2013-2014 Off-season rumors, news, opinions and hijinks

Probably because it's basically a summary of everything in this thread or other threads from this website and other others with no real news or information. I like Goff but this piece and his most recent Kasper interview provided no information at all (to anyone that doesn't pay a modicum of attention the team; and those are the only people left reading about the team at this point).

 

Oh look, all 5 of DC's goals this season were nominated for GOTY

http://www.dcunited.com/VOTE-2013-DC-United-Goal-of-the-Year

 

I guess that is marginally better than "all 2" would have been. Oh wait, you mean this isn't the "You Spin Me Around" thread?

 

Why, Yes. Wallace has had a respectable year, 6 goals and 6 assists, although he has played more as a wide midfielder this year. I thought he was coming along nicely at United until that terrible broken leg. I, for one was disappointed to see him go.

asitis

 

I'd say Wallace probably is at or near the peak of his career and he's still not in the top 1/2 of the league for left middies. Wallace is probably better suited at left back but that's hardly a position you build your team around. There are only a few MLS DMs that I'd trade straight up for Kitchen, only partly because he's only been able to buy alcohol for a few months now. Nobody on DC had a good season, and Kitchen's no different, but he's not in the top 11 problems this team needs to fix.

 

Everyone is tradeable in theory depending on what you get in return. For example I'd trade Kitchen for Yedlin in a heart beat.

But realistically I think he's worth more to us as a player than as trade bait. While Kitchen needs to improve his technique he does have several other good qualities. He's flexible, reliable, not injury prone, honest, hard working, focused and has a good character. He's the type of player that could be a team captain in a few years.

Personally my plan for Kitchen if I was a coach would be to convert him into a center back. I'd have him hit the gym for the entire offseason and work with him specifically on set piece marking and aerial defense in general. I think that's a skill set that he can learn if it's focused on. He's already a pretty good defender on the ground.

 

I hate seeing Kitchen at center back. Everyone else is better than him at it, and he's much better at something else. For the life of me, I can't see how he keeps getting put there. Thankfully it is not very often.
I thought it was stupid for the U-20s to put him there, and I think it has been stupid (and not very effective) whenever United has put him there.

If you have to stick him on the back line (and you do not) I could live with right back.

I think he'll be most effective in the middle, he just needs to learn to work differently depending on who's there with him. If he's traded, it better be for more than one player, or the best player on someone's team. In other words, I would not trade him
I'd love to get a proven destroyer-type DM as a rent-a-DP for a year just to train him properly. Sure couldn't hurt our CCL chances either

 

I still maintain we need at least one midfield player with both the vision to spot good runs (we've had most of our new acquisitions during the season making such), and the technical ability to consistently get the ball to them. We're sorely lacking in both through our midfield. DeLeon is getting better at both, certainly, but otherwise how many wasted crosses have we seen go behind the players, over the players, too far in front of the players, or visiting the VW garage?

Also, they could take corner kicks for us, because since Bosko's departure, have we actually been consistently threatening on them anywhere?

 

Basically what you are saying is that he would benefit from some good coaching. I think we can all agree on that. Same goes for a number of other players.

 

Good coaching is nice - but even better is OJT training from someone who has actually played your position at a high level lately.
As with every other profession OJT is always better than academic training (which is what I think of coaching as, even though it is more lax than that and may involve actual experience as well)

 

DeLeon and Pontius are playing out wide when their game improves when they are in the center of the pitch. DeLeon cheats in all the time, and he's not bad at all in the middle. Why not try him inside with Neal/Jeffrey just to see what happens?

 

pretty sure that was done at least once this year.

 

There's an article at Grantland about Mike Petke. This will be of interest to people here. It's about the last year's Conference Finals.

 

Part one of that article is pure rubbish; not one mention of his sweater vests. smh

 

At a greatly reduced super-sub salary, yes. He probably won't play for $150K though.

 

cant speak for anyone else

the cold GM side of my brain says "get out"

realizing he has a family and is an experienced MLS player i'd offer him an assistant coaching job

he'd have most guys respect and i think he'd be willing to disagree with Olsen when need be

 

All of those goals were scored from outside the 18 and most from 30+ except for one low cross that Doyle redirected into the net. I voted for that one since it is still a mystery concept to our team

 

He seems like a cool guy, but he wasn't very productive this year. We would all like the 2011 DeRo to stay.

 

I don't. I can't see DeRo being a positive part of the team if he's no longer the "star." Even a significantly reduced salary spent on DeRo could be better spent on a younger player/

 

If we create a tactical system where Silva is a starter in 2014 I think De Ro would be a solid backup for Silva at around $125-$150,000

 

Who was the coach of the U-20s, there is your answer...

 

Not me. I think his ideal role (and salary) would be too small for his ego to deal with