Pull Lletget play with double 6 of Adams and Morales Replace Lletget with Morales. Push Weston to the 10 and play Adams and Morales as double 6. Not sure of the RB/LB situation perhaps getting Cannon/Yedlin at RB and Dest at LB would be a better option.
Point taken. That was the shape when we have the ball. McKennie drops back when we do not have the ball. And Pulisic & Morris have to play D. We are defending with 9-10. 433 in possession. 451 in defense.
Leipzip-ish tactics (when everyone is healthy) Weah-Sargent Pulisic-Adams-Mckennie-Dest M. Robinson-Brooks-Long-Cannon Steffen Altidore Boyd Lletget Morales Yedlin Guzan It aint that hard. That’s a good squad. Weah and Sargent are excellent in the high press. So are Weston and Adams.
back to this - I’m struggling to see how we can play a good team where three of our players will “run free with little defensive responsibility” as I don’t think our GK/Back line are as strong defensively as we’ve historically been. it seems that what will happen is that at least 2/3 will be forced to become defenders (which they’re not particularly adept at) and waste a lot of their energy doing something that they’re poorly suited to do. I’m open to the 433 but just want to understand how we do it when we’re playing a team that’s better skilled than we are. maybe a high press as we can field a highly mobile front line?
I came up with this for the Gold Cup and thought I'd revisit it now that the year is done. As usual, I'm most interested in highlighting USSF's clear preference for MLS vs. what should be done. Here's my updated thoughts. I broke them down into two groups: equal time means that we should give extended but equal runs to each until someone clearly is in or out (In meaning Morris, out meaning Trapp). Goalkeepers (3) Autocall (1): Zack Steffen, Equal time (1): Ethan Horvath, Guzan, MLS GK Central Defenders (4) Autocall (3): John Brooks, Aaron Long, Matt Miazga Equal time (1): Tim Ream, Zimmerman, Alvarado, Carter-Vickers, Opara (too old but Defender of the Year) Up-and-comers: Richards, MRobinson Central Midfielders (5) Autocall (3): Tyler Adams, Weston McKennie, Morales Equal time (2): Sebastian Lletget, Duane Holmes, Yueill, Green, Pomykal, Nagbe (I may beg a little as we could use him) Up-and-comers: Ledeszma, Aaronson Outside Back/Wing (4) Autocall (3): DeAndre Yedlin, Dest, Cannon Equal time (1): ARobinson, Tim Chandler, Nick Lima, Eric Lichaj, Lovitz Up-and-comers: Gloster Attackers (7) Autocall (5): Christian Pulisic, Jordan Morris, Timothy Weah, Josh Sargent, Jozy Altidore Equal time (2): Paul Arriola, Tyler Boyd, Zardes Up-and-comers: Reyna, LLanez Autocall: 15 (MLS 4, other 11) Equal time: 22 (MLS 11, other 11) Total Pool: 36 (MLS 15, other 22) Weakest members (First cut): Autocall: Altidore (old and injury) Equal time: Lovitz, Opara (too old), Chandler (too old), Lichaj (too old), Nagbe (self-selected), 2nd MLS GK, Green The MLS bias that the USSF isn't that no one deserves to be called but there's about a quarter of the slots that are always going to MLS instead of being blind to what league our players play in. Love to hear other thoughts.
Lovitz has no business being he an equal time call up. He should be an auto starter at every position.
At the end of 2019, this would be the Best 11. Adams has to go in, but you can put Yueill in instead. Morris is going to be included but Gregg will have to decide how he is going to play. He has tried to play a possession system with players that cannot execute it for lack of technical skill. Morris is one of them. If Gregg is going to a more aggressive defense, then you can carry Morris because he is deadly on the counter. Morris gets results playing the one position in The System that seems to be devoid of complicated reads and is more straight up. All the other positions need superior technical skill and Gregg routinely plays the same players even though they don't have the requisite technical skill. ----------------Altidore--------- -Morris-------Pulisic------Holmes -------Adams-----McKennie Ream---Brooks----Long----Dest ----------------Steffan---------- Next up: Sargent, Lletget, Weah, Morales, Yueill, Miazga, ARobinson, Cannon, CB, GK, GK Will go in as soon as they tick that last box: Ledezma, Llanez, Reyna, Richards
Love Weah as a person, and he's very exciting as a player. But he needs to get games and goals/assists for Lille before he becomes an autocallup. If Weah is an autocallup, then so is Amon, who is comparable in age, and has played far more minutes for his club. Neither of them are. Green's not a weak member by any stretch. He's got more experience than most of his competition at the AM spot, and he's like 23 years old, so he's not an old guy. He's got room to grow, is doing well in an MLS-level league, and he's a player who has consistently played ABOVE his club level for the NT. He's a snub, not a first-cut, especially when you've got a recovering Pomykal, who tailed off this year, so far ahead of him.
Weah was sold to Lille, a UCL team, for $11 million. Amon sometimes plays for Danish team and has not been sold to anyone. While I get your point, and he has to prove health, there is something to the fact that the amount of Americans sold for $11+ million is like 4, including Weah. The other three were auto-starters in their prime (and before and past it).
For the most part, I agree with your starting 11. The only couple things you might make an argument about would be possibly starting Lletget or Mckennie as the 10, and having Pulisic play on the wing instead of Holmes. Also, possibly having Dest at LB and Yedlin or Cannon at RB. With that said, I personally agree that Ream at LB is the current best option, although its an unpopular opinion here on BS. Either way, I think that's a rational starting 11 if all players are available.
Weah has played professionally in Scotland for Celtic. That's it. And he was frozen out on his loan after Rodgers left. I don't really care that he transferred for 11 million. Adams is 50x the player, arguably up with CP as an autostarter, and he transferred for chump change. Oh, and he actually has years of pro production. We're weak at his position, so I want him called up. But you're putting him as an auto-callup alongside WM, CP, and TA. Weah is nowhere near those 3.
I think we could do quite a bit worse than Ream... I.e. I don't understand why he gets a ton of hate. I don't think he should be starting... but I am OK with him as an option at left-center-back. He doesn't bring a ton going forward... so I am not a fan of him at left-wing-back. At any rate... here is my best 11 right now: Yedlin - Miazga - Brooks - Dest McKinney - Adams - Yueill Morris - Sargent - Pulisic 1st sub at wing-back: Cannon 1st sub at center-back: Long 1st sub at midfield: Pomykal for offense or Morales if we need muscle/intimidation 1st sub at winger: Weah 1st sub at striker: Altidore for now and if healthy... but I hope this changes soon. We are quite weak at this position at the U- levels.
4-2-3-1 And a system built to press: Stefan Cannon Long Brooks Dest Adams - McKinnie Morris Holmes Pulisic Sarge I feel fine about everything other than Morris and Holmes, just wish for something a little better there. Pomykal, Ledezma, Llanez, Weah, come take it. Cannon v Yedlin is splitting hairs. I want to press so no olds like Jozy and Bradley. Long is a weak spot, but I’m pressing so took him over Miazga on speed, Robinson, Richards and their ilk need to hurry up. The way I see it we have 6 legitimate national team players; CP, WM, TA, SD and ZS. Everything should be built around getting the most out of them, hence the formation and style choice and I arranged them all to be connected. I think our left side could go to war.
I don't like starting a kid out of position. He hasn't really played there for Ajax and he defended in September like a RB playing LB. Maybe after 20 caps.
The previous cycle, he got badly exposed when used as a conventional left-back. This term, he's actually been solid when used as an lb/cb type of fullback in a low-block.
Pour moi: -----------------Steffen-------------- Dest---Long----Brooks---F. Johnson -------Adams-----McKennie------- Morris-------Lletget------Pulisic ---------------Altidore-----------
True. But we don't know exactly how much, and he's on par with Christian Pulisic on this team in terms of talent and automatic starting power. It wouldn't matter if he were loaned to Leipzig, transferred for 3 million, or sold for 30 million. His talent doesn't change because of his transfer value, we know how he looks for the NT, and how he looks at RBL/NYRB. Meanwhile, Weah mostly spent time at the U19s at PSG, IIRC. Unlucky not to unseat Chopu-Moting, whom he would presumably have been an upgrade for. But, we only saw flashes at Celtic, and he's been hurt at Lille, so it's unfair to put him on the same pedestal as CP/WM/TA when he has 1/2 a season on loan as a sometimes-starter at Celtic. If he were sometimes-starting at Bayern or PSG or Chelsea, maybe I'd feel closer to Patrick's evaluation.
The only way that is true is if MLS/Garber agreed to an "inside deal" for significantly less money than Adams was worth on the open market. Why would MLS do that? Inside deals would result in higher sale price since the MLS club and parent club could just engage in "paper value" transfers Let's not forget that all player contracts are owned by the MLS single-entity and that MLS gets a percentage of revenue for any sale or loan of any contracted player. IIRC, since Adams was homegrown MLS only gets 25% of the fee instead of the 33% they would typically get. If Adams was worth $10MM it would be in MLS' interest to get at least $10MM for him.
MLS gets 0 from an HG sale. Adams was cheap but has a large sell on clause. So, it is hard to compare directly. MLS probably had to ok the deal, but I don't know. UEFA has made the different RB teams act independently since Leipzig made the UCL two years ago.
It's hard to figure why people are so keen on Dest at lb. We finally find a good rb and they put him on the left. Strange.
Is it hard? He’s played some LB. O and the other LB option is Lovitz. The drop from Dest to Cannon and Yedlin at RB is close to as significant as the drop from literally anyone to Lovitz.
New Rule Allows Clubs to Retain Transfer Fees MLS adopted a rule change for the 2018 season and after. Prior to the 2018 season, clubs had to share some of the proceeds with the league. Under the revised rule, teams will be allowed to retain 100 % of the transfer fee money received when selling Homegrown signings — players that have come up through individual team academies — when they are moved to new teams abroad. You are absolutely correct. Looks like MLS changed the rule last year. I apologize for posting incorrect information.