News: DC United hires Wayne Rooney to be head coach

Discussion in 'D.C. United' started by pr0ner, Jul 10, 2022.

  1. GumbyG

    GumbyG Member+

    DC United
    Mar 22, 2007
    Chesapeake, VA
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    This side-effect of single-entity is cruel, especially in a country this size.
     
  2. Yowza

    Yowza Member+

    DC United
    United States
    Oct 23, 2019
    Arlington
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I don’t agree that Gressel can’t be useful in the new setup, but close to a million dollars useful? I don’t know. Looks like Morrison is replacing his cap space almost to the dollar, so we’ll see if that’s the right move.
     
  3. Hedbal

    Hedbal Member+

    Jul 31, 2000
    DC
    Club:
    DC United
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I read that Rooney favors a 4-2-3-1. Given our present roster, who fills those slots? Is Taxi the "1" or his he more valuable behind, say, one of our other alleged strikers? On the back line I see Birnbaum and Hines-Ike, but who else? Najar is valuable when he ventures forward, but I don't think of him as a lock-down defender. How do you sort out the likes of Hopkins; Durkin; Djeffal; Nyeman; Canouse; et. al.?
     
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  4. John L

    John L Member+

    Sep 20, 2003
    Alexandria, VA
    This actually helps with Najar. Its less risky to have an active over-lapping defender with 4 in the back, then it is with only 3 in the back.
     
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  5. Alejandro 10

    Alejandro 10 Member+

    Feb 15, 2001
    Club:
    DC United
    upload_2022-7-15_17-57-57.png ?
     
  6. superdave

    superdave Member+

    Jul 14, 1999
    VB, VA
    Club:
    DC United
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    ????

    I'd rather have almost a million in funny money than a draft pick. And it's not close.
     
  7. shammypants

    shammypants Member+

    Oct 9, 2013
    Club:
    DC United
    #157 shammypants, Jul 16, 2022
    Last edited: Jul 16, 2022
    I am saying we needed to get MORE for Gressel than we did. Assuming we have a plan and our decisions aren't the usual budget constrained desperation grabs, Rooney can use international roster spots, draft picks and other assets to help build the team. So why not ask for it?
     
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  8. superdave

    superdave Member+

    Jul 14, 1999
    VB, VA
    Club:
    DC United
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    That’s not what you wrote. Please write better.
     
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  9. shammypants

    shammypants Member+

    Oct 9, 2013
    Club:
    DC United
    “At least also take”
     
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  10. ImNumberTen

    ImNumberTen Member+

    Oct 4, 2007
    Washington, DC
    Club:
    DC United
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Even if "losery" was a word it wouldn't apply to Gressel. Crap take.

    I like him quite a bit. More often than not he was one of the few quality players DCU would have on the field during the last few years. Still, a new manager should have the right to acquire or discard players as he sees fit for his system, so fine, I accept that.

    My beef is with how DCU handled it. Zero class.

    From Pablo's illuminating article today in The Athletic:

    The news of Gressel’s departure took all of two minutes to filter its way out of United’s training center and into the media, reported very quickly by The Washington Post. While throwing his stuff into a bag, Gressel’s teammate and close friend Russel Canouse hopped out of the ice bath and thrust a phone in his face. “It’s already on Twitter,” he said.

    Gressel checked his own phone to see that his wife Casey, whom he’d yet to speak to, had also been informed of his departure, learning of the news via a phone call from a friend, who’d also read the Post report. Friends and family began reaching out. Gressel’s agent had also been in the dark.

    His wife had to hear that they have to immediately pack up the family and move 3000 miles away from a friend who saw it on Twitter? Shameful. The team owes them an apology.
     
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  11. shammypants

    shammypants Member+

    Oct 9, 2013
    Club:
    DC United
    #161 shammypants, Jul 18, 2022
    Last edited: Jul 18, 2022
    I literally responded to this. Someone said "we need to get value and clear money off the books" and I said Gressel is not the player I want to see traded, we should trade away our losery players, of which unfortunately is much of the roster. We can trade away or terminate contracts of players who simply cannot produce. Get rid of Skundrich, get rid of Perez, get rid of Robertha somehow whatever I don't care. We should have built around Taxi and Gressel and gotten rid of OTHER PLAYERS instead to clear cap space. I even named those players. I further went on to say he's a character guy in a down period of play and would improve if the players around him improved.

    The sad truth is that the team doesn't have a lot to trade. We value Najar and Hamid WAY above what anyone else does. Gressel is all we had. I fear one of the only ways to move this team higher might be to sell Taxi too eventually if his stock is high.
     
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  12. morrissey

    morrissey Moderator
    Staff Member

    Feb 18, 2000
    West Los Angeles, Calif
    Club:
    DC United
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    That's certainly a take. I think my response to your initial post is that you can only move people of value. Gressel still has some but hasn't put up numbers this year so his value is at its peak or on the decline. Now we know it isn't all on him and the crap that surrounds him is just as culpable. Getting rid of Taxi is the epitome of stupid before we've seen how the new acquisitions and new coaching fits in. We can't make those judgements without time.

    This season started with a plan and then fell apart, had a temp plan (which was useless and directionless) meant to buy time.

    We need to give Rooney and the new players 5-6 games to see where things are headed.
     
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  13. shammypants

    shammypants Member+

    Oct 9, 2013
    Club:
    DC United
    I have a bad feeling we won't have a choice on Taxi, he and his agent will strongly request a trade. Why wouldn't he? DC would get a few million and so would Taxi beyond what he would get here. I really doubt we would have the money necessary to build a well rounded team without such a sale either. No one wants to see him go, he's the only bright spot on the team, but it's how it goes sometime and actually may be better for the club than keeping him.
     
  14. morrissey

    morrissey Moderator
    Staff Member

    Feb 18, 2000
    West Los Angeles, Calif
    Club:
    DC United
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I'm going to call shenanigans on this. He just got here and he will get some upgrades around him soon. He is an MLS all star starter. He may move after the season but he's here for the rest of it.
     
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  15. shammypants

    shammypants Member+

    Oct 9, 2013
    Club:
    DC United
    Yes after the season. I mean, I don't like to say this out loud, but for someone who can move to a big 5 league, I don't think being an MLS All Star or the potential for a Morrison coming are that enticing :p
     
  16. pr0ner

    pr0ner Member+

    Jan 13, 2007
    Alexandria, VA
    Club:
    DC United
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    There is zero point in arguing with shammy.
     
  17. GlennAA11

    GlennAA11 Member+

    Jun 12, 2001
    Arlington, VA
    Pablo's piece is quite enlightening. I liked the part where Gressel called out Kasper's ineptitude and made fun of the "Capital Cup"
     
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  18. United1

    United1 Member+

    Feb 23, 1999
    Arlington, VA
    Club:
    DC United
    Gressel was right in a lot of that article. They should have handled it better. And he is spot on about Dave K and company.

    But…

    Gressel had value, so he was traded. He simply was not worth his salary. Again, a miss by our awful front office.
     
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  19. pr0ner

    pr0ner Member+

    Jan 13, 2007
    Alexandria, VA
    Club:
    DC United
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    How was Gressel not worth his salary? His kind of assist numbers usually require a DP salary, which is the case for the vast majority of the MLS assist leaders this season (and last too).
     
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  20. morrissey

    morrissey Moderator
    Staff Member

    Feb 18, 2000
    West Los Angeles, Calif
    Club:
    DC United
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    His current form wasn't good (as every other non-Taxi player) this season. Does not take anything away from him but his value was the highest on the team other than Taxi. Everyone else is damaged goods.
     
  21. shammypants

    shammypants Member+

    Oct 9, 2013
    Club:
    DC United
    Is that true? Without any changes to the team he was heading for more assists than 2021. The only reason he doesn’t look as good is because he doesn’t have an Arriola or someone decent to pass too or even Canouse most games in the center.
     
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  22. pr0ner

    pr0ner Member+

    Jan 13, 2007
    Alexandria, VA
    Club:
    DC United
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    But almost every single player ahead of him on the assist leaderboard this year is a DP.

    I ask again, how was he not worth his non-DP level salary?
     
  23. GumbyG

    GumbyG Member+

    DC United
    Mar 22, 2007
    Chesapeake, VA
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    If we end up playing with wingbacks, his trade will be seen as going up against a Sicilian with Death on the line. But if we don't it's a good trade. He was totally worth his salary. Both things are true.
     
  24. United1

    United1 Member+

    Feb 23, 1999
    Arlington, VA
    Club:
    DC United
    He is a solid player. I do not dislike him. And it appears he gave it his all, so for that I appreciate him.

    That said, his salary is almost a million per season. You're telling me he's a million dollar player in MLS (within this salary cap structure)? Also, I'm not a fan of assists in soccer. There are many types of assists, some of which are meaningless. Passing the ball to someone like Taxi, who then does the rest and scores, doesn't tell me the original pass was anything special. I will add that Gressel is not the best defender, and his set pieces were lacking this season after being much better last year. The change in coaches and tactics didn't help him, so that is certainly a factor

    Perhaps we can agree that DCU will not adequately replace him. Hopefully Hopkins continues to progress and continues to work on his defensive responsibilities.
     
  25. GumbyG

    GumbyG Member+

    DC United
    Mar 22, 2007
    Chesapeake, VA
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    For me, a wingback putting up 12-15 assists/yr. is worth at least $1M, primarily because those are coming from the wingback position, which means you've already got 12 team assists without calculating in the far flank and the 3-4 other primarily offensive positions in a given 3 back system.

    I mean, think about the history of the league. How many wingbacks regularly get to 10 assists/yr? I can't think of any.
     

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