Who is your 2010 Attacking Mid for the Revs?

Discussion in 'New England Revolution' started by RevsLiverpool, Oct 19, 2009.

  1. RevsLiverpool

    RevsLiverpool Member+

    Nov 12, 2005
    Boston
    Club:
    Liverpool FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    What SHOULD (not will) the Revs do at the attack mid position for 2010?

    1) Michael Videira?
    2) Nico Colaluca?
    3) Someone else on the current team?
    4) Draft pick?
    5) DP/int'l signing?
    6) Trade?
    7) They don't need to do anything at that position; priorities should be elsewhere.

    I'm making the assumption Ralston doesn't come back until mid-year for this poll - think in terms of who you'd start opening day at AM.

    Curious to find out what everyone thinks and why.
     
  2. firstshirt

    firstshirt Member+

    Bayern München
    United States
    Mar 1, 2000
    Ellington, CT / NK, RI
    Club:
    New England Revolution
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I see Videira more of a holding mid, Nico more as an outside mid. Can't see them throwing a draft pick into that role unless he is exceptional. My vote would be to find someone elsewhere via trade or international signing
     
  3. patfan1

    patfan1 Moderator
    Staff Member

    Aug 19, 1999
    Nashua, NH
    Club:
    New England Revolution
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I don't think that a college kid will be able to come in and play as an AM right off the bet. So that takes that option out. I'd like to see them go down to Argentina or something and bring in an AM if they can find one at their salary rate. Trade doesn't work because there aren't a ton of AMs in the league, so I doubt we'd be able to trade for one.
     
  4. USRevolution2010

    USRevolution2010 New Member

    Oct 8, 2009
    Lowell
    Club:
    New England Revolution
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    my bad, read the title wrong, would've voted for DP/ intl signing. i just saw who is your 2010 attacking mid for the revs, and voted based on assuming the revs won't sign anyone.
     
  5. firstshirt

    firstshirt Member+

    Bayern München
    United States
    Mar 1, 2000
    Ellington, CT / NK, RI
    Club:
    New England Revolution
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    which is probably a good assumption
     
  6. RevsLiverpool

    RevsLiverpool Member+

    Nov 12, 2005
    Boston
    Club:
    Liverpool FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Right, but for the sake of this poll YOU the fan are making the decisions. It's ok to dream, right? ;)
     
  7. frankieg73

    frankieg73 Member

    New England Revolution
    Portugal
    Apr 8, 2001
    St. Petersburg, FL (not my choice)
    Club:
    New England Revolution
    Nat'l Team:
    Portugal
    Without anyone who can shoot the ball what's the point of an A-Mid?
     
  8. Revs in 2010

    Revs in 2010 Member+

    Feb 29, 2000
    Roanoke, VA
    Club:
    New England Revolution
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I voted for DP/International Signing, but remember that to be truly in the shoes of the GM, we need to also be thinking about budget for the other players we need to sign or re-sign ($ increase for Ginger, should he be returning) and who we'll need to drop from a cap perspective. How would you prioritize a solid a-mid vs. adding a proven striker (like EJ, only healthier!)? My preference is to spend more for the a-mid, as a strong player in that position can make a journeyman or serviceable mls striker look good (would Lassiter or Jaime Moreno have been the scorers they were without Etcheverry?).

    Neither of the young options (Videira or Colaluca) looks ready for the role, but both look ready to be considered for the substitute role.

    Even should Ralston be back fully healthy at the start of the season, I don't think he's the ideal answer at A-mid (I like him as right mid in a 4-4-2).

    Given how often we've used an empty bucket formation this year, there should be an option for "we don't need one" -- not that I'm promoting the idea.
     
  9. RevsLiverpool

    RevsLiverpool Member+

    Nov 12, 2005
    Boston
    Club:
    Liverpool FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    First, there is an option for "we don't need one", it's the last item. However, we'll agree to disagree here. Part of the Revs' inability to score is the fact they had no one to help drive the offense with a nose for the goal. No one was attack minded enough and therefore we average a paltry goal per game. Not good enough.

    IMO, the most pressing need for this team in the offseason is to get an attacking mid - and a quality one. Look at the most successful teams in MLS and worldwide - they have attacking mids. Columbus has GBS. Liverpool have Gerrard. You need someone who can fill that withdrawn forward/AM role to support the strikers. This season's formation did not work. Let's not repeat what doesn't work with the same guys and expect different results because it probably won't work again.

    Yes, we obviously need a striker as well but I think the key to the Revs' on-field success in 2010 is a proven, veteran AM to help generate the offense and allow the strikers to finish it off. Think Dempsey in 2005-2006 - attacking defenders, someone that provides a constant threat and forces the defense to make decisions, someone who can wreak havoc in the final third. We didn't see that this season so let's make this improvement and see what happens.
     
  10. BrianLBI

    BrianLBI BigSoccer Supporter

    Sep 7, 2002
    New Hampshire
    Club:
    New England Revolution
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I think Wells Thompson has the physical tools, but needs a brain transplant.
     
  11. Revs in 2010

    Revs in 2010 Member+

    Feb 29, 2000
    Roanoke, VA
    Club:
    New England Revolution
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Even better, we can agree to agree.;) I'm 100% behind finding a GBS (or a Valderrama or an Etcheverry).

    I was merely noting that I thought there wasn't an option for playing without an a-mid (continue doing what they're doing strikes me as sometimes playing without one and sometimes putting someone -- usually SJ, NC or MV -- in the role). Not a big deal, since I think it's the wrong answer!
     
  12. REV-OKe

    REV-OKe Member

    Apr 4, 2001
    it is ok for rev fans to dream, to be precise, that authorization is only for having horrific post-apocolyptic nightmares about our team.
     
  13. REV-OKe

    REV-OKe Member

    Apr 4, 2001
    It is more likely that we will find an Alex Pineda Chacon or Jose Cancela.

    which is like playing without an a-mid.
     
  14. KaptPowers

    KaptPowers Member

    Dec 29, 2003
    Arlington, MA
    Club:
    New England Revolution
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    "Is the answer Jesus?"
    [​IMG]

    Agreed.

    Honestly, I don't know what the answer is. They don't seem to be looking south of the border anymore for players (with Nicol's comment about Central America being tapped out IIRC- sorry Barra) and I don't think we could sign a decent African player the EPL doesn't know about.
     
  15. Autogolazo

    Autogolazo BigSoccer Supporter

    Feb 19, 2000
    Bombay Beach, CA
    So Dallas can go down to Brazil and take Colombian AM David Ferreira away from Paranaense for a non-DP salary, but we can't do the same?

    RSL can find Javier Morales lingering in the Spanish 2nd division.

    DC found Gomez in the Argentine 2nd a few years back.

    But no, we might ruin our "chemistry". Wouldn't want to do that.
     
  16. Jon Martin

    Jon Martin Member+

    Apr 25, 2000
    SE Mass
    I agree that the GBS thing was a disaster, but I still think the recurring jab about chemistry is a little goofy/paranoid.

    Still, it would make me really happy if SN would take on a Latino AC, and happier still if we could find a player such as the ones AutoG. cited. In fact, of all the people on this board, Autogolazo's brain is the one I most wanted to pick. It it were up to you, and you had say Twellman money to spend, who would you get who might currently be available?
     
  17. rkane1226

    rkane1226 Member+

    Apr 9, 2000
    Club:
    Stade Brestois 29
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I think the problem at AM, for the REVs, is that SN is going to want him to be a great DM. I fear they could sign a pretty good AM but that he'd struggle to get playing time unless he demonstrated above average DM skills. Frankly, a Shalrie clone is probably the best we could hope to get. Where do you get that?
     
  18. Autogolazo

    Autogolazo BigSoccer Supporter

    Feb 19, 2000
    Bombay Beach, CA
    At this point, the process is more important than one name who may or may not be available.

    I can only say that I wouldn't go for a guy well into his 30s like Giovanni Hernandez or Walter Centeno.

    You'd be paying for the name and for past performance with them.

    Anyway, based on recent observation, the new process for bringing talent into the league from Latin America is now clear: loans, with the option to buy.

    The new country of origin of these players is also clear: Colombia.

    We're getting solid, first division Colombian players into the league and they're doing well overall--starting on many clubs now (Jair Benitez in Dallas and Yamith Cuesta with Chivas just added, Olave-Hurtado-Montero-Conde, etc.)

    The rate of return from the Argentine 2nd division wasn't good--MLS GMs followed the Gomez trail and came up with Caraccio, Diz, Peralta and assorted other failures.

    So--I would scout the Colombian first division and put Twellman money out there and have three or four players in their 20s in mind and see which of those clubs is willing to make a loan.
     
  19. REV-OKe

    REV-OKe Member

    Apr 4, 2001
    i dont think that is true at all.

    an am that could create for others, and for himself would get playing time.

    we've never had one of those. ever.
     
  20. rkane1226

    rkane1226 Member+

    Apr 9, 2000
    Club:
    Stade Brestois 29
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Hmmmm, I think it is an untested theory. Maybe if we had, "an am that could create for others, and for himself," he would get playing time. He'd better do it right away and often. I'd say let's get one and test the theory but I fear we'd tie up money in a rarely used player.

    The only one who came close IMO was Cancela (would we really count Neveda? Gorter?). Mere mention of Cancela could generate 100's of useless posts... I admit SN gave Pepe a pretty fair chance, but to me he wasn't committed to it. SN got easily frustrated with Pepe's play on defense and, IMO the more important the game, the more likely Pepe was to sit. Plus, how an AM performs can depend on how well people move off the ball.

    For SN to go to a style that really used an AM would require him to put MORE stubborn faith and commitment into his AM than

    1. He gave to Joey Franchino
    2. He gave to Badilla end of last year
    3. He gives to Wells and (to a lesser extent) Tierney and Phelan.

    Because where Pepe failed with Noonan, Twellman, Dempsey, Dorman, SJ and Ralston to pass off to, this new, mythical AM will have Dube, Nyassi, Mansally, Phelen, and SJ instead.
     
  21. Jeremy Goodwin

    Jeremy Goodwin Member+

    SSC Napoli
    Feb 16, 1999
    Club:
    Montreal Impact
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    IMHO it has to be a signing.

    I honestly believe that given an arbitrary first division league on this planet you're going to find one player in that league who can fulfill our requirements for this kind of player. However, you're not going to get him for 30k per year on a free transfer.

    The team has no will to accomplish this task.
     
  22. REV-OKe

    REV-OKe Member

    Apr 4, 2001
    pepe wasnt a goal scorer. if he scored 10 a year and a boat load of assists, i bet SN would put some faith and commitment into it.


    a commitment to an attacking player that doesn't do any attacking in an important game isn't so clever.
     
  23. a517dogg

    a517dogg Member+

    Oct 30, 2005
    Rochester, NY
    Club:
    New England Revolution
    Any player in this position worth giving up what we would give up in a trade, would be leaving for Europe soon anyway. So I agree with pretty much everyone else that our attacking mid has to come from overseas. We don't need a DP. I think the MLS max $400,000 should be enough to attract a very good MLS-quality player from South/Central America. We have more than enough cap room - we basically have only eight players who make above the league minimum (Twellman, Reis, Shalrie, Heaps, Albright, Castro, Badilla, Ralston).
     
  24. firstshirt

    firstshirt Member+

    Bayern München
    United States
    Mar 1, 2000
    Ellington, CT / NK, RI
    Club:
    New England Revolution
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    and a strong possibility that 3 or 4 of those 8 might not even be on the team come opening day
     
  25. MarkyMark

    MarkyMark Member

    Jun 27, 2008
    Club:
    New England Revolution
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    And Jankauskas, who is making at least $240k per year, and Osei, who is actually on loan. Sigi Schmid recently said, when speaking about Freddy Montero who is also on loan, that the salaries we see for loan players on the Players' Union list doesn't take into account all the fees and other stuff... well, it wasn't very clear but you get the point.


    Anyway, considering all of the salary and roster rules are liable to change with the new Collective Bargaining Agreement, I'm not sure how much salary talk is relevant at this point.
     

Share This Page