Pre-match: Concacaf Nations League Quarterfinals @ Jamaica (Nov 14) & v Jamaica (Nov 18)

By that same token, I'd be curious if Poch played any part in Chelsea nixing the deal after Adams completed (or failed) his physical.

 

Pepi’s average goal has come against the 2nd lowest rated set of opponents of our core players. Solidly below 1500 Elo points.

 

3. Interesting question. Fusion was also good in MLS so maybe a move to another league with another team and league on which to judge is valued. I'd like to see a move for Luna to challenge himself at an another country, league and team. Spain, Holland, Germany or Italy?

4. Cole has just gotten a few games so far. A better league than Cowell but he's done it longer. Cole gets to go play with the U20's and take baby steps for the US.

 

i think the mckenzie/trusty are the lcbs while ream is a cb (between them and scally) to cover for his lack of mobility.

i also think- and im guessing like everyone else- richards is the most likely cb rather than the "second" rcb, though none of the other rcb options can really play that rb/rcb spot however limited that exposure is (ream, miles, ccv or zim). thats where i think maloney could be worth looking at...
____________________________________________________rm weah
lwb jedi______________________________________________rm wes/musah?
lwb dest_____________________________________rb/rcb scally
_______cb/lcb mckenzie_____cb richards______rb/rcb maloney
_______cb/lcb trusty________cb ream/miles/ccv/zim
______________________________gk

obviously some can play more than one of the spots, but unless we really flatten out/hold that right sided player back i wouldnt want a cb potentially isolated against an attacker in space ie miles. but at the moment that rm is responsible for a lot of the attack (or in the case of our last window the lack of). the idea seems to be the cam flares out a bit to create a double 10 look opposite puli but thats not enough.

an interesting twist (down the road) could be dest in that rm position- though as always the issue with him is the lack of width he provides. .

 

I'm Pochettino, and every other coach ever, would point out that they call up players, not leagues.

 

I don't know why anyone would think Pochettino was going to be imaginative or experimental in these things.

He's always been a coach who focuses on player development and improvement, and he's a big guy in belief. That's not really the type of coach who drops a guy after one window or thinks a player can't do something ever if they do it immediately.

It also seems pretty likely to me that he's taking a decent number of cues from US Soccer, or at least someone there. Steffen on the rosters seems very likely to be a US Soccer thing -- for some reason, parts of the org still seem to behave like its the old women's system where they literally had contracts, etc. given the amount of intertia.

That also doesn't bode well for the immediate chances of Luna. Mitrovic is still around, and we know he's not much of a fan. Until and if Poch cuts out outside input, I suspect there's not clamoring inside for Luna for whatever dumb reason.

That said, I do think people are downplaying a bit the upgrade of getting in McKennie, Johnny, Richards, a game of Weah, in terms of talent.

We aren't close to 100%, but last window was very weak, and we sent a bunch of guys home on top of that.

 

If we do an actual 3 CB look Ream can be in the middle. In the shifting 4 ATB on D, 3 ATB in possession/build, with the RB becoming the RCB, that Poch used it makes the CCB in possession the RCB in defense.

If Jamaica is starting two STs then playing 3 ATB makes more sense. If they are defending with 2 up then 3 ATB in build makes sense.

 

I'm saying that Poch just hit the ground, and he's been running three in the back.

 

Cowell is a better than the championship guy you guys are whining over. Come on now.

 

Cade has as high of a ceiling as anyone in the pool and is already respected at Chivas.

 

Mauricio knows Steffen from the EPL. He mentioned that they are familiar with him and have been for a long time.

 

I'd more treat it like Saban, have an assistant work as the recruiting contact, and provide the occasional text or whatever, but otherwise stay out of it, if I was Poch. No public comments, beyond platitudes, while having an assistant who works the Euro based, and an assistant who works the US based, and I'd do just enough Poch personal texts to be suggestive of personal touch. Not sure if that' how Saban rolled, but usually there was a contact w/the squad who did the recruiting, and then players would get a chance to see the facilities, meet coach etc on a team visit, instead of the visit, I'd do the personal text piece. It may not work, but its worth the effort.

 

I have no answers for you but I don't think it looks good for Lund, who seemingly has been #2 for some time now.

On the right, at least, Scally has been the backup for some time (so it's harder to say someone has potentially lost a spot there) and there are at least two on the roster that could be considered potential backups for Scally (Musah and Weah). Does Poch think that potentially switching Scally to LB and moving Musah or Weah to RB would be preferable to playing Lund if Jedi has to be replaced?

 

I believe in one of his recent press conferences Pochettino stated the team would play one of two formations: 4-3-3 or 4-2-3-1.

My guess is the dearth of fullbacks does not signal a switch to 3 in the back. Rather someone(s) not usually used as fullback might be given some time there.

 

I hope Pochettino understands that even if switching Scally left and then moving Weah (or Musah) to RB sounds better than Lund, he has to also play someone for Musah (or Weah). If that’s Zendejas (could be) then the question is whether Lund or Zendejas is better for the US. Uh, it’s Lund.

 

I posted this in the Poch specific thread, but he was asked today about only calling up 2 fullbacks, and he named Ream and Musah as two other players on the roster who could potentially play as fullbacks if necessary.

He also noted that in the past several years, some top club teams have been using center-backs to play as fullbacks (with, again, Ream as a US-specific example), which might indicate his thinking on this going forward as well.

 

I think that this is likely what is happening.

Something to think about, however, is the obvious glut of holding midfielders in the roster. It makes one assume that one or two of those guys would be options along the back line. This would be time to look at it since Tyler will not be in the team and you have the option to call a guy into the team who would not be here otherwise.

 

The CM who would make the most sense as a CB is... Lennard Maloney who wasn't called up yet again.

 

What do you think the chances are that we see 3 ATB this window, honestly? I put it pretty close to 0%.

 

My only head scratcher after seeing this call-up was to wonder why he didn't replace Lund with another LB, one of the Olympics guys, most likely.

Of course in this case we're going to see a guy who doesn't usually play LB in that position if Jedi can't play 180 minutes for whatever reason, and he probably has someone in mind for that (though I'm not completely sure who, maybe Musah). I think it's very unlikely that we'll see back line of 3 except as a mid-game emergency adjustment.

 

Since I understand that, I am positive that he does as well. The real question is what how exactly he plans to make those moves. Obviously (I think) he believes he has maximized the roster given the available players. One big question mark for me is Richards. I could definitely see him given time at right back in an emergency but given the fact that he has had an injury, it makes me wonder. I would be very surprised if Poch has not been communicating with the coaching staff on his fitness but assuming he went with Musah I could see a lineup something like the following:

----------------------------------- Pepi
----------------------------------Pulisic
Aaronson-----------Johnny------------McKennie--------------Weah

Scally-------------CB--------------------------------CB----------Musah

--------------------------------------GK

 

My lukewarm takes:
I’d rather have seen Paxten than Morris/Busio/BigBroBrenden.

None of the available FBs (Fossey/Reynolds/Wiley/Tolkin) are better soccer players right now than the guys who made the roster. It seems like Poch cares more about filing roles with talent than filling positions, if that makes sense. None of these guys can replace Jedi or Dest anyway, so just figure out ways to get your best available guys on the field.

Luna’s continued omission is going to be the talk, but how much separation is there really vs Sullivan/McGlynn/Gutierrez/Djordje and then also vs the back end guys who did make the roster? I really want to see him because I love his grit and flair, but it’s a tough group to crack.

Adams’s absence is unfortunate but makes total sense. He is coming back from a series of horrible back injuries. Let him slowly make progress with his club, we need him healthy far more than we need to win Nations League.

 

Poor roster selection with w/re to the lack of fullbacks. Fossey had had a good showing his last time out for the US.

 

He played a specific role in the Madrid game; stop Vinicius Jr. Milan had a brilliant game plan that night, and Musah was used almost as a man marker. He frustrated Vini all night, with his physical play and speed.
He did manage to get free a couple of times going forward, but he didn’t play a generic wingback position, shuttling up and down the wing.

 

Zero percent.

For Pete's sake, Pochettino has told us the formations he's installing. None have 3 at the back.

I think this is a case of Poch taking a look at a guy like Lund in the last camp, and deciding that he's not up to the required level.

We want fresh eyes on a pool. This is what we're going to get.

Why did he take 5 CBs? I don't know. But Richards ain't match fit, so I don't know why he's there. Could be like McKennie at the last camp. A core player he wanted to bring in to get familiar with. I think its really the other four, and Richards is going to be one of the guys left out of the matchday squad.