Ugh. Nowak might want to put the jersey on. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A19494-2004Jul27.html Nellie out 4-6 weeks. Q1 another month.
Obviously, Kasper cannot see the forest for the trees. If he could, we wouldnt be in this situation to begin with. SOMEONE has to be held accountable for the mess that this club has turned into over the last several seasons.
Quote: "Obviously, having Nellie out is a big loss, but we've got quality defenders and depth," United technical director Dave Kasper said. Perhaps Kasper was reading the 1997 roster when he uttered this quote....
I don't know what this guy is thinking but usually a team fresh off a 5-1 pasting doesn't have "quality defenders and depth"
The only quality defenders DCU has left is Namoff and Ezra. Predieux is a questional defender, as was Petke before his injury and the rest are playing horrible. So where is the depth....I can't see it? And now who will back up Perkins? Is Warren a floating MLS keeper?
At some point DC has to quit thinking "bad luck" and take a hard look at possible reasons for this. I've never heard of a situation where so many players on one team have problems that recur over and over again. Do our trainers suck? Or our doctors? I just can't believe it's all a coincidence.
I'm not making excuses for Kasper in this, but what would you rather him say? Would it had been a better quote to say, "our defenders are a load of crap." He said what he needed to say from a PR perspective and that's all. Having said that, I have a sinking feeling about this season now.
I see what you're saying but something like this would be more appropriate IMO: "We need to address our defense and try to improve it anyway we can. Losing Nellie is a huge blow. In the future we need certain players to step it up while Nellie is absent..."
With Nellie out and probably gone at seasons end some major trades/aquistion need to take place very soon with an eye toward next season. DCU is not going anywhere with this roster now or in the future, Payne/Kasper wake-up and do some major moves boys. Forget the injuries, this team is not strong when the whole roster is available.
Yes, yes I would. At least it would give most of us the sense the bastard gives a fvck about this team. This BS about Oh we need to bring our game, we didn't work to our potential, we are doing "OK" IS driving me nuts! If I fvcked up and performed as poorly as this defense has at work I would have been fired, at home I would have been divorced, on my home I would be in the streets with no house. Fvck the PR it's obvious it isn't doing us any good anyway. All the PR in the world won't bring us a Cup will it? Popularity doesn't win matches, healthy strong teams with good depth do. Sorry, no coffeee yet....
I've had my coffee and I'm still STEAMING MAD! Someone please fire Kasper the ghost. Are aquisitions have been taking DECADES to complete, we've got so many injuries and changes on our roster we look like a AAA baseball team. And lord of mighty how can anyone say we have depth after that horrible 5-1 spanking we took in Dallas, given we called up a no-namer from the Northern Virginia Royals?!?!? OK I need to close the door to my office now and scream!
I'd like to suggest that Nelsen use a different surgeon than Q1. I hope we don't "rush into anything" and sign replacements. Plenty of time to fill the holes in the offseason.....
OK, God that felt good.... On a lighter note, Neliie, Nick, Tino, my prayers are with you on your surgeries, for more than one reason I wish you all a speedy recovery. GLGB
I think the "quality & depth" comment, which is obviously a load of BS, was a feeble attempt to not look desperate to the people we might be talking to about trades/acquisitions. We need to salvage what we can from this season and build for next season but somewhere along the line someone needs to take responsibility for this mess.
Time to focus the on next season.....period. This one is done. If we sqeak into the play offs, we will get pasted. Make it the #1 priority to sign the Big Cat. ...and then make sure to keep Nellie, as these injuries will scare off the european teams. Get a rock solid defence in place for next year, and then let the rest fall into place....
I was thinking the same thing. This is unbelievable. We may not be over the salary cap but we sure are over the injury and surgery cap. Who the hell pays for all of this surgery? You gotta believe this is eating into the bottom line of DCU. Meanwhile, our porous defense will stay that way thru the majority of the season. Kasper and Payne are gonna have to earn their money to get us to the end of the season. I am wondering if we can pull a solid team together for the rest of the season? Seems like it will just be a trial for next year. Bartender, lin'em up.
I seriously doubt this. Nelson is a solid defender with an injury that is not career threatening. He will cost his next team $0 in transfer fees and has no work permit issues. If I'm wrong on this, let me know where but I see him having alot of options in December when his contract with MLS expires. For MLS and Nelson, it would have been better to sell him this summer (this obviously would have been the worst case for DCU). But if this were a real possibility, why didn't we have a transfer strategy/plan to deal with this real possibility? Such a strategy would have also helped us now that he is effectively out for the season injured.
OK feeling better. I understand the idea of shifting focus to next season, and I think that is on the minds of everyone at DC United. I also must say I refuse to give in. This anger is what hopefully some of these players are beginning to feel, and instead of it clouding their play I hope it energizes it. All those who are starting now because of injuries to other players. PROVE you are worthy to be on that field. There are 1,0000's of people wanting you to pull up your shorts and stop jacking off! (that goes for you too Front Office!) I would say something like "Well the Dallas Whipping was against our C team." but that C team may very well be the new starting lineup.... Miracles do happen and they have happened. Not until the final whistle am I giving in....until then I will walk around in a drunken stupor...surely it will help.
Maybe Diceson can answer this but what are the training facilities like at the auxiliary field? Do the players have a place there they can work out and do cardio exercises, weight training, etc. The amount of injuries this team has is unbelievable. I don't recall seeing an injury list this big when United had their own facility at the old Redskin park.
I don't know what it is about office buildings in Washington, DC but these people can't make a decent contingency plan to save their lives. After two years of injury-laden seasons, Kasper is still surprised that a lot of injuries can happen? Chances are he should have seen this coming. While I'm unwilling to throw in the towel on this season, chances are we need to get team 'C' some minutes and hope something astounding happens -- they get good. Even Ray Hudsen would have to play rookies this year.
That's it, season over. Now looking towards next year here is our "core": Martins, Q1 & Q2: never will play another minute for DCU. Martins is late 20's and has blown out the same ACL twice. Q1, what a tragedy. Makes a splash at 16 and then can't stay healthy to save his soul. This recent bought of 3? surgeries this year in the same area suggests that Q1 is like Bo Jackson and Mark Bavaro -- out of the game with a freak injury. Q2 has had pins in his leg from the fracture. Does anyone think he can really come back and be a quality player after such a serious injury? Look at Olsen after the ankles. He used to be gritty and electric flying down the wing. Now he's just gritty and playing in the middle of the field. (No knock on Olsen, I'd put him on my tean anyday, it's just that he is not the same player he was before the injury.) Nelsen -- gone to Europe Stewart -- gone, can't pay max salary for hard work and clubhouse leadership Rimando -- gone to Chivas in expansion probably What's left: Forwards: Moreno, Esky, Adu, Thompson Midfield: Olsen, Gros, Dema, Kuffour, Carroll & Ara Defense: Petke, EZ, Namoff, Stokes, Prideaux Goal: Perkins Effectively 8 of these remaining players are rookies this year. Moreno is year to year and he will undoubtedly want more money next year. Plus we owe the Metros a draft choice for his acquisition. Also, other than Rimando. one or more of these players will be exposed for Chivas and SLC in the expansion. Let's see, no real draft picks next year, OK sports fans, what would you do?