Hendry Thomas

Again I ask: is there some reason why Moor and Wynne cannot regain their 2010-2011 form if the team would settle its fullback situation and stop moving players around on the backline? There were few complaints about Moor and Wynne in 2010-2011.

A capable backup is needed, sure. But that's a different and cheaper question.

 

Who knows? I do know that neither Wynne nor Moor were originally Center Backs. Wynne never played the position until he came to the Rapids. When you are attempting to play a more attacking style it may expose his inadequacies much more.

Moor has much better positioning than Wynne and reads the game better. I think Moor bailed him out quite a bit in 2010-11. When Wynne got a cap awhile back it was very apparent that he could not hang as a CB on international level. Not even close. As bad as our back line has been I think we need a really capable player brought in. I would go for a CB but maybe a quality fullback would suffice.

 

I would have to say that Wynne's speed and Physicality bailed out Rapids D (Be it his own positioning or someone else blowing it) more then anyone else.

Having said that, I don't see Rapids getting better by moving either one. Bring in Competition to push them all to be consistantly better. Pulguta and Marshall need to go.

 

We don't need another starting CB. We don't need another starting RB. We need another starting defender. The versatility of Drew and Marvell (Drew more than Marvell) to play outside makes it so that if what we can get from someone is a top-level CB then we can go for that. If we can find a quality RB though, then we can move Drew back to CB. The flexibility from a player movement standpoint should be nice and make it easier to make a trade happen. We need depth all the way around though. The shopping list should be

1. Proven, starting level Defender - any position
2. CB to groom for the future (probably from draft)
3. Depth at FB unless the player at #1 is a FB, but still probably at least 1 depending on who stays and goes.
4. Another competent CB to be primary backup while the young guy gets his feet wet for a season

 

The thing that is mostly missing from the Wynne discussion is value. In my mind, the big question to answer is not can Wynne return to previous form but is he providing ~300K value to the team? Could the Rapids find someone who can play "as well" for ~100-150k, allowing the surplus for attacking players?

If it were my money, I'd be looking really hard. Which would be my approach for all of the Rapids players.

 

Exactly.

 

Based on this year's record, it's hard to come up with more than a handful of players providing equivalent value back for what they've earned. Pickens, Mullan, Cascio...perhaps Rivero and Castrillon just because they're so dirt cheap, but that's iffy, as their stats make them look better than they've actually performed.

And the problem with this approach is hidden in your second question. Could someone, say, find equal value for what Mullan has produced this year, but for 100k instead of 150k? Sure. But could the Rapids and their FO find that value buy?

 

Damn statistics. No match for our perception. After the cross and then the goal, I actually felt dozens of brain vaults slamming shut to avoid processing what they just saw, it was eerie

Well that's the key regardless of how anyone suggests the Rapids go about rebuilding the team. I'm open to hearing a better approach. I supposed I could suggest dumping the players I don't like and keeping the ones I do.

 

It’s not that they’re “out of form”. It’s that our entire defensive philosophy has changed. Sure, we still (usually) have two defensive midfielders in front of them, but we don’t have the same coverage on the flanks as we did in a Gary Smith 4-4-2.

Gary Smith’s 4-4-2 defense stressed getting all of the midfielders behind the ball and marking up. In a 4-3-3 the defensive scheme is to overload the side of the field the ball is on because you don’t really expect Castrillon, Cascio, & Mullan to track back that far (more on that later). The formation forces you to create man-up advantage somehow, which is accomplished by shifting your midfield (and defensive) support from one side of the field to the other (whichever side the opposition is attacking).

Long story short: where we had 8 guys back on defense last year (all with defined opponents and space to mark), we now have 6-7 guys (who need to be flexible depending on where the ball is, and the space where the attackers are moving into).

The formation is intended to clog the middle of the field, close down short passes, and open up quick counter attacks (which is why you don’t want your flanks coming back into the defense). However, is also leaves you vulnerable to a switched ball, or the opposition overloading players on one side of the field. It also doesn’t work well if you don’t move the ball quickly into the offensive third (which we certainly don’t).

Honestly, I think Wynne and Moor have the necessary physical tools. I just don’t think everyone is on the same page with respect to where they need to be on defense. That’s why you’re seeing so many unmarked players getting quality chances against us.

 

Careful, you're starting to sound like me...

 

I gave Castrillon credit for his performance on Wednesday, and have had no problem giving credit to him (or Rivero) when he's played well in the past. At this point, I'd personally rather see him playing the #10 role than Rivero. However, it wasn't till he was benched in July that he started playing at this form again, and you're guilty here of the same thing I've been preaching about all week - overreacting to one game. He was benched for good reason in July and probably should've also been in April because he was pulling his best Ballouchy impression of non-impactful, non-purposeful possession. Looking at the whole season, I just can't be more than lukewarm about either of Castrillon or Rivero.

I personally prefer making smart purchases for middle-to-big dollars, instead of the nickel-and-dime approach. If you remember, the Rapids spent well over 200k a year on guys like Mullan, Casey, Wynne, Larentowicz, etc. in 2009-2010: proven commodity types. The RFO then screwed up by being over-eager to reward those guys for the successes of the team (and are still doing so - consider the Omar and Larentowicz re-signings) and that's how we got ourselves into a cap mess.

 

Jason, We can still release any player in offseason regardless of new contracts right?

Still think most should have trade value but given FO I suspect they will be released, picked up by other team then traded...

 

Most players, yes, but some will have multi-year guaranteed contracts. I'm not sure anyone on the Rapids is likely to have a multi-year guarantee with Casey and Pablo being out of contract.

 

in my opinion we need to find a right back who can play center back well.

let wynne play center back but run on the wings like a right back and simply juts let the right back cover marvells center back spot when he attacks when wynnes back this guy plays right back.

i do think we need a better center back then moor his a great utility player but his not fantastic.

 

Looks like Colorado Rapids have offered, Hendry Thomas former Honduran International teammate, Walter "El Pery" Martinez:

 

For those looking for more info, he's been playing in China for basically 5 years now. He's a midfielder and occasional striker who scores at about the same rate as Castrillon. Martinez is 30. He is not this man who shares the same name and is a cross of two Bond villians.

 

"Hay Pery Martinez para rato en el futbol" lol, confident futbolista, no?
Good to hear, I guess, but what does he offer the Rapids? Rapidstorm mentions midfield and striker skills, so perhaps an attacking MF or another forward a lot here have been chiming for (including me). Is he fast?

 

Yep, he's a short fast attacking midfielder/second striker. Not as fast as Chavez, prolly a step slower.

Scored in the international level, has experience.

 

Offers from Greece and MLS....and more from China (I think) according to the article. If NY really wants him I don't see the Rapids as being capable of outbidding that team. Time will tell, he's not "desesperado" after all.

 

Man, why are the Rapids so fixated on aged soccer players?

Go find the young ones like Rivero, etc that could be with team for years and possibly sold on.

 

I kinda had that thought myself. But if this guy is a positive addition for a couple of years, I don't have too much of a problem with that. He has been playing professionaly and internationally and has shown results, so it's not blind faith like Edu. Sounds like he has speed and can play in a forward position, those are pluses...but yes, his age is something to consider for sure.

 

Transfer fees. I would guess that few young players with upside reach the ends of their contracts.

 

There is no future... only past.