We can make a fun NYCFC side bet of some sort on it! All fair points, but Daniel Levy and increased TV money counterbalance them for me. I actually suspect he will be back at Spurs. Anyhow, back to the topic at hand...
NYCFC Players Wanted Thread
- Thread starter NYCFC_Dan
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He's done his one job decently enough for us, but he doesn't provide much in distribution. I think it's borderline whether Bravo is worth his total cost (transfer fee + salary) to keep him beyond this year.
Put another way, on a good MLS team, I think Bravo is at best. Not sure we should dump allocation money on a guy that's fine at best. If we just want someone out there to hit people and disrupt attacks and do nothing else, I think there's cheaper guys that can do it.
I totally disagree. Considering how few games Bravo has, he's become a great lynchpin between the D and Mids, and freeing Pirlo up to be farther forward (Mix or Poko next year?), and it should only get better over the course of the season. How many truly effective DMids are there in MLS - there aren't that many because most teams play 2 of them at a time in the 4-2-3-1 formation. Bravo is the lone guy in ours and he's effective - it could be argued that Mikey is a DMid, but his role has been box-2-box which is entirely different being an advanced bulldog. Add to it that Bravo can be used as a CB and he's very valuable.
Megging that many players in MLS would eventually get both his ankles broken. Probably by Mikey Lopez in practice.
Bravo is getting 3.8 interceptions per game and making 2.5 tackles. There are over 20 midfielders in the league that are averaging more tackles per game - including Andrea Pirlo.
Only four midfielders are averaging more interceptions per game, but three of those players also have more tackles per game: Azira (COL), Sarvas (DCU), and Creavalle (PHI).
Just based on these two stats, Bravo's best MLS comp is somewhere between Michael Azira (cut by Seattle last year) and Matt Polster (a draft pick).
Both Azira and Polster also have better passing rates, in the 80's compared to Bravo's 77.1%.
I realize this proof is extremely oversimplified, but the data does not indicate Bravo is one of the most effective defensive midfielders in the league this year. Average defense at best, and as mentioned, little in the way of offensive contributions.
At this point, would I retain him for free? Yes. Would I pay allocation money to cover his transfer fee? Probably not.
I'm yet undecided on Bravo because I love him out there but haven't yet figured out if that is because I think he is really good or because I'm just so happy to have a real 6. Defensive numbers could be a bit low since we have a very high possession percentage which means fewer defensive opportunities.
I do think his passing is perhaps better than you give him credit for. The pass to Matarrita on the third goal this week was good incisive passing and I think he is generally fine in terms of playing the ball to the more offensive players functionally.
Mostly, time will tell -- for me, too early to jump to conclusions either way as it has only been a few games, but he is definitely important now given the limited alternatives we have.
Stats don't always tell the tale. Is there a stat for times the guy he was marking didn't get the ball passed to him because of the marking?
NYCFC has undoubtably been playing better and much more composed the last two games - this may simply come down to an eye test, just like art and porn - I can tell good versus bad when I see it.
NYCFC has undoubtably been playing better and much more composed the last two games - this may simply come down to an eye test, just like art and porn - I can tell good versus bad when I see it.
I tried to find passing stats that would show Bravo in a good light, but came up with nothing.
Unfortunately I think it's the latter.
Again, I'm not trying to say that Bravo is no good or anything, just that he gets overrated by virtue of being the first true 6 our team has had. We are comparing him to the likes of Jacobson, so of course he's going to stand out as making an impact. But he needs to be compared to other 6's, where he falls flatter, and then he further needs to be compared to other allocation money players, because I think his transfer fee was set to $1 million, IIRC.
Plenty of season left to armchair scout, however.
Caceres can't stay in Melbourne. Will have to be sent out on loan somewhere else.
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/f...y/news-story/25f81cec94d6962b204a2d7da9c3b67a
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/f...y/news-story/25f81cec94d6962b204a2d7da9c3b67a
Bravo is become a star here. The next solid opinion
S
sbrylski makes will be his first.
Watch a game. Don't give me stats. It's like American Football. Just because a guy only has 3 interceptions doesn't mean he isn't a good player. Bravo shuts players down and he protects our weak defense. He's a rockstar on this team. If needed, he could play a true box-to-box midfield role, he's terrific in the air and he's good at distributing from the backline. I'm fully in on Bravo. He's the single best South American acquisition we've made as a franchise.
Watch a game. Don't give me stats. It's like American Football. Just because a guy only has 3 interceptions doesn't mean he isn't a good player. Bravo shuts players down and he protects our weak defense. He's a rockstar on this team. If needed, he could play a true box-to-box midfield role, he's terrific in the air and he's good at distributing from the backline. I'm fully in on Bravo. He's the single best South American acquisition we've made as a franchise.
I filled my posts with disclaimers because I was afraid I'd be painted into a corner, yet I was painted into a corner anyway. I realize those stats I brought up are just one data point, as I implied in the post. And I said multiple times that Bravo has been decent for us.
My replies were refuting two much stronger claims: (1) he's one of the most effective DM in the league, and (2) we should pay out allocation money to retain him. I'll repeat again a soft opinion that this is at least a gray area.
And I still didn't say my opinion was conclusive, just casting a bit of a shadow on the "he's a rockstar" line of thought. To say that Bravo is a top tier DM in the league after 3-4 games or so, to me, says he's not being compared fairly to other DM's around the league. And I provided some data to show it.
I think DM is one of the deeper positions in MLS. It doesn't take the skill required of offensive players, nor the unforgiving positioning requirements of centerbacks. It's a position that highlights physicality, and MLS has that in abundance. To be elite, like Alonso or Beckerman, you need a completely rounded game to contribute in more areas, and I haven't seen that from Bravo yet.
I'll agree with that.
DM is a deep position in MLS. So is GK. We sucked at both last year. We suck at one this year. I'm not suggesting that you pay the guy $1 Million a year. But he's a youngish guy, probably makes a reasonable salary for cap purposes and he probably gets sold in the future anyway.
Interesting.... White courtesy phone paging Mena, please pick up the white courtesy phone...
Also interesting... An embellishment of what he told his agent - maybe not said as in the gist of "MLS or nothing" ?
Watch your phrasing, Terry. "Well, my career's over. Better go to MLS for two years and cash out." That'll endear you to your new fans.
That said, I'll take him on Cole's non-DP contract.
That said, I'll take him on Cole's non-DP contract.
Would be completely open to him on a non-DP contract paired with Brillant. He'd galvanize the national hatred for NYCFC and I'm fine with that - there'd finally be a reason for the hate as he doles out the subtle dirtiness and physicality he's perfected.
He's not the fastest, but his positioning is far better than Hernandez and Terry actually understands the offside trap. For non-DP money, he'd be a big upgrade for 1-2 seasons. Especially when we have a $200k guy that doesn't play and hasn't been in any practice pictures.
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