I think of him as my ideal #4 CB though with this team he might be #2 half the time which is bad. Ideally though for MLS...he'd make a fine #4. Maybe #5 if we adopt fully a 3 CB back line formation.
I was going to mention Cuypers, but remembered he is not in the top 20 in goals scored. He was, by far, our most expensive player ever. Of course, his decent, but modest, goal total is absolutely not his fault and if he received better service, it would be a bit higher.
I imagine that Hugo Cuypers is on the phone to his agent weekly, saying "Get me the f*©¥ out of here by January."
Fire sold 2 unused 2024 international slots for total of $100,000 GAM. Not a bad idea, especially because GAM worth more in MLS than real $ and Fire will likely need the GAM next year. Not the biggest problem needing a solution, how ever.
Give Me Sport: Tom Bogert Chicago Fire Offseason Guide: State of the Roster, Transfer Priorities https://www.givemesport.com/chicago-fire-offseason-guide-state-of-the-roster-transfer-priorities/ Don't really disagree with this, but I am not favor of signing Berhalter. I just haven't seen anything from him to think he is THE guy to take over the Fire. His tactics are suspect (how often did the USMNT look like the world's most expensive U-20 squad running about aimlessly?) and I haven't heard anything from interviews with him that inspire confidence in him as a (and this important) long term solution to stop the suck. However, if that is what we are doing, getting that deal done is the first priority. Frankly (pun intended) if that's what they want to do, they should announce Klopas is stepping aside (down to assistant again?) NOW and Berhalter is taking over the team permanently after the season. However, let him work with the team starting now, to evaluate what we have. Put Berhalter in charge now, but let Klopas stay as "game day" manager for the last couple of matches. Better than just "watching film" of the players on the field and in practice. That way he has time to start planning about who stays, who goes and, most importantly, who he wants to build the team around and what supplements to that core is needed.
I criticized Heitz/Fire multiple times for being so slow to do anything. It has hurt them in a number of ways. I hope this is something that improves going forward.
He’s been in town for years. He’s well aware of the team and situation. Public announcement or not, I don’t think he’s missing anything by not being on the sidelines or in the booth.
Regarding the Bogert article, I disagree with him on Acosta and Czichos. Granted the contract end dates make it easy to do what he said (start Acosta, cut Rafa). Acosta has not shown us anything to 'build around' and anyone making 1mil+ needs to be an obvious key player. Rafa on the other hand has been consistent quality. Has he slowed down? Yup. Is he still our best defender? Yup. If we could resign him on a max-non-TAM ($683k) he would become easily the best value contract we have. The only central/defensive midfielder that has been 'ok' is Gimenez...but not 1.6mil ok. In general we need to refresh the CDMs, but they all have contracts for next year. Unless Gaston and/or Fede are sold, we may be rolling with the same CDMs in 2025. Hope the new coach can get something different/more out of that spend. Player................2024 Base Salary...Guaranteed Comp >Xherdan Shaqiri..$7,350,000...$8,153,000 Hugo Cuypers.....$3,238,000...$3,528,044 Gastón Giménez.$1,600,000...$1,633,333 Kellyn Acosta......$1,392,188...$1,558,869 Rafael Czichos....$1,300,000...$1,336,667 Brian Gutiérrez...$803,409...... $895,879 >Chris Mueller......$650,004.......$712,324 >Arnaud Souquet..$620,012 .... $699,679 Andrew Gutman..$600,000......$600,000 Carlos Terán.......$529,000 ......$619,000 >Chase Gasper....$500,000......$525,000 Federico Navarro.$500,000 ...$557,500 Mueller, Souquet, and Gasper have all not met expectations...challenge is they all have contracts through 2025. The only monies for sure freed up is from Shaq's departure. Not renewing Rafa, Fabi, and Wyatt will do diddly squat to improve this roster. 2 new DPs likely But hope there are some more not obvious, creative, aggressive, roster moves coming to upgrade the ~depth~ positions.
Yes, he lives in the suburbs. Presumably, he is aware about the team a bit. I disagree that he is missing anything by not being around the team. It would be great advantage for him to get to know the team before the end of the season by seeing them up close. Please, don't allow him near the booth. That would be a disaster. The only way to really "know" the team and the situation is to be around the team and the situation. That was my point. If he has been attending practice, even as an observer, that would be a massive advantage as he begins to determine the roster for next season and beyond.
Totally agree it would be beneficial- the more contact, the better. Of course, this only works if the rumors of his up-coming employment are true. Get it done ( or not). No sightings of him may mean he is not seeing anything or is this the Fire’s version of “Cone of Silence”?
Nah, they did that with Acosta all of the prior off season…not sure who wanted to try and coordinate a ‘ta-da’ but all it did was delay the beginning of the integration.
in a vacuum -- and more importantly in the right role -- all the guys with expiring contracts in 2024 are fine and at the right dollar amount they'd be fine to return but we are desperate for talent and don't have very many roster spots available, so we'll need to let some of these guys walk if we're going to not suck again next year
Unfortunately there's no way to really create a poll in the middle of a thread because that would be cool; but I was just wondering if there was any consensus regarding the sudden departure of Bob Bradley from Norway 2nd division? It seems like MLS passed up Bob when he was at TFC and wheels came off the wagon and then he goes to the Norwegian second division with Michael as assistant coach and suddenly they "mutually part ways" with the club. Bob has fallen pretty far from his dizzying heights and I'd say his arc has fallen well past his zenith mirroring Bruce Arena in many ways. Does anyone have any interest in Bob returning to Chicago? He was the coach of the year with LAFC in 2019. He failed at TFC and I assume we can rule the recent Norway stint as another failure. Is he hungry? Has the game passed him by? Is Gregg Berhalter preferable over Bob Bradley? If neither warms the cockles of your heart who would you like to see (within reason) as in, someone the Fire could ACTUALLY get? Bob Bradley’s head coaching career: 1984-95: Princeton University. 1998-2002: Chicago Fire (MLS Cup 1998; U.S. Open Cup 1998, 2000). 2002-05: MetroStars. 2005-06: Chivas USA. 2006-11:U.S. national team (Gold Cup 2007). 2011-13: Egypt national team. 2014-15: Stabaek. 2015-16: Le Havre. 2016: Swansea City. 2017-21: LAFC (Supporters’ Shield 2019). 2021-23: Toronto FC (Canadian Championship 2022). 2023-24:Stabaek. Gregg Berhalter coaching history Berhalter had eight years of managerial experience before joining the USMNT. He got his start at Hammarby in the Swedish League from 2011-13 before becoming the Columbus Crew's manager for the 2013 MLS season. Berhalter held his role with the Crew until 2018, when he was named head coach of the USMNT. Berhalter had a combined record of 92-66-81 during his time with Hammarby and Columbus. Below is a breakdown of his performance at each club, as well as his USMNT stints: Club Years Record Hammarby 2011-13 18-17-11 Columbus Crew 2013-18 74-49-70 United Statest 2018-22; 2023-24 USMNT coaches by record Berhalter is presently the third-winningest coach in USMNT history. Below is a look at how he stacks up with the team's other former managers who coached at least 15 matches. Coach Total matches Record Years Bruce Arena 148 81-35-32 1998-2006; 2017 Jurgen Klinsmann 98 55-16-27 2011-16 Gregg Berhalter 74 44-13-17 2018-22; 2023-24 Bob Bradley 80 43-12-25 2007-11 Bora Milutinovic 96 30-31-35 1991-95 Steve Sampson 62 26-14-22 1995-98 Bob Gansler 37 15-6-16 1982; 1989-91 Walt Chyzowych 32 8-10-14 1976-80 Alkis Panagoulias 18 6-7-5 1983-85 Lothar Osiander 18 4-5-9 1986-88 While Berhalter's tenure in the United States hasn't gone as planned of late, he still provided the team with many bright moments. Now, it's just a matter of seeing whether the USMNT wants to give him one last chance to right the ship or if it looks to greener pastures for a new leader.
No to Bradley. Past his sell-by date. GGG- ok, I guess? I continue to strongly advocate hiring the best they can get. I do not feel qualified to answer who that would be. Suggest they set their sights higher.
Rafa and Fabi...and Arigoni?...are the only 2024 contract expiring players "of note"...and are reasonably "good value". Can you think of players at their price points that would improve our roster? There are batch of 2024 contracts for the supplemental roster spots...but...Dean and Reynolds are actually decent value...Casas is the question mark. In the end we need replacements for Shaqiri, Souquet, Mueller...and 2 of 3 CDMs...but only 1 of those is "out of contract". The 2 (presuming Gaston sold or bought down) DPs are largely what we have to work with...
HA! Well...we do really need a marquee/name star that the offense runs through AND produces! Gotta think we can find one for 8mil!
Jesus ********ing Christ thank you for remembering that a sense of humor can still exist on the internet. <3
I know MLS salaries are public, but I don't believe the balanced roster budget -- taking into TAM and GAM and all that -- is public, so I don't really know how much more room there is for spending (excluding the unlimited spend on the DP spots) above the current roster but those are the guys with expiring contracts and I'm sure they'll try to move some guys -- Gaston, Fede, Souquet, etc. -- but they've been trying to move a few of those for a while and you gotta work with what heitz has left
100....gotta clean up Heitz's misses...Souquet and Mueller gotta be moved. Presuming Kellyn will be "built around"...Gaston and Fede gotta be moved...of those 3 I'd keep Gaston, who knows a buy down would be required to stay here. Like I said before...the club needs to get creative and aggressive selling/trading...or all of 2025 will ride on the quality of our new DPs