I thought last night that the issue isn’t Owusu (or Kerr). The issue is in midfield (and at the back).
None of Osorio, Insigne, JMR, Flores, were able to find Prince (or each other), consistently. The only guy finding his teammates in the forward third is Berna, and it showed last night. Some of it may be coming, there are flashes.
"There are some people who might have better technique than me, and some may be fitter than me, but the main thing is tactics. With most players, tactics are missing. You can divide tactics into insight, trust, and daring." - Johan Cruyff
I don't think Owusu is an issue, i would resign him this year, the issue is we have no backups off the bench.Originally Posted by ensco
Look at this season, how many games missed due to injuries, international window, suspensions etc. Its insane. We can't just have one functioning #9 on the squad and same for other positions.
Last edited by SenorDingDong; 05-26-2024 at 08:01 AM.
I think Kerr can play, and I think he should get minutes beside (or sometimes instead of) Owusu.
I think he will break out. He is not Perruzza.
"There are some people who might have better technique than me, and some may be fitter than me, but the main thing is tactics. With most players, tactics are missing. You can divide tactics into insight, trust, and daring." - Johan Cruyff
Our defenders are, by and large, really good at getting the ball out of the back and starting attacks. This is helping our attack to be more fluid and dynamic.
However,
We have goals scored against us - and lots of times when our keepers have kept the score down. And we are below the line on goals against.
Goals are happening too often to be something that is just luck. Yes, the group individually shows they are good enough for long stretches of the game. But things break us down - lately towards the end of games. To me, its capability.
Can we look at Cinci's back line and go, "We got that level"? No
And that's what we need to get to roster wise, either through training people to be there or acquistion.
I think Long, when he starts, is good for 90 minutes and creates a pattern of "this is no different then 60 minutes ago". Rosted when partnered with that is fine - without Long, he suffers. He's not a rock. I believe Petretta can't handle chaos and quality attackers beat him. Gomis - he's still really young and not used to the last 10 minutes of chaos that seems to be a CONCACAF thing. Give him time.
Moving into 2025, I believe we need another CB because Rosted and Petretta are just not good enough with Long or Gomis against the attacks we face. And, Long has maybe this and next season in him.
I think our DM capability and mindset among our mids, beyond Flores & Oso, causes a lot of the goals we face. I think Longstaff is like Gomis - he will get there. He so reminds me of Delgado.
To me the weak link in our defence is Coello & Kobe. I like Kobe and he's come so far - but he's a defensive liability compared to Spicer or Richie or even JMR and that is an issue when coupled with a Coello. Because defensively, Coello can handle one on one play against him but he can't deal with intricate interplay (which is weird because that's what he personally likes to do when he has the ball).
So when I look at our needs defensively - backup DM, right footed rock of a CB, back up defensive minded RWB.
^Yes. I think both Rosted and Petretta are obvious major issues. Petretta has shown things offensively… but even then. They are backups on a healthy squad, and even then, don’t look good enough.
Putting aside Insigne, a separate topic altogether, they (together with Diomande) are big, big salary albatrosses we continue to carry.
Coello and Kobe show potential and are OK for depth for now. Let's give them time. If Franklin had scored that late chance (on a world class ball from Coello) the love in for them would be nuts today…
"There are some people who might have better technique than me, and some may be fitter than me, but the main thing is tactics. With most players, tactics are missing. You can divide tactics into insight, trust, and daring." - Johan Cruyff
Yeah, I think the DP slot should be used for a really good central middler, either one that is outright an AM or one that is more box-to-box but very attack minded. Must be said Osorio really not living up to expectations in this regard. He’s become too much of a utility knife but mediocre at every position.
The other two you mentioned need to be replaced as well. I think Petretta is far better than last year and Roster shows flashes but they are otherwise lagging from where they should be on their pay packets.
Hmmm, that’s not the chance I was concerned about. I like Franklin and want him on the squad. Still, he also should have been on the far post on that last play across the goal by Etienne.
I do think Oso is having a bad season for sure, but, and I will say he's been playing much better and proving me wrong and I'm happy to say that, but I think the chief problem of not being able to find the forward is we don't have a forward capable of making runs that generate chances, we lack someone who will consistently have key chances fall his way. We've an easier time finding attacking mid fielders in goalscoring positions than any 9 we have on the field. I don't think the issue is service. We'll see when everyone is fit but if we're struggling to find out 9 with the two Italians on the field, Riche, Spicer, Oso, even the likes of JMR, Longstaff...that isn't a lineup that should struggle to create chances for a forward. By MLS standards that is a strong chance creation engine. Chance creation is half on the giver of the ball and half on the receiver, it isn't a coincidence that chances just fall to top strikers, and don't to lesser ones.
Again Prince has been far better the past few weeks than I thought he was capable of being and already proven to me that I was harsh on him, and he definitely provides us something up top - far more than anyone else on our team. But a good, dynamic, goal scoring 9 on this team would transform our attack, far more than an attacking mid fielder for me, unless we decide Oso is done and replace him. But I don't think we're there yet.
i give credit to herdman for getting the dps going.but they have to clean up the back.they have allowed 3-3 and 4 goals against in the last 3 home losses.rosted is not moble enough in a back 3 the fact he is making more than all cbs combined is ridiculous.they need a cb and am at the next window
Rosted and Petretta are both decent defenders but not good enough to be locked in starters. O'Neill is on the bubble there but has been quite good this year.
The reality in MLS is that depth is always an issue. Rosted and Petretta are both good depth defenders. Ideally we need one more like Long but closer in age to Gomis.
We lack a proper second DM. Coello is sort of like Oso, in that he's technical and offers things others don't principally his long passing. But neither is great defensively. Both are really better as eights, holding onto the ball and finding outlets ahead of them.
Longstaff is a good eight and a passable 10. Flores is an excellent 6 by MLS standards. So ideally, we get one more defensive midfielder. We're covered wide.
I like Kerr but I think he's got a limited skill set in terms of beating defenders and reading the game. He's good on the run but not so fast that he can always outpace the line. He's a decent finisher. And he's still young. He has a decent future, but he's not an ideal striker backup to Owusu.
I think with Fede, Insigne and Laryea all potentially supplying him, Owusu is likely just good enough to be our number nine, but it would be better if he had competition.
Osorio was excellent as a DM playing next to Delgado. But we haven’t seen him in that spot for quite some time.
Delgado was more DM (when Bradley went to the USMNT) but this mirrors my thoughts too. Oso can play a more defensive mid - he just hasn't been asked of late.
I always thought Kerr was better as a winger.
Oso should be the guy coming in to play DM when Flores subs out or at least rotate back there after Flores leaves to bring on someone like Etienne Jr if both Italians start.
Oso + Flores in Mid and then moving Longstaff into Osorio's current spot seems like a win.
Coello can sub on. We still need a second proper DM though.
Summer shopping list:
DM (or box to box mid), 2 CB's and a #9.
Last edited by SenorDingDong; 05-27-2024 at 08:17 AM.
I think 1 solid younger CB is a must.
I think a different type of CF would be a good call. One that can create on his own and that guy should be a DP or U22. I think Owusu can do the target man thing well enough and having a creative other forward option to switch up our formations would be a bonus.
As for midfield I would like to see what Staniland has at some point but I don't see Coello as a long term option as a starter or the first mid off the bench on a contending team. I can see him becoming the next Fraser.
Oso and Richie called up for National Team as expected.
https://x.com/TorontoFC/status/17951...7Ctwgr%5Etweet
He doesn't have the wheels anymore. Oso used to cover a lot more ground, a lot more quickly. In the last 18 months he's been late to the ball constantly defensively. He still works hard, and he holds up well, and he links up well.
Also, in the Oso/Delgado setup it was a true double pivot. One dropped to the six when the other moved into the eight, based on the tilt of play. So the six was always close to the zones and lanes he needed to close down.
In the current system, that's not the case, and they're more inclined to press the back line up or have either the left or right central defender act as a defacto fullback by drifting the back three.
So it probably wouldn't really work to have him in that role anymore.
I'd still take him as a 20-30 minute sub over Coello at DM or the Coello role any day. Same amount of slowness, same amount of poor positioning, but less chance of suicide passes.
For those who think the refs are out to get us, Raul Gustavo has you covered. He got suspended 3 games for attacking an official.
Check out this tweet at https://twitter.com/18Cristian_MR/status/1795194849794183195
Think this is fake news, hes left footed and we are already set at LCB. Need a mobile right footed CB way more.
I figured it's because he's not aggressive enough.
Can we try him out at the next NYCFC match?
They seem to like Gomis in the center of the back three. Links from South America are super sketchy though, remember the days of Borre?
That said, this guy sounds like he was born to play in MLS. Hyper aggressive and willing to fight at the drop of a hat? That seems like the kind of guy Herdman loves. Herdman himself also commented about scouting the Brazilian league very heavily over the winter.
MLS is the perfect fit, lol.
Check out this tweet at https://x.com/tfcnewsoutlet/status/1795449555305058705
Hard to disagree.
Check out this tweet at https://x.com/PrimeroEdit_mx/status/1795478048948547848?t=sWXf1lv9IyzU9sg4VlNMWA&s=19
Brian Rodriguez TFC bound?
IDK. IIUC, he and two others were also just…
https://x.com/primeroedit_mx/status/...413703667?s=61
‘Soccer player from #América accused of rape! Brian 'N', player of @ClubAmerica was accused of aggravated rape and breach of trust by a woman who also mentions two other subjects, identified as Gera 'N' and Sebastián 'N'.’
Could also be Sebastian Caceres. The report is vague.
Both are under contract until 2026/2027.
Rodriguez is a left wing and we really dont need any more of those.
Caceres is a defender and would definitely be more filling a need.
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