I've been getting about 2/3 of my predictions right of late, so why not apply that to KC's offseason. Here's what I would like to have happen: *All KC players take it upon themselves to attack indivudual weaknesses in the offseason as if lives depended on it. *Meola is able to regain something like 2000 form with a full season of conistent work ahead of him. *Fabbro finds fitness this winter, so he can play :90 and produce as he did on arrival. *BG examines at great length where things broke down this season. With any luck at all he will see his own failings and acheivements accurately. *CJ/BG luck into a Twellman caliber player that actually ends up here. CJ also learns how to attract people who can drive themselves to the stadium. *KC drafts a stud defender with size and speed, a middie that somehow develops quickly, and with the other picks, pure athletes that "push" everyone else. What I predict: *A trade to send the message that KC isn't standing still. Past record is poor, so I'm not sure this is a good thing. It will be trumpeted as a drastic improvment. Diallo or Mathis, maybe. *KC players show up in January having not changed drastically. They will again kick butt in the pre-season. *With whatever picks remain, KC drafts size first and then speed *BG learns little in the off-season and recruits athletes for another shot at making his system work as it did in 2000. *CJ continues to revolve marketing around children, completely ignoring that adults normally don't do what they did as kids. He will however continue to give away blue things as giveaways. *Attempts again will be made to get a proven scorer *Meola will pick up his play to something slightly less than 2000 level, that will be good enough. *Preki will get 15 points if KC doesn't have a scorer emerge. KC will stink and everyone will claim he's over. *Preki will get 30 points if KC does have someone else emerge. Everyone will be amazed. *Yet another Mexican game, probably UNAM Winter is way too long
The team needs speed pure and simple. Especially in the back. Pete needs to hang them up, as well as Boorns. If we make any trades they will be for a older player. I wouldn't be suprised to see Harkes in a Wiz kit. God help us and god help CJ for making a stupid trade like that. The team needs to overhalled, and if nothing good comes next year then someone's time has come to an end.
We have barely been out a week and I am already bored with the offseason. When will the big cuts come? I think it typically happens just after the Cup when players are waived. My thoughts: Waive - Mike Burns, Peter Vermes, Bo Oshonyi, Chris Brunt, Dario Fabbro Hate to say it but Vermes and Burns are past their primes and we could use those spots for younger, (hopefully) faster players. Bo is serviceable but I would like to get someone in that spot with long-term upside. Brunt is a hack and falls for the most pedestrian moves of attackers. I don't think Bob will pull the plug yet on him but I would. To be competitve in this league we must maximize our foreign allocation/discovery players. For this fact alone I don't think we can continue into next year with Armstrong, Fabbro and Igor. Dario is the slowest and speedkills so he's back to Argentina. Attempt to trade - Francisco Gomez, Matt McKeon, Eric Quill I know they just signed Gomez but he needs to go either by way of the waiver wire or in a trade. Maybe someone will give us a Pizza or some Hot Wings from Hooters for him. McKeon I believe has some trade value as well as Quill so I would package them in a deal to a needy team for a young defender or goalkeeper. Possibly the Metros, D.C. United, or Dallas. I don't mind Quill but I feel with Diego and Armstrong there is a glut of left sided wingers so somebody has to go. Just my two cents.
Id like to keep Vermes or Burns (not both), just for back up. Try and find a young defender (hopefully somebody not like Brunt) and Vermes can teach him.
Its too bad that the Chicago GM can't be duped like the Chicago BigSoccer mock allocation draft GM where Sam was able to trade Gomez for Kovalenko. Q will probably be gone, but I don't know about Gomez after signing a new contract. Don't know what we could get for either of them.
We should be able to get more for Mcpinty. Since he has been in the league for a while and is a proven hack.