P/I/P: Match 4, Revs vs CIN, 3/24, 4:00PM (ET) [R]

With better coaching we might see more clearly what the talent deficit really is. I'd settle for that as a start.

 

Nguyen did very well here and is doing very well in LA.
Rowe was very inconsistent here - it's too early to say how he'll pan out in SKC but he's getting starts on a very good team.
Nemeth has 5 goals in 6 games this season; he had 2 goals in 30 games for us.
Kei Kamara - 12 goals in 31 games for us; 17 goals in 31 games for Vancouver (and 27 in 41 games for Columbus before us).

With a good coaching system I think this team would be solidly middle tier (provided Gil stays healthy), meaning we've a good chance at playoffs. Instead we're a dumpster fire.

 

Well, windows and contracts make it easier to change the coach than players right now. So why are they waiting? Rhetorical question of course...

 

I may be missing your point. What do the guys that are gone have to do with our current roster? I briefly thought you were arguing that they were well coached here and it is showing on their new teams. But I’ve concluded you are trying to state how much better we might get if we had good coaching. First and foremost, count me among those ready to try that change and see if you are right. My “pessimistic” reservations though:
1. We may have traded too much talent away already
2. Each individual needs to be looked at in detail but is it possible that the surrounding players for Nemeth, Nguyen, Kamara, and Rowe are a step up, on average, from what one could say is surrounding Gil, for one example.
3. Your comment on Gil is spot on. If he doesn’t stay healthy, I’d say it is over.

Finally, I’m not really all that excited by “solidly middle tier.” I’d hope that was a very temporary situation as the new coach and management (hopefully) would pull more talent in ASAP so they could rise to “solidly in the upper tier.”

 

I can't tell you how much I appreciate the positivity, and I agree that at least on paper, we have the talent to score a goal once in a while. I also agree that Gil, Castillo and probably Jones are the real deal.

But I feel like I've seen this movie before - under Rongen and again under Clavijo. The majority of the team is going through the motions. There is no collective mind, no belief. They look pissed off. Luis Caicedo is a shell of his former self. Zahibo's calm presence for me is Zahibo doing F-all. Delamea and Fagundez look like they are going to hurt somebody. Penilla is doing his best Khano impression when he shoots, yet is able to put the ball on Gil's foot when he switches play - like he wants to give Gil the respect.

Say what you want about Heaps, but his teams were more fun to watch.

I watch this, and it feels like a nightmare that I thought I had outgrown.

 

As awful as the Big Frank era was, I preferred that to the Brad Friedel era. We had no talent then (other than Joe-Max), but no one expected us to and the guys were dogged. Now we underperform and no one seems willing to take responsibility, including Friedel.

 

I'd be more inclined to agree about what Bye was doing if Castillo wasn't doing th exact same thing. Clearly Freidel wants is FB to push high on GK to be more available to transition into the attack.

I've been disagreeing with how Brad wants his FB to play since last season (atop trying to get Farrell forward!). I think that both Bye and Castillo fit the bill of having skills suitable for attack minded FB, but playing with 2 of them with the CB and CM group available is aggressive to the point of being suicidal.

 

Right. I think a good coach could get a bunch of wins out of:

Penilla-JF Caicedo-Gil
Caldwell-NEW GUY-L Caicedo
Castillo-Delamea-Mancienne-Farrell
Turner

And even without a new guy, a good coach could squeak into the playoffs with the group we have.

So yes. Fire Friedel, hire someone experienced and competent, and let's move.

 

What i considered sobering was the realization we could be the worst team in the league. I stand by my assessment our talent is not that good. And I'll include Friedel. Damn, he's making Heaps look better by the game. And I wasn't crazy about Heaps. At this point I merely hope the man who replaces Friedel is not a first-time coach.

 

Exactly. Getting rid of Friedel is one thing but I don’t trust Burns and Biello to find an adequate replacement. Besides, what decent manager with a proven track record would want to work for this train wreck of an organization?

 

This notion that #FCCincy went into NE and just defended and played for 2nd balls isn’t true whatsoever. #MLS pic.twitter.com/JLdLuKD6vn

— Taylor Twellman (@TaylorTwellman) March 25, 2019

 

In fairness to Brad, he hasnt had Farrell, JFC, or New Guy. 8 players does not a functioning 11 make.

 

By that point, only JFC will be able to save this team...

 

New Guy says we're Fawked.

 

whats clear is that Brad needs to turn the page in the coaching manual to see where it says if your outside backs are pushing up they need to be prepared to track back to help the center backs. Obviously they can't figure that out on their own

 

Whenever I see him referred to as JFC it makes me want to say another 3 words starting with JFC as in "JFC, the revs suck even at home"

 

I just think Bye sucks. Maybe Castillo and Farrell will be better at executing that tactic. Clearly Bye is the weak link right now as attacks are more often down his flank and squared in where useless Mancienne and card-happy Delamea await. Wish Friedel would stick Anibaba back out there instead of Mancienne. He looked decent vs Dallas and at least he cares.

Just wish Friedel would play Anibaba over Mancienne. Jalil was decent at Dallas and gets rewarded with a seat back in the bench in favor of an expensive, but error prone import. I did notice Mancienne was limping on Sunday so maybe Anibaba will get the call again soon.

What. A. Disaster.

 

Oh boy, Farrell is going to right the ship. LOL

 

When fans wish for Anibaba to start the end is near. The revs basically have five defenders on their roster. Castillo maybe the only one worth keeping and even he has not been that impressive this year defensively.