At least the team’s start may put an end to the excuse Shelton’s supporters use that the team wins when he starts. 1-4-0 this year. He doesn’t deserve all the blame but he never deserved that much credit when the team was winning. Unless you are producing, I think stats based on just being on the field are highly suspect. Right now, his play is abysmal.
Agreed, the whole situation isn't a good look for KC's medical team. Whether the injury occurred for us or with Mexico, the path that was taken to get him back on the field. Especially for a player who didn't have much in the way of an injury issues before signing with KC. The issues with pushing him to get back on the field sooner truly make me worried the club will be less likely to dole out this type of money in the future. In a league where it's becoming more important that you do spend. The poor rise of players through the academy/SKCII/SKC route to really impress is a glaring mark for PV right now. I mean these are the names of players who have risen up from SKCII to the first team: Amer Didic, Kharlton Belmar, Adrian Zendejas, Kevin Oliveira, Wan Kuzain, Wilson Harris, James Musa, Tyler Pasher, Jake Davis, Kaveh Rad, Felipe Hernandez. The last 3 are the only ones still on the roster, and Hernandez is easily the high water mark of that path right now. In "good" news all these older players are out of contract at the end of the season: Espinoza, Melia, Fontas. While these older players all have options only for 2023: Isi, Zusi. That's a lot of cap space and senior roster space potentially available after this season assuming this season truly proves to be the tipping point for the older players. This is the part that is the worst for me. There's little to no way out of it this year, KC has one senior roster spot open now along with an international roster spot with getting Mauri off the books. This team has so many holes right now though one player isn't going to make a difference. So while they have the ability to get someone either before this window closes on the 4th of May or in the summer window, it's not going to be enough to paper over the cracks. There were 2 moments in the 2nd half yesterday where he first took the ball off Salloi's foot as Salloi was trying to dribble through a couple defenders. And then moments later he actually blocked a shot by someone on SKC. He was actively getting in the way of the offense yesterday.
Shelton to me is a player who has regressed badly. When he first returned from the Bundesliga, he was terrific. Really played surprisingly well, albeit not a goal threat (but he wasn't really tasked to be). And he's just gotten... rougher since. Worse touches, worse decision-making. Not making the ball stick to him and holding up play like he once did. He's hardly the only confidence-shot player whose play looks worse and worse each month. And that, in my opinion, is even more scary-damning than the team's struggles to turn youth into established professionals. The kids are coming up and hitting a brick wall. The pros are gradually deteriorating and not just in an age-related way. Honestly, Zusi is the only player on the pitch this season I feel like who hasn't lost a step (though arguably that's because he already lost it a couple years ago). Everyone else looks like just worse versions of themselves. Maybe they'll turn it around, and why not hope... but between the lack of reasonable integration of academy players and the slow corrosion of the pros who are already established, that might be the one-two punch that finally starts warming the coach's seat?
Next Saturday, Columbus comes to town with a three game losing streak just like SKC. The big question that I have is PV going to try something different with the formation, lineup or personnel? Has he seen enough futility with Shelton as the 9 and put someone (anyone really) in the striker position? Obviously Vuj is not the answer. How about something like this: Sweat, Isimat, Voloder/Ford, Ndembe Fontas Walter Hernandez Russell Tzionis. Salloi Zusi needs a rest as does Roger. Shelton is worthless, so put someone in there like Tzionis who is fast, is not afraid to run at defenders, can handle the ball, and will actually take a shot on goal. Fontas is great with his passing so put him in the six and let him distribute the ball. It may just work better for some offensive punch. If it doesn’t work, it probably wouldn’t be any worse than what they have been doing. I just need to see something different than the same old guys playing the same old way that is not working.
Fontas at the 6 would make Ilie's pace at the 6 look blindingly quick, that's a recipe for disaster, especially in transition. I'm fine giving Vujnovic another crack at starting now that the players around him are healthier unlike when he was brought in though I think Tzionis should start and I'm fine with him in the midfield. Since you didn't catch the game I will say that PV did switch to a double pivot in the midfield for the last game Walter and Espinoza.
Fontas as the DM might be interesting. I remember when Julio Cesar played there for us and I seem to recall him being dreadfully slow as well. Just have him play as an even more withdrawn 6 to give more defensive stability up the middle, and let the two mobile CBs fan out a tad when we don't have the ball.
Yeah, but we had Cesar at the 6 with 2 entering their prime CBs in Collin and Besler and none of the our other 3 CBs fill me with that level of confidence. We also played the much more high press, 90 minutes of hell playing style that had the other 2 midfielders causing havoc the rest of the game.
One thing for sure is that Walter needs to be playing in a more advanced position rather than playing the 6. He needs to be pushing the ball to the attackers and cutting off the offensive counters of the other side. If Uri can’t go, I still think Fontas can do the job with four defenders behind him. I just wouldn’t want him wandering much farther up the field than just over the mid line.
More often than I yell at the TV over Fontas' amazing almost backwards-moving speed, i find myself muttering, "good ball" or "great idea" when he's on the ball. I know we like to mock the Barca B player pathway, but there are exceptional things players appear to learn there. I believe we can better hide his pace issues at 6 than 3, if Voldemort can play, and we don't know that yet. It's true, Fontas is slow. but he isn't that much slower than Uri, and he and Uri in the middle is a lot of slow to hide when we try to press high (plus, at this rate, Uri will be healthy for, what, seven games in 2022?). That means we've got a plan at 6, while we're better at 8 (Walter's best role), okay for now at 10 with Tzone. Hopeful at both CBs (I believe Isi is as good as we've had back there, smart, skilled, athletic). Logan looks like he can be a player at LB. We have to rest Zusi at some point. I mean, 8 games and 720 minutes projected over a season during which he turns 36 sees him dying mid July. Maybe it's a foundation? Almost?
I looked at that goal a couple of times. Fontas made a stab at the ball and missed. At that point he turns and is chasing the attacker but pulls up because Isi, Walter and Ndembe are all closing in front of Cifuntes. None of them shut him down and Melia doesn’t make a save he normally should have. And really Isi only makes a half assed attempt at a block. Yes Fontas is slow, but if he is that bad, why doesn’t PV pull him and put in Ford who can keep pace with most anyone on the team?
I mean this is the same PV that continues to put Shelton out there as a starter in the number 9 position. I'm just not convinced Fontas would be a plausible 6, he's an adequate CB that we probably need to move on from after this season when his contract is up.
Summary: Time to blow it up - what we are seeing isn't working. I'd rather be young, fast, improving, and bad than old, slow, regressing, and bad.
In good news for blowing it up, all these players contracts are up after the season (* means they have an option). Salloi, Fontas, Melia, Hernandez, Espinoza, Vujnovic (loan expires), Zusi*, Duke*, Shelton*, Pulskamp*, McIntosh*, Isimat-Mirin*, Rad*, Ford*.
But only if you have more speed than we do at the 6. It's true that as a 6, he's going to expose our CBs, but if we had an athletic pair, that's worked for us in the past. The problem with a slow mo 6 in front of Fontas is that we put him in a position of having to defend at a sprint, and that's just not a pretty sight. I really like Isi. I think if we're moving on from Melia next, year, we really should give Pulskamp an extended run and see how he fits into plans for 2023. Is the Vunovic loan a real loan, or a wink-wink loan to buy that's already been sealed? Given that our pro-pathway isn't producing folks who are forcing their way onto the field, I'd probably look to re-sign Duke, Salloi (man, maybe I want to want to keep him around), Hernandez, Rad and Ford. I have no thoughts on McIntosh. But it's probably time to bid a very fond farewell to the others.
The issue with Isi is he turns 31 this year, if you're bringing him back with his option I think 2023 you have to be moving on from him as well. As for Vujnovic I believe it's just a straight loan.
Yes. But I mean for this season. Let's run out the young guys now to see if there are some areas of hope and growth. Maybe someone shines unexpectedly.
Another argument for going young this year is we need to give some minutes to guys like Hernandez, Pulskamp, and Duke to see if they will be worth extending or re-signing.
I'd activate his option. I think he looks to have several years left. IMO, he, Pulido, Kinda and Johnny would be a good senior core to build around. I'd like to see Tzonis, Logan, Duke and Hernandez be part of that. I hope that Voldemort, Ford and Rad are part of that Bigger question: Does PV go through another rebuild? Does he want to, do we want him to? For this year, I'd be happy if we could find a 6 solution, but I don't see it happening. I'd like to fix the 9, but unless Vujnovic turns a corner soon, that's not happening
This to me says we're going to see more defensive line changes Saturday. “You don’t have to have a lot of talent to play as a defender. I don’t mean that disrespectfully to defenders. To be good, you have to have a really strong, tough mentality physically & mentally. And right now, we’re coming up short on both sides of that."-#SKC coach Peter Vermes— Aly Trost Martin 🏧 (@AlyTrostMartin) April 19, 2022
It's insane, and I didn't believe it until I checked the stats myself, but Shelton has zero shots on goal this season. Zero!!