I was at the game Saturday. Lots of reasons for hope. Add Gaiton to that group, and they will create a lot of problems for teams. The change of formation was pretty key. Interesting, when Pauno took Hasler out, I could see him say, “that was my fault.” He was never going to be able to deal with Morris, even though he did play hard.
If I was coaching this is the lineup I would employ. Have Basti get a 12 pack of Spaten and sit down to watch old Franz Beckenbauer highlight reels and tell him, "Do THAT!"
And I’d attack this formation down the wings all day. Marcelo, Kappelhof, Basti < Brown, Okaroh, Kubik No Guiterrez & Marsch to cover the wings, no Armas to shield the back line. Fire lose 4-2, 5-3.
We're already getting attacked through those areas, but without maximum offensive potency to counter with because we have Campos/Corrales/Hasler on the field. Balls to the wall time until we get some better defensive backs: ------------Ousted------------ Kap------Basti----Marcelo -------Dax-------DM---------- PF-------Gaitan-----Katai ------Niko-------Sapong I'd rather lose 5-3 than 2-1. I don't see any reason to have Campos/Corrales/Hasler on the field while any of those front 7 sit on the bench.
This is my thought. If we play a 4-4-2 we’re guaranteed to have someone, if not two people out of position (or terrible) playing in the back four.
Agreed. Looking back on 1998, it very well could have been Bob’s hands may have been tied without any good outside backs so he pushed a 3-5-2. He had three CBs and no outside backs. It’s right where we are now.
I’m not benching Niko just yet. My question will be can Dax, Djordje and Gaitan play in the middle together? It’s been so long, maybe ten years, since we had a difficult time deciding who should start.
Okay, you want to bench the best goal scorer (by average) the Fire have ever had, a guy with 39 goals in 67 games for his Fire career and who is making around $2,000,000 a season. In two seasons with the Fire, he is already 3rd all time in goal scoring for the Fire (behind only Rolfe and, of course, Razov). You want to replace him with CJ Sapong, who has 58 goals in 236 games for his career and has scored in double digits once in his career. That makes no sense at all.
I do not really like the idea of Katai and Frankowski playing on the same side. Not sure why but...seems...poor.
The rumor is that NRod is shopping Niko. This would be worst than trading Johnson, once Gaitan starts playing Niko could start filling up the net with goals. What our fvcking GM should be doing is signing one or two quality defenders.
If you play a 3-4-3 I think it would be a hell of alot more effective (if you pull Niko,) to have Katai in a false 9 slot - because that's pretty much his strongest features and exactly how he probably should always line up. He's essentially built to play that role in a 3-4-3.
Katai isn't any more of a winger than CJ Sapong is ... The team should be thinking of ways to get him roaming in front if the box , not along the touchline.
Yes, and that would be awful if it happens, especially to another MLS team. However, he is on the team right now and young Jiggs is proposing benching him for a clearly inferior player.
Nothing is forever. If you are talking theory, Nikolic. If you are talking the hot hand to ply in the next game, Sapong.
Niko isn't performing and until he starts performing, I'm starting the guy who is. This isn't just "Niko's offside too often" or "Niko isn't getting on the end of crosses". Niko's been invisible. I know I said a similar thing at the beginning of the 2017 season, but this is different. We have someone who is actively performing as the best player out on the pitch and I'd rather be starting him than the guy who had been good, but hasn't shown it at all this season.
Of course. I just meant could it be successful in front of three CBs or would we need better defensive support there.
Nikolic has played in TWO games. OH, shit, he has not scored in two games. Oh, deary me, this is a tragedy. Push the f'n panic button and get him out of there. That is just stupid. If you bench him, he could "never start performing." I should also mention that it is possible to play with more than one striker. It has been two games.
Niko has now completed what I call "The Full Razov" lead the team in scoring, 2 bad games, and out come the pitchforks. lol
Niko needs to step his game up. His past performances don't mean squat now. I say ship him why he's still worth something, maybe get a DEFENDER or something...
Why can’t the Fire have Niko and the defenders that are needed to succeed? I lay that at the feet of Nelson. I would not give up on Niko so quickly. Wait to see how Gaitan integrates with the team and if Niko is still ineffective, then sell him in the summer, if needed.