Nycfc V Orlando City - Post-match

[Paul]

Is it true that we really turned down grella?

I'm pretty sure Grella had a trial with the club (I believe prior to the season starting up) and Kreis passed.

Edit: I think it was MagnusPax who first reported it back in January or February.

 

[mgarbowski]

I'm pretty sure Grella had a trial with the club (I believe prior to the season starting up) and Kreis passed.

Edit: I think it was MagnusPax who first reported it back in January or February.

This article confirms it.
http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/soccer/product-grella-feeling-home-red-bulls-article-1.2396410

He trained with us and nothing came of it. Then closer to the season he had offers to try out with all 3 NY teams, US, Cosmos, and RB. The article says he chose RB because he felt he showed us enough earlier.

 

[11Pokus]

Since we're recapping for the benefit of those who came in late, I will mention that, if put in Lampard's position (i.e., told by owners to delay reporting to his MLS team and instead to continue playing for the defending Premier League champions), anyone would do what he did. I would. You would. The person who is lying is that person who claims that he/she would not do so.

And Lampard didn't apologise because he had done nothing wrong. It cannot be stated strongly enough or often enough that his actions throughout were entirely in keeping with the norms of professional responsibilities and ethics. It's only a small delusional set of fans with an outsized sense of their own importance who refuse to acknowledge this.

By contrast, the vast majority of NYCFC's fans understand this. We understand where the club stands in the grand scheme of things. Of course we love the club and we're happy to have it; but we realise that it is a very, very, very small club by global standards. Therefore, when a world-class player priorities playing for a title in the world's top league, and, even after the team's title hopes fade, stays in order to contribute to a finish in a Champions League spot (which, incidentally, is worth the combined budgets of many MLS teams), we grasp that this is no insult to us, but merely a reflection of the relative status of the leagues and the teams in question.

Furthermore, Lampard's absence from NYCFC's matches until mid-season ultimately made no difference. There is absolutely nothing about the long-term fate of this team that depended on its making the playoffs in Year 1. Indeed, squeaking into the league's comically enlarged playoff field would arguably have hurt the team's progress by making the inevitable move past the current manager that much more difficult.

The first year, despite its many frustrations, has been a huge success. NYCFC is the second most successful debut in New York sporting history, second only to that of the Mets. And Lampard played a tremendous role in that, first by attracting fans at his signing (this is what convinced me to become a fan, as his signing showed that this team is serious, and that the time for sneering at MLS is (mostly) past); and then, when he began playing, he was a huge draw at the gate. His quality on the pitch illustrated his commitment to staying fit despite age, and further demonstrated MLS's ever-improving standard of play.

The best news of all is that Lampard will have a proper off-season, and will return to us at full strength next year. We have every reason to expect continued significant contribution from this legend who is the unequivocal face of our team, and who will always be regarded as the single most important piece of the team's successful launch.

Bleh.

 

[Christopher Jee]

This has been hashed out so many times I'm not getting into it again. Look for threads with the word "Lampard" in the title and you'll see this gone over and over from all sides back when it happened. Since it seems you weren't around here back when I give you bullet points:

• his first act with the club was a lie - a press conference where he, NYCFC and MLS announced in July that he signed a contract with MLS/NYCFC. MLS listed the transaction on their player transaction log and the club made all these statements about how important it was for foreign DPs to start on Day 1. It was all a lie. He had in fact secretly signed with CFG and Man City. He never signed with NYCFC until January 2015. It was fraud from the outset.
• Nobody ever apologized. "Saying "I'm sorry" cures a lot. The sentence carries a lot of power, as does the refusal to say it. Never saying it shows your contempt for those you lied to.

Not everyone has to agree with the above but it shouldn't be hard to understand.


For some people, their opinion of his actions seems to be based on whether one accepts the notion wanting something very much makes it ok to lie and break your word. Others of us find that notion morally suspect.

Perhaps I'm being generous / hoodwinked because I've read his autobiography and am therefore more easily able to conceive of him as a human being, and therefore fallible, but it's completely plausible to me that he didn't realize the ramifications of what was going on and almost certainly wasn't able to foretell how it would be perceived.

In his position, I'd ideally apologize but even if he were inclined, I'm sure he'd be strongly discouraged by the club. Does that make him a hero? Hardly. But does it make it accurate to demean his efforts on the field or his struggles to get match fit or stay clear of injury?

Anyway, I understand your point of view and I'd be foolish to try to shift it. It takes a lot of effort to lift ourselves out of default mode and try to understand others views and actions rather than condemn. Sometimes we can't spare the energy, but one can always hope.

 

[mgarbowski]

Perhaps I'm being generous / hoodwinked because I've read his autobiography and am therefore more easily able to conceive of him as a human being, and therefore fallible, but it's completely plausible to me that he didn't realize the ramifications of what was going on and almost certainly wasn't able to foretell how it would be perceived.

In his position, I'd ideally apologize but even if he were inclined, I'm sure he'd be strongly discouraged by the club. Does that make him a hero? Hardly. But does it make it accurate to demean his efforts on the field or his struggles to get match fit or stay clear of injury?

Anyway, I understand your point of view and I'd be foolish to try to shift it. It takes a lot of effort to lift ourselves out of default mode and try to understand others views and actions rather than condemn. Sometimes we can't spare the energy, but one can always hope.

Fair enough.

 

[The Toe]

I would certainly take Grella over Mac in a heartbeat -- if it'd come down to the two of them.

 

[NickA]

The worst part about it is that we play ugly soccer. If I didn't root for this team, it would be hard to watch. There are some teams that play good soccer in MLS, we aren't one of them. Not saying we won't get there, but there needs to be someone to blame. I'd be ok losing because we are new and still trying to mesh, if we are playing hard and show promise. I don't want more of the same next year. It wasn't about the playoffs, it was about closing the year out with the feeling of confidence going into next year. We don't have that "it" factor other than some big names and playing in NYC. I'm willing to scratch this season up as a get the feet wet scenario. What happens now is more important than before we started our inaugural season. There's a lot of things you'd HOPE the team has learned this season and can regroup. My fear and hunch will be, they didn't. They will continue to think they are smarter than everyone else and that this is MLS from 10 years ago.

 

[Tom in Fairfield CT]

The worst part about it is that we play ugly soccer. If I didn't root for this team, it would be hard to watch. There are some teams that play good soccer in MLS, we aren't one of them. Not saying we won't get there, but there needs to be someone to blame. I'd be ok losing because we are new and still trying to mesh, if we are playing hard and show promise. I don't want more of the same next year. It wasn't about the playoffs, it was about closing the year out with the feeling of confidence going into next year. We don't have that "it" factor other than some big names and playing in NYC. I'm willing to scratch this season up as a get the feet wet scenario. What happens now is more important than before we started our inaugural season. There's a lot of things you'd HOPE the team has learned this season and can regroup. My fear and hunch will be, they didn't. They will continue to think they are smarter than everyone else and that this is MLS from 10 years ago.

The worst part of the season is that we blew the chance to get our rookies valuable experience. T Mac, Shelton, Mullins, Poku, should have been out there, damn the results, so they's get a season's worth of experience under their belts. Sad that next year they will all basically still be rookies.

 

[21Architect]

The worst part of the season is that we blew the chance to get our rookies valuable experience. T Mac, Shelton, Mullins, Poku, should have been out there, damn the results, so they's get a season's worth of experience under their belts. Sad that next year they will all basically still be rookies.

I'm fine with playing T Mac, Shelton, Poku and Mullins but not if it meant reduced time for Lampard Villa, Mix and Pirlo because they will play next year and they needed time on the pitch as well to gel.

 

[Tom in Fairfield CT]

I'm fine with playing T Mac, Shelton, Poku and Mullins but not if it meant reduced time for Lampard Villa, Mix and Pirlo because they will play next year and they needed time on the pitch as well to gel.

As everyone who is not unnaturally obsessed with Pirlo could see, I was not talking about sitting them.

 

[21Architect]

Ah, Tom takes shots at other forum members. Noted.


<---------proudly obsessed

But not sure what unnaturally obsessed is.

 

[JayH]

Ah, Tom takes shots at other forum members. Noted.


<---------proudly obsessed

But not sure what unnaturally obsessed is.

 

[NickA]

Lol. Unnaturally.

 

[NickA]

Wish we had an open DP spot, so we weren't reduced to talking about t-mac & Grabavoy this off-season...or a stadium that unicorns will build. Unless they fire JK, this will be an underwhelming next couple of months.

 

[Gotham Gator]

I expect we will see a lot of changes the next few months as they try and build around a core group of players. There might not be any sexy DP signings, but there will be plenty concerning the bread and butter players that, frankly, make most of the difference.

 

[joe]

I expect we will see a lot of changes the next few months as they try and build around a core group of players. There might not be any sexy DP signings, but there will be plenty concerning the bread and butter players that, frankly, make most of the difference.

This. There may not be DP signings, but this is our first chance to get quality core players rather than relying on guys who were unprotected by their former clubs in the expansion draft.

 

[Gotham Gator]

Quality core players are built over time. I do think we are off to a good start, but it is going to take a couple of years. I also think you will see us making adjustments to have our roster better fit our needs - e.g. shed positions where we have too many guys and fill positions of need.

 

[Jock]

I would certainly take Grella over Mac in a heartbeat -- if it'd come down to the two of them.

Heresy.

 

[LionNYC]

Current Core: Villa, Lampard, Pirlo
Young Core: Poku, Mix, Mullins, Khiry, and TMac

 

[Seth]

Current Core: Villa, Lampard, Pirlo
Young Core: Poku, Mix, Mullins, Khiry, and TMac

You left Grabavoy off your list. Probably just an oversight.

You're welcome.