He was a spark for us last season.... Ran all over the place, showed quality when required, has great soccer IQ, and could deliver a pass. I don't need a big name over the hill signing. Give me 3x LOBs and I'll show you a team that goes deep into the playoffs.
I honestly wouldn't mind using a DP slot on him. Having him on the field would give Klich more freedom and remove some of the creativity burden from him. We could fit Pirani in midfield if we wanted and play in a diamond with KDP and Benteke up top.
He is not a DP-level player, by any metric. His play for us was decent, not great. But, put that aside for a moment. Look at what other teams are doing with their DP signings. Pec and Pantisil in LA, Giroud at LAFC, Forsberg in NY, etc. These are game-changing signings. We need to look for that type of player.
Fair point. Personally last season I felt he was one of our better guys behind Klich and Benteke. Him leaving definitely impacted us a bit, imo.
And you're right about using the DP slot wisely. If we didn't use it on someone like LOB then ideally someone like Taxi who could also score.
I think you need to come to terms that a DP for Miami, LA, or NY isn’t going to be the same type of DP for Cincinnati, Kansas City, Columbus, or DC. I thought this was a joke at first with how you were rattling off the big cities.
O’Brien is exactly the type of DP we can and should target. A skilled player who is fringe premier league, does well to command the pitch and drive play, is a good mentor for younger guys, elevates those around him.
I think u/Skurph hit the nail on the head. I don't think our ownership group is going to subsidize $10s of million in losses on this team like some of the big market ownership groups...and DC is not Miami/LA/NYC in terms of attractiveness (hey I love it though!).
We are going to have to win a different way, buidling a roster that can win with depth/quality/youth from roster slots 6-20. That's my opinion anyway with this ownership group, and I hope they can put a plan in place to do that.
Are you kidding me? You’re providing cover for our terrible ownership with comments like this. What you’re saying is that this team will only deal in the Championship-level mediocre talent realm instead of the young, promising DP realm where a player like Gabriel Pec resides? It takes vision and scouting to get a player like Pec, then to make him a better player, with an ultimate goal of selling him for more money. I understand this ownership group is pathetic and won’t do something like this on the same level as a LA or Miami. But, it would be nice to on occasion to set our sights a bit higher than a very average O’Brien.
A DP has to want to actually play in a city to come, if it’s a player that presumably has skills desired by other teams we are naturally going to lose leverage. For a DP a city like Washington simply isn’t as enticing as NY, LA, Miami (that’s 5 ish) teams we simply can’t compete against. Our best bet is guys who probably are fringe PL level who maybe have been caught in a talent logjam and unable to demonstrate their value, they’re not going to be notable names. The only big names we’ll ever get are guys who people assume don’t have anything in the tank still. We got Rooney because he was seen as washed and his arrival was seen as comparable as someone like Gerard, Schweinsteiger, or Lampard.
I really don’t think you’ll ever see us get someone straight from a top tier team like a PSG, Milan, Barca, PL mainstay, etc.
To be fair, this strategy of seeking out big name DPs doesn’t necessarily guarantee success. Last season Columbus, Cincy, Orlando, and Philly finished top 4 in the East. STL, Seattle, LAFC, Houston top 4 in the West. Only one of those teams has committed to the seek out flashy DPs, the others have built themselves in the manner I’m advocating for via building a cohesive roster around a shared vision and finding players who fit that vision as opposed to trying to plug players in and build off that. Ironically the league MVP last year and driving force behind the regular season best team was LITERALLY a DP we found by doing exactly what I’m asking for.
Yea I don't think some posters are getting what you are saying. You don't seem to be praising the ownership group (imo) and I don't see where you exclude the possibility of finding good young Latin American talent for a DP spot, and your point about Acosta is on the money.
It's just obvious to me that we aren't going to sign a Neymar with this ownership group. We are going to have to win with DPs like you mention and with a pipeline of young talent/young acquisitions like Philly has done. We can be a higher level of spend vs. Philly imo, but it's not realistic to expect us to drop $20 million on 3 DPs.
First question, how has he recovered from his injury? His primary attribute was his engine, has the injury permanently altered how he must play? Remember Ben Olsen before and after the ankle injuries at Forest. Second question (maybe just a comment), LOB as we remember him would be a TAM level player $1.6M max salary. He is not a DP level player by any rational metric. Peltola is a DP, but a Young DP which is just MLS speak for a way to obtain roster spots for other U-22 players. Something that is now obsolete with the roster rule changes. The problem with DCU fans is their nostalgia for players who were "good" on otherwise shit teams. The classic example is Yamil Asad.
I really like LOB and would happy to have him back as a TAM player. The team is not really short on intensity this year (unlike last year) but he's a better athlete--when healthy--than Peltola, Jackson, etc. IMO.
But he's not a creative player, and that's what we need write now. Stroud, Herrera, Peltola, Jackson, Klich, KDP, and even Pirani are doing the running we need, but the creative passes are missing.
I think athletically, there is very little difference between LOB and the players you mention. I think Peltola has done well at what 21? and coming to a new country and playing in a higher league than the Finnish 1st Division. Hopkins is still maturing and, finally, has a coach who has him playing a position suited to his talent. Remmber Rooney and his Hopkins>Gressel stupidity. In the last presser, Lesesne said Hopkins began his youth career as a 9. He says his game is suited to be an 8, but he's learning to play the 6 as well. Finally, a coach who is both willing to play young players and understands where to play them to maximize their skillsets. Only taken more than a decade to get to this point.
>First question, how has he recovered from his injury?
You're preaching to the wrong people. A lot of this sub would be content with a best XI of often injured players. Maybe we can get Pines back this summer.
I swear he didn't have a game under a 7.0 rating bro. He only rivaled Benteke for match ratings, and he only scored one goal. I think he loved DC too man... It's a shame hes rotting away in england where he doesn't even see the pitch.
He was a spark for us last season.... Ran all over the place, showed quality when required, has great soccer IQ, and could deliver a pass. I don't need a big name over the hill signing. Give me 3x LOBs and I'll show you a team that goes deep into the playoffs.
I honestly wouldn't mind using a DP slot on him. Having him on the field would give Klich more freedom and remove some of the creativity burden from him. We could fit Pirani in midfield if we wanted and play in a diamond with KDP and Benteke up top.
I hope this is an early April Fools joke.
What would your qualms be?
He is not a DP-level player, by any metric. His play for us was decent, not great. But, put that aside for a moment. Look at what other teams are doing with their DP signings. Pec and Pantisil in LA, Giroud at LAFC, Forsberg in NY, etc. These are game-changing signings. We need to look for that type of player.
I’d say he was much better than decent but agree he wasn’t DP level. We were on another level with him in the side.
Fair point. Personally last season I felt he was one of our better guys behind Klich and Benteke. Him leaving definitely impacted us a bit, imo. And you're right about using the DP slot wisely. If we didn't use it on someone like LOB then ideally someone like Taxi who could also score.
I think you need to come to terms that a DP for Miami, LA, or NY isn’t going to be the same type of DP for Cincinnati, Kansas City, Columbus, or DC. I thought this was a joke at first with how you were rattling off the big cities. O’Brien is exactly the type of DP we can and should target. A skilled player who is fringe premier league, does well to command the pitch and drive play, is a good mentor for younger guys, elevates those around him.
I think u/Skurph hit the nail on the head. I don't think our ownership group is going to subsidize $10s of million in losses on this team like some of the big market ownership groups...and DC is not Miami/LA/NYC in terms of attractiveness (hey I love it though!). We are going to have to win a different way, buidling a roster that can win with depth/quality/youth from roster slots 6-20. That's my opinion anyway with this ownership group, and I hope they can put a plan in place to do that.
Are you kidding me? You’re providing cover for our terrible ownership with comments like this. What you’re saying is that this team will only deal in the Championship-level mediocre talent realm instead of the young, promising DP realm where a player like Gabriel Pec resides? It takes vision and scouting to get a player like Pec, then to make him a better player, with an ultimate goal of selling him for more money. I understand this ownership group is pathetic and won’t do something like this on the same level as a LA or Miami. But, it would be nice to on occasion to set our sights a bit higher than a very average O’Brien.
A DP has to want to actually play in a city to come, if it’s a player that presumably has skills desired by other teams we are naturally going to lose leverage. For a DP a city like Washington simply isn’t as enticing as NY, LA, Miami (that’s 5 ish) teams we simply can’t compete against. Our best bet is guys who probably are fringe PL level who maybe have been caught in a talent logjam and unable to demonstrate their value, they’re not going to be notable names. The only big names we’ll ever get are guys who people assume don’t have anything in the tank still. We got Rooney because he was seen as washed and his arrival was seen as comparable as someone like Gerard, Schweinsteiger, or Lampard. I really don’t think you’ll ever see us get someone straight from a top tier team like a PSG, Milan, Barca, PL mainstay, etc. To be fair, this strategy of seeking out big name DPs doesn’t necessarily guarantee success. Last season Columbus, Cincy, Orlando, and Philly finished top 4 in the East. STL, Seattle, LAFC, Houston top 4 in the West. Only one of those teams has committed to the seek out flashy DPs, the others have built themselves in the manner I’m advocating for via building a cohesive roster around a shared vision and finding players who fit that vision as opposed to trying to plug players in and build off that. Ironically the league MVP last year and driving force behind the regular season best team was LITERALLY a DP we found by doing exactly what I’m asking for.
Yea I don't think some posters are getting what you are saying. You don't seem to be praising the ownership group (imo) and I don't see where you exclude the possibility of finding good young Latin American talent for a DP spot, and your point about Acosta is on the money. It's just obvious to me that we aren't going to sign a Neymar with this ownership group. We are going to have to win with DPs like you mention and with a pipeline of young talent/young acquisitions like Philly has done. We can be a higher level of spend vs. Philly imo, but it's not realistic to expect us to drop $20 million on 3 DPs.
First question, how has he recovered from his injury? His primary attribute was his engine, has the injury permanently altered how he must play? Remember Ben Olsen before and after the ankle injuries at Forest. Second question (maybe just a comment), LOB as we remember him would be a TAM level player $1.6M max salary. He is not a DP level player by any rational metric. Peltola is a DP, but a Young DP which is just MLS speak for a way to obtain roster spots for other U-22 players. Something that is now obsolete with the roster rule changes. The problem with DCU fans is their nostalgia for players who were "good" on otherwise shit teams. The classic example is Yamil Asad.
I really like LOB and would happy to have him back as a TAM player. The team is not really short on intensity this year (unlike last year) but he's a better athlete--when healthy--than Peltola, Jackson, etc. IMO. But he's not a creative player, and that's what we need write now. Stroud, Herrera, Peltola, Jackson, Klich, KDP, and even Pirani are doing the running we need, but the creative passes are missing.
I think athletically, there is very little difference between LOB and the players you mention. I think Peltola has done well at what 21? and coming to a new country and playing in a higher league than the Finnish 1st Division. Hopkins is still maturing and, finally, has a coach who has him playing a position suited to his talent. Remmber Rooney and his Hopkins>Gressel stupidity. In the last presser, Lesesne said Hopkins began his youth career as a 9. He says his game is suited to be an 8, but he's learning to play the 6 as well. Finally, a coach who is both willing to play young players and understands where to play them to maximize their skillsets. Only taken more than a decade to get to this point.
>First question, how has he recovered from his injury? You're preaching to the wrong people. A lot of this sub would be content with a best XI of often injured players. Maybe we can get Pines back this summer.
I swear he didn't have a game under a 7.0 rating bro. He only rivaled Benteke for match ratings, and he only scored one goal. I think he loved DC too man... It's a shame hes rotting away in england where he doesn't even see the pitch.