P/I/P: Revs @ Montreal

Will we have Koffie back?

 

Nice to see Kamara come to life. Shame that the defense decided to take a nap in the 2nd half.

 

Big choke underway. Heaps has to change the defense... It's not working and Im not sure if it's JoGo or Woodberry or the two of them together but we are soft in the middle. JoGo is the common thread in other combinations though.

I want to see Herivaux and Diego now. We're losing and have little to lose

 

OMG So we get Watson at center half. How is that supposed to work Heaps?

68 minutes in and Heaps is not doing anything to give us a chance at even a point

 

For all we hear about how Caldwell was an attacking mid in college, he really kinda sucks going forward.

How does Herivaux not see more of the field?

We need more ideas.

 

So Caldwell comes out and Rowe slides to the middle, Diego in. Get ready for 4-2

I think its time for Heaps to go. We've gone too long with his inexperience and hes not really getting better

 

Has Teal made a successful pass this half?

 

Why did they run out of steam in the second half?

 

two crappy games in a row. We had this one and let it slip away. Next week, start the same 11. That's my bet. Do we ever miss JJ

 

Watched this on MLS Live, got the Montreal broadcast. Even they were making fun of Heaps for putting eleven players behind the ball so early in the game.

Of course, they were also referring to Bunbury as "Rowe" for the first 12 minutes of the game, so take it for what it's worth.

Shuttleworth played Wednesday, so he is clearly healthy. Why is Knighton starting 3 league games in a row? Are they shopping him, perhaps?

The Revs could really use AJ Soares now...

 

Heaps is the weakest link on this team. His system is failing most weeks and he refuses to change. This can only end one way for him. We are not performing, key players are not stepping up (Lee, JoGo) and it looks like a team that doesnt believe in their leadership to me. I can't even say Lee belongs with the NATs anymore... he has become very average now and I was his biggest fan.

Our problems are focused in 3 areas.

1) Central defense - HELP JoGo makes too many mistakes to be "the man" I see him back off to avoid contact quite a bit. Other times, he appears to be disinterested. His partners are too weak, and Tierney is a defensive liability. We need 1 to 2 starting grade defenders

2) Central Mid - Caldwell can't do it alone though maybe we should try that. (see #3). Diago is a good sub, not a starter anymore. Where the Hell is Koffie? Its been WEEKS. And I dont want to see Rowe in their either. Soccer skills is something he only has a faint acquaintance with. What is up with Lee? He has dissapeared as an offensive threat and that's not good when you build a team around him

3) Lone Forward - It isn't working, hasn't worked for a long time though Im sure Heaps thinks it is after scoring 2 goals last night. We need to play 2 forwards. Lee moving up on attack isnt doing it. I want to see a runner up top with Kamara. Somebody to stretch the defense and maybe open things up more for Kamara. Maybe Davies, Maybe Juan or somebody else. We are getting little production thru the middle or in the ground. Why? We are always undermanned on attack so it's impossible. Find a way to get Herivaux on the field. He makes things happen and FIGHTS for it. Would lift other's game. Play him Heaps

Since Heaps seems unwilling to change much, maybe it's time to get a better coach? All these things seem to be beyond Jay's coaching ability and he has proven over the years that he does not have what it takes to win consistently. The heat got turned down on Heaps with a couple of seasons of JJ but bone headed Burns let that one go. Brilliant management Burns. JJ is still a player and is exactly what we need (his presence would change a lot of my 3 things above). A star fell in our laps but they were too cheap to keep it

 

Stopn pining for JJ, that's over. Move on. Just my two cents.

This game is worrying because the goals finally came for Kei (we all knew he was capable). The revs performed well statistically- possession was about even, revs had more than double the shots, plus better passing accuracy in the attacking half and the final third. The revs won more duels, tackles and had fewer fouls (but more cards). The only worrying trend statistically is their low crossing accuracy as they once again failed there. Yet, where it matters the most they gave up a 2 goal lead and let 3 points escape. In the east, these games (in conjunction with all the draws) will bite us at the end of the year.

I don't know whether this team is simply not mentally tough, lacks positive leadership, Heaps is a terrible motivator or all the above but it's frustrating to watch a lead evaporate. Agree with some of the points above - play the kids. Herivaux should be getting minutes - there is no reason to not play him. Not a fan of Watson as a mid but it seems to be an emergency measure and shows the value of Koffie now that he is out.

 

"On the defensive side... We're just not good enough, right now." https://t.co/i39CkQXrIM

— New England Revolution (@NERevolution) July 3, 2016

 

Its not just right now that they're not good enough. They haven't been good enough in the past and won't be good enough next time out either.

Listening to Heaps reminds me of listening to Klinsmann. It's never the system or the players selected that are the problem. They're just "not good enough right now." How about figuring something out Heaps? That's what you're paid to do. You're 0-2 the last two games with Woodberry in the middle. I think it would be good to try something else

 

Scroll to the bottom for new centerback options

 

I was honestly expecting to see the name A.J. Soares.

 

Maybe this is what you were looking for:

Armchair Analyst: Transfer window instructions for all 20 MLS teams
July 3, 2016, 11:34 PM EDT
Matthew Doyle
Senior Editor

 

I like how that writer assumes AJ Soares is the answer to our defensive problems. That "advice" made me laugh.

 

I have to agree that Heaps is the team's biggest problem. I get the impression that when things aren't going well, his greatest insights are "we just have to do better". The team seems to have no idea how to defend as a unit, it's been true since the season began, and there is been no noticeable improvement, you'd think a decent coach, who was a defender, would be able to at least get the team on the same page. JoGo has gone from the league defender of the year to a liability, did he just forget how to play, because I don't recall him relying totally on athleticism his first season, such that it might be his age has caught up to him. I don't think he's the only guy who could help, but I would love to see Soares come back, I think he would definitely help get some organization in the back, and and things settled down.

Offensively, I don't have a problem with the concept of a single forward system, but the way they're playing, it's just not working. Though I don't know that going to a 2 forward system would magically fix things either, if the problem is getting all the players on the same page, getting them to look like they have a coherent idea of how to play together, I don't know if it would matter if Heaps has them play with 1, 2, 3, or even 5 forwards.

I know they had a decent stretch before the last 2 games, but overall, I'm just getting tired of the fact that the the only consistent thing this team can do is be wildly inconsistent.

 

It's different defensive mistakes every time, such that you can't point to a single defensive weak link. Watson makes some mistakes, so he gets replaced by Woodbury - who makes his share of mistakes.

Tierney has generally been pretty solid, but inexplicably he and Rowe can't seem to work together to manage 2v2's.

Farrell's been pretty steady since moving back to right back, but then he can't prevent or sufficiently pressure crosses coming from his wing.

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As for the game itself, Heaps is on the pre-game, which I normally fast-forward through, talking about how he has to pick his spots to rest players and manage his squad through a particularly busy stretch of the schedule. And then rolls out exactly the same lineup as the last game???

I've been on Heaps about starting Daigo over Herivaux every week lately, and this week was the perfect illustration why. Daigo whiffs on a perfect setup at the 18, blowing it 20 feet over the crossbar. Then, his giveaway leave Knighton stranded, leading to a yellow (mercifully) and a pk.

If not Herivaux, even Watson is a better choice at dmid. Jay Heaps: Daigo is not a dmid, has never been a dmid and isn't going to become one just because he's getting older. This team needs real dmids, because the defenders need a lot of protection. Is it no wonder that the defense has crumbled in the time that Koffee has been out? Putting in non-dmids at dmid like Rowe and Kobayashi expose the defense.

Maybe Heaps would feel more comfortable with a more defensive choice at dmid IF his attackers looked a little more threatening. Rowe has been good when he's on the attack, Bunbury has a few good moments here and there, but Nguyen and Fagundez have been major disappointments in my book. Kamara has done his part and relieved pressure on others, but they aren't taking advantage of his presence to make things happen.

 

It's a little off topic. Not specific to the Montreal game, but in a similar vein of the last few posts.

I have been watching a lot of soccer lately - Yeah - some games were good, others not so much. Here's a simplistic overview of the Revs, and to a certain extent the Nats. Who I think play a similar game.

When top teams attack the goal, they have 5 or 6 players in the box. The other day Germany was attacking Italy and they had 9 players within 30 yards of the goal. The only tine we get 4 or 5 players in the box is for corner kicks and that's not always the case. I think the problem is that we play the game in, what I'll call, "defensive panic mode". It's like watching a youth team play where as soon as they turn over the ball the coach is hollering quick get back on defense. That's the entire game plan, quickly get back on defense. I'm not advocating let our defenders play one on one all game long; but I think our defensive strategy and philosophy should change. When we are attacking, we don't need 6 or 7 players behind the ball. We need more players in front of the ball.

 

I tend to agree with the post above and think it has long been a problem for the Revs. Sometimes it feels like old school girls basketball where essentially two different teams play on different sides of the center line. I often feel like we are outnumbered on offense and our transition game is so slow that it allows the other team to recover while we fail to push numbers.