Official: Nycfc Signs Andoni Iraola

Is Lampard confirmed for the 12th? I thought they were still playing coy on that.
I think it's going to really depend on how well he practices with the team when he gets here. Who knows, he may mesh well with the team, but he can't legally play before the 12th (assuming we won't have a game 8-11 July).
 
  • Like
Reactions: Kjbert
I think some of you guys are reading too much into Kreis' statement on him. To me, this is more standard, coach-talk, they guy can play RM and RB. He will play RB, and until Kreis says more on his positioning or plays him somewhere else, I would hold back on reading too much into this statement.
Bruh...if we do that, we won't have anything to post about. But yeah. I think we all know that, but we are making fun of the fact that he has tried to play practically every single player at the wrong position. Multiple times.
 
This makes me start thinking about what NYCFC is building longer term. So early as it is, consider these very likely starters at our 2016 opener with ? representing current players who may be there or are likely to be upgraded between now and then.

------Villa-------------------Mullins------
----------------Lampard-------------------
-----------Mix-----------Poku-------------
--------------------?-------------------------
---?----------?--------?------------Iraola--
--------------------?------------------------

Mullins and Poku will have had 20 more games of development. from this year and should be ready to start for a season. Add a DP3 somewhere in there (Pirlo or otherwise). Would love to pencil in Facey, but uncertain about his future still. Hopefully we can clarify at least one more of those ?s in the coming days/weeks. Can't wait to see this team take the field.
 
This makes me start thinking about what NYCFC is building longer term. So early as it is, consider these very likely starters at our 2016 opener with ? representing current players who may be there or are likely to be upgraded between now and then.

------Villa-------------------Mullins------
----------------Lampard-------------------
-----------Mix-----------Poku-------------
--------------------?-------------------------
---?----------?--------?------------Iraola--
--------------------?------------------------

Mullins and Poku will have had 20 more games of development. from this year and should be ready to start for a season. Add a DP3 somewhere in there (Pirlo or otherwise). Would love to pencil in Facey, but uncertain about his future still. Hopefully we can clarify at least one more of those ?s in the coming days/weeks. Can't wait to see this team take the field.


and they all get a training camp together.
 
This makes me start thinking about what NYCFC is building longer term. So early as it is, consider these very likely starters at our 2016 opener with ? representing current players who may be there or are likely to be upgraded between now and then.

------Villa-------------------Mullins------
----------------Lampard-------------------
-----------Mix-----------Poku-------------
--------------------?-------------------------
---?----------?--------?------------Iraola--
--------------------?------------------------

Mullins and Poku will have had 20 more games of development. from this year and should be ready to start for a season. Add a DP3 somewhere in there (Pirlo or otherwise). Would love to pencil in Facey, but uncertain about his future still. Hopefully we can clarify at least one more of those ?s in the coming days/weeks. Can't wait to see this team take the field.
Don't forget about Khiry as well. Understand that there may be a bit of a logjam in the positions he fills, but he definitely fits into the equation somewhere.

And I'm not necessarily saying that he needs to be starting. I just know I've somewhat forgotten about him lately with his injury. But based on his development, he could be in the starting XI.
 
Don't forget about Khiry as well. Understand that there may be a bit of a logjam in the positions he fills, but he definitely fits into the equation somewhere.

And I'm not necessarily saying that he needs to be starting. I just know I've somewhat forgotten about him lately with his injury. But based on his development, he could be in the starting XI.
I actually think Shelton competes with Mullins and/or Poku much more if we get Pirlo. Pirlo's vision and passing is the perfect compliment to Shelton's speed and direct play. Either way, having Poku, Mullins and Shelton fighting for 2 starting spots with the third as our supersub sounds pretty damn tasty to me. Not to mention we don't know how TMac will continue to develop nor how exposure to Lampard, Iraola et al will help them all develop.
 
Quadruple rep. Our fullbacks suck. He is a very, very good right back, which happens to be one of the aforementioned fullback positions at which we suck.

Why do we have to test him out? Fucking write his name on the lineup sheet at his natural position and send his ass out there. We don't need to convene a meeting of the brain trust to figure out where to play him. Just stupid as hell for him to say that.

"Well, we're really happy with our better-as-bartender option or the guy who we found coaching YSL whose best defensive play is a two-arm shove in the back." Okay, Jason. Okay. We definitely need him to be versatile to contribute. Kreis is on drugs. It's the only explanation. SOB came to NYC and developed a drug problem. Damn.

I guess it's deserved for all of us plastics.


Would explain why he doesn't start Poku. Cocaine is a powerful drug.
 
I actually think Shelton competes with Mullins and/or Poku much more if we get Pirlo. Pirlo's vision and passing is the perfect compliment to Shelton's speed and direct play. Either way, having Poku, Mullins and Shelton fighting for 2 starting spots with the third as our supersub sounds pretty damn tasty to me. Not to mention we don't know how TMac will continue to develop nor how exposure to Lampard, Iraola et al will help them all develop.


This is a wonderful analytic post. Get a guy like Pirlo who can put a ball on the tip of a Bic - and let a guy like Shelton run onto it.
 
  • Like
Reactions: FootyLovin
I think it's going to really depend on how well he practices with the team when he gets here. Who knows, he may mesh well with the team, but he can't legally play before the 12th (assuming we won't have a game 8-11 July).

They better fucking start him on the 12th after all the shit they put us through.
 
This is a wonderful analytic post. Get a guy like Pirlo who can put a ball on the tip of a Bic - and let a guy like Shelton run onto it.

Shelton has the speed, but I no longer trust him with the ball. It's almost as if his brain shuts off when he has possession. It's hard to watch. I'm a big fan of his, but he's either a bust or still needs way more time to develop.
 
Quadruple rep. Our fullbacks suck. He is a very, very good right back, which happens to be one of the aforementioned fullback positions at which we suck.

Why do we have to test him out? Fucking write his name on the lineup sheet at his natural position and send his ass out there. We don't need to convene a meeting of the brain trust to figure out where to play him. Just stupid as hell for him to say that.

"Well, we're really happy with our better-as-bartender option or the guy who we found coaching YSL whose best defensive play is a two-arm shove in the back." Okay, Jason. Okay. We definitely need him to be versatile to contribute. Kreis is on drugs. It's the only explanation. SOB came to NYC and developed a drug problem. Damn.

I guess it's deserved for all of us plastics.
Would explain why he doesn't start Poku. Cocaine is a powerful drug.
Explains Grabavoy too, he's the supplier. With that hair there is no other explanation.
 
I actually think Shelton competes with Mullins and/or Poku much more if we get Pirlo. Pirlo's vision and passing is the perfect compliment to Shelton's speed and direct play. Either way, having Poku, Mullins and Shelton fighting for 2 starting spots with the third as our supersub sounds pretty damn tasty to me. Not to mention we don't know how TMac will continue to develop nor how exposure to Lampard, Iraola et al will help them all develop.

The issue I see is that based on his playing time so far this year Poku plays a like CAM. He even looked decent as a ST this past weekend. We can all keep slotting him is as a CM, but I am not buying it until he shows at least half as much effort in defending in our half of the field as he does going forward and pressing the ball defensively in the final third. If Pirlo comes those outside CMs will need to provide support in the defensive half of the field and make runs forward. Mix, McNamara and Shelton have all shown the ability and desire to play that role, Poku has not but maybe the competition will bring it out in him.
 
Last edited:
Shelton has the speed, but I no longer trust him with the ball. It's almost as if his brain shuts off when he has possession. It's hard to watch. I'm a big fan of his, but he's either a bust or still needs way more time to develop.

I think he just needs time. He's so fast that at the college level he was probably used to just blowing past guys with one or 2 touches and then being in open space. Now at a higher level the guy is still there and the help defenders rotate over faster. From all we have heard about him he is a super hard worker. Give him time, he will figure it out.