2026 Roster and Transfer Discussion Thread

[mgarbowski]

People keep treating this window in isolation.To repeat myself: this situation started a year ago. We had 3 strikers not counting Reid in January 2025.

• We loaned 1 almost immediately
  • did not replace
• Sold another in summer 2025
  • did not replace
• Saw our CSO resign Sept 30
• Saw our first choice striker injured November 7
• Finally name a CSO December 1 and then deferred his start another month
• Bogert reports the Sylla deal January 25 nearly 12 weeks after Martinez injury; 10 days later that deal is off and European window is closed immediately thereafter, restricting options.
• Feb 24 no wisp of smoke of a rumor

The organization chose to run the back end of the season with Martinez and a teenager who they used for just 26 minutes in 19 games (season plus playoffs) since the Bakrar transfer. He actually averaged more minutes before the Bakrar transfer. After Martinez was injured, Reid has played 1 minute in 3 games. If they trust Reid, I don't know why he does not see the field. If they don't trust him, what they've been doing makes even less sense.

Sure, the Sylla transfer was bad luck (putting aside EganSoccerWords tinfoil theory which I'm almost starting to credit).
The whole damn package is a terrible organizational failure.

 

[gbservis]

People keep treating this window in isolation.To repeat myself: this situation started a year ago. We had 3 strikers not counting Reid in January 2025.

• We loaned 1 almost immediately
  • did not replace
• Sold another in summer 2025
  • did not replace
• Saw our CSO resign Sept 30
• Saw our first choice striker injured November 7
• Finally name a CSO December 1 and then deferred his start another month
• Bogert reports the Sylla deal January 25 nearly 12 weeks after Martinez injury; 10 days later that deal is off and European window is closed immediately thereafter, restricting options.
• Feb 24 no wisp of smoke of a rumor

The organization chose to run the back end of the season with Martinez and a teenager who they used for just 26 minutes in 19 games (season plus playoffs) since the Bakrar transfer. He actually averaged more minutes before the Bakrar transfer. After Martinez was injured, Reid has played 1 minute in 3 games. If they trust Reid, I don't know why he does not see the field. If they don't trust him, what they've been doing makes even less sense.

Sure, the Sylla transfer was bad luck (putting aside EganSoccerWords tinfoil theory which I'm almost starting to credit).
The whole damn package is a terrible organizational failure.

The deeper issue contributing all of this is the clubs seeming unwillingness to ever cut their losses and move on. They want to play this high risk, high reward, develop and sell game with guys like Magno, Jovan, Ferenadez and Ojeda but then they seem to have this policy where they always loan these guys instead of selling when things don't work out. Why is Magno even back, at this point just cut him? The idea that its going to go differently this time around is absurd. Just cut him and move on. How many loans does Jovan get while he ties up our U21 slot, you whiffed, just sell him for what you can get and move on. If you want to go high risk you have to be willing to move quickly.

It matters because it affects the depth you are talking about, instead of having an extra roster spot to add Christian Ramirez on loan while we also look for a DP striker, we have to pretend Magno who hates contact and always drifts wide left is going to become a striker because he says he wants to. If Jovan and Fernadez were gone we could be rolling the dice with another set of U21 players in these attacking positions of need. Instead CFG scouting takes these giant risks with key roster spots, completely whiffs on multiple guys and our roster is handcuffed for years as a result.