Time to bump this thread so folks currently worried about what the FO has or has not done can review what this process looks like on an annual basis. @SALTLAKEJAKE is spot on recommending patience and to see how the offseason plays out. I will work on the 2011 offseason and beyond in the coming weeks.
Patience is what's needed, but with a very early start to 2016 with CONCACAF, the FO better have their $*@% in gear or that tournament run will be over before the regular MLS season has started...
even with a good RSL team, our matchup is a really tough one. I have zero expectations of advancing. I would recommend other fans have the same and just enjoy it
Hey, no thread hijacking. This is about RSL offseason moves and nothing else (wink, wink, nudge, nudge, know what I mean?).
Reading back through this it strikes me that this off-season is a bit analogous for Waibel/Cassar to what the 2007/2008 off-season was for Lagerwey/Kreis. For the 2007/2008 off-season, Kreis and Lagerwey had been in their roles for less than a year (Cassar has had a bit more time). Significant changes were needed. They were each learning/perfecting their roles. Questions abounded about whether or not they could handle those roles. In that offseason, RSL picked up Borchers, Olave, Dema (who was crucial for a year or two) and Ian Joy (spotty on-field performances, but brought some heart to the club). They also drafted Beltran. Of course, that was also the off-season for Dr. No-Goals. I'd go for a repeat of that off-season. Adding 5 key contributors would be a very good result.
I often wonder what would have happened had Kreis not experimented with the Diamond. Before trying it, the team struggled mightily. It seemed an act of desperation at the time. The Diamond? WTF is that? Well, we had Javier and others who made it work. Mostly, it was unique. An analogy is teams that run the triple option offense in today's college football. It is hard for the opposition to prepare for it because it is a rare philosophy. I don't think that an experimental formation change is our tonic this time around.
A- Only disappointment of this thread is no mention of the training camp mustache contest that Kenny Cutler won. (I think) B- Best RSL draft pick ever: Tony Beltran?
This thread is incredible. I remember a lot of these players and a lot of these conversations. I feel like I have grown with the team. Big ups to Ismitje for the great work gathering and posting all that data!
Remember that time we had to watch (or not watch) Colorado win the MLS Cup at a empty BMO Field? Glad thats not repeating.