TRM Posted June 20, 2016 Author Share Posted June 20, 2016 6 hours ago, Unnamed Trialist said: Wish we had more Canadians like that, maybe it is a question of opportunities, but I think it might be more related to what US competitive mentality is all about. In time we will. They are a decade plus ahead of us but we are closing the gap. We have 3 D1, 2 D2 & 3 USL sides now. The USL has the most Canadians but it is working its way up to NASL. Canadians can be as competitive as any. Just watch a hockey game :0 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BearcatSA Posted June 25, 2016 Share Posted June 25, 2016 I see that the rumour of Rivero going to Colo Colo made the Friday evening Vancouver Global TV sports report. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shermanator Posted June 25, 2016 Share Posted June 25, 2016 More mentions on the Rivero to Colo-Colo rumours, it's picking up steam. Rivero is not in the 18 for the Whitecaps today. Would be great news for Whitecaps if they could offload him, he's been absolutely dreadful since his hot start in 2015. http://vancouversun.com/sports/soccer/mls/vancouver-whitecaps/report-whitecaps-rivero-to-colo-colo-in-chile Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TRM Posted June 26, 2016 Author Share Posted June 26, 2016 He hasn't been dreadful. He hasn't scored as many goals as a DP probably should but he's been a consistent forward holding the ball up and doing all the other things a forward does. In our formation he has been solid if unspectacular. The problem for him is Hurtado's emergence as an almost equal in terms of play. Much cheaper and would open a DP slot. Watching Erik tonight vs Philly was a true eye opener. A MOTM game for Erik IMHO. The more interesting part of the article is "Centre-back has been an obvious area of concern for Robinson, with out-of-contract Canadian international David Edgar the latest defender to train with the club". He can play CB or RB and we could use both but mostly RB. Sign him & move Aird up to RM and Techera becomes the next trade bait. Good old "what have you done for me lately" pro sports career. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ruffian Posted June 28, 2016 Share Posted June 28, 2016 Looks like Whitecaps are going to sign Enrique Esqueda from Pachuca. Talk on twitter about this and he has just now re-tweeted Whitecaps starting line-ups for the Voyageurs' Cup. https://twitter.com/paletaesqueda9 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enrique_Esqueda Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BearcatSA Posted June 30, 2016 Share Posted June 30, 2016 On Saturday, June 25, 2016 at 8:23 PM, TRM said: The more interesting part of the article is "Centre-back has been an obvious area of concern for Robinson, with out-of-contract Canadian international David Edgar the latest defender to train with the club". Regardless of the Waston-Ousted cock up resulting in the V-Cup winner, this team gives up way too many shots and I think it's more than just centre defence issues. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dub Narcotic Posted June 30, 2016 Share Posted June 30, 2016 On 4/17/2016 at 5:09 PM, Unnamed Trialist said: Good post above, agree with all three points. I think we should simply go back to basics, which means defending together and disciplined, even going to four proper mids and 4-4-2. I never thought I'd say what I am about to, but here goes...sometimes those American journeymen who you can real get tired of in MLS do the sort of job you need done. They are committed and hard working and yes, that only partially covers their defects. But I would live with the defects because in crisis mode you have to batten down the hatches. The loss of Beitashour and the move away from two DMs have been the two main culprits. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BearcatSA Posted June 30, 2016 Share Posted June 30, 2016 1 hour ago, Dub Narcotic said: The loss of Beitashour and the move away from two DMs have been the two main culprits. I still think the club misses the presence of Koffie beside Laba: big, rangy, physical presence. Also, was Morales on the field last night (rhetorical question)? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Complete Homer Posted June 30, 2016 Share Posted June 30, 2016 6 hours ago, BearcatSA said: I still think the club misses the presence of Koffie beside Laba: big, rangy, physical presence. Also, was Morales on the field last night (rhetorical question)? Not an exact match, but Edgar could do that too, as well as provide cover across defence. Maybe that's the plan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ruffian Posted July 6, 2016 Share Posted July 6, 2016 Octavio Rivero officially transferred. Space for Canadians? Or just space for another foreign DP striker? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bison44 Posted July 7, 2016 Share Posted July 7, 2016 Does Van have a CDN replacement striker? Haber (Daniel)?? Would they give a WFC2 guy a shot at some playing time? Or are we speculating its Marcus Haber/someone from abroad?? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dub Narcotic Posted July 7, 2016 Share Posted July 7, 2016 Doesn't have to be an either-or. They almost certainly will sign a DP but are surely thinking about bringing Haber or Greig up for a look. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TRM Posted July 7, 2016 Author Share Posted July 7, 2016 I'd say the starting spot is once again Hurtado's to lose. He had it with his goal a game for 5 games in a row streak but lost it due to his slump in scoring and inability to do the other things a lone forward is supposed to do. He has now learned those things and is executing them well. They may bring Greig up as he already has 10 goals for the Caps2 team. He is doing what I'd hoped Clarke would do last year. Given the first team's goals against I'd say they'll shore up the back with a non-DP for the rest of the season. With allocation and other MLS gimmicks they could probably fit Edgar in and still have room for a DP if one they wanted became available.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yohan Posted July 7, 2016 Share Posted July 7, 2016 Given that Robbo likes the 4-2-3-1, I'd say it's almost a given that Caps need a 'complete' striker who can score and also good at hold up play, probably spend DP level money. Caps won't find their #9 guy from their USL 2 affiliate Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Unnamed Trialist Posted July 8, 2016 Share Posted July 8, 2016 I understand that the transfer window gives an MLS coach the chance to fiddle around, but Robbo's squad management is very mediocre. IN general this is seen with a lot of MLS teams, so I won't say it's just him. You start the season with a 23/25 man roster, plus your 2nd team, all this multiple options, you scout and sign, then a few months into the season you chuck a huge part of it out and just change the pieces entirely. It is very rare for that to happen in any important club in any league anywhere in the world, in the winter option most clubs at most do a couple little changes. True, winter window has less players available, more movement is possible in summer, but still. I think these managers fiddle because, basically, they were not clear enough what they wanted to do at the start of the season with the guys they chose. They were not able to make tactical or lineup adjustments successfully so the players get blamed. And that is lazy managing, managers in the top leagues, and even the second tier of good leagues in Europe, do not do that: they go with what they have, believe in it from day one to the end of the season, squeeze the max out of it, make the few guys in each position compete and compete, bring up an occasional kid to help, and sign the very odd player from the outside, usually just to fill a minor role. I like it that way, it shows you have an idea what you want to do, believe in yourself, and are willing to persist. Three months of a season and then needing huge lineup changes is not my idea of believing in yourself as a coach. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TRM Posted July 9, 2016 Author Share Posted July 9, 2016 All true there UT but that is a Rennie-esque philosophy that might not hold in a salary capped league. When you can bring in a couple of players and if they fire on all cylinders you look brilliant. If not you look like 12-15 other coaches in the league. Some help for the back and leave a DP spot open in case they get an excellent deal on someone. I don't see wholesale changes but Rivero was made expendable by the emergence of Hurtado at a hugely cheaper cost to do the same role. Yes I'm shaking my head as I type that sentence. We'll see if he can keep it going for the rest of the season but he has come such a long way this year it is a bit spooky. If he can't then Robbo brings in another DP. Perhaps Robbo already has someone lined up. He seems to do things like that quite often. Track and follow players and when they get near end of contract make room just in case. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BearcatSA Posted July 10, 2016 Share Posted July 10, 2016 I've been on this forum for quite a few years and I like to think that I have a rep for being fairly level headed and trying to be thoughtful. However, after watching this Colorado draw, the Caps ownership need to shake things up with a coaching change. Like Monday morning. Or earlier. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TRM Posted July 10, 2016 Author Share Posted July 10, 2016 2-2 draw vs the Rapids. I really want to see Edgar at RB next game. We are weak at RB and other teams' have scouted us. In any complicated or even semi-complicated situation Smith is lost. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BearcatSA Posted July 10, 2016 Share Posted July 10, 2016 3 minutes ago, TRM said: 2-2 draw vs the Rapids. I really want to see Edgar at RB next game. We are weak at RB and other teams' have scouted us. In any complicated or even semi-complicated situation Smith is lost. There are a whole bunch of players and things wrong right now, not just Smith, but I'll leave it with two: how is it that a team that has a one player numerical advantage ends up getting attacked 4 vs only 5 on the tying goal? Where the hell is everyone else? They're caught up the field. Then Jacobsen gets beaten in the air by Sjoberg in the build up play but doesn't bother to stay with him as the big fellow cruises into the box totally unmarked to the fair post and has an unopposed header over Harvey. There are too many systemic issues at the moment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TRM Posted July 10, 2016 Author Share Posted July 10, 2016 Yes it isn't just Smith as Harvey is also out of position too often. Nothing Edgar & Adekugbe can't cure Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Unnamed Trialist Posted July 11, 2016 Share Posted July 11, 2016 19 hours ago, BearcatSA said: I've been on this forum for quite a few years and I like to think that I have a rep for being fairly level headed and trying to be thoughtful. However, after watching this Colorado draw, the Caps ownership need to shake things up with a coaching change. Like Monday morning. Or earlier. I have occasionally been harping about Robbo, because I think he is tactically inept, and this suggests it too. I think today was not as bad as against TFC, since we actually did get back more of the play vs. 10 and it was't a systematic mess over a long stretch, just a dumb screw up late. I was angrier after losing the V-Cup. You could even say he did one thing that was not bad, let Colorado have the ball, stay disciplined and not foul, and hit on the counter. I understand that if you are positionally disciplined you have to hang back, which is an alternative to our bad discipline record going rashly in. So give him credit there, I could appreciate it although we looked like the clearly inferior team the whole match. Point is, we are just churning through all these player options, he burns them out in a couple games sometimes, usually a surprise youngster one game sits the next couple for no reason, players failing regularly are allowed to do so (like Rivero for about 20 games straight). There is no proper squad management, and rarely do we see a clearly upward curve for a player. The only players IMO who are better now than last year early on, are Parker, and maybe Manneh (though not these last few games). The rest are actually worse, Ousted, Waston, Harvey, Laba, Morales clearly, Techera in spite of the play last night....Hurtado came back better, ok. So we have two players who are clearly better and playing regularly, Parker and Hurtado. Pretty thin stuff. Are they worse or is the coach over his head? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Beaver Posted July 11, 2016 Share Posted July 11, 2016 ^ I still feel it is too early to be talking about a coaching change, but I have to admit I am now worried about Robbo's ability to get this crew back on track. The team seemed lost yesterday, clearly outplayed by a team that played cohesive, purposeful football. We will see what DeJong and Edgar bring, but we need to play with more purpose. The midfield seems lost at sea. We are bleeding goals like crazy. Next game I'd go without Morales in the lineup. Maybe try Bola in the middle with Laba, with Mezquida in front of them, Techera on one wing.mThis team needs to find its core, it's identity...and fast. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BearcatSA Posted July 11, 2016 Share Posted July 11, 2016 34 minutes ago, The Beaver said: ^ I still feel it is too early to be talking about a coaching change, but I have to admit I am now worried about Robbo's ability to get this crew back on track. The team seemed lost yesterday, clearly outplayed by a team that played cohesive, purposeful football. We will see what DeJong and Edgar bring, but we need to play with more purpose. The midfield seems lost at sea. We are bleeding goals like crazy. Believe me, I'm usually against a coaching change in mid season but to me things look like they are unravelling as opposed to simply being a rough patch, for all of the reasons UT described in his post. RSL at home this Wednesday may decide his fate. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TRM Posted July 11, 2016 Author Share Posted July 11, 2016 I'm against a mid season coach change. Last time they couldn't get the ones they targeted and that was with an entire off season. To be fair to Robbo he himself said his timetable to become a head coach was 7 years. Even if you count the year at NYRB as a playing assistant coach and he is still at 5 years. So by his own schedule he isn't there yet. Question is who do you replace him with? Especially on short notice. And would that make the team any better? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TRM Posted July 11, 2016 Author Share Posted July 11, 2016 It's official. http://www.whitecapsfc.com/post/2016/07/11/whitecaps-fc-sign-canadian-international-defender-david-edgar and so is the other one http://www.whitecapsfc.com/post/2016/07/11/whitecaps-fc-sign-canadian-international-defender-marcel-de-jong So our back line just got a huge boost. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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