I'm fine with having zero DPs on the roster right now. It's having zero DPs on the roster next March that bothers me.
I have a problem with them using GAM/TAM/whatever-AM money to pay down the salaries of guys who would be DPs, instead of using that money to get better players to complement them. IIRC, the return we got for Nguyen and Kamara was this kind of money. If we use that money, even a year later, for players who are at least 75% as good, I can live with that, but if it is all for nothing on the playing side, then it was a total waste.
I agree with the overall point you are making, but I'll stay away from the specific word DP as it can distract some people into engaging in the nuances of the weeds around that specific term (So - to avoid the nearly inevitable argument about funding methods, and the "DP spend doesn't mean results" argument: ) Regardless of the funding mechanisms used, or the DP vs. TAM/GAM labels, and regardless of the cost of the players, whether they are top dollar or bargains - Simply stated: The Revs need to get (and keep) some "MLS Best 11", or Best 22, or even 33, 44, or 55 on the roster. >> Again - this is a need that exists, independent of whatever spend is required to do so. The need exists. And, sadly, it exists independent of the competency and abilities of the individuals whose job(s) it is to procure talent, even if they are allowed to "flash the cash". [Yes, there are some other very important variables - having top players on hand is step one; but how they integrate with other teammates and with the team's tactical system of play are also very important. But, you cannot have significant overall team success without addressing all of these. For example, the Revs have tried to employ/play a few (widely disparate) systems in recent years, but didn't address overall talent level, or the fit/integration of the talent on hand, or both, not well enough to succeed competitively.] ---------------------------------- Do the Revs have ANY players right now who are legit Top-30, 40, or maybe even 50 in MLS? For example, in terms of impact on a team's results, and in terms of ability to take over/change a game/impose their will on an outcome/raise teammates level of play - which transcends the player's position - is Penilla (or Caicedo, or whomever) a Top 30 MLS player? Top 40? Top 50? If the Revs currently have no players who are in this top tier, then what does that imply about how much roster overhaul is required for 2019, if anyone really expects very good results next year? >> Burns is already making noise about not needing to change much of the current roster, which is a very large and very bright red flag - one that makes "Pragmatic Me" expect that 2019 will be a close relative of 2018 in terms of team success. -------------------- Just for fun, here's a few takes (some are decidedly stale) of a "top" MLS list, some from prior years. Different criteria for these, but they all in some way help paint a picture of the by-team level of talent question. Revs players don't often show up on these lists, or else not very high on these lists. And - you can argue that these lists are meaningless in terms of predicting the seasonal results of any given team (which the lists likely are) - but Revs players ALSO aren't showing up on the podium receiving a trophy - which is another measure of team talent/capability (and a pretty good indicator of season success... ) https://www.mlssoccer.com/post/2017/03/03/depth-chart-ranking-top-5-players-mls-every-position http://www.espn.com/soccer/major-le...la-and-sebastian-giovinco-go-down-to-the-wire http://www.espn.com/soccer/major-le...5/mlsrank-20-11-accam-nagbe-dempsey-in-top-20 http://www.espn.com/soccer/major-le...30-21-kakados-santos-and-howard-make-the-list https://www.prosoccerusa.com/in-depth/mls-trade-value-rankings-midsummer-update-part-1/ https://www.prosoccerusa.com/in-depth/mls-trade-value-rankings-midsummer-update-part-4-nos-30-1/ https://www.prosoccerusa.com/in-depth/mls-trade-value-rankings-midsummer-update-part-3-nos-64-31/ https://www.prosoccerusa.com/in-depth/mls-trade-value-rankings-midsummer-update-part-2-nos-100-65/ ---------------------------------------------- Given that this post will be thought of as "negative" by some readers (which is OK, everyone has their own point of view/perspective, and things certainly look different to different people depending on where they stand and from which direction the light is shining)), here are some thoughts re: the relatively new dynamic I am seeing - it is what I call the "...but but but but the $35M Training facility": Yes, the training facility is very nice. And I am very very happy for the players on the current roster who will get to use it, sometime next year apparently. And it should be actually an actual building and fields soon, and not just paper designs. And in some distant future, after some other important changes are made to this overall team/organization, it would certainly be legitimate to argue that the Training Center will be a contributing component within the continuously evolving overall portfolio of benefits/assets that is (and will be) required of ANY MLS team that hopes to attract high level talent to their respective organization. So - it's a good thing in of itself. But - it is not an answer or solution to much anything in of itself, yet. It is progress, and possibly a milestone that might be indicative of other future progress. Let's call it that, to give it full credit. >> It is OK to have a less-than optimistic (i.e., pragmatic) outlook on the ongoing talent problem, and ALSO to be positive about having a training facility. That is allowed, despite the fair amount of feedback I get (more on Twittter, not so very much here) that tells me because the #NERevs are spending on a training facility that I should assume all is now OK, and that I should cease to notice other ongoing glaring deficiencies in how this team does business, much less mention them in a public online discussion. [Sorry, but the unicorn has run off with my rose-colored glasses, I hear he was last seen heading toward the moonbeams somewhere near, or over, the rainbow.]
Rep from a KAD. This is not a negative post -- it is a thoughtful assessment and I find a lot in it to mull over. Thanks.
Great post, and you put a different spin on it. If we break down the entire league into players who are among the top 50 in the league at their position, how many Revs are on that list? How many are in the 50-100 range? People usually come up with their "Best 11" list, and even a second team would bring that to 22, but being in the top 50 in the league means that you are still a pretty good player. You can argue that current and recent Revs like Nguyen, Kamara, Agudelo, Fagundez, Penilla could be hovering around that 50 mark, but who else? Would Rowe and Caciedo be in the top 100? Anyone else? When it comes to acquisitions, the Revs need to bring in guys who are in the top 50. And if it means they push a guy who is in the 50-100 category to the bench, so be it. And when they bring in a 50-100 guy, he needs to push the 100+ guys out. The problem is that the Revs have routinely brought in new players who are not even among the top 100 in the league.
One way I like to look at this is where the player fits in the USMNT picture or where they would fit if they were eligible. Rowe and Agudelo (and He Who Must Not Be Named previously) were on thefringes of the group, having been called in but not regularly. JJ, when he was here, was a consistent NT starter; I think Kamara would have gotten looks, particularly with how poor the NT striker pool has been Of current non-eligible players I think Penilla would likely get regular call-ups and Caciedo and Fagundez would be on the fringe. Other than that we don't really have anyone of NT quality, maybe Turner if he continues to develop
Remember when Cody Cropper was our future National Team keeper? The guy hasn't played a minute all year
This is quite the motivational poster for any prospective player: "The Revs! Where your Dreams come a Cropper!"
Brad said Turner should be in the convo for NT goalie, not Cropper. If you're going to criticize him, at least do it for things he did. The Cropper hype came from his performances on the YNT, and promptly took a nose dive after he shat the bed under Heaps
I hope Cropper gets his wish and gets a crack at another team. I thought he showed signs of being a very good keeper. If a guy goes from #1 to #3 there has to be more to it than his skill level
Usually it will take a serious injury (or getting really old all of a sudden) to bring a guy from the #1 at his position to third string the following year, so I have to wonder what was going on behind the scenes. Remember how we were worried that either Minny or Atlanta might take him in the expansion draft because he had ties to both places? Instead, they took Femi and we traded Bobby Shuttleworth to get him back.