/90.
Two years ago, had 16 goals in 32 games in the Belgian league, year before he had 13 goals in 28 games in the Netherlands league. Also plays for Canada internationally.
Certainly doesn't seem like a bad player, and is 24 years old. I think this would be a pretty interesting signing. Transfermarkt lists him at a $4M valuation.
Feel like we should trust the front office here -- while they do occasionally miss on signings, they hit a lot more than they miss.
You skipped over his most recent full season when he regressed to 0.20 goals per 90 to highlight his best ever G/90, which he compiled over a meager half-season and 814 minutes. His club was so impressed that in the subsequent full season they only played him 895 minutes while they got relegated. Why did a guy who scored >0.5 goals per game the year before fail to get minutes the next year on a 19th place team that 538 ranks 140+ places lower than NYC? I don't know, except we can't use the excuse of poor management who aren't as smart as us, since it's a CFG club.
His career G/90 is 0.38. His career Sht/90 is 1.68 and that's lower than Talles Magno, Santi, or Pereira. This year Ledezma and Segal have higher shots per 90 than that.
In MLS this year we're tied for 19th in Goals, 20th in xG, and 20th in shots taken. Funny how those things correlate. Cucho takes 5.8 shots per game. Bouanga 4.82, Almada 3.93. Mukhtar 3.89. Zelarayan 3.63. Taty's average with NYCFC was 4.19 and he did 2.95 at Girona. Ugbo's highest was 2.31 in the Second Division Netherlands and he's never gone over 2.0 shots per 90 before or since. Last year in MLS only 7 of the Top 60 Goal Scorers took fewer than 2.00 shots per 90. The most notable of those was Gazdag, who scored 22 goals with just 1.66 shots per game. He did it on a team that willingly concedes possession and then is ruthless on counters so most of his goals come against scrambling defenses. That ain't us. 28 players scored at least 10 goals last year and Gazdag and Arriola were the only 2 who did it with fewer than 2.0 shots per 90.
I don't want a striker who doesn't want to shoot. The most frustrating thing about Talles is his shot rate went down after Taty left. The club told him: "you're the man now" and he retreated. Why acquire another forward who doesn't shoot?
Sure, maybe Nick unlocks something Ugbo never did before at any level. We can hope. But seriously, we sat through 2 windows for a project?
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I wouldn't worry about it. I'm sure in a few days the kid's inside sources will pick a 3rd striker in as many weeks from Ligue 1 and link him to NYCFC.
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