[QUOTE="dspence2311, post: 40454967, member: 115682"If Wright or Pefok look productive this summer in a 443, fine.[/QUOTE] By jove I think you've figured out how to solve our problem!
Form always plays a part. Folks do remember 2014 and the forward situation. Eddie Johnson actually led the USMNT in caps the year previous. He appeared in every WCQer prior to clinching (starting 4 and coming off the bench in 4). He scored the go-ahead goal in our 2-0 WCQing win against Mexico that clinched the WC. He wasn't in the best of form for DCU, and was left off. The Eddie Johnson exclusion was quickly forgotten when Klinsmann proceeded to leave Donovan off after the training camp. That's the one that's remembered. [Leaving Johnson off may have been a mistake after Altidore's injury in the first match. We didn't have a like for like replacement on the roster.] Form right now in April matters only in that guys really need to be in the June camp if they're outside the group. For the regulars, form with the USMNT in the summer probably is what matters most.
Are you advocating for him to not be in the squad for the World Cup.? I watch them play and his numbers aren’t there but he’s obviously comfortably in our 23.
it is a pretty nebulous term but to me it means he's smoother than Sarge. I'm sure there isn't much more than a tenth of second difference in a 40. Weah is just smoother with the ball and smarter without it on the wing and I agree Sarge isn't yet fit for that spot. He's still a forward playing out of position to me.
Sargent really seemed to regain his form after his child was born, which confirmed to me his problems were just up in his head. He played like he was distracted. The problem now is how bad Norwich is. It's tough to judge his play on the attack when he spends so much time defending. But to me he looks much more focused, much more like the dangerous striker he was in 2019, 2020. But I wholeheartedly agree, he's kind of a waste on the wing. I do like him at center-forward between Puli and Weah if we're in a 4-3-3, though, especially if the midfield is McKennie, Adams and Reyna.
Man, this is some excuse you've come up for Sargent. He's just having a down period while playing for weak teams.
Sargent has been out over a month with an ankle injury. Made the matchday squad today for the first time since injury.
Looking at the CF position after today … Dike out of the running due to injury Pepi stagnating badly at Augsburg Sarge apparently tweaked his injury today Ferreira, Wright, and Pepi in good form with their clubs Zardes having a Zardes year so far So who you gonna @ CF call to camp in June? Me: Ferreira, Wright, Pefok (alt = Sarge if healthy) But my best guess is that Gregg calls Ferreira, Pepi, and either Wright or Zardes
I don't know about that. His last callup with the USMNT he just looked lost, like he had no idea where he was supposed to be or what he was supposed to be doing. He looked that way with Norwich, too. If that's the case with both club and country, something's up. But I watched a Norwich match about 10 days after the birth of his child and he was a different guy: focused, energetic, determined. And he's stayed that way. The fact it hasn't translated into goals is something we can put down to "weak teams." But there was a clear and obvious change in his form.
I’d call Sergeant because he looks comfortable in Premier league games doing many good things. He can play anywhere on the front line, and probably could play attacking mid if asked to. So I’d call him this summer because he understands play at the highest levels. The primary problem is that when a scoring opportunity presents itself more often than not he suddenly develops the Zardes touch, except for the two occasions this season when he finished in style. Given how poorly the rest of our center forwards not named Wright or Pefok are doing, why not give him another look?
That's my thinking. I would even argue 2019 Josh Sargent is probably our best straight-9. But as you pointed out, he's versatile enough to play anywhere forward, and in the modern game the target man isn't as essential as years past. You want players with a more rounded game. If we are going to stick with a bog standard 4-3-3 though, he's probably the guy I want at center-forward. And his touch has actually been a lot better of late, too. (Admittedly, it's a pretty small sample size. LOL)
Our forwards are in a game of Mario Kart. Every time one of them starts to pull away they slip on a banana peel or someone lobs a shell at them and they fall behind etc etc.
No one has seized the role, that's for sure. But we do have a decent set of available strikers, each bringing a different facet to the game. As I've said, I think Sarge is the best all-around. Dike has the most commanding physical presence. Hoppe may be the most deadly. Ferreira may be the slickest. Pepi may have the biggest upside and could be the best target man, other than Zardes (who has the most experience). So, there's a lot to work with. We don't necessarily have to settle on just one, especially considering how flexible the Core Five are. There are a lot of ways for us to create opportunities.
The only CF who has made a substantial contribution in 2022 is Ferreira. Neither Sarge, Dike, Hoppe, Wright nor Pefok has gotten much of a chance to make a contribution lately. Pepi has fizzled. Zardes has a low ceiling. Let’s see what those guys can do. Alternatively, let’s change formation and tactics so that we don’t need a number 9 and can put our best offensive players in all of the attacking positions.
I don’t think Zardes is having a Zardes year so far. He lost his starting spot and was traded. We’ll see how things go in Colorado, but he’ll have to show something in MLS to be in the picture. In previous seasons he has, though he’s not so far this year.
Gregg loves Ferreira. He's also scoring goals in MLS. If he gets in to a good form in June then that's our starter. Honestly, I am not yet very convinced.
Frankie Amaya and Paxton Pomykal fit the 8 profile so much better than Acosta, Lletget, or Roldan. They fit it better than Djorde too. As a wide forward that can come in and playmake, Djorde is playing much better in MLS than Arriola or Morris. I feel Berhalter is too sentimental to drop some of these older players. But there are multiple guys, just in MLS, playing better.
I mean Arriola was like second in chances created and he's really there as a defensive option so to me not competing for the same role. Djorde could be competing with Roldan for an off the bench winger spark role who can also play some CM in a pinch or if the formation changes. Amaya seems more of a defensive mid than Pomykal although Amaya has some offense in his game and Pomykal some defense in his. Having not seen a lot of Amaya the thing that bothered me when watching him against FCD a few weeks ago was a lot of his fouling and physical play may not go over so well in non MLS settings.
Funny, the non-physical nature of Roldan has not worked out well at all many times. Players are pretty smart, they know when they can do more or do less physical work. If they are willing to partake in it. Who defends like Adams? Amaya Who runs the midfield like Musah? Pomykal I wouldn't answer either question with Roldan or Lletget. The latter is probably not an answer Gregg would give anymore. But the former is an important "glue" guy who is on every roster.
Seems to me that a guy who is there mostly / only to be glue is in a pretty precarious situation. If another guy can do everything he does or more and is also a "glue" guy (this is bringing up old Dr Seuss memories - blue goo - blue gooy - gooey gooey) then they would knock the first guy off the roster. As you pointed out wit Lletgett GB does remove guys from time to time when another outshines them. With upcoming games, injuries and availability issues a few players might get a chance to disrupt the roster. They do need to make their case as LDLT recently did and Pefok didn't (at least so far).
And yet he's dropped many of the older veterans including both Lletget and Zardes. And throughout his tenure he's been willing to drop guys who people thought he wouldn't drop. Acosta is there because whatever his limitations, he's by far the best back up 6 in the pool. It's a different debate about whether he should play the 8 or not, but there's not really a debate about his place on the roster. The only real veteran players left in the pool are Roldan, Arriola, Long, and Morris. I have no doubt that none of their places are secure either. Other than Zimmermann whose a deserved lock at this point. Djorde will almost certainly get his shot this summer, but his main issue in my eyes is he's behind Pulisic, Reyna, Weah, and Aaronson. Pomykal and Amaya I'm not as sure about in terms of getting a look, but we'll also see whose healthy and available in June. But it's Busio and Roldan they are competing with (and to a lesser extent LDLT).
By that logic he has “dropped” Dike, Sarge, Hoppe, KDLF, Sands and a few others. We will know who he has dropped come November.