Renews my faith in Nowak. These didn't seem like standard pre-season pieties. Esky seems focused and ready to prove himself, and I for one still have faith in the kid.
Interesting stuff. I'm really getting a lot more confident about the season. Would certainly like to see some more offensive output no doubt, but I'm not feeling as doomed as I have been for most of the winter. (Of course, that's probably just the Mr. Delusional side of me talking ) Also wonder if this is what Nowak is thinking lineup-wise? Rimando/Warren Petke/Namoff Nelsen Prideaux Olsen Dema Stewart Mr. X Convey Cerritos/Moreno Esky Mr X may end up being someone already on the roster like Q/Freddy/Q2/Carroll whoever, but I think he's actively looking for a leftie discovery player to fill that role. This would be a pretty good starting team and plenty of reserve players for every position except maybe Olsen, but in a pinch lots of guys could play out there. Anyway, that's what struck me while reading the article.
At least Esky has goals. He has the ability to score, maybe if he gets extended playing time he will find his niche on this team.
I doubt these guys mean to do it in these interviews, but Hudson really just sounds worse and worse with every one of them.
I don't know if Hudson sounds worse, it's just I think that Hudson just ran a different type of ship, one that would probably have run a lot smoother after two or three seasons of Nowak's style. Hudson may not have been an enforcer of professionalism, but those players on the team that weren't professionals would also be to blame. As for the article, great job Dyson. Those were some really good questions. Let's all hope Alecko gets the chance to showcase his skills. He is right about one thing. He has played a lot of games with Landon, DeMarcus, and Bobby... and done very well in those games. Let's see if he has what it takes to put his name next to them.
I think Nowak has probably told people: "the past is the past. We're a class organization. Take responsibility, don't go blaming things on prior coaches or administrations." So we don't hear guys piling on Hudson (like players ALWAYS do when a coach leaves). That said...you do hear the eagerness for discipline, the higher standards, the equality among the team and how well everyone responds to it and feel worse about Hudson. I think we'll have a team with less individual talent this year but far more "team talent" (ie: perform much better as a team). I'm not prepared yet to say Eskandarian is going to get us 12 goals this season (which would be the poacher/finisher we're looking for). He could be that guy. But until I see some evidence I'm holding out. But his "talk" sounds good. Now let's see his "walk." And Dyson--thanks a bunch once again!
Check. Esky's comments at least confirm what I was thinking. All the turmoil of last season had a little to do with his psych - I for one am willing to give him the benefit of the doubt. I'm looking for big things from him this season.
Thanks Dyson. I liked the tone of the article, but really, there are two bits of information from it that are enticing: 1) Namoff to play RIGHT BACK, and 2) Stewart to play DMID along with Kovalenko I doubt Namoff plays right back in a 352, because with a starting tandem of Petke and Nelsen, coupled with Stokes and Prideaux, that's a pretty deep group of center backs. Unless two of them were missing for whatever reason, Namoff wouldn't really be fighting for a spot there. So, clearly he sees the team playing a four man back line (442 or 451/433). I suspected Nowak would play that, and this is further evidence that he's probably leaning towards 442. Stewart and Kovalenko are probably being looked at as combination players. While Dema mentions that they're being considered as Dmids, I suspect that this would only be in a 352, as Stewart isn't really qualified to be a sole Dmid, but rather a contributing two-way player. So, I suspect that one of the two plays wing while the other plays Dmid, but that they help out ball-winning in midfield and covering for one another. Both Kovalenko and Stewart are good at moving forward from deep positions when lightly marked/unmarked and taking a good shot. I'm guessing Olsen starts at the other wing midfield, with Freddy the first sub for either wing, and a starter when circumstances dictate. It could also mean that Freddy is also being considered for a spot as a withdrawn forward, which IMHO, will be his eventual position. We might even play a little Ajax 433 or 42121 and line-up something like this: ---------------------Striker--------------------- -----------Convey-------------Freddy----------- -------Olsen--------Kovalenko------Stewart----- Prideaux/Carroll---Nelsen---Petke---------Namoff While I'm not particularly enamored with this 451/Christmas-Tree formation, it can easily morph into the equally uninspiring 433. My fears are that A) the striker is stranded up top without help, we play too direct, and we generate little offense, or B) we get too spread out and concede central midfield defensively too often putting a tremendous strain on our center backs and Rimando. Hopefully, we'll play something like this: --------------Freddy-------Striker--------------- --------------------Convey--------------------- -------Olsen------Kovalekno------Stewart------- Carroll/Prideaux----Nelsen----Petke--------Namoff I think this is more realistic, with Freddy possibly playing a wing midfield position and Stewart shifting up top. -Digital
Personally, I think it would be a mistake to play Stewart out on either wing.. I can't recall a single good performance from him on either position last season.. You either play Earnie in central midfield with Convey and Dema in a 3-5-2 or you have him as the speed option up top as one of the forwards.. I know Earnie is no spring chicken as far as age goes, but he is in ridiculous shape and still has that burst of speed that we are desperately missing up top.. While I know Earnie is capable of doing the job on either wing, I really think he has to minimize his role on this team.. In other words, he can't be spread too thin like he was last season by playing nearly every offensive position from midfield on up and often playing multiple positions from game to game and ridiculously, from half to half at times.. Nowak needs to find a way to cement roles with key personnel and stick with it.. This in my opinion was the major flaw with Hudson.. He was too much of a "what did you do for me today" type of coach.. Instead of trying to create some structure, Hudson often flew by the seat of his pants and played the person who was hot at the moment without any thought of cohesion and structure..
What about the game away at Dallas in the 2nd half when he and Convey flipped positions. Stewart played well on the left wing and Convey scored a brace.
I'll give you that, but it gives more credence to my theory that he was being pulled in too many directions.. Stewart was a victim of Hudson and Trask's inability to recognize that Convey is a special player, when put in a position to succeed.. Convey's only shortcoming on the whole matter was that he happened to be left footed, which cemented why he played on the left wing.. For the life of me I can't possibly fathom why Hudson/Trask didn't at least give Bobby an opportunity to play centrally on a consistent basis.. They both have said in public that they felt he didn't have the complete game to play there, yet they felt good enough to put a defensive seive like Etcheverry out there game in and game out knowing what a liability and strain he would be on his fellow midfielders.. Hudson said this to me on air during the season while doing the Soccer Show and I'm as puzzled now as to his tactics then as I am now.. Convey's brilliance in the middle for the U-20's, Olympic team and good play for The Bruce should have at least warrented him consideration.. The fact that he goes straight away into the middle this season says volumes to the lack of foresight from Hudson/Trask..
Reading the starting line-up for the Tecos match, it looks like Namoff was starting in a 3 man defense (along side Petke and Nelsen). And we know that the Coach said that he would start implementing his "plan" while they were in mexico, so it's possible a 3-5-2 or 3-4-3 are in the plans. Speaking of the starting line-up for that match, there were 4 midfielders listed: Olsen, Kovalenko, Stewart, and Convey. Gros was also mentioned in the line-up (possibly playing on the wing), but I thought he had been playing quite a bit up top in the previous scrimages. So, I'd imagine we're either looking at something like this: --------------Rimando/Warren------------ -------Namoff-----Nelsen------Petke------- -----------------Kovalenko------------------ ---Olsen----------Stewart----------Gros---- ------------------Convey------------------- -----------Cerritos------Eskandarian-------- or --------------Rimando/Warren------------ -------Namoff-----Nelsen------Petke------- -----------------Kovalenko------------------ ---Olsen-----------------------Stewart---- ------------------Convey------------------- --------Gros-----Cerritos---Eskandarian---
Out of those two I like the first one more since it doesn't leave Kovalenko as the lone D-mid while the 3-5-2 gives him Stewart as support and they can be interchanged. Also, while Stewart is in great shape for his age I don't think he has the pace to cover a wing by himself so, better to stick him into a position where he can succeed for a long period of time, central midfield. Lastly, interesting to see Gros as a starter.
Well that would surprise me frankly, as I'd probably have Stokes starting in a 3 man backline ahead of Namoff, just to give us more speed and size. But assuming that it is the starting lineup, I think Stewart plays either in the center or to the right, because his crossing from the right side is by far the best on the team at this point. I'm guessing that the lineup mentioned might look like this: ------------Cerritos---------Gros--------------- --------------------Convey-------------------- Eskandarian-----Kovalenko----Stewart-----Olsen -----------Nelsen----Petke----Namoff---------- I'd suggest that if this was the lineup, then it would be with the thinking that Freddy would start at left wing. But, I think this is an experimental lineup, so get a closer look at Gros. Cerritos needs time to mesh with the midfielders, and it's probably a good idea to let the back line get to know one another, so experimenting in the midfield is the sort of thing you'd want to do now, as opposed to a few weeks from now. I'd suspect that this lineup doesn't reflect the one that will open against San Jose. I would expect to see either Stokes or Prideaux in place of Namoff if we go for a 3 man backline. Olsen may play either/both wings, and Stewart may not become a full-time Dmid. But it is very interesting. -Digital
I think that the comment about not having the complete game to play in the center was more Hudson's views on the mental side of Convey's game rather than a comment about his offensive and defensive skills as opposed to Marco. I think he felt that Convey without a doubt had the skills to play in the center, but not the knowledge to play there effectively on his lonesome. Even the game against Dallas used as an example showed his point. Convey indeed scored two goals, but on the flip side it was his man Gbandi that scored the gamewinner for Dallas. That's kind of the agony of the Boy Genius. He's such a lovely footballer, yet strangely doesn't really win games for his team, at least not yet. Point being that Convey can attack like the dickens and really unbalance defenses, but he doesn't really know when to hold up and play possession when flailing upfield is not on. There's more to playing the center than just driving to goal all the time. He's also got to be the brains of the team and control the flow if that's what's needed. That may well be why Nowak is playing both Stewart and Dema behind Bobby. They could be seen as being more postionally and tactically sound than Bobby and are guarding his back so he now can do the attacking and game-winninng that was expected of Marco last year. Hopefully, the plan works, but there's no call to continue Ray bashing just because he didn't play Bobby in the center last year. At least wait until Bobby actually succeeds before crowing about how smart Nowak is.
From what I read there, it doesn't sound like we'll be playing 3 in the back. Namoff is describing a right fullback spot in a 4-man back line. It sounds like we'll be playing either a box midfield 4-4-2 or a 4-5-1 with 2 holding mids. So something like... Namoff-Petke-Nelsen-Prideaux -----Stewart-Kovalenko ----Olsen--------Convey ------Cerritos-Esky (or Moreno-Gros, or....) or Namoff-Petke-Nelsen-Prideaux -----Stewart-Kovalenko Olsen----Convey----Adu --------Cerritos/Gros/Esky/Moreno/etc I guess you could call Namoff a WB in a 3-5-2 and go with something like... ----Petke-Nelsen-Prideaux Namoff-Stewart-Dema-Olsen -----------Convey -------Cerritos-Esky But it doesn't sound like Namoff is anticipating that position being an option.
Gloves are off now Mikey.. Well, I've seen Bobby succeed in past and in present from that center midfield position regardless if it was at the tail end of the 02' MLS season or if it was with three different National Team squads, it's obvious to anyone with a decent soccer brain that Bobby flourishes in the middle and struggles somewhat out on the left wing.. The fact that Nowak at least recognizes this and said so from the git-go with his discussions with Dyson tells me he knows a good thing when he sees it.. I didn't buy the "mental side" of the argument when Ray told us that on the air then and I don't buy it now.. Bobby cleary enjoys playing in the middle of the field and his performance against Holland, in Holland should tell you that he is more than capable of doing the job on both sides of the ball.. And for what it's worth, since when is it the central midfielders job to mark an outside defender on a corner kick? Never really seen Etcheverry mark many players in the box on corners.. It seems to me it might be one of our defenders jobs to mark the bigger players coming through on corners.. Convey may have been the closest to Gbandi when he scored, but he probably wasn't responsible for him..
I think you're starting to get warmer with the box midfield idea. People get too tied into the notion of a diamond four midfield in a 4-4-2, without realizing that it's just not suited to our personnel. Especially if your stated intention is for the outside backs to get more involved and jumpstart the attack. That means you're leaning on the outside backs to provide the width in your attack, and you're not looking to the outside mids to play as wings. Instead, you shift to a box four--which not coincidentally fits Convey's skillset more closely than the traditional #10 role--with two guys supporting deep and two guys cut loose to attack. Or, you could go to a 4-5-1 with two holding mids and three players running high. One thing that's got to happen one way or the other is that someone has to emerge on the left. Either Adu takes on that left flank role, or one of our trialists goes on a tear, or something. Right now, we're a very right-sided team, with the notable exception of Bobby, who we know is going to play centrally. We'll have to wait and see. But I'll admit the waiting would be easier if someone would score a goal ...