Well, the aggressive approach would be both DP CB & DP Lewy! It would require moving Bamba There are 2 buyouts allowed, but I'm sure he could be sold. This would be really fun to watch! ................Cuypers......Lewy Guti.........Saletros......Franco.....Zinck Gutman....Elliot.........DP CB......Barroso ........................Brady
100. Would you consider him the weakest link in the various formations listed? After watching Alba tonight, I could be talked into playing Waterman to get an Alba level RB...but I do think DP CB over Waterman is probably the better move. OH! And we have Dean
Not necessarily. I think the jury is still out with him. Perhaps he develops, perhaps not. But to call him the weakest link at this point is premature. I don't think any formation serves any function until we find out what happens in the rest of the off season. It is clear that Berhalter is not done with the team.
Right, guess I was asking you to 'play along' with the proposed options and approach of identifying the weakest link... .....Bamba......Cuypers......Zinck ..............D’Avilla.....Saletros Gutman...................................Barroso ........Elliot....Waterman....Rogers ......................Brady ------------------------------------------------------------ .....Bamba......Cuypers......Zinck ..............Guti...........Saletros Gutman.........D’Avilla..................Barroso ..............Elliot..........Waterman ......................Brady These players are all signed/announced...and you have 1 DP tag to work with....where ya using it?
Of those listed by Overlap in the two formations he put out...Rogers is by far the biggest weakness between both period bar none. At worst Dean as a backup for Barroso is still far better then Rogers is....starting at all in any formation. Positive thread maneuver you made earlier...yes Lewy and DP 3 CB!
Got it. I will "play along." However, I would say Rogers is below Barroso, especially as we have not seen enough of the youngster to tell yet. By the way, I don't think Rogers is that bad. I don't want him starting, but he is an acceptable late game defensive replacement. Same as the "competent" J. Dean. Neither should be a stater for an MLS team that expects to compete for championships, but we have had MUCH worse in recent years. I think D'Avilla is an upgrade over the Acosta/Navarro/Gimenez triumvirate of suck we had last season at DM, but I have been less than impressed with him, although he only played 2/3 of the season. Again, he is still pretty young (turned 22 during the season), so he could turn out to be great. I want to see him nail down the spot. As for the DP tag, if we sign Lewandowski, there goes our third DP (and we should have signed him three years, but for those "minnows" in Spain grabbing him first!). If we are not signing Lewandowski, then I do not really know, to be honest. I would be thrilled with another "big name" striker, as always, but we have our very own Zinckernagel and (assuming he stays) Bamba (he took a lot of grief last season, but did out up very good numbers), plus the new guys, so our attack should be excellent. I do not think a DP center back is needed. However, as impressed as I have been with the Elliott/Waterman pairing in the short time they have been together, defense is our greatest upgrade need. In short, again, I want to see what other moves are made prior to speculating on next season. Let's agree to say that should be (and has been already, with our two midfield signings) a very exciting off-season and I am quite OPTIMISTIC for next season.
I am also very optimistic about next season and happy with the two midfield signings. I think it would be most accurate to say Fire acquired 1 starter -Saletros-and 1 possible starter- Franco- and may be losing 1 midfield starter/ top sub- Gutierrez.
Interesting the Guttierez has gone from being "the most important player on the team" (as I think I said in August, 2024, after a certain player left for Switzerland) to top-sub in 15 months, despite having the best season of his career. This is NOT a knock on young Brian G at all, but an indication of vast in the improvements of the team, especially in attack.
The knock on Guti is that he was handed the keys to the castle and asked to play the role that Franco ultimately filled but it’s not his style of play. He needs a coach willing to put him in a position to succeed (winger) or move to a team that plays a formation that suits him. That or a team willing to grow with him in that middle position while he learns it. I don’t think backup to Bamba is really where he should be in his career and I don’t think he’s knocking Zinckernagel to the bench. If he has to play that box to box role for us while we wait for Franco to come back from injury, it might be the push he needs to learn the role or the sign he needs a formation and lineup that fits better.
Agreed. In general he has consistently been tasked with being further along in his development than he has been. It has probably helped his development, but it's also come with a "puzzle". It's clearly desirable to play him, but he just recently 'filled out' enough to be able to play more physically than a waif teenager. Djordje followed a similar development path. The best is certainly ahead. I'm enamored with the thought of being able to run out this XI in the 2nd half of 2026...with D'avilla and Oregel as CM depth. ................Cuypers......Lewy Guti.........Saletros......Franco.....Zinck Gutman....Elliot.........DP CB......Barroso ........................Brady This opportunity might be exciting enough to keep Guti around
If the current is substantially the same as today ( unlikely), I wonder if GGG might try a 4-2-3-1 formation with D’Avilla and Saletros as DMs and Zinck at CAM in preseason.
Might as well give Guti a run at it...he might now be at a level that it is reasonable to expect that of him ....................Cuypers ......Bamba.....Guti.........Zinck .............D'Avilla Saletros Gutman..Elliot....Waterman...Barroso .....................Brady
Lewandowski is unexpectedly in New York today. Will be late for national team training. Is GGG in New York?
He may be in New York, but the bull turd team is also there (over the river and through the petroleum storage tanks).
Walker Zimmerman=free agent. That will cause quite a stir! 6’3” right-footed CB will be 33 in May. Earned $3,457, 000 last year.
One man's trash is another man's treasure GGG knows him well. He's 32 and past peak...transfermarket shows his value dropped from 3.5 to 2.5mil last season. If we could sign him for near MaxTAM(1.8m) it could be a solid move.
It will be interesting to see what happens. GGG is familiar, for sure. But where is Zimmerman today and where will he be in a year? Played very little this year and is subject of numerous rumors regarding extent of concussion damage. Not conclusive but many Nashville fans think his performance has dropped dramatically. If he can still play respectable and with the right contract, he could be a valuable addition for 1-2 years. Because of questions being raised, I would like a 1 year deal with options, but guessing he wants a final three firm deal. Trusting GGG but….