What's truly shocking about MLS in general is the complete lack of interest in increasing the salary cap. I could see how the salary cap should stay small when the league started, but it just makes too much logical sense that if core players throughout the league have their salaries increased, then the salary cap must also increase to keep the talent in MLS. Otherwise, you have the situation we have--the break-up of talented teams. It seems very short-sighted. Instead of raising the level of the league, the small salary cap just ends up pulling all teams down to a certain level of mediocrity.
I think "jumped ship" is pretty accurate. I highly believe that Bob knew what was coming and he left trying not to step on any toes.
This is exactly how new businesses go under. They forget the first rule- you gotta spend money to make money. Sometimes spending too little is even worse than spending too much.
With all the moves that have been made, can you believe we still have the worst field player on the team? I guess you have to offer a player someone actually wants in order for them to give up even a conditional draft pick in the year 2525. I'm just surprised Bob Bradley hasn't given up the entire MetroStars roster for his "all-star" player yet. Well, there is still time for maneuvering with the draft, and we still have 3 months before the first real games. After Kovalenko, Nowak, and Wolff are gone, here's to hoping we have at least 4 ceremonies for former players at Cardinal Stadium in 2003. P.S. In case you're wondering, I'm talking about Jesse Marsch. Should be obvious, but I didn't want people to have to guess too much.
You are a dumbass. Marsch was worse than Jason "2 Beer Slut" Moore? Worse than Billy "Mitten Clips" Walsh? Worse than Miguel "Who?" Saavedra? I'd lobby in fact that taking into account all the minutes he played in midfield this season, Marsch was our BEST midfield player this past year. You're a big joker.
Those were all quality minutes, I might add. Especially all those times he slowed down the pace of the midfield, passed the ball to the other team, all those lob ass passes to the other side of the field, and my personal favorite, his passes that go out of bounds.
Did you forget that those players you are comparing Marsch with were all cut at the end of the season? Saavedra played as much as I did, and Moore was hurt, but I felt played well for a guy who I felt coming in was a scrub. Billy Walsh is on par with Marsch if you actually watch the games. His passes are better, but he is slower than Marsch. I just feel the Fire stopped one player too short when they encountered the first period for waiving players. To say Jesse was our BEST midfielder would only mean he won an award of attrition because no other midfielder was able to play the whole season either due to injury or world cup duty or both. Oh, and players that are unavailable due to national team duty are gone because they are actually GOOD players! Two big names that come to mind are Chris Armas, who was hurt playing with the national team, and DaMarcus Beasley, both midfielders who hide Jesse's weaknesses very well.
Marsch is the most versatle midfielder on the Fire squad and this saved our asses last year when we needed him to play a different position almost every game. He had to sub in for Nowak when Nowak was injured and it was obvious that Dema couldn't do the job and then he had to sub in for Armas when Chris got hurt. Of course Jesse couldn't out-Nowak Nowak or out-Armas Armas. To expect this would be proof of genetic predisposition to suboptimal cranial performance. The point, however, is that no other Fire player could have played BOTH roles when we needed him. In fact, precious few players in all of MLS could have done what Marsch did in 2002. He and Ante carried the team last year. Period. In the time of laughably rinky-dink MLS roster sizes, versatiltiy makes a player exteremely valuable and Marsch is the soccer equivalent of a Swiss Army knife. Now go back under your bridge and let us grown-ups talk.
That and being A meglomaniac Jackass who wants total control and doesnt want to let in other investors. Phukhed Phil "YOU CANT PLAY WITH MY TOYS!!"
Posted by joseph pakovits... The point, however, is that no other Fire player could have played BOTH roles when we needed him. In fact, precious few players in all of MLS could have done what Marsch did in 2002. He and Ante carried the team last year. Period. In the time of laughably rinky-dink MLS roster sizes, versatiltiy makes a player exteremely valuable and Marsch is the soccer equivalent of a Swiss Army knife. Now go back under your bridge and let us grown-ups talk. [/B][/QUOTE] And with Marsch and Razov leading the team, the Fire endured its first losing season ever and its lowest playoff seeding. Unless Armas has honed some Nowak-like offensive skills, Kelly Gray has matured, or the team drafts a playmaker that has one hell of a rookie season, I wouldn't expect any better of a year at this point. Jesse Marsch is very much like a swiss army knife. Most of his attributes are also useless. P.S. Please do not quote things I don't say. We've been through this before. Also, if you're gonna put words in my mouth, come up with something new. You already did the "Jesse Marsch stole my woman and ran over my dog" one, you unoriginal SOB. Have a nice day.
Because due to the worst injury and call-up crisis ever suffered by any MLS team ever they were surrounded by a constantly rotating cast of A-leaguers and emergency players who normally wouldn't even have been on an MLS roster. You can put Zidane and Owen in the middle of Walsh, Vaudreuil, Sleeth, Moore and a couple A-Leaguers and you'd get only slightly better results. The amazing thing is that despite all that and our back line's habit of giving up late goals, we STILL made the play-offs when any other team in the league would have folded like deck chairs if they'd had the same injury list. Without Marsch and Razov (and Bradley's coaching, to be fair) last year, we would've finished dead last and not made the play-offs at all. Ah, NOW I know whose sock puppet you are. I should have recognized the tendency towards revisionist history. You make as little sense here as you did in Politics. Oh, and your constant nonsensical moaning about Marsch is somehow "original"?
Yes, injuries left us to rely on Marsch to lead instead of him being a role player, and you can't argue with the results, which were the worst in team history. And making the playoffs isn't anything to hang your hat on when 8 of 10 teams make it. I'm glad they made it. I have no problem with going to an extra soccer game, but it's not a huge achievement, especially when you get wiped away as they did in the first round. Somehow, I think Zidane and Owen would help just a bit on an MLS roster. Yes, even with hyperbole, you can go too far. I wish you all would stop kissing Bradley's ass, Marsch's ass, and most of all Peter Wilt's ass. Just because he posts on here doesn't mean you have to bury your nose in his rear. He's been a great GM, and has always had success with his teams, and I can't nor will I deny that. But this lemming following you have of him borders on disgusting. I like him, too, but damn, you all must have a crush on him and hang posters in your rooms or something. He is certainly the most personable and probably the most successful executive currently in Chicago sports, but we don't have to make up for the hatred we all have for the other teams' owners/GMs by kissing up in an extreme way to Mr. Wilt. I think you're all just scared of him because he is a BigSoccer member. Don't worry, one less compliment won't mean they'll turn down your renewal of season tickets. It doesn't work that way. P.S. And your support of Marsch isn't very original. At least I'm one of a couple people who posts on here that thinks a bit differently than the 10 of you who consistently post on this board. Look up the word "unique," in a thesaurus, and you just might find the word "original" listed as a synonym.
Question for NoMoreMarsch: Just for the sake of intelligent discussion, who would you rather see in Marsch's position from MLS that could be had at the same or a lower salary. Basically, we don't need to go past your handle to know how you feel about him, but who would you feel would be a good player to be in his place?
First off, I want to say that is by far the best response I've ever gotten to one of my posts. It was intelligent, fair, and actually to the point. You didn't even say if you agreed with me or not. You just asked a good question. I'd applaud you right now, but I'm too busy typing. Anyway, in regards to replacing Marsch, it is difficult to find someone I feel is better than him at the same price or cheaper becuase I don't know what anyone makes in MLS. But, I'm not going to hide behind that and not answer the question. Colorado's Pablo Mastroeni would be ideal as a defensive midfielder alongside Chris Armas, but his being a part of the World Cup team in 2002 might make his salary higher than Jesse's. Richard Mulrooney of the Earthquakes is also a good defensive midfielder who actually knows how to transition to offense as well. These are two players that would make Jesse into an A-Leaguer in a heartbeat. Finally, I don't even think we need to look outside the current team to find a replacement. If the Fire continue to play a 3-5-2, then Evan Whitfield would be more than capable to take a defensive midfielder role with Armas. Whitfield is faster, younger, a better ball handler, and at least as good if not better at tracking back and covering as Mr. Marsch. Jesse should be no more than a sub for the Fire when you have talent like the Fire have with a healthy Whitfield in the mix. But, thanks again for posting very, very intelligently. Your post was the ideal for furthering a healthy discussion about the team we all care about rather than degenerating it into a playground taunting forum.
Nope, with the speed, work rate, defensive abilities that Evan has, he belongs on the outside -- either outside mid/wing in a 3-5-2 or an outside back in a 4-4-2. If we get a solid attacking mid either through trade or in the draft, I'd put Kelly Gray alongside Chris Armas. If we don't get an attacking mid, put Gray at the AM spot and I'll keep Marsch.
First, I'd like to address one of our wonderful moderators, HalaMadrid. Since you had that picture of Mastroeni so readily available, it must be your computer wallpaper or the opening page of your homepage if you have one. If you don't think that Mastroeni is a hard nosed player because of that picture or others like it, then you must not have seen the past couple of seasons of MLS or those games he played in the USA's run to the quarterfinals in the World Cup in June. He basically played Armas' position and held things together despite not seeming to be as good with the ball as Armas. Then again, I wouldn't expect you to look away from Pablo's pose long enough to notice that. Also, if you want to bring up modeling as something to put an athlete down for, I recall you saying repeatedly that Josh Wolff was your favorite player. I remember in either 2001 or 2000 there being some pictures in a magazine where Josh was doing some modeling of his own. Now to someone who actually addressed the question at hand. I agree with Kevbrunton that Whitfield's abilities and speed make him a better fit on the outside. Changing the formation to the 4-4-2 would be a good idea and let him play the outside with Bocanegra and Curtin in the middle with CJ Brown on the other side. As long as Jesse's a sub at best on this team, then I'm quite satisfied. Thanks for keeping the post intelligent and having some good and accurate insight, though.