Looking at our current roster strikes me as a good news/bad news sort of situation. The good news is we have a solid core group of young players (Pontius, Wallace, Jakovic, Tino). The bad news is that a lot of our key players are getting too old. The decisions about the veteran players have got to be the most painful for the club to make. This is especially true for legendary guys like Jaime and Benny.
The first roster decision that the Front Office must make concerns the upcoming Expansion Draft for the Philadelphia Union. The reports that I have read indicate that the protected list (of eleven players) must be submitted the day after MLS Cup and that the actual draft will occur three days later. So who do we protect? Here's my breakdown;
No Brainers
Pontius, Wallace, Jakovic, Namoff (get well soon), Quaranta, Simms, Jacobson (yes, that is a short list)
Questions
Szetela (was his benching because of a issue with Tommy or is he a problem case?)
Burch (I say protect him assuming we play a four man backline, which we should)
McTavish (decent utility player, very cost effective)
Every goalie on the roster (this is not meant as a knock on the guys we have, but I think some other teams goalies will be more attractive to the Union than ours). I am also curious to see if Cronin fits in to the mix.
Vaughn (has room for improvement, but with the right coaching could be a solid player)
Khumalo (some much needed speed, the touch needs a lot of work)
Don't know (have not seen enough)
Habarugira, Allen, DiRaimondo, Barklage
Not Protected
Fred (nice guy, but ineffective and expensive)
Gomez (expensive, can't go 90, a sentimental favorite to be sure)
Emilio (not worth the DP money)
Janicki (no comment necessary)
John (dont think he's be an attractive target for an expansion club)
N'Silu (just not impressed with what I saw from him)
Shipalane (did not see much except the crossover move)
The only two players I have not included are Jaime and Benny. I am absolutely torn on these two. If (and this is a very big if), Jaime is willing to accept a pay cut and a reduced role (think super sub), he should be protected. That is asking a lot from a player with Jaime's resume. I am leaning towards protecting Benny. He has stated that he wants to play next year and, especially with a new coach, he brings a lot more to this team than just his play on the field. With his ankle issues, it would be a major risk for the Union to pick him.
One final topic, the ongoing labor negotiations. How is a front office supposed to make plans for retooling a roster when they dont know what the ground rules are? This is especially true for a team (like ours) that could see significant roster turnover. How many roster spots will there be? How many DP spots will there be? What will the salary cap be? Add to these questions the possibility that there could be a strike or lock out of the players next spring? What does Kevin Payne or Dave Kasper say to some player's agent when they are trying to convince another South American that DCU is the right club for him? Good luck with that, fellas.
Sunday, November 15, 2009
Saturday, November 14, 2009
Offseason Priorities Part One: We Need a Coach
Now that we have had some time to reflect on the second disappointing season in a row, it is time to take a look at what steps the club should take to right the ship going in to next season.
The first item on the agenda is finding the right head coach. Richie Williams, Curt Onalfo and Preki have been widely mentioned as candidates. Goff has also blogged that Caleb Porter from the University of Akron has been interviewed. Dennis Hamlett's name has also been mentioned. If this is the list to choose from, I say narrow the list to Preki and Richie Williams immediately. Besides the requisite experience in the way MLS really works, these two would bring the fire in the belly attitude that this team has been missing.
Richie Williams resume and reputation speak for themselves. He has made a lousy team respectable as the interim coach on two different occasions. I think Red Bull would be foolish not to offer him their head coaching position. But their history of foolishness is well documented. If they feel like they need a big name coach to put butts in the seats of their new stadium, then they could shoot themselves in the foot yet again.
The concern I have about Preki is the playing style of Chivas USA during his time there. One of the things I love about United is that they at least try to play elegant, attacking football. Kevin Payne alluded to this in the comments he made that cost him five grand. My personal opinion is that he was absolutely right. When you look at the bunker way some of the teams in this league play (New England comes to mind), it can be downright painful to watch. Chivas USA has been guilty at times of playing that same style. What I think we need to know is, was that style a result of his Preki's coaching philosophy or was it simply the case of matching tactics to the talent he had to work with. I personally think that it was the latter.
I have to believe that the coaching job at United is one of the more coveted positions in the league. A team with a passionate fan base, a history of success and a solid nucleus of good young players has to be very tempting to a coach looking to make his mark. Let's just hope we find the right man.
The first item on the agenda is finding the right head coach. Richie Williams, Curt Onalfo and Preki have been widely mentioned as candidates. Goff has also blogged that Caleb Porter from the University of Akron has been interviewed. Dennis Hamlett's name has also been mentioned. If this is the list to choose from, I say narrow the list to Preki and Richie Williams immediately. Besides the requisite experience in the way MLS really works, these two would bring the fire in the belly attitude that this team has been missing.
Richie Williams resume and reputation speak for themselves. He has made a lousy team respectable as the interim coach on two different occasions. I think Red Bull would be foolish not to offer him their head coaching position. But their history of foolishness is well documented. If they feel like they need a big name coach to put butts in the seats of their new stadium, then they could shoot themselves in the foot yet again.
The concern I have about Preki is the playing style of Chivas USA during his time there. One of the things I love about United is that they at least try to play elegant, attacking football. Kevin Payne alluded to this in the comments he made that cost him five grand. My personal opinion is that he was absolutely right. When you look at the bunker way some of the teams in this league play (New England comes to mind), it can be downright painful to watch. Chivas USA has been guilty at times of playing that same style. What I think we need to know is, was that style a result of his Preki's coaching philosophy or was it simply the case of matching tactics to the talent he had to work with. I personally think that it was the latter.
I have to believe that the coaching job at United is one of the more coveted positions in the league. A team with a passionate fan base, a history of success and a solid nucleus of good young players has to be very tempting to a coach looking to make his mark. Let's just hope we find the right man.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)