Only if they win the cup. They've been good over the last few games but we've been woefully inconsistent over the last 5 years so one good run of form doesn't erase the past. james
They've been pretty good over the past few months actually, not just a few games. I'm not sure I buy "woefully inconsistent" for the last 5 years. They were horrible in the year which shall not be named (except for that Open Cup). 2012 AND 2014/2105 were pretty consistent. They were not that exciting but the results were probably as good as almost any other team over those seasons of maybe LA and NY. It's not just one good run of form. They've had a three years where the results were pretty good even if the product on the field wasn't too exciting. This year has been a bit of both. Not exciting and a bit worse in the standings through July. Since they they've been dynamic and actually fun to watch, not to mention around 1.7 PPG as they had been in 2012 and 2014. 2015 was slightly lower around 1.5 ppg, but still not too dynamic to watch. The only real outliers are 2013 and the past two months... one in each direction.
I did. It wasn't exactly the biggest retraction, but I did give credit. However if we don't do better than 1st round exit, it doesn't really matter
Because I'm not. I am quite happy with the play over the last month or so. I wasn't with the shit show that was the first half of the season. I don't like the wait until we gell attitude that seems to negate the lack of preparation that went into pre-season, talent acquisition and the like. This team is still rotten at the top and regardless of what the reasons are there doesn't seem to be a plan to address it. Like I've said - is it too much to ask for a team to start the season looking like they've practiced a bit in the pre-season. Are we not supposed to hold any of the staff accountable for the first part of a season (and the lack of preparation) because the east is rubbish and all teams were in the running for the playoffs a month ago. The success is good and it could lead to good things or it could be another first round dismissal. It comes down to preparation at that point and I still don't believe that this team is tactically prepared for the post-season. They may believe they are but grinding and grit are not tactics. Also - what do i have to gain by rooting against the team? james
To what extent would you accept the argument that this is a rebuilding season? Bill and the back line are pretty much the same, give or take, but the midfield and attacking corps are made up of completely new (to us) talent. I mean, it was clear that DC needed a new striker and that wasn't addressed until midseason. If we're being critical, we can call that lack of preparation, but there's also the argument that the FO was addressing questions all over the pitch and they just didn't find their man for the forward position. That doesn't explain resigning Sabo at such a high salary (while I have been disappointed in Sabo, he has been useful in killing off games and if you don't think that's useful, you're probably coaching NJ). But as for the "shit show" the first half of the season, how much of that can be attributed to integrating new players, losing Nyarko, losing the production engine that had been Rolfe, etc.? What I am hoping (and am hesitant to say out loud, for fear of jinxing it) is that the struggles at the beginning of the year was the team rebuilding and finding the spots where they still needed new players. I am hoping that this means that DC has not just had a "run of good form" and that this is what the team was building toward and is how they will look next year. You said in an earlier post that unless they win the Cup, you aren't going to eat any crow. About a month ago I said that playing well and further developing as a team was more important than "making the playoffs at all cost." So, for me, I'm still okay with DC not making it to the final or winning the Cup, this year. If DC crashes out of the playoffs because they refused to go defensive for an away game against a stronger opponent because Olsen and the coaching staff want them to get used to playing attacking soccer in a big game against a strong team, I'm okay with that (I mean, if they don't make a complete hash of it). What I want to see is DC at least playing on the level that they have been for the past month or two for the vast majority of next season. I want the improvement curve to continue into the next season and to get rid of some of the inconsistency that you mentioned. If DC has been competing for the Shield or at least the top of the East at the end of next season, then I'll thinking of the Cup as a reasonable goal. Right now, I'm just pleased because I think it's hard to not see this year as a rebuilding year, but it looks like the team is coming together pretty well in a relatively short period of time. The playoffs are just gravy to me this year. What I want is an improvement curve, not the steep peaks and troughs that I think have defined DC's last half decade or so.
When the team's primary and best method for signing players is to grab other teams' discarded vets, I don't know if there is such thing as rebuilding. If Rolfe can't play next season, you plug him with Shea Salinas. If Sarvas is done, you sign Matthias Laba off waivers. It's not like DC has to start from scratch a la 2014.
Well that back line? Well see. With heavy interest in Birmbaum, Boswell and Franklin aging and the possibility of Hamid also getting interest. We will have work to do sooner rather than later.
I agree to some extent, but I also think that there may be a mixing of "retreads" with "discarded vets." Not that we haven't had discarded vets and I agree with you, picking up discarded vets is something that you do if you have one hole in an otherwise championship team and try to squeeze that last year out of them and win something in the process. Otherwise, yeah, it's just constant churn. I guess my question is what you would consider Boswell or Nyarko? Boswell was certain on the tail end of his career when DC grabbed him, but he's been reliable for a number of years now. Nyarko is definitely a veteran, but he's still 30 or 31, right? He probably has more than just this year left in him. Sam. . . a couple years older and I would guess he only has a couple years left. Sarvas, I agree with you, but it seems like Olsen may have found what he believes are replacements for Sarvas already this year. Mullins is young, as is Acosta (are we supposed to call him "Lucho?"). While I agree with you that there was always going to be come turnover because we've been trying to squeak by with vets, it's not like DC just replaced Rolfe and Arnaud and I would argue that plenty of MLS teams are going to have those kinds of signings. While DC has been known for them since probably the DeRosario trade, I'm not convinced that fully describes what we have seen this season.
Coupled with that, you also have to realize that DCU essentially has been without the on-field services of Rolfe, Arnaud, Korb and Martin for the entire season. That is almost $700K of "sunk" cap space in players that you can't even use regardless of their "form." This isn't a powerhouse team, but Olsen and Kasper have done a very good job of putting together and coaching a competitive squad on a shoestring.