I also mostly like what Khiry has done as RB but he was one best positioned to prevent the Toluca player from scoring the winning goal.
Shelton does "fine" at RB, he's not standing out in his play, his 1v1 defending is fine, he doesn't know the position and that leads him to not being in the right position a lot. Similar to Davis last year to this year, with enough film teams will start to really exploit that. The team needs a better option at RB.
Ok, we all know the SKC roster is weak compared to almost all of the MLS teams and probably every Liga MX team. The poor personnel decisions by the FO and naive funding attitudes by ownership gave us this team. We shouldn’t be surprised by some of the results but we are frustrated that we have to see them week after week. Toluca is a strong LMX side and it is not an insult to lose to them, but just frustrating to see our guys misfiring on shots, making bad passes, and being out-played. Bottom line is, I feel better now that I have given up all hope (at least for this season). I watch each week with no expectation of the team winning, but am happy if they do. Otherwise, it’s almost time for Premier League, Seria A, La Liga, and Bundesliga.
A couple more interesting facts about SKC and Toluca. Attendance, Toluca averaged about 25,000 in it's most recently concluded season (as they're only five games in this season). Right now, SKC is averaging 23,000, but that's thanks to the Messi game. Even so, it isn't night and day. Ticket prices, at least on Viago or whatever that is, are about the same. I can't compare the TV deals, because LigaMX allows each side to make their own contract for in-Mexico broadcasts. Wikipedia claims that each MLS club makes about $9 million from Apple while the average LigaMX side makes $7m from TC rights.No idea if this is close to accurate Forbes claims SKC has $65 m in revenue in 2023, $66 in expenses. Meanwhile, LigaMX sides, according to Wiki (because I can't do the link from here) has a total league revenue of $555m (MLS is at $1.8 billion in their comparison). Anyhoo, it looks pretty clear that MLS is actually making more money that LigaMX, and LigaMX is absolutely spending more on/developing more valuable, players.
This 100%. Davis played long enough that people got some real tape on him. Then he was solved and suddenly he's struggling. Shelton will be the same. We need to sign an RB. Badly. Shelton and Davis have both been great in their utility roles, but both ultimately have a ceiling that a long-term, intentionally-signed RB wouldn't struggle with.
The team needs better options at: LB, CB, CB, RB AM LW, CF, RW HC Besides that, its a roster of stars
My biggest wonder, right now, about our current roster, is why we aren't moving Salloi. I know, within MLS his value has to have dropped, but also within MLS, people have seen what he can produce. He needs a change of scenery. We need production from that position. TM lists his value at $5m, and there are a lot of clubs around the world who use TM numbers are real values. Sell him overseas or swap him for GAM or a player who could help us. Every other club in MLS does this sort of thing. Also, LukeD failed to note that our GK will be 39 next season.
This is true, but we watched this work well with Zusi, better RB than he was a wing, IMO. We watched BMunch do this with Davies, and within 3 years turn him into one of, if not as many say the, best on the planet. I mean, three years in, he was on an All-World 11 of the Guardians. Davis is a better chance, though i do like him in the midfield. he's extremely active. Shelton doesn't have much time, but the growth of defensive nous is really impressive. He stripped the ball from several players for Toluca, and Toluca has very good people on the ball. You can game plan against him, but that's the case with anyone, against that, he's fast as a RB. He looks fast. I know, just as fast up top, but always looked slow up top, and useless. What I saw that needs work: He doesn't deal with switches naturally, and he may never. But given the choice of him or Pierre? It's now him, though entirely because I don't believe KP will ever be healthy. The realilty is that LukeD is correct, we need an entirely new team. there are maybe 10 people worth keeping. But we are not going to replace 19 people. What I'm saying is that while I wanted him gone, and still think he's overpriced, for the first time in a while, i think he has some value. I won't be pissed if getting rid of Shelton is not now a priority. Also, we really need to see where Ndembe is post rehab. He was an MLS top 3 LB when he went down. If he's nowhere near that, then move on.
You can’t compare Shelton to Zusi, let alone Davies. Davies is an elite player, Zusi was still a borderline international winger when he made the switch. They’re miles ahead of where Shelton is or ever will be.
Do I expect Shelton to reach Zusi levels as a right back? No. But Zusi made the switch in 2016, he was 29. half a season into the experiment, when he was the regular starter, he was very solid. The switch can be made with success and Shelton's speed is an asset in that role. they say his engine is good and I've never bought that in attack, but he's better in the back. His passing has improved by levels of magnitude with the field in front of him, as has his ball handling. I am impressed with how quickly his 1 v 1 defending has developed. Okay, it's lemonade out of rotten lemons, but we're not buying out his contract, it's good through the end of 2025. PV will almost certainly pick up his option. I see more value in him there then up top. He's a decent depth piece/injury starter as a right back. yes, overpriced, but that's what it is. Is he flawed, yeah. So are most depth pieces in MLS. Davies spent a couple years figuring out the position. He was bad at some aspects. Kicker thought he was shit. But he brought things that made it worthwhile to let him grow. He figured it out. Davies is ridiculously better than every outside back in MLS. Alba included, and maybe Alba at his peak. That shelton will match him is not the point. It's that players can adapt and grow into new roles.
It's not about matching either of them, it's the idea that because the switch worked well with them that it will work well with Shelton. I get trying to find somewhere for Shelton to play b/c you have to justify his contract somehow, and the front 3 certainly isn't it, but let's not make it out like Shelton has been some kind of revelation at RB. He's doing many of the same things he did as a forward that got him playing time there under PV, just further back on the field. He's a depth piece at best being paid way more than he is worth contract wise.
So, for Columbus, no Radoja and no Memo. That means our midfield will be a double pivot of Davis and Walter
After watching that performance I feel that even if we make it past Indy 11 we will not beat Seattle or LAFC. On a positive note my backyard shed got a new roof today.
At least I can get back to watching this team (no matter how shitty they are) now that they're out of the GC^2.
This quote is so dejecting, even the players know they and the team aren’t good enough/in the same league. SKC's Johnny Russell on #Crew96: "I've watched them a lot, second time I've seen them live, and for me, they're the best team that I've played here. And it sucks because you know when you're playing games like that, it just shows you how far you are off that level of quality."— Charles Boehm (@cboehm) August 10, 2024
What a terrible indictment and complete confirmation of the dismal condition of this team. Is anybody in management or ownership listening?
Hard words from the captain and fan favorite. If he's looking around feeling like this team can't compete, you know pretty much the whole squad is thinking about it.
Well, obviously we can't match up with a place such as Columbus. I mean by population: KC 2.22 million. Columbus: 2.18 million! So, obviously, Columbus has a massive edge in local homegrown talent. Meanwhile, media household income for KC, $64,000, while in Columbus it's all the way up to $61,000? Although, the cost of living in Columbus is slightly higher than it is in KC, but surely that's also an advantage. So, obviously, Columbus has richer fans with more disposable income, pouring that extra cash into their club. And, I mean, it shows, according to Forbes, SKC revenue $65 million. Columbus Crew: $61 million. Though the value of Columbus is $640 million, while SKC is way, way behind, at $630 million. All the numbers just shout loudly that there is no way we should compare ourselves to a club like the Crew. We should just be thankful it was only 8-0 over two games. By the numbers, I mean, wow, we should have won. Vermes out.
8 - 0 in two games will do that to you. CBus are 10 years behind KC on the soccer curve but the stories are similar. Both teams owned by Lamar Hunt. Both cities almost lost their MLS original club. Both cities had local ownership step in, buy the club and build a stadium. KC had success immediately after that saga. CBus is as well. We're currently on the down slope they are at the apex. Biggest difference between the two is CBus understood that Caleb Porter is shit and moved on. Now....what will KC do given its so obvious, even to our players, that the club is shit? How does KC go from being at the bottom to something more respectable, and can they do it before fans move on to other things?
It's just 1 thing when fans or analysts say it, it just hits different when your own players say it themselves, that resignation is usually not something stated publicly by players/coaches.
Johnny has some history with making comments like this. During that early stretch last season (that lasted a full third of the season) he was clearly gutted after one loss. It might have been St. Louis. He said something along the lines of the team being broken and how he couldn't see solutions. At least he will say what's on his mind.
Columbus is really good, and Nancy is absolutely tops. But LAFC, now having added Girioud and, apparently soon Griezmann, have significantly better talent. Their depth is nearing Inter Miami levels.Any hopes for silverware this year are very slim The new MLS requires a function star or 2, about 5-6 players at Thommy's level, and rounding off with youngsters coming into their own.