2020 is mercifully over (CY and RSL-Y): Offseason News and Discussion

Discussion in 'Real Salt Lake' started by goobx1, Nov 2, 2020.

  1. 2nd Mouse

    2nd Mouse Member+

    Apr 11, 2012
    Salt Lake City, UT
    Club:
    Real Salt Lake
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    "...but he didn't regress as hard as most of the other players on the roster".

    That's one of the more positive bits in the article 15 mentioned. Bleak.
     
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  2. 15 to 32

    15 to 32 Straw Hog

    Jul 1, 2008
    Salt Lake
    Club:
    Real Salt Lake
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    If you're going to force me to pick 5 guys from the current roster to build around, these are them:
    • Damir Kreilach - he should be wearing the captains armband. I didn't understand why it would move to Rusnak so much this year when he didn't show any on the field qualities of a captain.
    • Aaron Herrera - If he really isn't rated as a top 5 RB in the league, then you make a point of highlighting him this year. The dude can play.
    • David Ochoa - Young GK that needs to be shown that the club has confidence in him. I look at Donnarumma at AC Milan and see a lot of similarities. Three or four years ago when he was given the starting spot, people were nervous as hell. Donnarumma made some dumb mistakes in those years, too. But he's backed his high salary over the past year because of it.
    • Pablo Ruiz - Young piece that we just signed to a 5 year contract. Not that a contract is a reason to make a guy the piece to build around, but he earned that contract and looks better than any other option in the middle of the park.
    • Everton Luiz - This one might be a stretch, especially after his 2020 slump and that he's only getting older, but he doesn't play like he's 32 years old. I only wish we had him 3 years younger.
     
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  3. JLaw

    JLaw Member

    Aug 15, 2008
    Happy Valley
    Club:
    Real Salt Lake
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Why do we have to pick 5 guys on the roster to build around? If there aren't 5 guys worth building around blow the mother up. That should be the advice. Not, hope sucky players stop sucking. Maybe Doyle is hinting that we need a new coach. We need a new everything... except city... no new city...
     
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  4. Med_Phys

    Med_Phys Member+

    RSL
    United States
    Jun 20, 2019
    Terre Haute, IN
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I'm not sure blowing up the roster is that easy in MLS. Lots of players have guaranteed deals. Even if the owner wants to eat the cost, it probably counts towards your salary budget. I'm really looking forward to seeing who RSL has to bring back next year and who they choose to bring back (before any trades, transfers or loans of course). Yes there's lots of room for improvement (I've pointed out the team's very low value on transfermarkt compared to the rest of the league), but I also thought (posts from last offseason discussion) that they should have lots of budget flexibility to do so (Fall recently alluded to this as well). I somewhat agree that putting the best players in their best spots may mean that 2-3 players will make a substantial difference. That doesn't mean they will be a top 5 team though. Need more and better players for that.
    A new owner that's willing to be transparent with the fans has the opportunity to make this club very good at developing and selling players. I'd be fine with that if we're playing attractive soccer. The wins will eventually come.
     
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  5. 15 to 32

    15 to 32 Straw Hog

    Jul 1, 2008
    Salt Lake
    Club:
    Real Salt Lake
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    An interesting aspect to those guaranteed deals is that they are signed with the league, not directly with RSL. We essentially just have the rights to these players. We've seen numerous players on the players salaries annual posting with no club attached. The league is shouldering some of that. In some cases, all. In other cases, the owner from the club is (see Pool Boy).

    One of the most infuriating aspects of MLS is not having any concrete source of how long a player's contract is. Hell, there is now rumor out there that Glad's contract is up BUT that the club holds an option for the 2021 season. That's just... wtf. I don't get the lack of transparency on this. Why is the player's association so ok with publishing the salary these guys make but not the length of the contract?

    Another awkward thing for Fall is constructing a roster now without having any clue what type of player you're going to be able to entice as a DP. The club will have at least one DP slot open. If I'm Fall, I look at how hamstrung this team was by our DP's inability to produce and seriously look to offload Rusnak. I only see upside from a new ownership perspective if you pull that off.

    There is zero chance this team dumps as many players as I (and many others) want them to. Mostly because they have zero idea how they're going to fill those holes. I mean, who is on staff right now for scouting? Who ok's the spending of any TAM/GAM? It's all super confusing. The team can operate within the salary cap, sure, but what do we gain by doing that without an idea of what the next regime wants to do?

    Even more, all of these guys are under a cloud of uncertainty for their jobs. Players and agents know that. Other MLS teams know that. If Fall calls up an MLS team to make a trade, you know they're going to take RSL to the cleaners because of it. We're in a terrible position and without an ownership in place, I don't see much of any light at the end of the tunnel.
     
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  6. Ismitje

    Ismitje Super Moderator

    Dec 30, 2000
    The Palouse
    Club:
    Real Salt Lake
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    More from the Doyle piece:

    "REVELATION: In this instance it would be the personnel choices of Juarez. RSL have long been amongst the league leaders in terms of homegrown minutes, and have produced a steady stream of contributors from their academy—first in Casa Grande, now in Herriman. So it was natural to hope that Juarez would be to RSL what Jim Curtin has been for Philly or Luchi Gonzalez for Dallas: a homegrown coach who worked his way up from the academy to the first-team position and would then further expand an already open pipeline of players taking the same path.

    Juarez's approach was basically the opposite. RSL academy products got fewer minutes than they have in years, as Justen Glad mostly lost his starting spot (I'm still perplexed), Corey Baird was in and out of the lineup, and then a whole host of guys from the next cohort down—David Ochoa, Luis Arriaga, Julian Vazquez, Chris Garcia and a few others—basically never got a sniff.

    It makes zero sense."

    Amen, and amen.
     
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  7. goobx1

    goobx1 Member+

    Jul 9, 2007
    Salt Lake
    I can agree with 15 on 4 out of 5 guys to build around.

    Damir, Herrera, Pablo, and Everton (mostly). Ochoa not so much.

    I know he didn't get much of a shot with RSL this season for reasons many but watching him with the Monarchs I am just not sold on him as a future solid keeper for RSL. He just may be but I would give it less than 50-50 he turns into the player most think he can become. If you were to ask me why I would say I don't think he has the temperament to be a consistent player. He is a hot head and a bit mouthy and I think he thinks he is better than he really is which is always an issue with players not reaching their potential. IMHO.

    I can tell you for sure who I don't want to see next year and it starts with:

    Freddy Juarez-this guy couldn't out coach half the posters on this board. For all the world he looked like me out there yelling at my U every age I ever tried to coach with my kids in a Recreational league as they were growing up. Just Brutal. The guy has no business coaching this team or any MLS team for that matter. Dunny covering for him game in and game out only made it worse. All that BS about players not giving it in practice is such bush league BS. If I was a player on this team I seriously doubt I would be able to keep my morale up if I sat on the bench game after game and could guess what and when my idiot coach was going to do something. Or not if we are talking about subbing. And on that subject I would have fired Freddy the second the whistle blew the last game for not using all 5 subs every damn game. WHAT. A. WASTED. OPPORTUNITY.

    I would bet a dollar to a donut that Freddy lost this team somewhere after the Portland comeback tie and will never get it back.

    Corey Baird- this guy is as good as he is ever going to be at RSL. He could be a solid MLS player and give you 5 goals a year and that is all you should expect from him. Especially when you have such poor coaching as we have seen with Freddy all season. Maybe in a different system and with a good HC you could get more from him but I just don't see it. He's Luke Mulholland only a little faster but not as fast as he needs to be.

    and the rest just doesn't matter until we get a new owner.
     
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  8. 15 to 32

    15 to 32 Straw Hog

    Jul 1, 2008
    Salt Lake
    Club:
    Real Salt Lake
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    #58 15 to 32, Nov 19, 2020
    Last edited: Nov 19, 2020
    It is really interesting* to watch all of these folks to post-mortems on the 2020 RSL season and not call out Freddy specifically. They'll talk about the team lacking an identity, some sensical tactics, anything resembling a playing style, etc. You know, all the things that are on the coach to instill, but refuse to say that Freddy has to go. It doesn't make sense to me, at all. When a team doesn't perform in sports, the blame hardly ever is solely on the coach. BUT the coach is in the position to send the message that things have to change.

    Pushing blame to players is, as Goob rightfully said, a pathetic excuse. There has to be a ratio of players performing well and players performing poorly where it shifts from the players fault and to the coach. When you can only highlight 3 or 4 players on the entire roster of 30 as having anything resembling a decent season, i think you've found yourself on the "it's the coach's fault" side of that ratio.

    To me, one of the most damning things, was listening to the most recent RSL Show podcast where they did player ratings to finish the season. At the end, Jake makes a comment along the lines that you could tell this team never took advantage of the opportunities this season gave. The lockdown and such SUCKED. I can only imagine how painful that was as an athlete. As a dude in banking I can tell you it is the shits. But the people that are making the most out of this situation are leaders. They are people who step up and go "so we can't have meetings in the office? Ok, lets not just take the easy route out of this and have a pathetic phone call, lets try something". This team didn't do that. Freddy shoulders that blame. Not saying other coaches did that and that is why they were better, but it sure doesn't help Freddy that he didn't try.

    The point Doyle raises about Freddy coming from the academy cannot be overstated. How in the actual ******** is this guy NOT playing the young guys? How in the actual ******** did he burn the relationship with Bofo? What the ******** is going on? This guy has this job because of his time with the Academy. There is nothing else on his resume that justifies it. To shit on those exact same players (sometimes literally the same) is beyond baffling.

    I mean, think how much differently you would think of this season had Freddy gone full youth movement even just in October. Instead of chasing this ridiculous playoff push, have some actual ********ing forethought and see that getting minutes to these younger guys is worth it. We know who Kreilach is. We know who Silva is. Putna. Meram. etc. The guys over 25 are who they are in this sport.

    At the start of October, when the red line was only drifting further away, why not sit down with the team and just be honest. This season sucks, guys, and I don't want to waste a year of a lot of these guys young careers riding pine or not even making the roster. Field a team with an average age below 23. Stop using this ********ing practice excuse, when you've publicly said that you can't even have proper practices, and put these kids on the field. Whats the worst that happens? They lose like we did? Maybe a goal or two more? Freddy couldn't get out of his own ********ing way. Fire his ass
     
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  9. goobx1

    goobx1 Member+

    Jul 9, 2007
    Salt Lake
    Just a suggestion, there is room for a good RSL podcast.
     
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  10. Ismitje

    Ismitje Super Moderator

    Dec 30, 2000
    The Palouse
    Club:
    Real Salt Lake
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    #60 Ismitje, Nov 19, 2020
    Last edited: Nov 19, 2020
    I've tried to listen to extant ones. I understand the attraction of pitching it as if it's a group of friends hanging out and just shooting the breeze, but it often means I bail after a couple of minutes of nothing but that. After a couple of times of that, I never go back.

    But mostly I think this means the technology has passed me by and I am a grumpy old man.
     
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  11. goobx1

    goobx1 Member+

    Jul 9, 2007
    Salt Lake
    Thanks for making me look up the definition to extant.

    I can occasionally listen to the RSL Show podcast. I think that one of the guys is actually pretty good, one not too bad, and one just awful without naming names.

    Haven't listened to the soap box so I will give that a try./

    Any others?

    Seems like plenty of room.
     
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  12. irondeepbicycle

    irondeepbicycle Member+

    Real Salt Lake
    United States
    Jul 31, 2017
    When I look at the signings we made this past offseason, I genuinely wondered if Fall was fuzzy on the MLS roster rules, which is why he made the signings he did.

    The only explanation I can think of for signing either Ashtone Morgan or Alvin Jones is if Fall was simply under the impression that neither player would take an international slot. Or, he completely failed to understand how valuable international slots are.

    Morgan has been in MLS for years and Jones had been playing professionally in the United States, so maybe he really did think they'd both count as domestic players? Cause wasting international slots on two backup outside backs is just indefensible. Even if you don't have plans for those slots, you can trade them for ~100K in GAM each.
     
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  13. Ismitje

    Ismitje Super Moderator

    Dec 30, 2000
    The Palouse
    Club:
    Real Salt Lake
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    The explanation early in the season was that Covid interrupted the Green Card process for someone expected to receive one, and while I know there have been significant problems with all sorts of migration-related processes, it was still foolish to sign more than possible - especially the players we signed. Just wait for the process to be complete and then sign 'em.
     
  14. 15 to 32

    15 to 32 Straw Hog

    Jul 1, 2008
    Salt Lake
    Club:
    Real Salt Lake
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    what is even more wild on that is that the league has to give the ok. So this rumored player was obviously in a spot that they figured RSL was ok to sign more international players than they had slots available...
     
  15. 15 to 32

    15 to 32 Straw Hog

    Jul 1, 2008
    Salt Lake
    Club:
    Real Salt Lake
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I'll echo what Ish says. The RSL Show is a bunch of friends who got together and made a podcast. There isn't much wrong with that. I've never felt they stated it was more than that. Though, their ability to get KSL to run their podcast seems to have made them, at least in some of the episodes, state they will be a bit more "professional".

    One thing the RSL Show has that is pretty impossible to replicate is their connections to folks within the front office, past and present. This has the potential (and I've seen it in some episodes) to really create a unique dialogue. However, the problem with this is how it changes their willingness to point out flaws in folks and/or it creates a lot of opinions based on personal interactions. Both good and bad.

    The hardest thing for me, and i think both of you are alluding to this, is that the only podcasts that exist for RSL are tied either very strongly, or built around, connections to the club. They then lack a consistent criticism about them and become very illogical (a personal annoyance). They all seem to carry a pretty similar tone, as well, with their lack of perspectives on the club. They all fall into the same bucket more or less most of the time. We don't get many different voices in the whole thing.

    When you look around, it's hard to think where else a podcast could come from. Would I like to make a podcast? Eh, the whole process of a podcast seems a pretty self-gratifying thing (he says while posting on a message board). You're literally in a room listening to yourself talk on most of these thing. Sports podcasts, especially, rely on the the makers ability to get a scope that others can't and/or being batshit crazy. I guess I check the second box.
     
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  16. irondeepbicycle

    irondeepbicycle Member+

    Real Salt Lake
    United States
    Jul 31, 2017
    RSL Academy grad Amar Sejdic gets the start for Montreal in their playoff game against New England tonight.
     
  17. Ismitje

    Ismitje Super Moderator

    Dec 30, 2000
    The Palouse
    Club:
    Real Salt Lake
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Our DPs scored two goals from the run of play this season (Albert 1, Sam 1, Jeizon 0). Tonight in the MLS Playoffs, New England got gorgeous run-of-play goals from two of their three DPs while the third had two shots just barely touched onto the post.

    This difference alone might make us a playoff team this season (quality DPs).

    As I write this, Nashville scored its second of the game, one from each of its DPs. That teams are getting the same contribution from their DPs in one game that we had in 2020 is damning.
     
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  18. goobx1

    goobx1 Member+

    Jul 9, 2007
    Salt Lake
    Watched both of those games and you are correct sir. The only team with worse DP's might be Miami. Lol

    Nashville looked really good but it was against an undermanned Miami team that probably made a mistake starting with 5 in the back but it probably didn't make all that much difference in the outcome.

    I was rooting for Montreal but I do like New England as well. I hope that RSL gets a quality coach like The Bruce one day. Freddy couldn't carry Bruces lunch into the game.

    Fun games though.
     
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  19. 15 to 32

    15 to 32 Straw Hog

    Jul 1, 2008
    Salt Lake
    Club:
    Real Salt Lake
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    RSL Show put out a new show. If you don't want the "bunch of dudes making a podcast" vibe, then don't listen.

    The one thing worth taking away from it: Jake made reference to a rumor that RSL is bringing in a CB from Norway. Unsure if that meant the guy is Norwegian or if he plays in the Norwegian league.
     
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  20. Ismitje

    Ismitje Super Moderator

    Dec 30, 2000
    The Palouse
    Club:
    Real Salt Lake
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Norway huh. If he plays/played for Odds BK, then maybe it's Nat Borchers. And while we're looking in Norway, there's a right back named Robbie Russell we should take a look at too.
     
  21. Med_Phys

    Med_Phys Member+

    RSL
    United States
    Jun 20, 2019
    Terre Haute, IN
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Hmm,
    I missed that. Here's my 6 guesses based on transfermarkt info (we probably won't pay transfer fees, so that makes it easier).
    https://www.transfermarkt.us/stian-gregersen/profil/spieler/230140
    https://www.transfermarkt.us/even-hovland/profil/spieler/41875
    https://www.transfermarkt.us/leo-ostigard/profil/spieler/367284
    https://www.transfermarkt.us/ulrik-jenssen/profil/spieler/239044
    https://www.transfermarkt.us/stefan-strandberg/profil/spieler/50617
    https://www.transfermarkt.us/vegard-forren/profil/spieler/62054
     
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  22. 15 to 32

    15 to 32 Straw Hog

    Jul 1, 2008
    Salt Lake
    Club:
    Real Salt Lake
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    #72 15 to 32, Nov 25, 2020
    Last edited: Nov 25, 2020
    It was split into two parts
    First, Jake made mention of the "RSL rumors on Twitter". I'm not on twitter so no clue what those are referencing. However he does say "like a center back" at one point. Then later in the show, when asked where they would look to scout players, Jake says "Norway for CB" and, when pressed on that weird answer, essentially says that is where the rumor is linked to.

    Like you said, if any of these guys require a transfer fee you can pretty much eliminate them. No idea how the club would pull off paying a transfer fee right now without ownership money. Further, you can eliminate anyone that couldn't be bought on TAM money. And, really, even that seems a stretch for the league to approve.

    An interesting note: The show will have Elliott Fall on (supposedly) after the team goes through the end of year exit interviews. This is the infuriating part of the podcast because that is something that most anyone else in a podcast setting couldn't pull off. At least not without a lot of work to make it happen. These guys just text them... Anyways, those exit interviews typically those happen after the season for RSL is done. A lot of times the playoffs are still happening. Not sure what the holdup is now...
     
  23. goobx1

    goobx1 Member+

    Jul 9, 2007
    Salt Lake
    They do spend a lot of time talking about other stuff that distracts from the interesting soccer stuff. I also listened to Soapbox and same.

    Like I said, there's room for a good RSL podcast. Maybe a Locked* on RSL podcast?

    Just kidding. Or am I? I am. Maybe?

    Better hurry and get it started before the team moves. Then it's Locked on Royals. LIVE! FROM KANSAS CITY! Just kidding. Too soon?

    I mean Locked on Monarchs. They left too? WTH?

    And you thought COVID was stressful.




    *I do like the info that David Locke puts out most of the time but is there a more less self aware person in Utah Sports Broadcasting? He cracks me up. How many times can you give yourself or ask for praise for all of your somewhat useless sports info and knowledge? Not trying to disparage him in any way. Just a question.
     
  24. Ismitje

    Ismitje Super Moderator

    Dec 30, 2000
    The Palouse
    Club:
    Real Salt Lake
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    So it has to be a guy on a free transfer, because we have no money to pay a transfer fee, and it has to done without having scouted the player in person, because we have no scouting department.

    Great.
     
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  25. 15 to 32

    15 to 32 Straw Hog

    Jul 1, 2008
    Salt Lake
    Club:
    Real Salt Lake
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    #75 15 to 32, Nov 25, 2020
    Last edited: Nov 25, 2020
    I would assume/hope that this player was scouted in person previously on one of Andy's trips to Europe. However, this is RSL and assuming something will be done in any form of "correct" manner is not a smart thing to do. So, yeah. Elliott probably played FIFA and was like "bro, who is this guy"

    I'd also put the likely "filter" of the player's agent being one we've dealt with in the past. I don't recognize the agencies listed for each player in transfermarket as one's that have any form of RSL connection. In fact, the only one that appears to have an MLS tie is BHM Sports Agency - they're listed as the agency for Latif Blessing at LAFC.

    So... if you're making me pick from the 6 above, I'd say most likely candidate is Stian Gregersen who is playing for Molde. They play Arsenal tomorrow in Europa League.
     

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