Need a striker (not DeJong) and not MLS roadkill. Speed would be nice. And could someone wake Birnbaum from his coma.
I would hope that would be the obvious conclusion from the powers that be. Though a fear a few wins will buy him another season as long as Stadium Uber Alles remains the team motto.
Exactly right. During the post-game interview last night Olsen referenced an off-season evaluation process that would include the coach. Given the owners' myopic focus on selling the stadium, gotta think this won't lead to replacing Olsen.
If they keep Olsen and his bizarre focus on a single striker DCU must find a stud striker that can play that way. Strength, technical ability, and composure on the ball are an expensive must. The players are out there. Leeds got Pierre-Michel Lasogga from Hamburg's bench for a bag of rocks on loan on the final day of the transfer deadline. His buy-out is allegedly around $1.5M. He is the exact type of guy DCU needs at striker.
One guy won't fix it. Sure Jesus fed the crowd with a loaf and a fish, but someone else caught the fish and the miller and baker played a big support role with the loaf. This team needs rebuilt with virtually a new crew to to bottom
Defense ain't bad, midfield rebuilt, need strikers. We've been cheap for so long that eventually we run into games we just can't preserve through. Last night was one of those games.
Its not bizarre. Its all the rage. And NO, there aren't a bunch of Forwards out there who could play that role. What's lacking the most right now is leadership. Its hard to fault specific players for not providing it right now, because its kinda an organic thing. That said, I wish Birnbaum had it in him, but he doesn't. At least not now. And the midfield is too new or too young to provide it either. And forget the strikers. So, yeah. A big stud striker would be great. Or stretch Mullins by 2-3 inches and pack 15-20 more pounds on him. Or wait for Miranda to get playing time with Acosta, Stieber and Arriola. (Brown is still a waste so don't bother with him)
Defense isn't very good. Midfield is rebuilt yes, but is it competitive with playoff caliber teams? So far, the answer is "no". Granted, the midfield is still in the process of gelling, but is Acosta good enough to be an attacking midfielder for a top MLS team? Is Canouse good enough? Will Harkes become good enough? What is the backup plan for these three (Buescher is not the answer. Nor is Jefrey).
The Chicago midfield that was bossing us last night included, I think, no fewer than four "second stringers." So while yes, our midfield has improved with the arrival of Arriola, Canouse, and Stieber, we tend to forget just how much other teams are improving their own - to our disadvantage.
Please read before going off the edge. Olsen's desire to play the trendy formation with a poacher is bizarre. If he had a false 9 there it might make sense, but that's not the case. I don't know of any successful coach playing the 4-2-3-1 with anything but a target man or false 9. That's bizarre. If Lasogga was available for 1.5M I don't know what to tell ya. That's cheap for a forward.
Their midfield didn't boss anything. United has flipped the script with this makeover. They've owned possession the last two games now, this coming from a team that was bottom three league wide up to this point. Now, they are a possession team all of the sudden. A toothless, flattering to deceive possession team to be sure, but little of that falls on the revamped midfield.
We are a possession team with absolutely no clue what to do with the ball 30 yards from goal. No dynamism, no off the ball runs, nothing. It is literally try to make a move around the defender and send it into the box for the possibly one person who made it near goal so they can hit it into the upper decks. Thats it. That isn't Casper, it isn't on Levien, it is on Olsen (or Ashton if you really don't feel like blaming the actual coach for actual lack of tactics). james
Well then who ever said that about United being a possession team is a natural born comedian, sorry to credit you for a gag that wasn't yours
Not sure where this should go but I can't imagine this does not affect thinking in the FO. EDIT...and Tommy Soehn is stepping in. #NERevs Part Ways with Head Coach Jay Heaps https://t.co/fAbWiFpFdo pic.twitter.com/Vo9i55XMkS— New England Revolution (@NERevolution) September 19, 2017 910113275999870976 is not a valid tweet id
Look it up. United has out possessed opponents the last two games, this after being bottom rung in possession all year. All you have to do is watch the game to see United holds the ball now. They don't do much productive, which I noted, but the change is there. Arriola and Canouse have stabilized the middle.
Also, United were 50/50 with NE. Find a game the last five years where that's the case. The team is changing. I didn't claim they are a good possession team, but the ability and desire to hold the ball has changed, simply put.