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Valour FC - 2024 Season Thread


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Update: As of this moment we are official tied for top of the table.

Keep: Baquero (but he'll be gone judging by Haynes starting in his place at the end), Campbell, de Briene, Gutierrez, Samake, Sanchez, Williams, Yesli

Let Go: Haynes, Novak, Ohin (he will promptly recover and never get injured again and win a title), Polisi, Rendon, Selemani, Siaj, Ulloa

IDK: Cela, AJB (probably let go but my heart says no), Mzoughi, Niyongabire, Pianelli, Ponce

I'm willing to admit I'm probably 100% wrong on a number of these. I am, however, not wrong that our entire striker contingent needs to go away (minus maybe Ponce).

Edited by Wippersuna
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1 hour ago, Wippersuna said:

Update: As of this moment we are official tied for top of the table.

Keep: Baquero (but he'll be gone judging by Haynes starting in his place at the end), Campbell, de Briene, Gutierrez, Samake, Sanchez, Williams, Yesli

Let Go: Haynes, Novak, Ohin (he will promptly recover and never get injured again and win a title), Polisi, Rendon, Selemani, Siaj, Ulloa

IDK: Cela, AJB (probably let go but my heart says no), Mzoughi, Niyongabire, Pianelli, Ponce

I'm willing to admit I'm probably 100% wrong on a number of these. I am, however, not wrong that our entire striker contingent needs to go away (minus maybe Ponce).

I agree for the most part.  I personally would like to see Ohin and AJB again but that would be emotional thinking.  Would put Mzoughi in "keep" just for the U21 mins.  Keep 1 of Cela or Pianelli (and don't forget Chandler is still on the roster)  Polisi could go in the "maybe" column although I know he is not popular in this forum.  Niyongabire can go, I sure he is too expensive for what he delivers.

You omitted Darlington -- if Yesli is retained I can see Valour releasing him for budget reasons.  I would like to see a Wpg backup GK.

My fear is Valour keeping Haynes, PDS has some attachment to him.  Please find some other left footed players, 2 was not enough.

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^^. Think Darlington stays.  Wasn't he in L1O until Valour picked him up?  Good keeper at a bargain I would think.  And Yesli is still a long way off from sell-on potential.  That's just the way it is with 99% of keepers.

Of two minds with AJB for the same reasons as everyone else.  We'll never see him at his best again unless he can get something resembling a whole season in and no one knows if that's possible anymore.  Have to say the new horses at the back have overall shown well.  Scouting gets a passing grade for those lads.

 

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55 minutes ago, Cheeta said:

 Have to say the new horses at the back have overall shown well.  Scouting gets a passing grade for those lads.

 

Can't say I agree here. If we start the season with Samake, Cela, Pianelli and Chandler as our CB stable, that is not good enough.

Edited by jonovision
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19 hours ago, Wippersuna said:

Update: As of this moment we are official tied for top of the table.

Keep: Baquero (but he'll be gone judging by Haynes starting in his place at the end), Campbell, de Briene, Gutierrez, Samake, Sanchez, Williams, Yesli

Let Go: Haynes, Novak, Ohin (he will promptly recover and never get injured again and win a title), Polisi, Rendon, Selemani, Siaj, Ulloa

IDK: Cela, AJB (probably let go but my heart says no), Mzoughi, Niyongabire, Pianelli, Ponce

I'm willing to admit I'm probably 100% wrong on a number of these. I am, however, not wrong that our entire striker contingent needs to go away (minus maybe Ponce).

Haynes is on a 2 year contract. I believe Samake is too. Will be interesting to see which other undeserving players also are on 2 year deals. 

AJB has to go. I assume he's still on the biggest contract at the club, too.

That big contract should go towards an incoming goal scorer.

I sure hope that PDS uses a different system to scout and sign international players this offseason. If quality offensive players cost more, then pay them more and supplement some other spots with some minimum contract L10 or PLSQ players (the good ones, like what the Wanderers did this year, not another Cela).

I doubt de Brienne wants to stick around. I'll be happy if Guti still wants to be here next year. 

We've got to nail our international signings because no established domestic players want anything to do with Valour and I don't blame them.

Williams was decent this year. I read a story that he was friends with Ollie Bassett back home. Does he have any other friends that want to come over that he can recommend? They can't be worse than our South American duds or Jamie fucking Siaj.

I knew this season was going to be a disaster based on the fact we didnt sign any players that could regularly score. Surely PDS has learned his lesson that he needs to sign a goal scorer or 2 for next year.

Edited by Soccerpro2
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My worry with Valour is that Vancouver continues to build on a solid second half of their first season and York could improve with new ownership...Atletico could also bounce back and the top four are unlikely to suddenly get much weaker...all that and Dos Santos has never really proven that he can get it done over a long period...sure they said theyre making changes to the scouting but concretely what will that mean? Will they be able to get much better players? And then will they be able to keep most strong players and get rid of most weak ones? It seems like it could be a very difficult season in 2024

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13 hours ago, jonovision said:

Can't say I agree here. If we start the season with Samake, Cela, Pianelli and Chandler as our CB stable, that is not good enough.

* shrug*  

Don't think it would trouble me as much as some.  What's happening in the pocket in front of the center halfs gets more of my attention. 

For a cobbled together defence last season I don't think they were half bad.  Especially for a crew which was more or less made up as the season went along and included players who "promoted" up into CPL.  Never going to mistake Pianelli for Didic, not yet anyway, but I'm willing to take the good with the bad with that bunch.

Defending was not Valour's biggest issue in 2023.  That might be damning this lot with faint praise but the point stands I think.   

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10 hours ago, Soccerpro2 said:

Haynes is on a 2 year contract. I believe Samake is too. Will be interesting to see which other undeserving players also are on 2 year deals. 

AJB has to go. I assume he's still on the biggest contract at the club, too.

That big contract should go towards an incoming goal scorer.

I sure hope that PDS uses a different system to scout and sign international players this offseason. If quality offensive players cost more, then pay them more and supplement some other spots with some minimum contract L10 or PLSQ players (the good ones, like what the Wanderers did this year, not another Cela).

I doubt de Brienne wants to stick around. I'll be happy if Guti still wants to be here next year. 

We've got to nail our international signings because no established domestic players want anything to do with Valour and I don't blame them.

Williams was decent this year. I read a story that he was friends with Ollie Bassett back home. Does he have any other friends that want to come over that he can recommend? They can't be worse than our South American duds or Jamie fucking Siaj.

I knew this season was going to be a disaster based on the fact we didnt sign any players that could regularly score. Surely PDS has learned his lesson that he needs to sign a goal scorer or 2 for next year.

I'd put even money on de Brienne putting another season in at Valour.  Stock is high but it could go way higher and the man and PDS have been saying the right things.  Best investment in himself may be another year with plenty of playing time in (broadly speaking) a system he knows and he'll only find that here.  That said...who knows?

Really rate Williams.  Phil had him advanced to see out the season and to my eye there was benefit in that, for the team, even if it didn't work out in the end for either party.  But man, he made an effort of it and that gets Cheeta love.  Is one of the more talented and intelligent players on the side to-boot.  Can't let him get away, if it can be helped.   

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9 hours ago, Cheeta said:

* shrug*  

Don't think it would trouble me as much as some.  What's happening in the pocket in front of the center halfs gets more of my attention. 

For a cobbled together defence last season I don't think they were half bad.  Especially for a crew which was more or less made up as the season went along and included players who "promoted" up into CPL.  Never going to mistake Pianelli for Didic, not yet anyway, but I'm willing to take the good with the bad with that bunch.

Defending was not Valour's biggest issue in 2023.  That might be damning this lot with faint praise but the point stands I think.   

I think the weak defensive group was part of the reason, ironically, that we had such trouble scoring, as usually at least 2 of the 3 midfield were asked to do more defending than attacking. The lack of pace of Cela and Pianelli was glaring when played together, and Samake isn't much quicker. I think if you're grading on a curve, sure they did fine for guys who you would have said had no business being CPL starters, but other than perhaps Samake in a rotation situation, there is no chance any of them would get minutes for any other CPL club.

Regarding de Brienne, as I said in the Valour 2023 thread, I won't have any complaints if he moves on to a better league.  But If de he leaves for another CPL team Valour might as well close up shop. Why exist merely as a feeder club to the teams that are actually trying to win?

Edited by jonovision
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3 minutes ago, jonovision said:

I think the weak defensive group was part of the reason, ironically, that we had such trouble scoring, as usually at least 2 of the 3 midfield were asked to do more defending than attacking. The lack of pace of Cela and Pianelli was glaring when played together, and Samake isn't much quicker. I think if you're grading on a curve, sure they did fine for guys who you would have said had no business being CPL starters, but other than perhaps Samake in a rotation situation, there is no chance any of them would get minutes for any other CPL club.

More defensive problems were caused by Haynes than were caused by the CB's.  Get a decent Left-back and the CB's will look much better.

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1 minute ago, K Edgar said:

More defensive problems were caused by Haynes than were caused by the CB's.  Get a decent Left-back and the CB's will look much better.

Hayes only played 900 minutes (36% of the season), and some of those were out position as CB or RB. Can't blame him for everything, as much as I might like to. 

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  • 2 weeks later...

TransferMarkt released its end of season values for CanPL players including Valour
(https://www.transfermarkt.us/valour-fc/startseite/verein/67215)
7 Valour players increased their value, 6 decreased.

Increases:
Yesli (€150k from 100)
Williams (€150k from 75)
Sanchez (€125k from 100)
Cela (€100k from 50)
Pianelli (€100k from 50)
Polisi (€100k from 75)
Mzoughi (€75k from 25)

Decreases:
Niyongabire (€200k from 275 - still over valued)
Rendon (€150k from 250 - still over valued)
Ulloa  (€150k from 200 - still over valued)
AJB (€100k from 150 - age/injury related)
Samake (€100k from 125 - harsh?)
Ohin  (€75k from 150 - injury related)

- Interesting all 4 CB are now valued at €100k
- de Brienne was unchanged at €150k after winning U21 award!

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Northern Tribune's take...

https://northerntribune.ca/canadian-premier-league-valour-fc-roster-update-2023/

"Left-back Jordan Haynes will also be returning to IG Field next year, having looked like a good pickup when he finally got to play after a prolonged spell on the sidelines." -- don't think they were watching the same games as the rest of us.

Priority on the re-signing side should be Gutierrez and de Brienne.  Then sign Gutierrez's twin brother and let Haynes rot on the bench.  Oh, right and completely replace the offence. :(

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2 minutes ago, K Edgar said:

Northern Tribune's take...

https://northerntribune.ca/canadian-premier-league-valour-fc-roster-update-2023/

"Left-back Jordan Haynes will also be returning to IG Field next year, having looked like a good pickup when he finally got to play after a prolonged spell on the sidelines." -- don't think they were watching the same games as the rest of us.

Priority on the re-signing side should be Gutierrez and de Brienne.  Then sign Gutierrez's twin brother and let Haynes rot on the bench.  Oh, right and completely replace the offence. :(

Just a wild opinion to hold.

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^ To be fair he did look a much better player towards season's end.  How that period rates in the over all grading I don't know.  But he's here for 2024.

Terrified of the market.  More of the budget is going to get eaten up by fewer players, current and new, if Valour is going to have a chance.  So unless Miller has had a change of heart with the player budget something is going to have to give.  Buying quality and surrounding it on the cheap isn't a recipe for success.

Wondering if some thought is being given to extending some current contracts.  You know, just in case someone or two have another good year.

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3 hours ago, shermanator said:

Anything other then massive turnover would be a failure on management's part. This squad was bad and the standings don't lie.

The key is who does Valour bring in to improve the squad. If it's more CPL castaways, they won't move up the table in 2024.

No domestic player wants to play for Valour. They’ve made recruiting hard on themselves by fielding a consistent loser.

That puts all the pressure on hitting home runs with international signings which isn’t easy. Although I don’t see how they can get any worse with those, either.

If it’s another season of bargain basement signings then they shouldn’t bother fielding a team.

Edited by Soccerpro2
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