We still have an open SI and senior roster slot and now that most major leagues are finished for the season I suspect we might see a few faces trying out with the team. I suspect that it would be worth while to keep a thread open for rumors and sightings. Heres one from USSoccerUK George
I wouldn't bother. Nicol is more or less satsified with the roster, and Kraft is probably just as happy to keep the payroll as it is.
The operative word is---DEPTH. All that it takes is a few injuries or a suspension or two to change the picture quite dramatically. At the moment we are very thin at Forward (just TnT and Woldi) with JMM out with an ankle injury. A 18 man senior roster is tight to start with so why leave a spot open? The only sensable explination I've heard is the idea of having a roster slot and some Cap space to buy a player later in the year if we lose one of our major players to a season ending injury. I'm willing to be that SN is still in the hunt for someone to fill the last roster slot and will sign him when he finds his man. George
Does anyone know the current book on McAnspie? I think he's a left back and we could use some depth there since Joey is a suspension waiting to happen. Here is my logic: Nicols has said that he wants there to be real compitition at all positions. He has that at Forward with TnT, JMM and Harris. He has that in midfield with Cullen, Joseph, Hernandez in the center and Ralston, Kamler, Noonan amd Jason Moore on the flanks. He has that with two starting keepers with Brown and Reis. While he also has that in Defense with Heaps, Llamosa, Kante, Pierce and Franchino for four slots-- both Pierce and llamosa have shown a tendency for injury and defenders are the players that pick up most of the cards. In short, adding a quality left back would make sense. (I know Cullen can play left backin an emergency and Joseph can play both central and right back if need be) Real question is does McAnspie have anything left in his tank? George George
Quote from Johnny Rimore on USSoccerUK "McAnspie's 24. He was reportedly pretty good in tryouts with Metro, but wanted too much $$$. No idea what the numbers were. He was in Fulham reserves with Eddie Lewis, who had nothing but nice things to say about him. And rumor has it he likes his pint, so Joe-Max could have a drinking buddy..." Oh dear me we can't have that. George
He's Scottish (McAnespie). Played only a few game during Fulham's Division 1 winning season; let alone their two years in the prem. I am not too sure about this one, but he is originally from St. Johnstone, and I think he was in the 98' Scotland WC Squad.
I think he's a left back and we could use some depth there since Joey is a suspension waiting to happen. Well, we could have Marshall Leonard or even Leo Cullen fill in if Joey found himself on the bad side of a referee's decision, so why waste a senior international slot on a player for a position where we really don't have a problem of depth? If you're going to sign someone, make damn sure it's for a position which would be strengthened or improved, not just for thesake of signing a player. The Magpie
Agree completely and I would hazard a guess that Nicol feels the same way. We do have reasonable depth, so he has the ability to be a bit choosy. Well, let's give him the time to be choosy.
I would take this a step further. If Nicol's satisfied with the team's depth, wouldn't it make sense to reserve the open slot(s) until someone goes down? Suppose you used the slot to sign an extra forward, but then a back goes down, or you sign a back but then a keeper turns a knee. That open slot is probably more versatile than any player you might sign to fill it. Just my $.02. - HWM
Just a side note, about the only good thing about waiting until mid season to add a player - within the limits of a hard salary cap - is that every week that you wait essentially adds to the amount of money you have to spend on a player. That is, as the remaining season shrinks, the amount of reamaining cap space seems to grow. For example, if the Revs have 100K and change to spend on an SI, spread over a 14 game season that's a fair amount of cash (by MLS standards any way). Of course, next year the team would need to pay the piper by making substantial salary cuts. But as anyone involved with fiscal economics knows - tomorrow never comes. As far as the rest of the scouting/player assessment process: how it works with this team is an inscrutable mystery to me. Nicol seems to be the main man, yet since the team always leaves these projects for midseason, I doubt he has much time to devote to it (since, he's a bit busy coaching). On the issue of "waiting until someone goes down" to fill the slot, that's just not really a feasible approach since it can take months to get these things done. Anyway, it's been this way for seven years, so their must be some method (roughhewn as it might be) to this madness. At least I hope so...
Put me in the camp that thinks we should wait. I'm not concerned at all about our depth at left back/left mid - the positions this guys plays. Depth Chart: Left Back: Joey, Kamler, Heaps, Leonard Left Mid: Kamler, Noonan, Moore Basically, if either Joey or Kamler goes down, it means Noonan starts. Not a huge drop off. If they have a season-ender, then we should get someone, but that can be said at just about every position on the Revs. We have pretty good depth and have a remarkably balanced squad. A case could be made that, aside from Twellman and Ralston, we could lose anyone on our roster, and not have a significant drop-off in the quality of our starting lineup. The only way I'd advocate signing this guy is if he will provide a significant upgrade to our starting lineup. Otherwise, I'd wait until mid-season for a signing, or until we lose someone for the year. Lee
In MLS, you use SI slots for starters, and impact starters at that. The Revs have mostly had the handicap on NOT having impact SI players. I'd love to supplant Franchino with an upgrade, but since he's played every minute (at pretty close to the best of his ability), has been pretty disciplined and IS the captain, I think such a move would probably be a major disruption - and so is unlikely to happen.
No offense, but isn't this a bit anecdotal? At midseason with only about 100K to spend (which, granted, at midseason feels a lot like 200K), nothing and nobody is a "sure thing". As Forest Gump said, "Life like a box of chocolates..." I like another anecdote better: "fish or cut bait". And since it takes two to three months to get things done in this league, the lines better be in the water now. My guess is that Nicol is going with a "best player available" mentality - rather than for a player who plays any particular position - with versatility being a premium factor. But then again as I've said, how the scouting process works for this team is a mystery, wrapped in a riddle, locked in an enigma.
This is the type of player I'd like to see the Revs pursue: http://mlsnet.com/content/03/90min0522rodriguez.html With at least a little bit of depth at every postion, we have the luxury of rolling the dice on a young foreign player with the hope of finding the next Ruiz or Moreno.
Agreed, but the League Office will not, and never has, set up this kind of deal for the Revs. They'll have to find this kind of player on their own. Who would actually perform this great service (i.e., scouting) is anybody's guess.
There's been a kid named Eduardo Moreno in training this week. I was led to believe he's from New Bedford. From what I saw he has no shot of making the team. For what that's worth...which is probably not much.
I've been waiting for weeks to unleash that word... Of course, you've got to loose points for mispelling the word "there" in the same sentence.
Here, in the MLS, just about any attacking mid with the slightest creative touch, can be considered a player like the one mentioned above in the article. It wouldn't surprise me if this player came to the MLS, and at any rate turned out to be a flop.
FWIW, there is a rumor making the rounds that the Revs have a trialist in camp who is looking for work and who has impressed the coaching staff... Tony SAYS he's headed for practice today, so hopefully we'll have more on him later this afternoon.
I hope it's someone who's looking to check out the States after a good career in Europe, but can still come in and have an impact, if needed. At forward position, of course. Yes, there is a need for another forward, but not a starter.