2017-2018 Offseason Catch-All Thread

Discussion in 'Colorado Rapids' started by fortcollins, Sep 30, 2017.

  1. Riccardo55

    Riccardo55 Member+

    Mar 11, 2001
    Denver
    Club:
    Colorado Rapids
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I am uncertain who they will add, but the teams last kick/head into the goal (not the goal-ie) has been trouble for most of the Rapids years. Yes, at least Gashi could score and Badji would stretch the field (some scoring). I liked Doyle, but we didn't set him up much=he needed good service. So all these players were flawed, and it worked in 2016 "The Pablo Way", but flunked in 2017 (my worst USNT/Rapids year ever, by far).

    Now we have "The Rapids Way".....I'd trade that lame slogan for a REAL pair of forwards (Conner & Omar were OK, eh?).

    Agree with others: Gashi = Nguyen (skilled to score, defenseless), Doyle= tons of old striker, and Badji= speedy guy that struggles to score. All role players..........I truly hope that the Stanley decided it's time to invest in the Rapids roster *now*, and try to win a Cup in the Howard era.

    R
     
  2. JasonMa

    JasonMa Member+

    Mar 20, 2000
    Arvada, CO
    Club:
    Colorado Rapids
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Conor and Cummings were a bit more than "ok". The only player to score more goals in the league than Casey between 2008 (his first full year in Colorado) and his Achilles injury in 2011 was Landon Donovan.
     
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  3. unkiemark

    unkiemark Member+

    Dec 23, 2003
    Boulder
    The one player on this list I don't think will be in the midfield will be Serna, I think he'll be at left wing back behind Castillo.

    I like, JasonMa believe that what Hudson wants is a Price playing behind the pair of Gashi and Aigner and in front of the back three.
     
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  4. unkiemark

    unkiemark Member+

    Dec 23, 2003
    Boulder
    #629 unkiemark, Jan 12, 2018
    Last edited: Jan 13, 2018
    Pádraig was stated many times that they want to sign two striker in the near future. Don't think he'd make that statement if he wasn't serious about it.

    He's also stated that the way to go about this is to target multiple players knowing you have to do so in order to land one of them. This is in contrast to the past where it appears they would target one player and if it didn't happen they were sunk. IF the Rapids fail to do so, he has going to lose a lot of credibility, at the least.

    Really, Pádraig seems to be different from her predecessors in that he articulates a plan and then executes it. Once Bravo and Hinchey left he started making moves to get the team back on track. It began with firing Pablo. It continues.

    Now, who knows if all his decisions will work out in terms of getting results on the pitch, but he has made moves to get things going towards actualizing what he's stated.
     
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  5. unkiemark

    unkiemark Member+

    Dec 23, 2003
    Boulder
  6. JasonMa

    JasonMa Member+

    Mar 20, 2000
    Arvada, CO
    Club:
    Colorado Rapids
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
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  7. m vann

    m vann Moderator
    Staff Member

    Colorado Rapids, Celtic FC, & Louisville City
    Sep 10, 2002
    Denver, CO
    Club:
    Celtic FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Just think......Landon Donofan was on the market this whole time. Should have gone for old Lando. Now he's headed to Club Leon. The rumor was out there for a few days but everyone thought it was fake news. Guess not. we missed out. ;) :D
     
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  8. fortcollins

    fortcollins Member+

    St. Louis City SC
    Apr 12, 2006
    Fort Collins
    Club:
    Colorado Rapids
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I'm finding one thing especially encouraging about this speculation-filled offseason. At least the Rapids are talking about players whose names are known or who can be looked up readily. It's better than playing "who's that?" like the last bunch of offseasons.
     
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  9. Bridgeman

    Bridgeman Member

    Liverpool FC
    United States
    Feb 25, 2006
    Colorado
    Club:
    Colorado Rapids
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Badji has improved every year. An improved midfield should help him alot as far as goal scoring. We were outplayed in midfield all year so these moves are a nice overall upgrade imho.
     
  10. wormhole

    wormhole Member

    Mar 25, 2009
    Westminster, CO
    Club:
    Colorado Rapids
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    The game of player acquisition and management is a lot like dating. A crafty team can do a lot by generating buzz, playing off speculation, and inciting a little romantic jealousy, as it were. I'm starting to think we saw a sample of Pádraig's influence with the 2016 player acquisitions. (Howard, Jones, Gashi, etc..)

    I've heard enough rumors to speculate the failure to capitalize on the exciting 2016 player additions was due, in part, to disagreement among the 2017 RFO parties about acquiring players. The current RFO is setup to deliver Pádraig's vision. They also seem to have a better sense about how to build a narrative and how leverage news and rumors.

    Time will tell if this momentum becomes the standard, and if the missed opportunities of the past were mostly a front office problem or mostly a lack owner support problem.
     
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  11. JasonMa

    JasonMa Member+

    Mar 20, 2000
    Arvada, CO
    Club:
    Colorado Rapids
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    That and the horrendous contracts Bravo agreed to that tied our hands paying for players that weren't even on the team anymore.
     
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  12. fortcollins

    fortcollins Member+

    St. Louis City SC
    Apr 12, 2006
    Fort Collins
    Club:
    Colorado Rapids
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Or, in the case of the Rapids . . .

     
  13. JasonMa

    JasonMa Member+

    Mar 20, 2000
    Arvada, CO
    Club:
    Colorado Rapids
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Kamara apparently is not interested in Colorado:
    http://abc7.com/sports/ola-kamaras-...th-rapids-ready-to-move-on---sources/2940507/
     
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  14. JasonMa

    JasonMa Member+

    Mar 20, 2000
    Arvada, CO
    Club:
    Colorado Rapids
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    In other words, same old Rapids so far this offseason. Lots of talk, lots of links to big attacking targets, but preseason starts in a little over a week and we have yet to sign a major attacking player this offseason.
     
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  15. wormhole

    wormhole Member

    Mar 25, 2009
    Westminster, CO
    Club:
    Colorado Rapids
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    European targets = Summer transfer window = not useful until 2019.
     
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  16. Rod1916

    Rod1916 Member+

    Jun 17, 2012
    Colorado
    Club:
    Colorado Rapids
    Not sure I would say same old rapids. They have signed a couple of respectful signings and some depth. Not all that we needed, but in the last we wouldn't have done anything.

    Hoping they were truthful when they said they would go after multiple options in case one doesn't work out.

    On a side note, perhaps the rapids should send a video of LA traffic, fires, crowds, and the cold summer fog by the beach. Colorado can be compelling.
     
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  17. JasonMa

    JasonMa Member+

    Mar 20, 2000
    Arvada, CO
    Club:
    Colorado Rapids
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    And yet, if we had to line up today we'd have likely two new players total in the lineup (assuming nobody playing out of position) neither of them attackers.

    ------Badji-Calvert
    Gashi----------Aigner
    ----------Price
    Castillo---------Hairston
    Sjoberg - Watts - Ford
    --------Howard

    I don't see that lineup suddenly striking fear into the hearts of MLS defenders. The best we could hope for is a repeat of the 2016 1-0 win strategy. Not the new look Rapids Smith and Hudson have been talking about.

    Now there's still 9 days until preseason camp opens, but Smith and Hudson have talked about the importance of having all the key component signed and ready when camp opens. There's a lot of work to do in those 9 days to meet those goals. Especially with CCL 4 weeks after that. Otherwise its the same old Rapids.
     
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  18. Rod1916

    Rod1916 Member+

    Jun 17, 2012
    Colorado
    Club:
    Colorado Rapids
    Like I said, not enough. But better than previous years already. 2 quality players with time left sets the bar.....
     
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  19. Real Corona

    Real Corona Member+

    Jan 19, 2008
    Colorado
    Club:
    FC Metalist Kharkiv
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    That's an ugly XI
     
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  20. JasonMa

    JasonMa Member+

    Mar 20, 2000
    Arvada, CO
    Club:
    Colorado Rapids
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Swap out Watts and Calvert for some solid players, maybe Badji too, and it looks pretty good.
     
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  21. wormhole

    wormhole Member

    Mar 25, 2009
    Westminster, CO
    Club:
    Colorado Rapids
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I know Aigner was signed last year, but for practical purposes he was a 2018 pick up. That makes 3 (2.5?).

    I'm not forgiving that glaring lack of a shiny new striker either. The Rapids need to get their guy within the next two weeks. (I'm being a little more generous because it's somewhat easier to plug a sharp shooter into the system than a workhorse mid).

    Kamara is surely trying to drive up his asking price. "I'd rather be in a bigger, coastal city where they spend more money *cough LA*."
     
  22. Independiente

    Independiente Member

    Colorado Rapids
    United States
    Mar 15, 2005
    Littleton, CO
    Club:
    Colorado Rapids
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Hard to believe. I thought for sure we saw the last of Landon Donovan when we beat them in the 2016 playoffs (didn't he come off injured?). He must have had people telling him at Stu Holden's Houston charity match that he still "had it".

    Now, as a striker signing goes, I think Ola Kamara would be great. I hope we're willing to at least up the offer a bit for him. Still hoping we can see one or two more signings in the coming week. Training camp almost here!
     
  23. Soaker888

    Soaker888 Member+

    Feb 21, 2012
    Denver
    Club:
    Colorado Rapids
    Price was just signed from Wolverhampton.


    Yup,. Which sounds quite doable. Fingers crossed, still hopeful at this point.

    I wonder if this Opara issue hits the Rapids regularly (targeted player wanting a bigger team to call home).
     
  24. Real Corona

    Real Corona Member+

    Jan 19, 2008
    Colorado
    Club:
    FC Metalist Kharkiv
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Yeah then we’d be talking
     
  25. unkiemark

    unkiemark Member+

    Dec 23, 2003
    Boulder
    In one of the interviews of Pádraig in the last month or so he did state that if it's the "right guy" they would be willing to wait beyond the self imposed deadline. Still they don't have a lot of time to work with, especially if they sign players that are coming from outside of the US and thus need to get a visa taken care of as well as the ITC.
     
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