Well we have 8 games left. There is basically zero chance at making the playoffs and player confidence has to be at an extreme low. We just signed a new player who "is our biggest signing of the season" while we also have some younger guys who have never really had a go at it with the first team. How do you approach these final 8 games? Do you keep playing your best XI (and 18) hoping that with each game there is at least more experience and lessons learned about how you want the team to play eventually? Do you start peppering in reserves to get game experience and see how they handle themselves.? Do you go ahead and tell some people "you aren't in our plans for next season, so barring injuries, you won't be playing anymore this season." Here is what I am thinking. Sacrifice the road games except for the upcoming game against Portland. It is on national TV and hopefully Hendry Thomas will play and you want to give him a run out with your best XI (barring injuries). After that road games are fact finding, experience building games. Play the younger guys and fringe guys, basically nobody over say 28 starts unless absolutely necessary, to see what you get from them. It will be great experience for guys like O'Neill and Armstrong. Plus you get to see who will step up to lead from guys like Rivero, Hill, Thomas. Besides it's not like we are getting any points from road games anyway. At home games though you keep putting out your best XI, but also giving the people who are showing the best from those road games a chance. Also, depending upon the state of Mullan's legs, you think about shutting him down for the year. A healthy Brian Mullan in 2013 will be more valuable than him playing out the year with nothing to play for than pride. Last game of the season you put Mastroeni on the bench and bring him on the last 10 or 5 minutes.
i agree with everything you said except mullan... instead of playing him in the midfield... i'd try him at right back
To answer the question in the thread title: I approach these games with nothing but sarcasm. To answer the question in the post: Play Casey, Omar, Jamie Smith, to see if they have any place left in this micromanaging revolution that Pabravochey is leading us on. Play Ceus, Palguta, Wahl, Armstrong and whoever else in center defense - don't bother with any of the regular starters, because either they aren't getting the job done or they're too valuable to lose to injury in what would be the next meaningless two months. Play Thomas, Hill, Cascio in the midfield. Smith, Akpan, Hill and Cascio can battle for that 3rd forward/2nd-3rd midfielder spot, the odd man out comes off the bench. Don't bother with Castrillon, Rivero, Larentowicz, etc. - keep them locked down for next year, because reps clearly aren't making any difference for them this year. Give all those fringe guys minutes so we can determine who are the guys for the magical "system." Start off next year with just those guys on the roster. Watch as the "system" continues to fail, looking no less rudderless than this year. Watch 3-4 of our castaways do great things for other teams. Get bitter all over again.
I would like to see Armstrong with a chance for a couple of games, that doesn't work, then Mullan to RB.
Assuming Pablo feels comfortable with this not doing it might be the biggest failure of the team this season. Its such a no-brainer that I'm afraid its exactly the type of thing the Rapids will screw up.
1. Fire Pareja 2. Fire Bravo 3. Hire an actual coach. Thats how I would approach the remaining 8 games.
That or I could see us being down a goal and Pareja will use his last sub to bring in another attacker rather than Pablo.
Why? Bravo doesn't coach the team. Granted, Pareja doesn't coach the team either, but he's the guy on the sidelines every game.
Because Bravo has made all the BIG decisions that impact the play. This "style", the coaching change, the player decisions (bringing in Edu? Henao, trading away Kimura, etc). If you get rid of Bravo, someone smart can be in charge of hiring the new coach, instead of this imbecile.
Why is everyone so pessimistic? We just need to work out the kinks! After all, the Rapids are playing "attacking" and "possession oriented" ball relying "attractive, Latin-style play". I mean, just look at how many "high quality" new players we signed; we have to be good! With the combination of Pareja's gameday genius, Bravo's master puppeteering behind the scenes and Hinchey's unparalleled expertise with Twitter, the Rapids are just a few minor tweaks away from the Supporter's Shield! I think it's all-to-obvious that they plan to dust off the 2-3-5; it's the key to our success. Sure it hasn't been used since the '30s, but it takes a management team of staggering brilliance to pull it off. Real answer: I will approach them thinking really hard about all the other cool things I could spend my season ticket money on, then eventually fold and renew anyway (funny how that happens).
GS and Bravo had issues. GS is gone. Bravo got the control he wanted. The team is struggling. Pareja might suck, or GS might have been right about Bravo. We won't know without trying Pareja sans Bravo. If Pareja still needs to go, then I haven't seen anything that would make the loss of Bravo a very big deal.
I think you approach these games by making a couple of lists... Who do we want in 2 years (who will the team be built around). Who will be questionable in for two years based on age, direction, What four players should be kept around because of potential. Who's the best locker room guys. Play those guys. Sadly, I can't answer the first one.
I'm starting to doubt if OP and Bravo are in 100% agreement on players. From the fiasco last year it is clear Bravo has been given the power for new signings. Even if you ignore some of the terrible signings like Edu it is interesting to see how some of the other guys that were brought have fallen out of favor pretty quick. Hill doesn't get much playing time, Henao got next to none, and Wahl who was brought in to bolster our defense hasn't played much either. I'm starting to wonder if these aren't exactly the players OP was looking for Bravo to bring in. Time will tell.
We don't know. From a fans perspective Bravo has the perfect job, he can be responsible for successes and disappear when the team struggles. The job give him a nice teflon coating. I just haven't seen or heard anything about Bravo to want to find out if he's the problem or not. If he isn't a problem is there any reason to believe he's part of the solution? It's not like he came to the Rapids with experience and success. As far as I can tell he's been learning on the job as much as Smith was and now Pareja is. A rival has been removed and his man hired to poor results. Maybe Pareja shouldn't survive this. He needs to own his share of the results, but with Bravo's history with GS (the complaint I heard was Bravo mucking about with the locker-room being the bigger problem than player acquisitions) I feel like OP ought to be given a shot unburdened by a TD who has been at the center of controversy and a downward spiral.
Really good questions, COYP and Spot. Wahl did disappear quickly, though I suppose with the Kimura trade, they were going to have to bring in an extra fullback for depth. Freeman's been ok and his crossing has been better than Kimura's. It doesn't seem like he's been much of an improvement on defense, though. Given that laziness/passivity were big factors in two of the goals during this poor run (e.g. both of Gordon's goals: the aerial that landed between Nane and Zapata, and the last Gordon goal where the defenders were jogging towards the clearance while Gordon was running back into the box), I wonder if Kimura's hustle actually had more of an effect than just making him a fan favorite.
Assuming Pablo retires, I like the idea of a huge send off like we've discussed this year. Try to win but give quality time to fringe players. Hell, even give Palguta some time. Use that to assess who fits "the system." Keep Omar in as well in the hope that maybe he'll find his form somewhere. Time to focus on next year. Break-break ... I got a customer survey from the RFO this weekend. It was a standard market survey (which papers do you read, etc). I'm viewing that as a possitive because I haven't seen one in several years as a STH. One negative though, they're still focused on the Denver market ... i.e. I had to enter Springs papers/stations into the survey.
Increase attendance? Check. Decrease player budget? Check. Force out a coach who wouldn't put up with being micromanaged? Check. Buy yourself at least one more year of mediocrity before flushing the coach for another rebuilding session under the premise of attractive soccer? Check. Make cash off a meaningless friendly? Check. About the only goal they didn't check off was "winning", and let's face it, the people whom Bravo and Hinchey answer to, haven't in the past shown they care all that much about it. So, from the FO point of view, "holding them accountable" might turn into raises.
Yeah, the one with passion for results, he needs to go. Next thing you know they'll be kickking Teddy Montoya out.
I won't be surprised if O.P.'s positive spin (attempt) on the quote sheet for the San Jose match sounds very Onion-esque. ;>)