TFC - 2023 Season Thread

[jordan]

14 hours ago, Obinna said:

Raoul Petretta - Stats 22/23 | Transfermarkt

He missed 7 games this season due to an "unknown injury", including 4 games in a row from matchdays 4 to 7.

The other 3 games missed were on Matchdays 17, 19 and 20. That's somewhat concerning, but the season is not until March, right? Plenty of time to get healthy. 

I don't know much about him, but I assume durability will be an issue. He played the full 90 three times, remained on the bench 3 times, came off the bench three times, and was substituted after starting 3 times. That's the definition of a mixed bag, I would say. 

My expectation? A player who can start, but probably cannot be expected to play 90 minutes week-in, week-out, which is fine because Laryea can shift to the left and Rutty can play on the right (if he's still there). At the end of the day, he's probably a solid depth piece. 

Match days 19 and 20 I assume he was in camp here.

[Bdog]

If the Rosted signing is still happening, I feel like the starting XI is pretty damn good going forward. I don't think any of the kids will be starting at this point if everyone is healthy but they're basically going to make up the bench, no? Last year, as much as I loved seeing so many young Canadians on the field at once, the team was a bit too loose defensively. They'll probably still get a lot of playing time this season but with less pressure on them than last year.

[Ozzie_the_parrot]

31 minutes ago, Bdog said:

...as much as I loved seeing so many young Canadians on the field at once, the team was a bit too loose defensively...

It definitely didn't provide support for the idea that TFC should have been doing that more in previous seasons unfortunately. That won't stop certain posters on here constantly bemoaning that it is no longer happening to anything like the same extent though, if the team shapes up the way it appears to be heading. Meanwhile the vast majority of the fans at BMO Field will want to see their team winning regularly more than anything else. Hopefully Bob Bradley will find the right balance on this because being able to use homegrown players as reliable cover and roster depth is still likely to be important.

[BearcatSA]

4 hours ago, Kingston said:

On the plus side, I don't think the team is actually that far away from being competitive.  I don't expect the Cup, but I think we can easily move from near the bottom of the table to a place in the playoffs.

That's the expectation for the number one spending team in MLS. 

Is Chrystia Freeland running this team?

[El Hombre]

 

53 minutes ago, Bdog said:

If the Rosted signing is still happening, I feel like the starting XI is pretty damn good going forward. I don't think any of the kids will be starting at this point if everyone is healthy but they're basically going to make up the bench, no? Last year, as much as I loved seeing so many young Canadians on the field at once, the team was a bit too loose defensively. They'll probably still get a lot of playing time this season but with less pressure on them than last year.

 

13 minutes ago, Ozzie_the_parrot said:

It definitely didn't provide support for the idea that TFC should have been doing that more in previous seasons unfortunately. 

So with Bono and Westberg as keeper, CB pairings of Mavinga, Salcedo and O'Neill and Criscito on the flank (later paired with Laryea) and Bradley at DM, we're still blaming the kids for the defensive problems?  How convenient.

[Ozzie_the_parrot]

24 minutes ago, El Hombre said:

So with Bono and Westberg as keeper, ....

...it kind of begged the question how bad Greg Ranjitsingh had to be not to get a game. Maybe he was injured. Never really looked into it. Beyond that your post isn't even worth bothering with if you think Criscito was a problem and Salcedo wasn't potentially the answer at CB if he had hung around longer to link up with Criscito and Laryea.

[El Hombre]

1 minute ago, Ozzie_the_parrot said:

...it kind of begged the question how bad Greg Ranjitsingh had to be not to get a game. Maybe he was injured. Never really looked into it. Beyond that your post isn't even worth bothering with if you think Criscito was a problem and Salcedo wasn't potentially the answer at CB if he had hung around longer to link up with Criscito and Laryea.

You obviously didn't understand what I wrote so I'll try to reiterate: with all those players on the back end, how do you still lay the blame of defensive play on the young players?  Seems like an awfully convenient scapegoat.  Was Kosi Thompson at right back the reason they lost five in a row to end the season?  Or maybe Jayden Nelson playing a #8 role in front of Bradley is why they gave up four goals in each of four of the last five games?  

[Kingston]

1 hour ago, BearcatSA said:

That's the expectation for the number one spending team in MLS. 

Is Chrystia Freeland running this team?

That's the expectation I see from where we sit right now.  I could be blindly passionate either way and suggest the team is going to content for the Cup or the Wooden Spoon, but I don't see it.

They're only the highest spending team because they overpay their DPs.  As you're undoubtedly aware, the MLS salary rules mean outspending another team is less directly tied to performance than in leagues without rules on how teams can spend their salary money.  (TFC would be better off with a starting eleven who all make $2 million than paying Insigne, Bernadeschi, and Bradley a combined $22 million.)

If Chrystia Freeland was running the team, they'd be spending more like $100 million and ensuring that at least half the players were women.

 

[BearcatSA]

Well, they have an MLS veteran keeper now, so that should help them be competitive.

[Bison44]

31 minutes ago, BearcatSA said:

Well, they have an MLS veteran keeper now, so that should help them be competitive.

Who did they pick up??  Ohhhhhhhhhh...I get it.....

[Ozzie_the_parrot]

3 hours ago, BearcatSA said:

Well, they have an MLS veteran keeper now, so that should help them be competitive.

....if that gets confirmed and Matt Hedges is the anchor of the defence the way Salcedo was supposed to be last year and Vazquez can provide at least 30 minutes of close to world class distribution to Insigne and Bernardeschi per game it might start to come together.

Getting Osorio back was significant because that means Victor Vazquez adds to the central midfield rather than replacing somebody. They will be hoping Jakheele Marshall-Rutty starts living up to the hype especially if Richie Laryea doesn't hang around beyond June. They still have an open DP slot to play around with. Suspect they'll wait for the summer window for that again.

Think there are reasons for cautious optimism but it doesn't take much for things to go wrong in MLS when so much money is spent on relatively few players and the roster depth isn't as close to the same quality as would be the case with a top European club. Haven't been following what is happening with Bernardeschi possibly facing a long suspension related to his time at Juventus but that definitely wouldn't help if it amounts to anything. 

[narduch]

Looks like the Rosted move isn't happening. He played a friendly for Brondby today 

https://www.svenskafans.com/fotboll/infor-brondby-if-if-elfsborg-arets-forsta-traningsmatch-653606

Edited January 27, 2023 by narduch

[jordan]

23 minutes ago, narduch said:

Looks like the Rosted move isn't happening. He played a friendly for Brondby yesterday 

https://www.svenskafans.com/fotboll/infor-brondby-if-if-elfsborg-arets-forsta-traningsmatch-653606

That’s the squad posted for todays friendly, which he started at 8. On to something else I guess.

[jordan]

Just don’t want to see Pozuelo come to town now

[Gian-Luca]

On 1/26/2023 at 12:46 AM, BearcatSA said:

I think the issue is whether or not he can  organize the current playing staff into a cohesive, competitive unit.  I didn't see that in the second half of last season when many (including me) thought they would eventually integrate the newcomers with the incumbents on a team hitting its peak as it made the playoffs.  

I still think the highest paid guy in MLS will find a way get out his deal come the summer window and head elsewhere (Middle East?) for a final big pay day.  It has the potential to be a very disappointing/underachieving season.

For me the biggest issue after the Italian cavalry arrived last year was the lack of spine the team had. By that I mean the central areas of the team up top down to the keeper were woeful. Up top, Ayo had an off-year coming back from his ACL, Jimenez's deficiencies (lack of pace or aerial strength) really showed up once there was no #10 to feed him the ball. In the midfield they lost Osorio, Kaye got injured and didn't regain form until too late and Bradley Jr. is a complete sieve defensively, not able to cover the ground or get close enough to make any tackles - everything goes right through him. Salcedo was not DP material (which is the worrisome part when it comes to Bradley Sr.'s judgement, Mavinga's form had deteriorated and the keepers were woeful.

I have not been a huge fan of Sean Johnson but he and Hedges should provide something of an upgrade, but they need another CB - MacNaughton has proven he can be a good and affordable depth piece but not sure he's an everyday starter. Not sold on O'Neill. As for up top, not sure about the Norwegian guy who was out of the league the last two years, the biggest hope may be Ayo regaining form and maybe linking up with Vazquez the way he used to with Pozuelo for 35 minutes a match on that front. But the biggest hold remains d-mid - unless Nelson gets converted to be a dual 6 alongside Bradley Jr. there doesn't seem to be anyone who can even deputize for Bradley. There seemed to be an abundance of kids waiting in the wings to take his spot, and it seems that the more Bradley deteriorates, the fewer options there are to replace him.

Until that gets fixed, playoffs will be doubtful, it's still too big of a hole defensively in the team. They might be better off playing Vazquez as a 10 and then Kaye & Osorio in the middle behind him, with Bradley nailed to the bench, but not sure if Father is ever going to take off son - there is very little evidence of it from last season when it only happened once with 10 minutes to go in the home opener blow-out.

[BearcatSA]

As a neutral observer, I honestly thought the actual play at CB and keeper was the biggest problem here last season.  Too many goals conceded directly through that group.  You could have had prime Diego Chara or Andres Cubas in Bradley's spot and they still would have given up too many point-dropping goals because of the play back there.  At least there are trying to address with the two new acquistions.

Down the stretch, before and after elimination, there was too little teamwork on the display.  That needs to change.

But right now, the dynamic of Coach Dad and Team Captain and clearly-on-the -decline Son becomes even more of a  massive issue than last season, especially with question marks around the durability/availability of his veteran midfield partners.

 

[SoCalTransport]

1 hour ago, BearcatSA said:

As a neutral observer, I honestly thought the actual play at CB and keeper was the biggest problem here last season.  Too many goals conceded directly through that group.  You could have had prime Diego Chara or Andres Cubas in Bradley's spot and they still would have given up too many point-dropping goals because of the play back there.  At least there are trying to address with the two new acquistions.

Down the stretch, before and after elimination, there was too little teamwork on the display.  That needs to change.

But right now, the dynamic of Coach Dad and Team Captain and clearly-on-the -decline Son becomes even more of a  massive issue than last season, especially with question marks around the durability/availability of his veteran midfield partners.

 

Captain Bradley has to come off the bench this season. 

It feels like he is being kept around for legacy at this point.

If he was a free agent, do you think another MLS team would sign him, I think he would have a tough time finding a club at this point of his career.

[BearcatSA]

11 minutes ago, SoCalTransport said:

It feels like he is being kept around for legacy at this point.

It's like Kyle Beckerman at the end of his career at RSL except that, of course, his dad wasn't coaching him.

It could be a trainwreck of an ending here, with father and son leaving the club at the same time.

 

[Ozzie_the_parrot]

Can understand the skepticism about Bradley Jnr but Mark Anthony Kaye was probably signed because his high workrate can help compensate for the way Jnr has lost a step or two of pace. Strongly suspect what Bradley Snr would point to is the way Bradley Jnr is one of the few proven Serie A level talents on the team who can run in from deep and get on the end of some of what Insigne and Bernardeschi want to be able to do. That was happening in some games last season before Bono's goalkeeping clangers finally derailed the season. Suspect/hope the third DP slot is being kept in reserve if that doesn't happen with Jnr being kicked upstairs to a coaching role if necessary.

Edited January 29, 2023 by Ozzie_the_parrot

[Kingston]

On 1/28/2023 at 1:30 PM, Gian-Luca said:

For me the biggest issue after the Italian cavalry arrived last year was the lack of spine the team had. By that I mean the central areas of the team up top down to the keeper were woeful. Up top, Ayo had an off-year coming back from his ACL, Jimenez's deficiencies (lack of pace or aerial strength) really showed up once there was no #10 to feed him the ball. In the midfield they lost Osorio, Kaye got injured and didn't regain form until too late and Bradley Jr. is a complete sieve defensively, not able to cover the ground or get close enough to make any tackles - everything goes right through him. Salcedo was not DP material (which is the worrisome part when it comes to Bradley Sr.'s judgement, Mavinga's form had deteriorated and the keepers were woeful.

I have not been a huge fan of Sean Johnson but he and Hedges should provide something of an upgrade, but they need another CB - MacNaughton has proven he can be a good and affordable depth piece but not sure he's an everyday starter. Not sold on O'Neill. As for up top, not sure about the Norwegian guy who was out of the league the last two years, the biggest hope may be Ayo regaining form and maybe linking up with Vazquez the way he used to with Pozuelo for 35 minutes a match on that front. But the biggest hold remains d-mid - unless Nelson gets converted to be a dual 6 alongside Bradley Jr. there doesn't seem to be anyone who can even deputize for Bradley. There seemed to be an abundance of kids waiting in the wings to take his spot, and it seems that the more Bradley deteriorates, the fewer options there are to replace him.

Until that gets fixed, playoffs will be doubtful, it's still too big of a hole defensively in the team. They might be better off playing Vazquez as a 10 and then Kaye & Osorio in the middle behind him, with Bradley nailed to the bench, but not sure if Father is ever going to take off son - there is very little evidence of it from last season when it only happened once with 10 minutes to go in the home opener blow-out.

This is a very good synopsis.

A brief summary would be improved in goal, improved in defense, just having Osorio and MAK healthy functionally improves the midfield, and we're looking solid up front.

Bradley is the biggest question mark.  Not what should happen but who replaces a bunch of his minutes and whether the older Bradley will do what he should.

[SoCalTransport]

26 minutes ago, Kingston said:

This is a very good synopsis.

A brief summary would be improved in goal, improved in defense, just having Osorio and MAK healthy functionally improves the midfield, and we're looking solid up front.

Bradley is the biggest question mark.  Not what should happen but who replaces a bunch of his minutes and whether the older Bradley will do what he should.

I don't know if anyone agrees, but I find Bradley's age really shows. He is too slow to be a defensive midfielder.

When I watched the games on my phone last season. I couldn't tell the difference between him and McNaughton. That statement says a lot right there.

[Kingston]

1 minute ago, SoCalTransport said:

I don't know if anyone agrees, but I find Bradley's age really shows. He is too slow to be a defensive midfielder.

When I watched the games on my phone last season. I couldn't tell the difference between him and McNaughton. That statement says a lot right there.

Especially because MacNaughton has great hair. 

I think everyone agrees that Bradley has hit the age wall and needs to be doing veteran mentorship largely from the bench.  Initially when they re-signed Bradley for a three year term, I thought Liam Fraser would be his understudy.  I expected we'd see a transition from mostly Bradley in year one to mostly Fraser by this season.  Obviously not the case.  So Bradley still needs to spend a lot more time on the bench; I'm just not sure who the obvious person is for his minutes right now.

[narduch]

7 minutes ago, SoCalTransport said:

I don't know if anyone agrees, but I find Bradley's age really shows. He is too slow to be a defensive midfielder.

When I watched the games on my phone last season. I couldn't tell the difference between him and McNaughton. That statement says a lot right there.

This will probably end up being what holds them back this year.

I'm expecting him to still play a full 90 each game. Even if he doesn't deserve to.

[BearcatSA]

Hedges and Johnson address the biggest weakness from last season.  

[Metro]

On 1/28/2023 at 1:30 PM, Gian-Luca said:

For me the biggest issue after the Italian cavalry arrived last year was the lack of spine the team had. By that I mean the central areas of the team up top down to the keeper were woeful. Up top, Ayo had an off-year coming back from his ACL,...

Good stuff, that sounds about right G-L

I'm a bit more optimistic than most when comes to Bradley Jr. taking on a different role.  I've never seen him as a selfish player.  He took pay cut so the team could improve; I can see him finally agreeing to take a step back if it'll help the team win.  As for Bradley Sr., he has something to prove this year.  Scraping by into 7th place is not going to cut it if we are to believe what Manning says about the team's goals are true.

The key for me is MAK, as Ozzie suggested above.  He HAS to step up and show he can command the no. 6 position.