#DavidLeeOut. The roster is full of holes. We have no #9 and no impact attacking subs. Everyone knew we needed a #9, rumors are they tried and they didn't get it done. Meet a deadline, get it done on time, have backup options incase your targets fall through. Oppsies we ran out of time this window we will just wait for the next one is unacceptable. Complete failure.
MLS - May 13 - Red Bulls (Away)
- Thread starter LionNYC
- Start date
This may be the most troubling aspect of all. There's a missing edginess (hello, Taty) and too much hesitation on the attack. We play really well, even build up really well, and then it just stalls.
With the departure of Taty, Heber , Callens and Thiago we lost 31 goals from 2022 and we replaced none of them.
How do you wait an entire year before replacing your best scorer? And then how do you let go of 3 of your next 5 best scorers the next window and replace none of them!?!?
How do you wait an entire year before replacing your best scorer? And then how do you let go of 3 of your next 5 best scorers the next window and replace none of them!?!?
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I’m not mad. I’m just disappointed.
I’m tired of watching this ineffective, slow, badly coached team.
I’m not cushing out. Maybe a proper 9 fixes all of our problems. I’d assume the FO has a plan. I’m ok with a rebuilding for a year or two in a salary cap league.
BUT tonight was unacceptable. I have a lot to say about lack of subs and heart, but I’m apathetic. I hope the FO see this. Coming into tonight we all felt this (apathetic) whether you want to admit or not. I’m not mad I’m just disappointed.
Edit: something, something no urgency.
BUT tonight was unacceptable. I have a lot to say about lack of subs and heart, but I’m apathetic. I hope the FO see this. Coming into tonight we all felt this (apathetic) whether you want to admit or not. I’m not mad I’m just disappointed.
Edit: something, something no urgency.
Are we thinking too much out there? Are we suffering from paralysis by analysis? When I watch training ground vids, Nick is teaching, teaching, teaching all the time, which is fine -- but it's not fun.
We lack daring. We lack a sense of derring-do. We play like we're avoiding mistakes (which is one of the best ways to guarantee making them, by the way). We end up looking good statistically but without results.
Any decent team with 70 percent possession would have 20 shots with at least six on goal, not six shots with one on goal. But we don't flow. We're not dynamic. There's no rhythm, no boogie in our shoes. We're missing some key pieces, obviously, but we still have enough talent to create a lot more offense than we've managed so far.
Is it because the guys aren't having fun?
Did we watch the same game?
I have the exact opposite take on Gray. This reads like recycled standard Gray boilerplate talking points. He was far from an offensive or (mostly) defensive liability tonight. EXCEPT for that horrible giveaway which erased all of the excellent defending and —yes— press breaking that he was doing all night. And for which I DO blame him for losing his focus.
With that said, our only impact sub options tonight were Cufre and Ilenic and we should have seen both of them.
The frustrating thing about this game is that we totally outplayed them and once again came away with nothing. The players are not shit, trash, whatever and I stand by this, and if you want the proof, just put yourself in the shoes of an RBNJ fan who, despite the victory today, has to watch their team blunder away every ball and chance they get, except the one gifted them by the opposition at the top of the box. Our problem is that we just don’t push in the final third.
We are lacking leadership, aggression and maturity. NOT talent or ability or flair. Even without a 9. It might be on Nick, it might be on Lee, and it might be on the key players. But this is a team mentality problem, not a talent problem.
I am open to accepting bias regarding Gray - and open to him proving my bias wrong. That noted, I truly believe he is a CB playing RB.
I'll defer to any statistical analysis or heat map, but last night it felt that the ball would progress on the left side but consistently recycle back on the right side. Where was Gaby? Perhaps it was Tolkin vs. Nealis, but it echoed a pattern for Gray - do no harm...and do not attack.
Ilenic has a limited run with the team, but it is clear he is faster than Gray and that he has no fear about bombing forward, with or without the ball. That can open up the defense, but with this team that trade is worth the risk. I would gladly sacrifice some cover at the rear, trusting Chanot and Martins (who has been stellar this year) to create more on attack.
Gray has a role on this team. Rather it was as a CB and a defensive RB substitution and not as a starting RB in a game that cried out for an offensive spark.
That is a tough loss yesterday but it has been all too common with the team. I had moderate expectations for the season I.e being a low ranked playoff team, but at this point I think that is asking a lot of the team. I turned off the game thinking 1. Is our set piece defense not great this years because of Callens or Johnson being gone, to help set up our defense. 2. how much did Maxi leaving really mess the FO plans, as this team has no one leadership for its attacking.
Then this morning I realized “crap, I have to start paying for the 2024 season starting tomorrow after watching that crap game.”
Then this morning I realized “crap, I have to start paying for the 2024 season starting tomorrow after watching that crap game.”
My biggest disappointment isn't that we lost but that we didn't play with the intensity that a derby deserves.
I thought we played pretty well aside from bad giveaways and not having any ideas in the attack.
Magno's decision making in the final third needs work. If he's getting double teamed, he needs to know to pass it back or put the early cross in. He can't keep getting stuffed and killing our attack.
Disappointed for the loss but it was feeling that way most of the game. We just don't create enough and we're otherwise too predictable. Don't play fast enough most of the game. As soon as we decide to play quick flowing one touch passes, we were on the edge of the box. But then we run out of ideas..
I'm not mad about otoole playing. He's shown he deserves his spot.. but gray is just not attacking enough. He's great on defense but we needed an attacking threat to work with Gabby last night. We also don't put enough early crosses in the box and that's probably because we don't have anybody running into the box every play. Those are things that need to be coached and Nick is failing in those areas.
I thought we played pretty well aside from bad giveaways and not having any ideas in the attack.
Magno's decision making in the final third needs work. If he's getting double teamed, he needs to know to pass it back or put the early cross in. He can't keep getting stuffed and killing our attack.
Disappointed for the loss but it was feeling that way most of the game. We just don't create enough and we're otherwise too predictable. Don't play fast enough most of the game. As soon as we decide to play quick flowing one touch passes, we were on the edge of the box. But then we run out of ideas..
I'm not mad about otoole playing. He's shown he deserves his spot.. but gray is just not attacking enough. He's great on defense but we needed an attacking threat to work with Gabby last night. We also don't put enough early crosses in the box and that's probably because we don't have anybody running into the box every play. Those are things that need to be coached and Nick is failing in those areas.
I don’t buy the Gray as inside back thing, as he hasn’t logged many minutes there, and especially because he hasn’t demonstrated any particular strength in the air. I think he is a perfectly solid MLS-level top table backup/mid-lower table RB starter. I actually think Ilenic should be our starter. But Gray always seems to be the subject of finger pointing when we don’t win and I don’t get it. I’d argue he’s the least important guy on the pitch, going either way.
The real problem last night was not our defense. It was the inability of our midfield to create chances and finish them against a significantly inferior opponent.
This. At one point he had the perfect opportunity to cut left to the end line and cross into the box -- both Richy and Santi were inside their marks on a run (finally!) and Gabi looked open on the far post, but he took the shot himself instead.
It wasn't a horrible shot. But he had a much better option. Hopefully, the decision making will come with a little more experience (we forget he's only 20).
Smile theory continues to hold. Chanot and sands smiling when they should be ready for battle.
You know, there's a lot of good points being raised about various deficiencies, sure, and I don't really disagree. But look at it this way, we don't have a striker and we're still a mid-table team that's still in the mix in a league where a lot of teams make the playoffs. If we get an amazing striker in the next window and the team has a few months to gel we could be in good shape for the tournament at the end of the season. Is it great fun to watch the team lately? Not especially, to be honest. But I'm not Cushing-out, not at all. Let him get a full team and a little time before we get to that point.
