My biggest thing about Buckle is I don't think he's a good evaluater(apparently that's not a real word? oh well) of talent. He has arguably the best name brand recognition and resources in the league, and the players he's brought in and chooses to play simply aren't up to snuff like they should be. I think that is the bigger problem which then impacts what strategies and performance on the field. There has not been a single player he's brought here who has done anything but underwhelm me (perhaps Kneeshaw and Blackwood excluded). Guys like Ochoa, Cesar, are simply not good enough. But I can see why Buckle would think they could help us, by looking at their stats on paper. But he's not good at evaluating them in reality. Neither of these guys should be getting playing time in my opinion, they are mediocre at best and don't help our team. We need good players and great players - at least, if we want to compete to be at the top of this league. Our backline is also weak - we shouldn't have brought Christian back, he's not good enough. While I like Hord's hustle, Klimenta should move back to right back, and we need two new solid central defenders. No one on this team is available to help, and this is the team Buckle built! The roster needs to be overhauled, we could use an upgrade almost everywhere. And the bright spots on our team (Klimenta, Kiffe, Kneeshaw...) will they even be here next year or move on to a higher level/greener pastures? Buckle probably won't be around next season, short of a rally into the playoffs and a semifinal appearance or better. But swapping coaches won't make things much better, the roster needs an overhaul or it's meaningless.
Just a few stats heading into the last couple of games of the year: Shots: 423 (4th) Goals: 33 (12th, Reno has a goal dif. of 33). Conversion rate: 13% (21st) Goals conceded: 40 (21st)
So basically our offense sucks, and our defense sucks. Well, I hope Buckle can complete the USSF Pro License before the work visa expires...........
I mostly agree, though Christian has been decent. Not great, just decent. He's fine as a starter at this level, the problem is he's being asked to do everything because he's the only decent center back we have. (Rodriguez is still mostly potential at this point.) We should have at least one center back better than him. The other problem I have with Paul Buckle is that he seems to be overly committed to playing like an English team circa 1990. We're not a 4-4-2 team. We play best when we have three central midfielders and are probably strongest in a 4-2-3-1. But every time we put together a string of good results playing the 4-2-3-1, Buckle decides it's time to go back to the 4-4-2 with a flat-four midfield, and we lose and keep losing until he realizes it's not working. It's as if it kills him that we're winning in a "modern" or "Continental" formation, and he thinks "proper football" will work if only we try it when we're in better form. Doesn't work that way, and he's probably killing team morale in the process. The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. This is insane.
An update for the Paul Buckle fans out there... https://www.indomitablecitysoccer.c...n-with-former-republic-fc-manager-paul-buckle