Petke trade/Erpen - End of season assessment

[gocaps]

I've been thinking about this for a couple of weeks now, as our backline started to show signs of weakness. And now that the season has ended with a horrible thud, it's time to ask:

Was trading Mike Petke for Facundo Erpen (which is what we essentially did) detrimental to our 2005 season?

I'm not thinking about future potential - obviously Erpen has tools and gifts that Petke doesn't, particularly on the ball. But, for this season, I really think the deal was a negative. Erpen had to take time to fit into the team, he was a washout at outside back (making him less versatile than Petke), and simply wasn't better as a defensive player than Petke was. Was he worth the wait AND the reworking of the starting 11?

Look at it this way, would you rather have:

1. Namoff-Erpen-Prideaux
or
2. Namoff-Boswell-Petke

as your starting backline? I'm taking #2...

[GoDC]

I've been thinking about this for a couple of weeks now, as our backline started to show signs of weakness. And now that the season has ended with a horrible thud, it's time to ask:

Was trading Mike Petke for Facundo Erpen (which is what we essentially did) detrimental to our 2005 season?

I'm not thinking about future potential - obviously Erpen has tools and gifts that Petke doesn't, particularly on the ball. But, for this season, I really think the deal was a negative. Erpen had to take time to fit into the team, he was a washout at outside back (making him less versatile than Petke), and simply wasn't better as a defensive player than Petke was. Was he worth the wait AND the reworking of the starting 11?

Look at it this way, would you rather have:

1. Namoff-Erpen-Prideaux
or
2. Namoff-Boswell-Petke

as your starting backline? I'm taking #2...

Or maybe if you tried Namoff Boswell Erpen Prideaux at some point in your 300 game season you might have had other options.

[Publius]

I think it was an unnecessary trade. Petke's lack of speed hurt him as an outside back in the 3-5-2. However, Erpen didn't succeed at the outside back position, and despite his greater skills, he proved less versatile than Petke. All of which forced Boswell to the bench.

This whole situation is a sign of the coach forcing players to fit his system rather than adjusting his system to make the best use of his available talent. If Nowak went with the 4-4-2, there's no reason to trade Petke in the first place. I could have been very happy seeing Petke and Boswell as our central defenders.

[Sundevil9]

Since the trade, I think the biggest thing that DC has missed is his character.

When the team's play leveled out several weeks ago, or with the Freddy incidents, having somebody with Petke's leadership abilities would have helped matters.

Jamie and Ben's leadership styles to not lend themselves to 'rattle some cages', and that may have been what was needed.

[schmuckatelli]

Since the trade, I think the biggest thing that DC has missed is his character.
...and height. Boswell is useful on both ends on set pieces. Erpen is tough and skillful, but not as good in the air.

[Benedict XVI]

Wasn't it salary that made the Petke move? How much does Erpen make? Can't forget that.

[ignatz]

I agree. I continue to miss Petke, not just Petke the player but Petke the mensch. And despite the disaster yesterday, I felt better with Boswell in the middle than with Erpen who was completely beaten and lucky not to give up a goal in the second minute on the play in which he was injured. It was good to have some height back there. About the only thing we won all day seemed to be the balls Boswell won in the air.

[elconejito]

petke for erpen straight up is not a good trade.

What we gained tho is a bit of depth at the center position. If we didnt have erpen, and boswell started last nights game then who would have gone into the center? petke? prideaux? both have shown in the past that they couldnt handle the center of a 352 effectively. IMO, worse than erpen has ever been there.

The greater issue tho is failing to effectively replace Nellie as neither boswell nor erpen have come close to filling his shoes...

[Bill-DC]

Since the trade, I think the biggest thing that DC has missed is his character.

Absolutely.

[gocaps]

Wasn't it salary that made the Petke move? How much does Erpen make? Can't forget that.
That's the point. Petke was dealt to free up more salary space so we could acquire Erpen. The question is whether it made sense to deal one for the other, because that's essentially what we did.

[Allan Quatermain]

One thing to consider is the degree to which Petke's play had deteriorated at the start of this season. He was doing some really dumb things -- not the sort of stuff you expect from a "veteran leader." He was the one making the rookie mistakes. Go back and watch his play in the Pumas games if you don't believe me, not to mention the first MLS games this year. You need to count on your veterans to not make the sorts of mistakes he was making. He was clearly a defensive liability.

Now, I think there is a great deal of blame to be laid on the club for our defensive setup most of the season. We knew at this point a year ago that we would not have Nelsen back. Fair enough. But was ANYTHING done in the offseason to shore up the D, particularly in advance of the Concacaf Cup? Absolutely not, which explains why we had untested guys like Boswell, Stokes, and, yes, Nick Van Sicklen (in his pro debut!) manning our backline against PUMAS. That is near criminal on the part of Nowak, Zack, Payne, and even MLS (who should have had enough savvy to arrange having Wade Barrett or a similar player join DCU's defense)

I have no problem bringing Erpen in. He's played well. He deserves to play ahead of Boswell (who I will happily admit also played well). Erpen is not to blame for Nowak's insistence on playing Prideaux, who is awful.

[LN - Dougg]

Look at it this way, would you rather have:

1. Namoff-Erpen-Prideaux
or
2. Namoff-Boswell-Petke

as your starting backline? I'm taking #2...


3.Namoff-Erpen-Wilson.

[VAsoccermom]

3.Namoff-Erpen-Wilson.

If we had a halfway comptent coach he would have saw that too..... If Wilson would have started, and he would have played Olsen, I somehow don't think we would have had the same outcome.... Petey plays this buddy buddy BS and it costs us the season. Dema clearly doesn't deserve half the playing time he gets. If he was Nana... well you know where he would be. He seems to have those few players that he really likes and no matter how much they screw up he just looks the other way. He is a jerk, and whatever hair he has up his rear he needs to pluck it and get over it. He constantly screams its all about whats best for the team, but apparently he hasn't a clue what that is. Last night after the match, my kids and I checked out the players as they were leaving RFK.... well when Petey rolled out, my son and a bunch of other kids yelled his name and instead of slowing up and aknowleding the fans, that jerk hit his gas peddle so hard I thought he was going to flip his car over....... a coach is a direct reflection of his team. If your coach is indecisive and inconsistant and also happens to be real jerk, what can you expect from the team. Leadership starts with the coach, and as far as I am concerned, he has no true leadership abilily. He needs to go...... ( :( JMHO while still sobbing over lasts nights horrible loss..... )

[MattMathai]

Look at it this way, would you rather have:

1. Namoff-Erpen-Prideaux
or
2. Namoff-Boswell-Petke

as your starting backline? I'm taking #2...

Namoff - Boswell - Erpen

[yankiboy]

I'm still not convinced with the deal. Petke trade/Erpen. Jury's still out.

[thedeuce_2]

3.Namoff-Erpen-Wilson.

Maybe it's just me but I was never too awfully impressed with Wilson...
I however, like Boswell AND Erpen..
I miss Petke, but what's done is done

[yankiboy]

Maybe it's just me but I was never too awfully impressed with Wilson...


I prefer Wilson to come off the bench. I think that some guys are more effective that way and for DCU I think that is the case for Wilson.

[Section106]

I hate to say it but, with Erpen we gave up zero goals against the Fire. With Boswell we gave up four. People need to realize what we have in Erpen. Nowak needs to realize what we could have with Erpen and Boswell in the middle.


Edited to add, I think Erpen's upside is much better than Petke. I really feel that Petke did all he could for us. He seemed to hit a wall with us, IMHO. If we had a competent keeper I don't think this thread would even exist.

[Th4119]

Petke had character and class, but he was struggling massively on the pitch.

Erpen hasn't been here very long and should adjust well over the offseason and preseason for next year. I think it's still too early to think that we've seen his best form yet.

[Eastern Bear]

I like the Erpen for Petke move. Erpen is lower on the salary. I seem to recall around 75K. Their performances were about even but Erpen has a lot of upside and is a superior athelete. Once he gets more comfortable w/ English I think he'll be even better. Center back is a communication heavy position. If DCU can get a good attacking LB next year, I would switch to a 4-4-2. Maybe we can put Olsen back on the wing? LBs are pretty hard to find though.