Holes to be filled for 2005

That Llamosa got pulled back once Rusty went out would suggest there's something at work there, i.e. possible return.

 

Protecting Llamosa makes me think he is in their plans. But why did they protect Franchino over Pierce? From what Wynalda was saying it sounds like Franchino may be the Revs version of Nomar (although much less valuable in a trade) in 2005 if he doesn't get over the fact he was left unprotected. We now need someone for left midfield and Franchino/Leonard is not the answer.

 

Defense...Defense...Defense...oh and a left midfielder, too.

Right Back - Heaps - The Jerry Lewis of MLS - extremely accident prone.

Center Backs - Llamosa - Grandpa LL - probably smart but definitely slow
and Avery John - kinda like Pierce only not - hard tackle is a good think outside of the box

Left Back - Captain Nomar GI Joe Franchino - in order for the kung-fu grip to work you have to catch'em first.

Left mid - Leonard - getting better and will need to

 

If we had to field a team tomorrow for a competive game, I would be negative as well. However, that first game is 4-5 months away. I will wait until camp opens in February before I decide whether the sky is indeed falling.

 

Well the best defender coming out of the draft could possibly be Jack Stewart from Notre Dame.

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Sign Llamosa back, but to a lower contract, the same with Moore. Moore had surgery to correct his knee and he looks to see if he has one more year left in it. Maybe the Revs could split his pay and give him a coaching gig.

As for Franchino, I'd like to see an upgrade in that position but if not then so be it. Many of you are writing him off as the next Nomar but he did say this in the Herald;

Doesn't seem like too much of a problem.

Leonard could be our next left sided midfielder as he got a lot of playing time at that position during the "stretch run."

So the Revs need younger defenders, a super sub forward, and a left mid.

 

1) Restructure down JMM & Carlos contracts.
2) Point Howey in the direction of Newcastle. Start swimming.
3) Can Adin play next year? If no, make list of backup GK's.
4) Scout NCAA tourney for defenders.
5) Search Europe for defenders for January acquisition.
6) Send Leonard to Europe for off season training as a left mid.

 

Your instructions may be in no particular order but I think these two have to be at the top of the list. Get a defender from Europe (or somewhere else, just as long as he is experienced) to play central defense with what we hope a healthy Llamosa and then get defenders in the draft to play the outsides (at least one). Revs have the 5th pick overall.

 

I like this line up:

Twellman, Noonan
Dempsey, Pepe, Joseph, Ralston
Leonard, John, Llamosa, Heaps
Reis

one damn good sub: Joe-Max

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Now with a mix of new players, vets and rookies ... hopefully we'll see a bright 2005.

- Beastie

 

Well, let's see if we can get any MLS-ready players in the draft. Also, are we sure Joe-Max will be around next year? Any possiblity of an allocation this offseason?

Finally, we need help in the back. Would it be worth moving, say, Noonan to get that help?

 

It is quite simple, really.

Repeat after me (you too, Doc):

DEFENSE, DEFENSE, DEFENSE, DEFENSE.

Those are the holes.

Let's see if they can fill them.

 

It's also the same starting team that stunk up the first part of the season when Pierce was injured. It was only after Pierce returned that the defense started to settle down and Ralston could go back to his natural position.

I also think people are far too optimistic about Llamosa. In 2003, he was slowing down considerably and had to resort to some fairly desperate cardable fouls. With a season missed and a year older, I'm not thrilled at all with the prospect of him in the starting eleven.

I also think people are underestimating how difficult it's going to be for the Rev's to find decent replacements in the off-season. That's of course assuming they don't wait until the season's half way through again before signing their key foreign player(s).

Already people are looking at this past season with rose colored glasses. I just don't see this line-up as doing any better than struggling to stay out of last place like they did this year. I hope I'm wrong but I'm very skeptical that we will see any improvement next season.

 

and dispose a guy who has been in the league for only two years and has 10+ goals in each season?

i think not. unless the defender we get for him is damn good.

 

You could say this for any year the Revs have been in existence, couldn't you? Seems to me at every "Meet the Coach" the coach always says he's looking for someone to complete a good back line.

Are there any teams that don't say this?

Is the problem that there just aren't enough good, smart defenders in the pool?

 

I think the team needs defense and speed. If you want that through a trade, you have to hope you find a sucker who makes a mistake, or you trade something of value to get something of value.

I just think Twellman and Noonan are too similar to each other. Since Twellman can chase down more balls than Noonan, I'd be inclined to keep him.

I'd be happy to have them both playing for the Revs in '05, but if the opportunity for significantly upgrading the weak areas is there, I'd be ok with giving up Noonan.

 

It pains me to agree with you BigFrank .....but I do. If Heaps and Franchino start on the outside we are in some serious trouble. I would estimate that 30% of all goals against in 2004 were a result of Heaps being caught out of position, or ball watching. Another 20 % were due to lack of speed in the back, and another 10% were due to lack of defensive leadership.

The bunkerball of 2004 was a result of a midfield forced to help a very weak back line. Fix that and our midfielders can do their job and Twellman will explode.

(No, I'm NOT going to change my name to BigFrank2, and yes, I still think you're a moron).

 

I wouldn't consider 2004 a bunkerball year. A lot of our play came from the midfield. It's only when Franchino is in there that the Revs play bunkerball (since that's all he knows how to do). The outside backs is our main weakness. Luckily there isn't many good crossers in MLS to continously kill us but the forwards who would rather come in from the outside then down the middle (like the Moreno goal in the C.F.) will continue to burn us and we'll pay. Revs are 2 defenders short of the leagues' best defense, or 1 defender short of one of the league's best defense.

I have to believe that Nicol is satisfied with his midfield and forwards (he may want one younger faster forward) and is now looking to perfect his defense. If you recall last year's draft, after Marshall there was no real defender that stood out in the season. We all criticized Nicol because he didn't draft a defender but would you rather have him draft someone who couldn't get the job done or Andy Dorman.

 

Pretty much in agreement with several posters on this one: Defense, a left mid, and some speed, please. Worries me to have, uh, "Jerry Lewis", and "Treebeard," (hello Carlos), together. Avery too in the back - some nice tackling, but also many times he had to be rescued. No one is there to do it now. Jay can go forward, has scored, uses vertical leap well. I'm guessing, Nicol and Company saw more versitility in Jay than Rusty, who couldn't go forward, was not a threat over the halfway line, and was not good with the ball at his feet, (But, man, he was our best marker, ever). Joey's still here because of his dead ball left foot. Plus, Marshall, (although still suspect in the back), showed some promising runs and outstanding crosses towards the end - that was nice to see.

Thank JMM for his service to the Revs, we ALL loved his tenacity throughout his career - but it's over. He's been injured EVERY year for the past, what, 5 years, or so? Shut it down Joe-Max, and start building that roster for your Oklahoma expansion. (Plus, you'll need those legs to keep up with your son!!)

Yea, this is a nice little nucleus, but, that lack of speed at key positions is now a year older.


(Note to self: Time to review draft positions and who's out there.)

 

Yes, but unfortunately those defenders are named Ricardo Carvalho and Fabio Cannavaro.

 

The only player below the line (and you can include Joey in the group) that I wouldn't consider below average is possibly John, and that's if you ignore the fact that he killed us in the playoffs.

 

I was thinking the same thing.

Here's the problem - The best way to use the draft is to take the best player available regardless of position. We will never fix our defense with draft picks. Suppose, for example, we can draft the American version of Sean Wright-Phillips, Corey Ashe. He may need a year before he is a regular starter, but IMO may be an unbelievable left mid some day. We shouldn't pass him up for a merely good college defender (since supposedly there are almost no outstanding college defenders coming out this year.)

The question is, can we get three starting defenders through allocations and discoveries before March? Could we "discover" Guy Melamed?

Ba-da-dump

 

I don't think anyone has mentioned Dorman as a starter for next year but he is a definite possibility. He became the first choice sub towards the end of the year and I thought he did particularly well. Steve seems to favor him and he brings a lot of speed and aggressivness to the offense.