Juan Pablo Angel was signed on the 17th of April. He wasn't out of contract, but the season was almost over and he was about to be. There are tons of players in that situation every year. On April 15, he doesn't even have to be completely out of contract, just close enough that the team could be persuaded to let him go slightly early for a few bucks (MLS did that with Frankie Hejduk when he went to Germany many years ago). The windows (all of them except our mid-season one) are almost irrelevant to MLS considering who teams in this league pursuing and why they'd be available in the first place.
FWIW, I've been checking news sources for those countries Nicol and Co. have reportedly visited this year and can't find anything suggesting who the players offered contracts to may be. That being said, I just came across this: http://www.foot01.com/foot-mondial/rothen-trop-gourmand-pour-la-mls,65219
I wouldn't mind Rothen, and it's clear in that article he knows he's getting a paycut. If he could be had for a non-DP contract that would be a pretty damn big pick-up. I don't really want to speculate as it could be any number of clubs, though.
This looks like a New England signing for sure. They need goals scorers, so here is a guy who was never a goal scorer and without a club since Oct and probably has not played since June. 32 years old. This has New England written all over it. Could probably say the same thing about that french guy Dabo too. Looks like has not played with lazio since last season
I think it would be an attempt to fill the greatest need on the team, holding midfielder. Unfortunately, I think he is terrible, and barely an upgrade from Phelan.
Rothen is terrible now. He has lost nearly all of his pace, and was never that effective a goal scorer. If this is one of the moves, then it is a joke.
Yep--Dabo 34 in Feb, Rothen turns 33 in March, Domi turns 33 later this year. "Unfortunately, we came up short of our goal to make the playoffs in 2011 as we could never have forseen the injury to ______" MLS story in about August or so: Injury Bug Damages Revs' Hopes And so it becomes a "bug", not something forseeable when playing a bunch of old guys on turf all year. Just bad luck. Then the process will have to repeat itself and we'll dump these old guys same way we had to with Jankauskas and Gibbs, and bring in more out-of-contract old guys next year. Meanwhile, the rest of the league actually brings in players in their prime on LOANS-to-BUY, which we've apparently never heard of.
Anyone know anything about the agent, Paul Durant, mentioned? I hope he doesn't specialize in finding MLS jobs for players that are already washed up ('a la Jankasaurus). Should I be criticized for bring that up, the following passage was scarey: "Il n'a plus que six mois devant lui où il vaut encore quelque chose. Après ces six mois, il ne vaudra plus rien »" "He only has six months in front of him where he'll have any value. After those six months he'll no longer be worth anything." You could argue that is taken out of context, with the agent arguing about his bargaining power not his physical capabilities. But it's still sobering information.
No, because SJ is a holding midfielder. Putting him anywhere else is playing him out of position, and weakening the team in two spots. He is one of the best holding mids in the league, addressing SJ's position is not a need, it is one of the few strengths.
Joseph is still a dmid (except for the times he's played forward) - as Nicol usually employs 2. He may play higher up at times and have the freedom to go forward, but that is just a nuance of how he is asked/allowed to play the position. Either dmid can/should go forward at times. We often saw Larentowicz do it and we've seen Phelan do it (thus a couple of goals and shots on goal).
Joseph is a central midfielder, who plays box-to-box. He hasn't been a dmid for years, and especially not with the offensively challenged Phelan sitting behind him. The only times he has to come back deep into his own third is because Phelan can't help work the ball out of the Revs end. Other than that, and the 1 or 2 runs forward Phelan makes per game, Joseph sits firmly between the attacking players and Phelan. He doesn't play anywhere near as deep as he did back when he first came here.
Because central midfield is the biggest weakness on the team. He has more responsibility than any other central midfielder on the team. Like I've said in this thread, and others, the Revs need a central player. Whether it is a player who sits behind Joseph, or one that sits in the middle and pushes him back. It is by far their biggest weakness, and the reason why they cannot possess, or score goals. Phelan is awful.
Yes he has...doesn't mean that is where he should play, it is where he has had to play. I've been arguing this point for years. Heck, he played forward for a while in 2009, even scored some goals, but that doesn't mean Nicol shoul pair him with Stolica to start the season (and yes I agree Stolica shouldn't start). If the team is signing a central midfielder for a 4-4-2, it should be an offensive minded player. That lets SJ play in his best position, leaves Phelan off the field and makes the team a better attacking team. SJ has great vision and passing for a holding midfielder, but I have long argued that he is only average as a primary attacking central midfield threat. Same argument for a 3-5-2...this puts Phelan on the field, but pairs SJ with him with the "new" player atop the triangle. A 3-5-2 with SJ as the offensive player in the center is not particularly strong.
when he first came here the Revs really did not need too much offensive help. I tend to think that a stronger partner for SJ in the midfield would help both offensively and Defensively thereby making it one of the priorities of the team.
Fair point, and I guess what I was trying to say is that they need someone centrally. Not necessarily specific to to the holding midfielder role.