OK, I still don't know what any of this has to do with the discussion of an attacking-mid for this team. You claim Wells has the 'physical tools' even though he doesn't...and the fact that physical tools are about the last requirement for an attacking-mid. I'm not sure what the whole rant about attacking options off the bench has to do with the relevant discussion here, but I guess you are right that the Revs may 'need' players like that. Still, that does nothing to solve the issue of creativity in the midfield.
I'm not ranting, we're just talking. I guess if you want some points for relevant discussion, I'd offer these: Can you separate the discussion of who might be a good acquisition from how Nicol would use him? Should the Revs bring in the best player possible, even if it means stepping back a half-year to a year to assemble the players around him? Or should they look for best fit? This is what rkupp was asking, I think. Are there attributes of an attacking mid that are better suited to the Revs (or in general, MLS) than others?
He certainly does blend in well with his surroundings. On an injury prone team like this, you can hardly tell him from the other guys on the bench.
Who even knows if the Revs will use an attacking mid next year? What is there to suggest that Nicol will swich from the 4-4-2, with Red and Dread in the middle (hoping Red comes back)? The back 4 are playing really well lately (the team hasn't given up more than 1 goal in the past 7 games, even if the results haven't been there), so I don't expect change there. Twellman will hopefully be back. Maybe EJ will be playing next to him. If not EJ, then hopefully they will get a new striker in the offseason; I like Dube off the bench but not starting. To me the positions that need to be addressed are the outside mids, along with TnT's strike partner. The service this season from the wings has been sh*t, most of the season I've felt like Alston has been better in attack than any of the outside mids. But I don't see the Revs using an attacking mid unless they play 4-5-1 and leave Twellman alone up top.
Why does everyone think Twellman is actually going to come back next season just because he says he is? Now that we know the severity of his injury, Twellman playing another game for the Revs would be sheer lunacy. There's no sense in putting your health in danger for a few more years on the Revs, just retire Taylor and let us focus on a new bluechip forward. I hope this does not turn into a Brett Favre-esque "will he or won't he" all offseason. On our current forwards, EJ good when healthy but he is just about elligible for the AARP. Counting on a guy who has been out almost an entire year+ due to serious neck/head issues and an oft-injured 35 year old going into next season seems a bit problematic to me. My point of introducing the attacking mid discussion is that we lacked any offensive buildup the majority of the season and have a negative goal differential. In fact, we are the extreme beneficiaries of MLS parity and a whole boatload of luck to make the playoffs. While we may have somehow made the playoffs this season, we really can't repeat the same mistakes next year and expect things to turn out fine. My thought is to change things up - either go to a 4-5-1 formation with a strong a-mid spearheading the attack who has vision and pace to help put the strikers in better positions to score. To stand pat and not upgrade at least the striker assuming Twellman is out (if not adding an a-mid) woud be a mistake IMO.
Right - we agree there, but your argument is to find a striker in context of TnT. Where we differ is my stance that the Revs are better served to assume Taylor Twellman is not healthy come the spring and to seek out a class forward to start next season. Not just find a strike partner - find the guy to replace Taylor. If Twellman plays and somehow is magically healthy - bonus! But I'm saying it's risky to assume he will be back because that's exactly what management did going into the 2009 season.
Absolutely. As many as 3, given Twellman's and EJ's uncertain return, the upcoming expansion draft, and that nobody but Nicol really knows if Assengue is any good.
I would agree with those saying we shouldn't even be playing with a CAM at this point. I think a 4-2-2-2 how Bob Bradley is lining up is probably the best suited for the club. Give guys like Colaluca, Castro, and Ralston more time on the wings with Nyassi and Mansally being options for speed. Alston and Badilla/Igwe/Heaps get more attacking freedom. I would say, though, that without a forward willing to do the work Noonan and to some extent Dempsey did, the formation won't be successful. I wouldn't be against going after Noonan to fill this role, but I think with a healthy Jankauskas and Twellman, Janny could do admirably. ....and if anyone mentions a 4-5-1 I will break your kneecaps.
Interesting... with SJ playing the role of Mike Bradley to JL's Rico Clark? I still think we're missing at least one player who can be -next year- the player we hope Nyassi & Mansally will become.