News: Rapids 2015 Pre-season Catch-all thread

Mullan officially named an assistant, plus "community ambassador": http://www.coloradorapids.com/news/2015/02/five-time-mls-cup-winner-handed-new-roles-colorado-rapids

 

Beat me to it - I was thinking the same thing.

 

+1

 

If there can be 4 mascots...

 

We're collecting players that can't play and Eagles that can't fly.

 

Wow, nice find. Here's to hoping.
31 year old striker for Wolverhampton making 40,000 pounds per week, recent concerns of a groin injury (not substantiated). I'm not up on Doyle so can't opine about him him but if it's true and it happens I surely hope he can make a difference for us. He'll likely be taking a very big pay cut.
another article about him recently:
http://www.independent.ie/sport/soc...fter-being-thrown-to-the-wolves-30917687.html

 

Interesting:

That's a low bar for success. I guess he did get paid.

 

I like the sounds of this..free transfer. So he wouldn't count as a DP correct?

http://balls.ie/football/325678-kevin-doyle-could-be-heading-for-the-mls/

 

I would venture to guess that his salary will put him in the DP range. At this point, any team taking him on will need to weigh his salary vs performance from a risk perspective as he has not been productive in EPL for a few years now. His best years appear to be well over 5 years behind him. I'm pretty sure his current team is itching to get rid of him for this very reason.

 

I will take it. I like this move alot. Well any rumor excites me quite a bit at this point, but I think he could be very good in the MLS.

 

on a side note. Are pre season practices open to the public? I was never sure of this.

 

Good find. I'm guessing he's the type of striker we've imagined would be a good partner with Brown.

 

Intriguing, but I guess I don't see how he's much more high-profile than the other two rumored forward targets in England. 61 or so Ireland caps, I suppose. Speaking of low bars, his career Premier League strike rate tops Altidore's at least.

 

If they do bring in this Doyle kid and the Ramirez signing is indeed confirmed (and he arrives in short order) I'll be cautiously pleased with this off season. Cautiously because I have no clue what, if anything, the new players on the squad will add to the club's success. Pleased because it was clear that last season's squad wasn't getting it done so substantive change was necessary. I will say that I am happy to see the FO at least making significant efforts to bring in what they deem to be difference makers.

 

Just wondering who all your counting as "Difference Makers" brought in, I am justing seeing possible one (Ramirez) and he's "signing" is still unconfirmed.

 

I think you misunderstood me - I'm personally reserving judgment on labeling any player as "difference maker" until I see them play for several games. What I meant was, I'm crediting the RFO for at least making what appears to be a concerted effort to bring in players they think will be difference makers (eg, Pitinnari, Ramirez, Doyle, Fabian, Rodallega, etc.). There's a lot of qualifiers in my sentiments....and that's intentional

Until visual proof on the pitch and in the standings proves me wrong my default assumption is that the Rapids will be mediocre at best.

 

Good point, Jason

 

man, checking up on Kevin and it looks like he could be at the wrong end of his career, we'd be most likely taking a massive gamble, for a club that in Tim Hinchey's own words "has to get the Designated Player right".

But as far as nostalgia factor I love it, I really liked him in the 06-07 Premiership seasons at Reading, for a while that was a fun and very attack minded team to watch, just ask Petr Cech and Cudicini. Plus they had ex-Rapid Marcus Hahneman in goal for many years.

 

I am of the opinion that any team attempting to make changes in the off-season is always taking risks when bringing in players from outside leagues. Proven MLS players are the only ones, IMO , that can be labeled as "difference makers". Many teams have made a lot of signings this off-season but until those signings have proven themselves in MLS we don't know if any of the big names will in fact be difference makers. Given that, if Ramirez does come through as well as Doyle (or someone like him), and given Sarvas and Pittinari, I will have to give the Rapids a thumbs up before the season starts for making a concerted effort to really change the way the team performs. Anybody making these kinds of off-season decisions can get caught with their pants down, that's just the way it goes in this league.

 

As before, we disagree on the addition, Sarvas in is hopefully a wash with Mari's exit.