So with all the offseason acquisitions, there is already a lot of debate as to who should and will lineup when the season gets underway. I searched for previous lineup threads, but wasn't really ready to bump a thread from three years ago. Anyway, here's a lineup I was playing around with in my head tonight, and while it's a little experimental (and will never be played by Jim 'One Striker Only' Curtin), I'm kind of digging it. Let me know what you think! A 3-5-2 which can switch to a Curtin-style 4-5-1 whenever it needs to. What do you guys expect to see this season, and what do you want to see?
I like Herbers but I don't think he's Best XI today. As for Edu, he feels so Lane Meyer to me. What I think we open with What I'd be interested in seeing, I call it "Defense is boring"
Simpson Pontius - Bedoya - Herbers Medunjanin - Edu Fabinho - Marquez - Onyewu - Rosenberry Blake I actually wouldn't be surprised to see Onyewu platoon with Tribbett for a while until Yaro recovers. I don't know about LB since new guy is kind of an unknown.
Considering Yaro is out for 3-4 months, and I'll believe Edu is healthy enough to play where he's actually on the field here's my two cents: And here is a second formation in case we are leaking goals and want to take things back 60 years: I'm half joking about the second one. I think...
Rep x1000. I would pay good money to see the train wreck that would be Fabinho as a sweeper. That brings back memories of Migz in the 2011 playoffs. Maybe I'm just being pessimistic because I've had a bad day, but as others have said I think our defense is going to be terrible. With Yaro out, Gooch is now our starter which was not at all the plan going into things. Edu probably won't be fit for week 1 either so that leaves (as many of you are putting) Medunjanin as probably our best player at the 6. He's been described by many as smart but nonathletic, having a good passing range but not covering a lot of ground, and being lazy on defense. Horray.
Creavalle does not get enough credit as a 6. I thought he looked pretty good yesterday in the first half. I would have to think that he has the inside track to starting the opener with Medunjanin as the 8 and Bedoya as the 10.
I need to see him play. As a Jedi CB mentoring our young padawan CBs I was excited to have Gooch on the U. As a starter, not so much. And yes, @CITY&UNION, Fabinho would be a dumpster fire at sweeper. It would be so bad we'd all want to look away but couldn't.
If they can feed Gooch whatever juju they were giving Pontius last year to keep him on the field and we can get Mo back healthy to either sit in front of Tribbett or play RCB to spell Gooch a few games we might not leak goals too badly. However, I fear Curtin has the capacity to surprise us all and trot out a defensive line of Fab, Wijnaldum, Marquez and Rosenberry just to **ck with our heads.
The big questions for me at Fabinho v Wij and Simpson v Sapong.... Also I don't think we'll see Edu lining up at CB... it'll be Gooch to start and Yaro's spot once he's recovered... Ken shouldn't be anywhere near the spot, Trusty before him 100% of the time... I hope Trusty can make a case for #1 of Yaro at some point... maybe he'll get a shot early depending on Gooch's health/fitness. I also think Herbers is better as a bench option, Illsinhio should be start ahead of him.
I think we'll see Trusty there sooner rather than later. Trusty will get ample opportunities this preseason to earn minutes. When he isn't getting minutes with the Union, he'll be getting them at the Steel. The other day JT was on USS on Sirius XM FC talking about the Union's academy setup. He mentioned that aside from Trusty's obvious potential, that European Clubs were starting to scout him, and that was a factor in the Union signing him to a HGP contract. I have a feeling as the season goes on that we'll be seeing more and more of Jones and Trusty not just in the 18, but contributing solid minutes on the field for the Union. The only ways we see Edu at CB is if there is a serious injury crisis at the position, and/or Bruce Arena tells him that CB is how he can make his way back into the USMNT picture.
Ilson Jr. should be a bench option at best. The man is way too wasteful in possession for me to have any confidence in him as a starter.
What I hope they get to down the stretch, nothing else matters in the wishful thinking well. Gonna be a hoot to watch Curtin manage w/o excuses. Depth he now has. Completeness? Not by a long shot. The Bosnian functions best as the CAM, but was brought in to "control" the 6-a position he has played, but not as well as the 8. Is that still better than Bedoya? It had better be. I've been on board with swimming/drowning with the Trustee since the season ended. All Joshy did was speed up the timetable. By the time he returns, the suspicion here remains that the Union will have come to grips with the fact that the only sixes they really have are Carroll and Creavalle. Again. The hope remains that Gooch can hold it together until all are ready, and Mgt. is finally ready to help get more of their players into places they actually play...... Until proven otherwise, I remain unconvinced Simpson starts until he shows an ability to consistently press and hold up the ball for the triad and fullbacks. What I expect his role to ceiling at is : "Forward Alberg"- reprising Roland's totals from an upfield position over more games and minutes. I have no faith Curtin will ever stop loving him some CJ. I believe that he believes if he can trust Jay enough to limit Sap's minutes per game and rest him every 2 out of "3 in 8 days", with some Open Cup rest as well, a fresher Sapong will be a more productive Sapong in the stats column.
I like the spunk, but has there been any hint of a formation change? I think locks if healthy are: GK: Blake CB: Marquez LW: Pontius RB: Rosenberry MF: Bedoya MF: Medunjenin That's it - all other positions are a crap shoot. I keep thinking of his name as Mujahideen for some reason. I think I'll have to hear J.P. Dellacamara pronounce it incorrectly for me to get that out of my head.
Looking through this thread I think on paper I think the Union are a little better than last year. Unfortunately so are the other teams.
This is pretty much how I feel, we're deep, yes, but that doesn't make me confident about the eleven on the field when it matters.
Since coming up with Chief Tattoo Officer, I've actually changed my mind. I think this team has what it takes.