Based on our recent “style”, we definitely shouldn’t aim for that.
It’s time to play the real players. Struna, Matarrita, Lewis is first sub.
I don’t want Shelton even on the bench.
Away - 10/31 Columbus - 1st Leg ECS
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It’s time to play the real players. Struna, Matarrita, Lewis is first sub.
I don’t want Shelton even on the bench.
If we knows the starters, it's going to be the bench that is the question mark...
Starting 11: Johnson | Matarrita, Chanot, Callens, Struna | Ring, Herrera, Moralez | Wallace, Villa, Harrison
Bench: Johansen, Lewis, Okoli, Sweat, White, Brillant, Lopez
That would leave Pirlo and McNamara off the 18, which I'm fine with.
Swap about Lopez for Awuah.
I think its time to start Lewis honestly.
Can you start Lewis opposite Harrison with Villa in the middle?
- Chanot hasn’t even made the 18 in months. He’s not game ready.
- I rate Shelton over Okoli, although that’s largely based on his strong play off the bench at the end of last season.
- We don’t need all of White, a fullback, and a center back. Take one of those guys and Lopez off and add two of Pirlo, TMac and Sands.
I don't think you can bring Chanot in to start when he hasn't played in 2 or 3 months. Seems a sketchy proposition.
That said, if you don't start him this game, then you may as well say he's only a backup for the remainder of the year. Maybe there's an argument you save his return for the home leg. All of that assumes he is indeed 100%. If so, I think I'd save him for the home match (yes, I changed my mind mid-post).
I would be more apt to do this at home, but honestly, he's way more effective as a sub right now. If Jack weren't available, I'd say definitely start Lewis there. Wallace is too important defensively to leave out, and he and Mata have great chemistry on the left.
None of that is to say Lewis isn't good enough to start. I think he is, but this isn't the situation for it.
Agree on both. The question with Chanot is how you get him game time so that he's ready to start and go a full 90. Bringing center backs off the bench is a tricky proposition, as we have seen, and that only gets more high stakes in the playoffs. This is complicated by the two legged nature of our remaining contests. Even if we are up 3-1 in the late stages of the first leg, we would still be taking a big risk putting him on since we don't know how the second leg might unfold.
The Chanot situation is tricky. I think we all agree that Chanot >>> Brilliant (heck, Chanot was probably a top 10 MLS CB before he got hurt). His distribution also makes NYCFC much more dangerous.
That said, how can you get him fit enough to be able to start? Unlike say a winger, you cannot have mistakes by a rusty CB or you're leaking goals and good night. It's tough that they don't have a lower league and/or reserve team active now that they could get Chanot a game or two to get fit. You can't take a chance that "he will play his way back" because the entire series could go on one mistake.
Chanot makes NYCFC so much better and it will be a shame if he can't get back on the field.
That said, how can you get him fit enough to be able to start? Unlike say a winger, you cannot have mistakes by a rusty CB or you're leaking goals and good night. It's tough that they don't have a lower league and/or reserve team active now that they could get Chanot a game or two to get fit. You can't take a chance that "he will play his way back" because the entire series could go on one mistake.
Chanot makes NYCFC so much better and it will be a shame if he can't get back on the field.
Look at that lineup. Wow NYCFC has come a long way in a year. The midfield for that game was a 1000 year old Iraola, lead foot/hard head Bravo, and "man he works hard" Lopez. Yeeesh.
So I looked at the lineups for last year, because remember that Chanot had the herniated disc towards the end of the year as well. His first game fit was the penultimate game vs DC. He was in the 18, but didn't sub on. He started and played the full 90 the next week for Columbus, and then started both the playoff games.
Admittedly he wasn't out as long then as he was this time, as last year he got injured in the middle of September and so only missed about 4 weeks
Top 10? I don't think I can count even 4 better than him. He is easily top 5 when healthy. I mean, even Callens has been playing like a top 10 CB and let's not forget that Chanot was outshining him almost every game. Only other CBs in MLS that have impressed me more than this year are Opara, Hedges, and Gonzalez Pires. Maybe not even Hedges with how bad Dallas was.
If he is 100%, you gotta take him over Brillant. If he is 90%, don't risk it. Sub him in at 60 to get his game legs and play him at home.
A plan to boost trade values or some type of internal discipline conspiracy would be a better answer than what I think it is unfortunately. I believe we are wishfully over thinking it. I have no idea why but all signs point to PV going all in on a super defensive strategy as we've gotten to the end of the season. I don't know if he thinks that's how we can win or if he's more concerned about not getting run over and embraced like last year but the signs are there as a number of shifts have settled in:
- Ring plays a 100% dedicated CDM role almost never going forward and plays deeper and deeper between the CBs as we start the play up field each game. Beginning of the season be played more box to box while shading towards D, last 2 months he's all defense.
- Herrera is very reserved in making runs into the box or fully joining the attack most often he seems to be assigned to stay 10 yards above the box to stop any counter.
- Our wingers have been assigned deeper and deeper track back duties.
- We're back to playing a CB at RB
- Khiry subs in instead of Lewis 100% because PV thinks he's a better defender and doesn't care that he's 100 times worse on offense than J Lew for some reason even when we are chasing a goal.
I still remember when PV joined the club they asked him in one of the initial interviews what manager he admired most and had learned the most from during his time as a player and his answer was Mourinho. He talked about how Mourinho would tweak approaches every game based on the opponent and his philosophy of doing just enough to win. More and More I think the truth of that answer and the influence is abundantly clear. Unfortunately this isn't the roster or the league where these types of approaches typically work.
After 12 games the GA was at 1.08 per game. It then climbed all the way up to 1.43 after game 23. During those 11 games when it climbed the GA average was 1.82. I'm sure PV hated that. At Game 23 our GF per game was at 1.87. In the last 11 games after the GA reached that high of 1.43, the GF was 1.18 and the GA was 0.91.
There was more going on: injuries, suspensions, etc. But you can easily tell a story about a coach who decided to reduce the GA at all costs.
PS: In the 11 games when the GA average was 1.82 the PPG was 1.82.
In the 11 games when the GA average was 0.91 the PPG was 1.55.
Odds of Chanot being match fit before the Semis is about 15%. Love the guy, but he needs minutes badly.
Let's get RBA to schedule a special Luxembourg v. Canada friendly, like this week!
I Can't Agree. Wallace hasn't been good the last few months and I think Lewis never did poorly defensively when he played and I think he will only get better defensively with the experience. He is much better then Wallace attacking g whether with Sweat or Mata. I think we should use him and go all out attack especially when we need to win. Wallace goes backwards all the time.
Also, I don't believe Harrison is that great defensively either as a winger but when you have dynamic wingers such as Harrison and Lewis and other around the league wing backs won't attack as much because of the threat of the dynamic wingers who can punish the space left behind. My point is that the more the winger is an attacking threat the less the wingback would push up.
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