The problem I keeping seeing, like last year, is that without a $$$ CM to pull the strings out there, the forward is getting no service. We'll see bad EJ in 6 games. MLS defenses are too fit and physical at this point to have someone sit on the ball, without both the skills to get out of a jam or the pace to keep moving. All the American who can do this are spoken of. And there is no way Ben is going to get someone overseas, from a coaching or financial standpoint. So I guess the plan is tighten on defense, kill set piece goals and counter for 1-0 wins? So Ben's ultimate tactical philosophy is 2006? Bruce's lasting legacy...
This definitely has been a big problem. But I think Ben's hope is that Arnaud can offer some of that ability in possession. If Arnaud still has it in him to play like he did in Montreal I think he'll be the best we've had since Boskovic ... in a different way ... less dead ball skills but more defense. Also I'm assuming Jeffrey will also be involved. He too has shown that he can contribute a couple of goals and assists.
Arnaud is quality (Those Wiz teams with him, Wolff, Conard, Jewsbury, Sealy... very entertaining for us to play) but he is not enough, we NEED another veteran, to play trad/deep slot. I mean really, we need Ben in the 2nd half of his career. As to the defense bottoming out. Ben cleaned the line. Boswell is running the show back there. I think we need someone else as a counter weight, but I'm fine with White (and Korb). They fight for the shirt, which you need out of average players.
Well it would always be nice to have "more". For now I think Kitchen/Arnaud/Silva > Kitchen/Thorrington/De Ro. And I like Jeffrey ... I can see him pushing these guys for minutes.
I see it as one guy who's over the hill rather than two. Of course, Silva still has a lot to prove in this league, but putting 2 holding mids behind him (which I think we will do most of the time) gives him the best shot at succeeding that he's gonna get.
I think Silva vs. DeRo tips it. DeRo just turned the ball over so many times and killed attack after attack. They both had three goals last year. Silva hides more than DeRo ever has. In 2013 DeRo was often admirable because he seemed like the only one who gave a shit, but it was more often than not a negative outcome. Silva has to stop hiding and let his talent show, but DeRo couldn't come to terms with the fact that his bag of tricks had been pilfered - he couldn't beat anybody. I wonder if that injury in 2012 with Canada was the big one for him, he was never the same.
Excellent points and why I'm not sold yet. The fact that DeRo put in a stellar 2012 and is an MLS legend, makes me think its an unrealistic expectation (even though Silva was a inspiration right after he got here) in a comparison.
De Ro wasn't that great in '12. He was still a turnover machine, but he had a hot April-May where he padded his stats and then got injured. Right now in midfield Silva>De Ro. I'm talking about today ... not a younger De Ro. Arnaud > Thorrington. Anyone that doesn't think this must not have been watching MLS the last few years. I mean this is obvious Jeffrey > Augusto. Never got to see a whole lot of Augusto, but Jeffrey had a bigger impact in a short few months than Augusto over a whole year. Kitchen = Kitchen Neal = Neal I think our '14 midfield looks a lot better than our '13 midfield. Maybe not great by general MLS standards but better than the historically low standard we've set for ourselves last year
What's the word on Collin Martin? Does anyone see him stepping in to play a role in the midfield this year? I think he offers good vision and composure on the ball.
He's a lot better than I assumedi. I think he will play a decent amount of games considering the competitions we are in. But he might be one of the last options on the bench for attacking mid, and the wide spots
Agreed. However, there's not a whole lot of width represented in our current midfield. We'll either need to acquire some talented wide midfielders or Ben is planning on using our FB's as our width.
is Jakovic definitely gone? I know I saw something where a "DCU source" confirmed it, but I havent seen anything official in like a week since.
That's not the only question mark. The Deki/Korb/Jeffrey side of the team is below MLS average and I see as a major problem if that is what we are starting. In addition, Espindola while I see as a good addition to the team is not going to help out that side of the team on defense in a major way. Also, EJ can be very lazy up front when he is not being serviced the ball. While we got upgrades from last season, other than EJ we went from far below MLS average to MLS average with the replacements. Given the other weaknesses, that is not good enough for a League that is improving year on year and where the bar for being average or making the playoffs has been raised.
This is the first major mistake in my opinion of the off season. I had no problem with any of the prior moves for bringing players in or letting them go. Selling Jakovic is a bad move. I think that he and Boz would have made a fine CB pairing. Ethan White or Nana Attakora are not the answer even for depth in my opinion. Ethan White is athletic but is not technical, cannot pass out of the back and just does not have a soccer IQ - He is McDonald lite and we saw where that went. As for Attakora, I watch him play for Toronto and to a less extent San Jose. This is a guy who after TFC spent 4 years grooming him for a starting CB position couldn't hold the spot for one of the worst defenses in the League. He is just not effective on the field and seems to ball watch and be constantly out of position. Over the last 3 years he has barely played 900 minutes. We traded Jakovic, our best defensive player by a wide margin last year, to make room for White/Attakora presence. No thanks. If this sticks through to the begining of the season and coupled with one of the worst players I have ever seen as a "starting" player with Kolb (along with Pajoy), we have some big problems.
If Jakovic was our best defensive player last year and someone we were depending on next year, then we were already f%$ked. Jakovic was the defensive equivalent of Pontius: talented but injury-prone and subject to at least one walk-about or brainfart per game. Jakovic was also too careless with the ball for my tastes and would have only exacerbated any defensive faults on the back line.
I'd he was too ambitious and hopeful with his passes (and not careless) in that the midfielders rarely moved or tried to show for the ball
And then he might try a back heel pass out of his own penalty box leading directly to a goal against. Jakovic is clearly a good to very good player, when his head is right. Unfortunately, he plays a position where being steady and dependable is crucial. His bonehead moments killed team spirit, particularly for a team that couldn't score at all. On a team that can get 2 or 3 goals a game, it's not such a horrible detriment, but with United it's been devastating. And then of course, he has some kind of injury every friggin' year. 300k for all that? Move on already.
Depends. If one is looking at the resources involved, it comes off looking like the best move DC has made in months. Jakovic is mediocre and overpaid. Trading him for allocation money is like getting cap room coming and going. Of course, it all depends upon getting another CB that's capable of starting in this league. If one presumes we can't do that and we'll end up starting White, then this reaction to the move makes sense.