We won 10 games last season. We have won 1 this season. We had the longest winless streak of any MLS team last year. Worst ever US Open Cup performance. Is our team THAT bad?
You are right. That Torres showed us nothing. Gimenez was not much better. Shaqiri, in the other hand, was top 10 in the league in assists. Not as good as he should have been, but not weak.
Strange to me how harsh you can be on Ezra and at the same time nutride Shaqiri... I guess what's good for the goose... Swiss superstar Xherdan Shaqiri was a colossal disappointment in his first MLS season. they’re now winless in nine, Xherdan Shaqiri has been a massive disappointment Xherdan Shaqiri was a disappointment last season, and probably doesn’t have the pure creative chops to be a high-level No. 10 in this league From a 'both suck' perspective, it's time for Ezra to end the "run everything through Shaqiri" campaign, and put him in his natural position. I'd prefer the 4-2-3-1, but there here's an interesting 3-5-2 option that takes Souquet off the pitch in exchange for MHS.
Depends on the lens you look through...he was the most expensive signing in MLS history (at the time) and he was 72nd G+A-PK/90 The only "top 10" Shaqiri was in was Assist of the Assist...which is fine, but not 8mil DP "everything runs through him" fine. Here's the 2022 top 10 "rated" players I'm not "blaming it all on Shaqiri", but to use Bunge's terminology....he "sure as shit" was more "publicly inept" than Ezra.
Where was I harsh on Ezra Hendrickson? Also, isn't this the thread about his "tactics"? That would make this the appropriate thread to critique him, no?
You were not harsh, Bunge was...the thread 'blended' when I responded to Bunge's repeated sophomoric snark directly after your post...and not making it clear who I was responding to. For sure this is the best thread to critique Ezra's tactics. Someone should post something specific Ezra should do to make things better...or at least contribute constructively with their omniscience like they said they would.
I would like to see that 3-5-2 (or any 3-5-2 for that matter) but I am not sure Gimenez can play that position. That seems to me like putting Shaq in his natural position but taking Gimenez and putting him in an unnatural position sort of thing. If he can do it great though I think I would prefer Omsberg again even if Czichos is LCB.
I hear ya. Pondered how to not move Czichos out of the middle, as I don't think Wyatt, Teran or anyone else would anchor the back line remotely as well. Gaston is lefty and has played CB multiple times in his career...including for us...so that was the "creative idea". Those 3 on the back line would be bruisers!
If anyone disagrees with my previously stated reasons for considering Ezra’s public facing communications inept, please feel free to let me know. Thanks.
Tied with 2012. Both times the Fire was out in the "third round" and first game for the Fire against teams several tiers below MLS Of course, in 2012, they played the game in a shed, so maybe that was slightly worse than last year. I do agree that 2012 was way more humiliating.
More humiliating since we actually had some hope, ambition, and still remember when we didn't suck at everything.
I've been asked to start posting MIR articles around here and I think that this article is very relevant to some discussion around here. Namely: Should Guti actually start over Shaqiri? I didn't write it, don't yell at me. https://meninred97.com/10-dilemmas-shaqiri-gutierrez-or-both/
offense is just much more fluid when not everything is forced shaq's way I think it could be fluid with shaq on the field -- feels like guys feel they have to go his way instead of looking for opportunities upfield or out wide in equal measure to going through the middle
I think most of this is actually lack of attacking numbers. It just limits where we can put the ball.
yes, this is part of it but they've scored three goals in the last two games out of the base formation
I think XTom needs to start a new thread for the next game. He does the polls/intro very well....hint hint....
I was about to do it, but then decided against it. My only request is that the Koutsias joke needs to be an Odyssey reference.