Onward! -- Throw wide the floodgates!

[Ben Knight]

Some thoughts on the Vitti signing.

http://onwardsoccer.com/2009/02/10/throw-wide-the-floodgates/

Onward! // Ben

[denime]

A 6-5 eh.
I like it,good article Ben.

[TorontoBlades]

hey ben,

Nice article, however a bit naive I think. We were middle of the pack defensively last year, and our losses last year looked like 2-1 and 1-nil. Wynne is improved, Bennean is our skipper and reliable back there. Assuming no upgrades, Velez and Marshall weren't the best but weren't the worst either, Velez will be improved with a year of MLS pace under his belt....

Our wins will be closer to the 3-1, 3-2 range over what your projecting

[Steve]

I don't know. I still have trouble with this whole "Toronto is going to get scored on like woah!" talk going on. Last year we were pretty much in the middle of the league for goals against. Sure, not great, but not terrible either. We kept Robinson. We have 3 good prospects at keeper. We have Wynne and Brennan (who I don't think will need to be pushing up as far this year, seeing as how we have more creativity in our mid). Yes, our central defenders aren't amazing, but I remember some home games last year they stood on their heads for us. Frankly, if we change nothing else this year, I see us making the playoffs (and still being mid-table for goals against). I don't see us transforming into the galaxy.

That being said, I'd love a rock at central D, and hope Mo brings one in, but signing DeRo and Vitti didn't suddenly make our defense worse.

[rocker]

well, the assumption is that by having more offensive talent and taking it to other teams offensively will leave us open at the back. But I'm not so sure that will be the case. As long as we aren't playing stupid up front, I envision guys like De Ro, Ricketts, Guevara and Vitti keeping possession and crafting plays. It's not going to be easy to get the ball off these types of players and just run down the field and attack.

Anyhow, we always have Marvell to speed back like Superman ;)

[Roogsy]

hey ben,

Nice article, however a bit naive I think. We were middle of the pack defensively last year, and our losses last year looked like 2-1 and 1-nil. Wynne is improved, Bennean is our skipper and reliable back there. Assuming no upgrades, Velez and Marshall weren't the best but weren't the worst either, Velez will be improved with a year of MLS pace under his belt....

Our wins will be closer to the 3-1, 3-2 range over what your projecting

I think naive was not the most appropriate word you were looking for. I know you disagree, but naive infers some type of innocense and inexperience.

BTW, regarding the article...I personally agree with Ben. We seem to be building up an offensive-oriented team but the gaps in defence haven't been addressed...yet.

[Steve]

well, the assumption is that by having more offensive talent and taking it to other teams offensively will leave us open at the back. But I'm not so sure that will be the case. As long as we aren't playing stupid up front, I envision guys like De Ro, Ricketts, Guevara and Vitti keeping possession and crafting plays. It's not going to be easy to get the ball off these types of players and just run down the field and attack.

Anyhow, we always have Marvell to speed back like Superman ;)

Right, you always open yourself to a counter by attacking; but, at the same time, it's also more difficult to score if the ball is in your end. By adding more creativity to the midfield we also allow Robinson to play his holding role much better (by not needing to be involved in the attack at all). I do agree we need a speedy CB to stop us from getting burning on a quick counter (lots of speedy forwards in this league) but as you said, just have Marvell play a little more defensively to cover for the slow CB. I love it when he comes from off camera to deny a seeming breakaway.

[Stouffville_RPB]

I think every MLS team has holes. It isn't possible to field a solid 11 players with some bench depth on a cap this small. Every team will have holes somewhere and have to gamble on players, inexperienced or lower quality, to step up their game.

Looking at our roster I assume that we are close to the cap. Someone like Marshall, Velez, Harmse or Nana is going to have to step up. It's the nature of the MLS structure.

[TorontoBlades]

I think naive was not the most appropriate word you were looking for. I know you disagree, but naive infers some type of innocense and inexperience.

BTW, regarding the article...I personally agree with Ben. We seem to be building up an offensive-oriented team but the gaps in defence haven't been addressed...yet.


I said a bit naive. And if his position is, improving at forward will make us more reckless on the attack and more suspect to a counter....then yes, that assumption shows a bit of inexperience...not to knock ben, just that specific argument

[Pachuco]

I think this article is way to exaggerated. Yes we need help at center back, but those same CBs kept clean sheets last year when we couldn't score a goal and when our midfield couldn't keep ball possession. Ball possession makes a world of a difference in this game. Just because you have the ball doesn't mean you are attacking and leaving yourself open in the back.

[Flipityflu]

hey guys, don't you think it would support Ben if you posted these comments on his site....

[Roogsy]

I said a bit naive. And if his position is, improving at forward will make us more reckless on the attack and more suspect to a counter....then yes, that assumption shows a bit of inexperience...not to knock ben, just that specific argument

Inexperienced when used to desribe naive usually refers to a youthful, raw inexperience. I love Ben...(sorry Ben!)...but he isn't exactly "youthful". LOL!

You may believe his opinion is misinformed or uneducated. But naive seems inappropriate. Maybe it's just me.

I know, I know, semantics. Sorry, it's the grammar nazi in me. It was just weird to read someone call his piece "naive" since he is someone who has been covering soccer for 20+ years. Normally someone with that kind of experience wouldn't have that word used to describe an opinion.

[Fort York Redcoat]

Ben's got the right idea. He's talking about where we should be before the season starts to ensure a "playoff team". As it stands, I would say this team could make the play offs but with those 2 at CB we will struggle to "make a run".

[BuSaPuNk]

With the talent that we have up front and in the mid field I think we will be better defensively this year. As long as we keep the ball over 50% of the game we will be fine dfensively. If not we can always just keep scoring. lol

[Pachuco]

hey guys, don't you think it would support Ben if you posted these comments on his site....

Sure, but I'm finished with keeping username and passwords for a million sites online. So if Ben can change the site so I don't have to create a username and log in, then I'll post comments on the site.

[trane]

"positioning that was – how to put it nicely? – original" I love that line.

[Flipityflu]

Sure, but I'm finished with keeping username and passwords for a million sites online. So if Ben can change the site so I don't have to create a username and log in, then I'll post comments on the site.


thats fine.

and people cry about not having enough coverage when even we don't support the football writers...

[Pachuco]

thats fine.

and people cry about not having enough coverage when even we don't support the football writers...

Am I not supporting him by clicking on the link?

[Roogsy]

thats fine.

and people cry about not having enough coverage when even we don't support the football writers...

I post on his board often.

Clicking on it helps as well. We are all doing out part.

[TorontoBlades]

Inexperienced when used to desribe naive usually refers to a youthful, raw inexperience. I love Ben...(sorry Ben!)...but he isn't exactly "youthful". LOL!

You may believe his opinion is misinformed or uneducated. But naive seems inappropriate. Maybe it's just me.

I know, I know, semantics. Sorry, it's the grammar nazi in me. It was just weird to read someone call his piece "naive" since he is someone who has been covering soccer for 20+ years. Normally someone with that kind of experience wouldn't have that word used to describe an opinion.


except I wouldn't expect that opinion from someone that's been covering football for that long :) anyways, neither here nor there....I'm a finance guy, expect my english to be underused and imperfect (was that ok ??!!) :D

[Dirk Diggler]

I think something should be worked on that allows all the users on this website to automatically become members on Ben's website without creating a new account there.

[Hitcho]

No mention of Robbo in that article, who is (IMHO) without a doubt the best DCM in the league and will take a lot of pressure off of the defence. Plus we now have Cronin to be groomed as his apprentice and help him out fi we are really under the cosh.

I don't agree that having more attacking players automatically opens you up to being counter attacked. All good sides defend as a team, starting from the front. if Dichio is working hard to get the ball back, there won't be a counter attack, for example.

The key is how Carver sets them playing - if he throws caution to the wind and lets the creative attacking players off the leash, we'll be susceptible to sucker punches all season. But if he has them playing in a more disciplined style where ball retention and incisive play is favoured over just charging forward as a unit, then with Robbo in place of last season's back four I don't think we'll be any more open than last season.

Also, Ben couldn't of known this, but marshall is now gone to seattle so we presumably have a good CB coming in to replace him. And if we do, I think it's going to be hard to find any real weak spots with the starting XI this season.

ONWARD!!!!

[poppamidnight]

Ben....

your next piece is going to have to give us some sort of hope...
it's a 50/50 chance our needs/issues ever get addressed....
...sure we finally got DeRo and Vitti (after how long of waiting?),

Now as it stood we needed 1 CB....
That seemed to have lower priority over Vitti, (infering lesser quality player)...
now we have twice the need for that lower priority....

and to make matters worse, that was our worst spot,
our achilles heel if you will....
and we just ripped the bone (Tyronne) right out of it

Honesty, I have no hope that BOTH these empty spots will get addressed properly.

I am prepared to go into the season seeing 1 (possibly 2) glaring gaps in the back,

and am prepared cringe if Cronin/Robbo ever get beat.........

cuz it evidently means:

G-O-A-L

[rocker]

B
and to make matters worse, that was our worst spot,
our achilles heel if you will....
and we just ripped the bone (Tyronne) right out of it


i thought our achilles heel, or worst spot, last year was scoring goals?? (2nd worst in the league in scoring. Not nearly the worst in goals against.)

[Puskas]

Hey poppa your Hungarian pessimism is showing :)

[TorontoBlades]

My guess....

100k in allocation have us halfway toward the 200k needed to grab a DP CB half way through the season

[poppamidnight]

Hey poppa your Hungarian pessimism is showing :)

It's "half-hungarian" pessimism...
my other half is "Bristol-bitterness"

what a genetic wonder eh?
still 100% :canada: though

[ExiledRed]

Inexperienced when used to desribe naive usually refers to a youthful, raw inexperience. I love Ben...(sorry Ben!)...but he isn't exactly "youthful". LOL!

You may believe his opinion is misinformed or uneducated. But naive seems inappropriate. Maybe it's just me.



naive: Showing or characterized by a lack of sophistication and critical judgment

I agree with TorontoBlades, the article was naive, which isn't to say Ben Knight himself is naive, merely that this particular opinion is.

Anybody who is worrying that we have upgraded the attack too much has quite frankly lost the plot.