Let's not be too sure. We're going to be awfully young. We have, what, 11 guys 25 or younger and no one under 30? Think of the great homegrown signings we just got plus there's the Superdraft coming up. We'll get a starter or two and our next supersub. A bunch of young guys around Higuain and Gaven. Can you really can a guy before his project finishes? Don't we need to see this plan to fruition.
Agreed. Preparations A through G were a complete failure, but we have only just begun Preparation H. Shouldn't we see if it works?
That's my whole thing..... "Robert's Plan" started in 2011 after cutting out all the veteran leadership on the team. If I recall correctly, they were going to build the periphery around the core of the team that remained, Gaven, Ekpo, tRR, Marshall, Hesmer, etc. I seem to remember (and maybe I'm misremembering) that there were 8 or 9 "core" guys returning for 2011 that various members of the FO touted. I also seem to remember Bliss distancing himself from the decisions with a "This is now Robert's team, and he has to make his mark on it." type of remark (obviously, that's not a verbatim quote). So, is this youth movement (again, it seems) Robert's Plan Part II, or just the final masterstroke of the plan that was started in 2011?
Where in the heck is this coming from? Where has anyone said that he'll sit out a year rather than play for Robert? He obviously had a good pedigree when he came here. It didn't work out as well as planned and now he wants to go back home. Why is that such a big deal. Look, I think Roberts been given plenty of time, and it looks like he's not the coach to bring this team another championship. So I do think it's time to move on with a new coach, but you guys keep attributing stuff to him like he's the only coach in the world who makes decisions that the teams fans don't agree with, e.g. we all had the same subbing complaints about Sigi that we now have about Robert. I'm really annoyed that you guys consistently make me defend him. Stop it!
That was a response to my post, which was a response to Cam's post: Cam said: To which I said: To which Captaincbus said No one has made the assertion that Mirosevic has committed himself to that path.... it was all purely a hypothetical.
Miro was a disappointment but players are dropping like flies. Not much incentive to re-sign or stay when you have awful coaching.
We need to get both of these things resolved one way or the other so we can move on. This is not how you create a cohesive squad in preseason.
IF we get off to a slow start to the season what I don't want to hear ANY excuses from the head coach or GM about this team still trying to "gel" or build chemistry. They forfeited that excuse with how they have handled the incomings this offseason
Stuff like this is pretty normal during baseball spring training (holdouts, trades, etc.). Why should it be any different here?
This is not MLB this is MLS many of our top foes have their core assembled and training together right now. We don't even fully know who ours are let alone having them together. Hell DC and Portland are buying out guys just to be rid of their problems.
Because this isnt baseball. We don't have 1700 games a season. When the season end's for the players its kicking into high gear for the FO. They made a plan, I assume, who was going to leave and surely had some targets of who to bring in. Obviously some players they wanted to bring back went elsewhere but they should have had plans on how to handle this stuff. You can't get rid of half the team and then not bring in enough replacements to have a quality start to the season (still some time to do that but it's running out)
I'll just point out that yesterday, after they got back from winter training camp in Dubai, Gladbach told de Camargo that he could move to another team. The season restarts tomorrow. This is not uncommon. Many times transfers are made and players dropped after the season starts--in Europe (and I'm talking about their summer window here). They seem to manage. We currently have a roster of 24 (and Duka and Miro are on that), That was our roster limit a couple of years ago. Of those, 5 are new. Again, not unusual. But we retained 20 players (18 if you count Duka and Miro as being gone). We had a very disrupted roster last season due to injury. Only 9 players played more than a half season of minutes. Only 4 got more than 2400 minutes (total possible was 3060)--and only 6 got more than 18 starts. We kept 3 of the 4 and 5 of the 9. Arrieta is (barely) included in that. Higuain is not--and it's clear he'll be a starter. Look, there is room for some concern. So we retained 6 starters. And, of course, we lost Urso to circumstances beyond the team's control. He might have been a possible 7th starter. We'll never know. Of the bottom 11 (Horton had no stats), only Findlay had more than 12 games played. Much of what we lost simply was not playing much anyway. So I can wait a couple of weeks to see what is coming in.
We know you love your European examples but this isn't Germany. I would love to know if other MLS teams have adapted this "leave it to late" strategy that we seem to be heading down and it paid off (I honestly don't know that answer). This all could change tomorrow if they announce signings. ----------Gruenenbaum-------------- Williams-Marshall-O'Rouke-Wahl ---Gaven-Miro-Tchani-?----- ---Arrieta--Higuain---- I realize we are bringing in new players. However, like I said the excuse of not having time to gel or build team chemistry is not valid when they didn't get them into camp soon enough. I have no doubt we will add more players (bolded so you understand what I am saying). I look at the above lineup and see a lot (4/5) of "average at best" MLS players.
Gotcha. MLS is different from every league in the world that does this and every other pro sport. Sorry I failed to understand this.
The final report date is MONDAY. Even if they miss a week of camp I don't think it will be a big deal in terms of the season preparations
Not too sure about the "leave it too late" examples either, but I do remember last winter being envious of San Jose and Philly for getting their business done as early as possible. With SJ, Chavez and Bernardez worked out for them. Philly, obviously not so much. I guess it's important to agree on what actually constitutes "too late". I'm with BSB here, I don't think missing a week or two of camp is tantamount to disaster. And I know it's pretty gauche to tow the party line, but I have to agree with MM when he implores us to not panic.
That's why I said there is still time. If we announce the signing in the next week or so then it's all good.