But that goes to my point about the depth at dmid. They need investment in a lot of positions but with the investment already at dmid, the likelihood to invest more there is lower. Just a whole lot of little dots connecting to make me really doubt KC is interested here.
If we wanna talk about something different, expansion draft is a week from today, not that I expect anyone taken, but here are the rules: https://www.mlssoccer.com/news/2024-mls-expansion-draft-rules-procedures Here's a combination of who I think KC should protect and a couple players I think KC will protect (Pulido and Salloi). Joaquin Fernandez (I) Logan Ndenbe Dany Rosero Robert Voloder William Agada (I) Alenis Vargas (I) Zorhan Bassong (I) Erik Thommy Stephen Afrifa Alan Pulido Daniel Salloi Memo Rodriguez That leaves Ryan Schewe Khiry Shelton Tim Leibold Nemanja Radoja Plus all the guys who are out of contract or didn't have their option picked up available for selection.
Realitistic Priorities: 1. AM 2. GK 3. RW As noted, we can, a la Zidane at RMad, combine 1 and 3. But we are looking at a DP signing there, and we are probably looking at a starting level GK. Most if not all of our fee money will go here. Secondary needs: Higher level depth everywhere. U22s. Added Priority if BS were in charge: RB
We're looking for an experienced domestic GK, not a clear starter. We're looking at an Alex Bono, Tyler Miller type to come in in case Pulskamp isn't up to snuff. Based on everything I've seen/heard the reigns are going to Pulskamp. I mean they can't go in with your starting RB being a converted forward while your back up (Davis) is a starting midfielder. They had least need a guy with some experience behind Shelton.
To actually contend, SKC needs to be either top or top adjacent at the positions at which it can compete, and good where it cannot be elite. Keeper is a problem. Is Pulskamp top 10, potentially, in MLS? If he is not. the rebuild fails. When SKC has been good, we've had a top level keeper (often substantially better than simply top 10). Same at RB. I admit, maybe I'm wrong. Maybe I underestimate Pulskamp. In my really faulty opinion, Pulskamp, at his best, is an okay quallity starter in MLS, one of the 25 best starting keepers, probably. At the end of a full season, he's the guy you look back on and realize, we might have lost a few to five points at keeper, but it was probably okay-ish.
My opinion on Pulskamp is out until he actually gets a consistent string of games in a row and 20ish plus starts in a season. But whether he is or not, this season he's getting the keys, he's the starter, they're not bringing in a player who's going to immediately leapfrog him. Maybe someone to compete with him in preseason to beat him out but I've seen nothing to convince me they're spending big on GK or that Pulskamp isn't getting the keys.
So, since 2022, the ceiling on this roster has been 8th. Now, we've lost several players who aged out, or transfered out. But to get back to any sort of contention, we need to match Pulido in 2023, and upgrade over Kinda and JFR in 2023. We need to upgrade over Melia in 2023/24 Etc. Pulskamp feels like a cieling is 9th sort of option. We need at least 3 new starters, if Logan N is back to full strength.
Does Fernandez and his 2 games this year count as one? Because we never got a super clear idea in those 2 games what he really was. Just trying to get an idea of where we're starting from.
I'm willing to be more patient with him than some on here. But I am still constantly confused why we can't seem to sign good CBs. Rosero is decent but not really as good as it seems he should be. Otherwise a lot of misses in there who get regularly outplayed (but somehow never lose minutes to) league minimum backups.
I know, I have no idea on our back line, but right now I'm assuming that Rosero and Fernandez is a working CB pairing. As you correctly note, who knows. but giving SKC the benefit of the doubt on this. Same for Agada ( I mean, we don't know if he can be better. It looks like he can). will Afrifa and Vargas progress? I will assume they do. From what we saw last season, it's only really obvious that Davis is returning, and that's a plus. He's not a best 11 plus, but he's a very solid player. After that, burn it all to the ground?
First 2 offseason signings, Ian James and Jack Kortkamp to HGP contracts. https://www.sportingkc.com/news/spo...-james-and-jack-kortkamp-as-homegrown-players
Both are 16, so what is the expectation? A bit of game time with SKC2 on loan? Are they closer to Busio than Davis, in terms of timeline?
It's hard to tell because both play positions (CB and GK) where unless they're amazing aren't likely to see 16-18 year olds get regular first team minutes. James is considered one of if not the best CB in the 08 boys class (US not SKC) and Kortkamp is a regular YNT call up for the US. It's amazing though that KC is having to pay MN a fee that allowed them to stay in the academy b/c they'd joined after MN shut their academy down, allocation money to acquire their HGP rights, AND they get a sell on fee. All b/c they shut their academy down.
FWIW (not much) one of the few mock drafts I could find has SKC with the fourth pick taking a mid from Western Michigan. "Owen Smith can play the 6 at defensive midfielder, the 8 at central midfielder, and the 10 at attacking midfielder. The Western Michigan senior is the top midfielder in College Soccer this year despite being 24-years-old." The writer has a very different definition of "set" than I do, as he suggests we don't need wings or forwards or a keeper (and i see two of those as absolute positions of need). I also wonder about picking up a 24 year old in the draft. College players usually need a year to adjust to the pro game, but who knows.
That's the same site that a few years ago was saying we take a CB late in round 1 who would be a starter for us. And then the next year was suggesting we could take another CB that we could pair with him as a starter when the guy we drafted wasn't even coming back. I wouldn't put much of anything into that site's analysis. Also, any mock draft that comes out before we know who the GA players are going to be isn't worth the writer's time, let alone yours.
As we know, Transfermarkt has some issues. but as we also know, it's the best source of info on values that we have, and a lot of clubs globally use it to determine bids, etc. So, i think it's worthwhile to note that upon their most recent valuation update, SKC is the least valued club in MLS. Their values are just about players, they don't do the forbes thing and look at facilities, etc. Our most valuable players: Salloi at $4m, Agada at $2.5m. Pulido is down to $1.8m. Our roster still has our recently former players on it, until Dec 31 (so subtract $3m in valuation, $23m total, which is crazy low). Without them, and without higher valued replacements, we could fall further.Upsides, Afrifa is now at $1m, Davis is up to $2m. But we're really poorly thought of. The red Bulls started five homegrowns in the final. their value is $41m to our $26m. Their strategy is to create value through local talent. they have a strategy, and it is working. DC united is just ahead of us, and they're also kind of a basket case. But we're $14m behind Chicago, who are 20th and are supposed to be the defintion of basket case. Look at the top 18, and we're at best at 66 percent of their value. that's just not competitive. Not for top 5 spots, not really for playoff spots. I guess it makes us competitive for wooden spoons. This roster rebuild is long overdue, and SKC really cannot afford to miss. Based on talent alone, we are a long shot to make the playoffs without substantial upgrades, at a number of places.
Protection lists dropped. Joaquin Fernandez (I) Logan Ndenbe Dany Rosero Robert Voloder William Agada (I) Alenis Vargas (I) Zorhan Bassong (I) Erik Thommy Stephen Afrifa Ryan Schewe Tim Leibold (I) Memo Rodriguez Available for selection Alan Pulido Khiry Shelton Daniel Salloi Nemanja Radoja Plus all the guys who are out of contract or didn't have their option picked up available for selection.
Wow. this is a massive message being sent, isn't it? "Available for selection Alan Pulido Khiry Shelton Daniel Salloi Nemanja Radoja" (from Buzz) Three of our four highest paid players. I realize we might not lose one, but I do have to wonder, can't we lose two or more? So, most likely to be a San Diego by tomorrow night? I say Salloi, because of his age. But Pulido would fill a need for a 9, which makes Lozano more valuable. Please...
It could be a message, or it could just be playing chicken with SD since, given the wages they're all on, they're not exactly steals.
If it's a message to anyone it's to Salloi, otherwise it's nothing. They left 3 of their highest paid players exposed along with a right back who I don't think anyone outside PV rates at this level. Even with San Diego's ability to renegotiate some they're not taking anyone from KC.