The "Thoughts That Don't Require Their Own Thread" Thread III

That's why he's a donkey.

Like that other A-Hole from the globe...and any other of these so called "I went to Prestigious University A, therefore I can write about anything and instead of saying something intelligent about the game/team in question..I'll talk all big and type big words so that the ignorant won't realize that I have no idea WTF I'm actually saying...

 

I always have high expectations to the ramblings of these "writers" if that's what you want to call them.

Most of the time, they're condescending morons who basically get sent to write something that an editor thinks is relevant..and because most of them think Soccer is just for kids and "foreigners" ...they act all high and mighty by tossing out a game that anyone who's anyone who enjoys Soccer, would have watched with real interest!

Yea, I like to nit pick and try and figure out just where "they", the writer, is coming from. But, as soon as they get the Oldest Cup competition in the USA wrong..then I know they didn't bother or cared enough to get the right info. I mean, they could have just been lazy and cut & pasted directly from Wiki...but this guy just epitomized APATHY among the high percentage of American journalists..therefore, deserves the angst!

 

Danny Murphy released by Fulham today. He's 35, but fairly durable and still highly productive at the EPL level, especially in terms of creating scoring chances. He's not a "need" but a player you make room for if he comes along; I'd love to see him in a Revs uniform.

Edit: Just saw Andy Johnson released as well - he's probably a more realistic target and I think he'd be a solid striker at the MLS level. He did come back from a major injury a couple years ago but he hasn't missed much time since.

 

Also, here's the most recent EPL free transfer list from ESPN Soccernet, for perusal:
http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story/_/id/1084115/premier-league-free-transfers?cc=5901&dfg

 

I'd love an Andy Johnson but a Johnathon Tehoue type is probably more realistic target.

 

If you don't think the moniker is facetious, what do you think it is? Accurate? Wrong?

 

Overused, mostly accurate, and entirely out fault.

 

The Revs have matched their win total from last year, but 13 games in, they are only 3 points ahead of where they were last year at this time.

2011 Revs: 3-4-6, 13 pts, 10 GF, 16 GA
2012 Revs: 5-1-7, 16 pts, 18 GF, 18 GA

 

Very interesting stat...
We definitely have more goal scoring punch. But, defense slightly worse.

We've only beaten 1 Conference opponent so far this season. Based on the unbalanced schedule, the true test shall be the next two games. CBus and TFC.

We shall see, what we shall see...

 

NYRBs lost to Harrisburg 3-1. Maybe we lost to the eventual champions of USOC

 

True, but there's pretty good evidence they are a much better team than they were at this time last year. I think we're afraid to see what is right in front of us, and what others around the league are saying -- this is a good team playing attractive soccer. We've been so demoralized by the last few years, the late goals given up this year, the wrenching defeat in Harrisburg (most crushing defeat I've suffered through since the 1960 world series, still painful to remember), that we don't want to get our hopes up.

But look, in the six game stretch since May 2, Revs have gone 3-2-1 (w-l-t) with 13 gf and 9 ga. People here are talking about how we might be close to being a playoff team, and that's fair enough given the 5-7-1 record. But the May record may be a better measure of where we are than the March/April record. Remember that the season started with a tough schedule (as LDD has documented) and that the rebuilt team had a to-be-expected period of adjustment with so many new faces playing a new style. But since May, we've been playing at a 1.67 ppg pace -- and that would yield 57 points over a full season. Even given the slow start this year (2-5-0), if they continue at the May pace of 1.67 ppg they will finish with 51 points, which should put them comfortably in the playoffs.

I think it is entirely reasonable to hope that the May results are a good measure of the team, and that we can now be confident that:

1. we are a strong attacking team -- 2.17 goals per game over the last six games, and lots of creative play that yields plenty of shots and plenty of scoring opportunities. We're a skilled, offensive juggernaut -- who'd have thought?

2. we are defensively shaky, giving up 1.5 goals per games. We have a young back line and an aging keeper and two older DMs. To become one of the top teams, we either need to win shoot-outs or we need the young defenders to settle in and make fewer mistakes.

3. we have an ambitious coach who has done everything he said he would, which gives reason to hope that he'll bring in additional reinforcements -- given that he has delivered on his promises so far, we can expect a significant player or two this summer. And we can expect the upgrade to continue as long as Heaps is here. Moreno and Lozano, for instance -- if they don't end up delivering they will probably be gone next year. And if the back line doesn't mature Heaps may yet make upgrades there, too.

4. at 1.67 ppg we would be a solid playoff team, and Heaps may already have in place the foundation for an RSL type turn-around -- we'd have to make another step up to become a top tier team (capable of winning the cup or any other hardware) but given how far we've come in Heaps first 8 months, I like the odds of Heaps being able to turn the team into one of the top MLS teams by the end of this year.

edit: and oh yeah, I know it is only a reserve game, but it it is interesting to note that the Revs beat Montreal this morning with zero first 11 players while Montreal started seven of their first team players. There are just good signs everywhere you look.

 

Good to see people are enthusiastic about this team's prospects and possible future success.
Don't get me wrong..I see the wins. I see that definite little extra that wasn't evident the last few years. But, to me, they still seem like the 97 Revs, just without the extra roar of a boisterous crowd that would truly pack a third of the old Foxboro.
Has their quality risen? Yup..but so has everyone else. I do like what Jay is doing, but I don't think this group is the one to "this is the year we win the cup"...

God I hope these guys prove me wrong..but even making the playoffs is a stretch. We will see what we will see.

 

Great post man. Lots of awesome data points suggesting the revs are on the way to a potentially successful season. As for Montreal I wouldn't read too much into the reserves doing well against Montreal's starters, considering the first team is 3-7-3 in league play. As an expansion team, Montreal is essentially cannon fodder this year, like Toronto was in 2007.

 

With the signing of Marco di Vaio and possibly another DP Montreal are probably not going to be cannon fodder much longer. Unlike TFC they actually have a fairly solid backline now after they signed Matteo Ferrari and Nelson Rivas became fit.

 

So you're a Yankee fan, and a really old one at that? Are you older than Doc? Hey, they used to win, or at least be in every World Series back then, so it shouldn't have been too crushing to lose one in extra innings to a team that hadn't been there in like 40 years. Not like rooting for a team that only makes it to a final in a blue moon and doesn't win...

But I agree with your overall point. The Revs are much, much better than they were last year, and even if they struggle and don't make the playoffs, there are a lot of encouraging things that point to us being able to build on this. If things continue like this we should have a bright future.

 

Yeah, one of the unfortunate results of this year's schedule is we play this year's punching bag teams (Montreal, Toronto, Philadelphia) way late in the season, after they have time to pull out of their funk and get reinforcements. I guess it's a test of our quality though, that we won't have the chance to pick up cheap wins in league play?

 

Better? Yes. Much better? Jury is still out.

At this point, I'd say Burns is batting 1 for 6 in his international acquisitions, with the only hit (Sene) being a late fill-in. The 3 primary signings (the 3 Colombians) are (so far) not living up to expectations, nor are Lechner and Runstrom.

You can't be a contender in this league (any more) without doing a better job on the international market.

 

Well said. 2012 Revs: Better but not a contender. Burns "knows" (being generous) the domestic game but he really, really has no freakin' clue what he's doing when acquiring talent from outside the US borders. Under his watch, Perovic and Sene are the only internationals who have stayed healthy and produced at any type of consistent level to-date.

To be fair, being a GM is a tough gig for one guy. Would love to see the Revs bring in a second, experienced MLS GM-type to exclusively handle international recruitment, negotiations and then the acclimation process while letting Burns focus on optimizing the draft, Academy and any of the other domestic aspects of the game. To find this international man of mystery, just look around the MLS 2.0 teams and recruit away someone from one of the more progressive FOs with a better success rate with int'ls (RSL, LA, Seattle, etc).

So they have skin in the game, compensate them (at least in part) by calculating ROI per transaction on the acquisition's production, durability and acclimation (how positive their locker room influence is). This could then be used as a standard across MLS to rate GM's.

 

grew up a Mickey Mantle Whitey Ford Yogi Berra fan, and when you are 11 years old and some banjo hitting second baseman ends the season, well any Sox fan who remembers Bucky Dent or Aaron Boone should know the feeling. Been in New England for 30 years now and raised my kids here and become a Sox fan so they wouldn't hate me.

i think doc is a little older than me. i know he is a lot more unflappable than I am.

 

2011 Revs: 3-4-6, 13 pts, 10 GF, 16 GA
2012 Revs in March/April -- 2-5-0, 5 gf 9 ga
2012 Revs in May -- 3-2-1, 13 gf 9 ga

So the jury says the Revs we saw in May are much better than the 2011 Revs

On the internationals, you are a tough grader. I'd say Sene is better than anyone could have hoped. Moreno . . . I agree with the posters who say it is too early to know. Cardenas . . . he is useful. Lechner and Rundstrom -- both have been injured so it is harsh to say they have not lived up to expectations. Besides, I don't think Rundstrom was signed with the idea he'd be a starter. So I'd say Burns is 2 for 3 (Sene and Cardenas hits; Lozano apparently a miss), with no decision yet on Moreno, Rundstrom and Lechner.

 

I was driving down the Merritt Parkway last year when I realized that I'm older than most trees.

 

That is half of it, the other have is the willingness to actually pay for a quaility player. I think looking at Lozano's contract numbers the Revs have loosened up their purse strings unfortunately its looking more and more like a waste of money. I think this summer window is the make or break window for Burns. The Revs seem to have a decent product now, not a contender but two quality moves this summer and the Revs could be a team that could cause problems for other teams and possibly make a run. Its up to Burns to find and sign better players in the next two months. I think now is the right time to bring in a DP. Not an aging over the hill player but a young gun Montero type

 

Doc has you beat, he drove the Merritt Parkway when it was a dirt trail.............in a Conestoga wagon