2025 Roster and Transfer Discussion Thread

[Bane]

Our Sporting Director believes that our roster, with a single designated player, a centerback who now leads the club in own goals, and 2/4 U22 spots being used on fringe wingers can compete with any team in this league. Liar.

Either he’s lying to fans, which is bad enough, or worse, he genuinely believes what he stated, which might be scarier/worse.

 

[ZYanksRule]

Our Sporting Director believes that our roster, with a single designated player, a centerback who now leads the club in own goals, and 2/4 U22 spots being used on fringe wingers can compete with any team in this league. Liar.

I understand the club's philosophy that everything is perfectly rosy and amazing and outstanding, but we all have eyes. We can see the real story.

 

[BxLio91]

"They're Yanks, they can't tell the difference"

 

[joe]

We're not getting a new 10 until summer unless one falls from the sky. If Maxi gets hurt they will scramble even more than they have been.

Maybe Alonso can play the 10

 

[CCMore]

Maybe Alonso can play the 10

And take our only reliable scoring threat further away from goal? I’d rather start Hannes or Parks there first.

 

[gbservis]

The most frustrating aspect of both the Lee and Sims interviews is their insistence on framing the conversation as a binary choice between two extremes: either chasing aging superstars like Pirlo and Lampard or committing fully to an ultra-young development model. This is a false dilemma. There is a clear middle ground—investing in early to mid-career, proven players who can immediately improve the team. Players like Puig, Laith, Almirón, Evander, Cucho, Bouanga, and Denkey demonstrate that teams don’t have to choose between washed-up veterans and unproven prospects.

Frankly, both interviews come across as insulting to the fans. The club has clearly committed to a prospect-farm approach, yet they continue to curate interviews and staged Q&As to create the illusion that they are competing on the same level as the league’s top teams. The reality tells a different story. Either they are completely out of touch, or they believe the fans are too naive to see through it—and I’m not sure which is more insulting.

Take the mention of Jovan, for example. The claim that his move to Europe was a carefully planned development strategy is blatant corporate PR spin. It reeks of a contrived talking point, as if they realized they’d face backlash for not addressing his situation and scrambled to present it in a positive light.

At this point, the club might have been better off leaving Lee in his office, where he usually stays silent, rather than subjecting fans to a Q&A that only deepened the frustration. Instead of offering transparency or a compelling vision, the entire effort felt like a patronizing attempt to pacify supporters while the team continues down a path that prioritizes asset development over actual competitiveness.

 

[FootyLovin]

And take our only reliable scoring threat further away from goal? I’d rather start Hannes or Parks there first.

i’m guessing joe s post was in sarcasm font.

 

[joe]

i’m guessing joe s post was in sarcasm font.

Correct as usual friend

 

[CCMore]

i’m guessing joe s post was in sarcasm font.

Correct as usual friend

 

[ZYanksRule]

The most frustrating aspect of both the Lee and Sims interviews is their insistence on framing the conversation as a binary choice between two extremes: either chasing aging superstars like Pirlo and Lampard or committing fully to an ultra-young development model. This is a false dilemma. There is a clear middle ground—investing in early to mid-career, proven players who can immediately improve the team. Players like Puig, Laith, Almirón, Evander, Cucho, Bouanga, and Denkey demonstrate that teams don’t have to choose between washed-up veterans and unproven prospects.

Frankly, both interviews come across as insulting to the fans. The club has clearly committed to a prospect-farm approach, yet they continue to curate interviews and staged Q&As to create the illusion that they are competing on the same level as the league’s top teams. The reality tells a different story. Either they are completely out of touch, or they believe the fans are too naive to see through it—and I’m not sure which is more insulting.

Take the mention of Jovan, for example. The claim that his move to Europe was a carefully planned development strategy is blatant corporate PR spin. It reeks of a contrived talking point, as if they realized they’d face backlash for not addressing his situation and scrambled to present it in a positive light.

At this point, the club might have been better off leaving Lee in his office, where he usually stays silent, rather than subjecting fans to a Q&A that only deepened the frustration. Instead of offering transparency or a compelling vision, the entire effort felt like a patronizing attempt to pacify supporters while the team continues down a path that prioritizes asset development over actual competitiveness.

My frustration with this is so simple: It's all spin. Everything they feed us is spin. Which leads to the belief that they're hiding something, or doing something they think we won't like.

It's all spin. And that's what is so infuriating, because NY sports fans are sophisticated and see through the BS. They think they'll sell more tickets and merchandise by selling us this spin that they think they are on the level of the top teams in the league, so they spin it that way when the reality is very different.

 

[JayH]

This thread and the Players Wanted thread are supposed to be the fun ones.

 

[gbservis]

This thread and the Players Wanted thread are supposed to be the fun ones.

CFG, you are breaking our deal! The deal is that I ignore your sports-washing agenda and all the Oil money slander from other MLS fans in exchange for an exciting, dominant NY team to root for! All the slime and none of the upside is not what we signed up for!

 

[Antidote P. Smiley]

CFG, you are breaking our deal! The deal is that I ignore your sports-washing agenda and all the Oil money slander from other MLS fans in exchange for an exciting, dominant NY team to root for! All the slime and none of the upside is not what we signed up for!

 

[moogoo]

3 weeks until the end of the transfer window.

place your bets (maybe a poll?)! in this window, will we sign:

1) 0 players.
2) 1 player
3) 2 Players
4) 3 or more players

 

[Gene]

1 player.

Ansu Fati from FC Barcelona.

 

[Kenny]

1 player.

Ansu Fati from FC Barcelona.

Well that's specific. Supposedly it's attitude/work ethic keeping him on the bench at Barca. If true, how much worse would it be here in the hinterlands... no thanks.

My prediction: 0 players. And then 1 or 2 in the summer window.

 

[ezbeezy214]

3 weeks until the end of the transfer window.

place your bets (maybe a poll?)! in this window, will we sign:

1) 0 players.
2) 1 player
3) 2 Players
4) 3 or more players

1

 

[ezbeezy214]

Sh

1 player.

Ansu Fati from FC Barcelona.

Shoot for the (injured and chance for redemption) stars

 

[RunningWise]

3 weeks until the end of the transfer window.

place your bets (maybe a poll?)! in this window, will we sign:

1) 0 players.
2) 1 player
3) 2 Players
4) 3 or more players

This is a slam dunk: 0

 

[413Blue]

3 weeks until the end of the transfer window.

place your bets (maybe a poll?)! in this window, will we sign:

1) 0 players.
2) 1 player
3) 2 Players
4) 3 or more players

2 players (1 to homegrown deal and 1 castoff from another CFG club)