TFC 2023 player in-season roster discussion

[jloome]

Competitive to me is where a team looks after 4-5 games and then where they are after half a season, 3/4 and a full one.

I put little to no stock in the first 2 weeks for any team, beyond tendencies - which you get right mostly, BTW.

Ahh, I hope you're right dude. I know I've seen some MLS teams in the past who looked fucking woeful early suddenly turn it around. Maybe that's the nature of the travel, the shortened training weeks, the weather issues etc etc.

I forget that our guys spent half of training camp watching torrential california rain and video in equal measures.

But... I think anyone nervous right now pretty much has a right to be. I'm not sure I even put it down to Bob or the players, but more to the shambolic cap and roster management. It just doesn't feel like our pieces fit.

[Ultra & Proud]

Not on offense. We have a striker who's new but has worked in this system for three prior seasons, Diomande.

Our defense, which IS new, looks more cohesive than our offence, which isn't.

But Insigne went down before we even settled into match #1 and his replacement & our forwards are all junk along with our most offensively reliable midfielder looking about mid-January level in terms of form/fitness. That leaves Bernardeschi as the sole reliable member of our current offense. Not going to get much cohesion with only one useful player going forward.

But that's down to poor roster planning and keeping Ayo/not retooling with a few other options or hanging onto Shaffelburg.

[jloome]

But Insigne went down before we even settled into match #1 and his replacement & our forwards are all junk along with our most offensively reliable midfielder looking about mid-January level in terms of form/fitness. That leaves Bernardeschi as the sole reliable member of our current offense. Not going to get much cohesion with only one useful player going forward.

But that's down to poor roster planning and keeping Ayo/not retooling with a few other options or hanging onto Shaffelburg.

Do you think it's possible that maybe they do have the requisite understanding, but the very fact that it's a short pass, quick move possession offence means that if it's off sync at all, if a player is too slow to react, to move to space etc., it really shows and breaks down quickly?

And if so, does that make it optimistic for a roster as old and potentially infirm as ours?

In other words, they may know the tactics but a combination of factors makes it an unrealistic approach for MLS to begin with?

If we don't have all of our best players out there, who know each others' tendencies, isn't this always going to break down? If every approach into the box takes multiple passes, you're always a) vulnerable to one bad pass fucking the dog and b) giving the defenders time to bunker in with a tight block.

I think Bernadeschi's pass to the back post was one of the few surprisng things we tried all game. Bradley had a couple of long balls to the fullbacks that were promising as well.

I just worry that by the time we have the optimal healthy lineup together to put it all together, the season might be half over.

[Ultra & Proud]

Do you think it's possible that maybe they do have the requisite understanding, but the very fact that it's a short pass, quick move possession offence means that if it's off sync at all, if a player is too slow to react, to move to space etc., it really shows and breaks down quickly?

And if so, does that make it optimistic for a roster as old and potentially infirm as ours?

I 100% believe the tactics are being forced on a roster that they will never work well with. At least not consistently. Bob is trying to use a system built for mid 20's fit runners with a bunch of around 30 year olds that he chose. He is not playing to the strengths (and defintely not to the weaknesses) of the current roster.

At this point, with this current roster, I would argue that we would get better play from a hack like Olsen than what we will be getting from here on out unless they drastically alter MLS roster rules to allow Miami to fully woo Messi & his pals and we're allowed to reap the benefits of more cap space or DPs/etc.

[JoesphNdo]

Without knowing our cap situation it's hard to say for sure but I do agree with the general sentiment our cap has, likely, been managed very poorly and it's biting us in the ass. And find it hard to disagree that we seem to be going from a 'these people must play (One of whom arguably simply should not be starting every game), now work backwards to a coherent strategy' which is not an ideal way to do things. I'm still giving Bob until the summer, but the criteria, for me, is we need to look like an MLS contender by then. I'm not confident we'll get there, but also know that we will get much better with games under our belt.

[James17930]

All very good points here on multiple angles, but I think it's still too early to really make any definitive statements. We haven't even had a home game yet. Let's wait until April and see where the team is then.

[portu]

Wanting to throw two points in here, largely lifted from previous posts, positive and negative:

1. Positive
From 2015-2017 important players were signed in time for at least part of pre-season and the first match. Giovinco, Altidore, Moor, Johnson, Beitashour, Vazquez, Mavinga (out with a knock for game 1) were all critical members for the best seasons this club has ever had. 2015, 2016 and 2017 represent the 5th, 3rd and 1st spots for PPG in club history. 2020 (2nd best) had almost no major turnover which meant that everyone was together for a full pre-season.

Important players have been brought in advance of Game 1 this year. Big plus and positive.

2. Negative
In MLS, deals aren’t just “player = good = good signing” because every move you make limits your ability to make others. Deals are therefore about maximizing value, not just acquiring the best possible player. If you aren't finding bargains or value, you’re probably fucking your squad depth over by squeezing your budget and pigeon-holing players into the XI when you need depth.

Signings have not demonstrated the ability to maximize value and so it remains to be seen how this squad gets through 35+ games this season competitively without legit depth.

[FootBallAZ]

Not on offense. We have a striker who's new but has worked in this system for three prior seasons, Diomande.

Our defense, which IS new, looks more cohesive than our offence, which isn't.

The offense is the same and continuing from last season- issue I see- is the same thing- FB- brilliant piece of individual performance once again.

shots on target was 1 - total shots was 4? TFC passing was roughly 300 by contrast to Atlanta and their 600+ passing @ a much higher efficiency (passing %)

possession 30 % really kind of worries me as well.

the roster is not built to the vision of BB unfortunately - i hope he can adjust and possibly start having a better possession based game going forward( and no i wont be happy with backward passes and multiple passes in TFC side of the field.

[jloome]

The offense is the same and continuing from last season- issue I see- is the same thing- FB- brilliant piece of individual performance once again.

shots on target was 1 - total shots was 4? TFC passing was roughly 300 by contrast to Atlanta and their 600+ passing @ a much higher efficiency (passing %)

possession 30 % really kind of worries me as well.

the roster is not built to the vision of BB unfortunately - i hope he can adjust and possibly start having a better possession based game going forward( and no i wont be happy with backward passes and multiple passes in TFC side of the field.

I sort of feel like a team as slow as us, comparatively, in the center of the park should be filling up space on the pitch as evenly as possible, and playing a 4-4-2. I know it's old fashioned, but it plays to minimize our weaknesses and maximize our strengths.

Let the wings be our strength, use the overlap, have the central midfielders sit back and ping passes or defend, and use a false nine next to the striker who can both press and supply some service.

[Ultra & Proud]

start having a better possession based game going forward( and no i wont be happy with backward passes and multiple passes in TFC side of the field.

This is part of our DNA since the Vanney era. Even Armas-ball and almost a whole new core couldn't shake that from us. This is our way.

[Ultra & Proud]

I sort of feel like a team as slow as us, comparatively, in the center of the park should be filling up space on the pitch as evenly as possible, and playing a 4-4-2. I know it's old fashioned, but it plays to minimize our weaknesses and maximize our strengths.

Let the wings be our strength, use the overlap, have the central midfielders sit back and ping passes or defend, and use a false nine next to the striker who can both press and supply some service.

I said this before last weeks match and I think it's the only way (maybe 3-5-2 as well) to get the most out of what we have at our disposal.

We'll never do it but it's all that makes sense until we age out most of the current roster.

[FootBallAZ]

This is part of our DNA since the Vanney era. Even Armas-ball and almost a whole new core couldn't shake that from us. This is our way.

makes me so sad lol .

[FootBallAZ]

I sort of feel like a team as slow as us, comparatively, in the center of the park should be filling up space on the pitch as evenly as possible, and playing a 4-4-2. I know it's old fashioned, but it plays to minimize our weaknesses and maximize our strengths.

Let the wings be our strength, use the overlap, have the central midfielders sit back and ping passes or defend, and use a false nine next to the striker who can both press and supply some service.

sounds like pozuelo would be a perfect fit for what you are describing.

[jloome]

One thing I find disturbing about the current regime is that I assumed Bob would have solid contacts to bring in new talent.

I also assume he would recognize talent well himself.

But instead, the people making recommendations to him have been a bit of a bust and his own decisions have been a bit baffling.

Jimenez is probably a good player in exactly the right system, but he was cold as ice here. McNaughton is a decent backup but won't be more than that.

Chung wasn't even that.

And when we signed Chung, we could've signed Mohammed Farsi, who was probably the best rated fullback in the CPL at the time (Along with Diyaddine Abzi, who went to Ligue 2).

I realize hindsight is 20/20, but anyone who watched Farsi last weekend for Columbus might be wondering how anyone with decent judgement would recommend Chung over Farsi, as anything other than ego self-gratification (Chung's manager was one of Bob's associates).

The same manager, when he went to MLS NExt, picked up Farsi from Calgary, no one from his own team, Pacific.

Even ineffective against us, it was obvious Abzi at York had more talent than Chung, who had a cup of coffee with the Whitecaps already and was a known entity.

Then there's the deicsion last year to a) switch Petrasso from fullback to winger, and Shaffelburg from winger to fullback,, then b) essentially cut Shaffelburg, despite his success to that point, then c) decide Petrasso wasn't good enough and give him away; he's now Orlando's starting left fullback, having been moved back to his ideal position.

Both baffling, baffling decisions. Like, right out to left field. They may not have been immediate starters, but they were our two best backups.

I'm starting to think he's very, very old fashioned, and thinks everything is down to athleticism and intelligence, that any player can be moved to any position (Edit: The Kosi Thompson effect).

At the current level the game is being played, even in MLS, that is really reductive thinking if it's the case, that in an age with more specific technical training available than ever, what they've learned up to reaching us that is position specific should be just tossed out.

WE see this arrogance from MLS managers from time to time, like Miami moving Brek Shea to central defense, where he was as fucking useless as you'd assume he would be.

I'm not sure if Priso will come good, as he seems pretty inconsistent. But... he's starting in Colorado, as a mostly number six central midfielder. If the talent isn't there yet, Robin Fraser sure seems to think it's going to be. Again, isn't this our natural depth? But we gave him up for... MAK!? Does anyone really believe, at this point, that his judgment about Kaye is not at least part ego. His "discovery" isn't a consistent player, and we paid a MILLION in Gam for him.

Insanity.

It feels somewhat like he has no handle on actual talent and how to find it. He has a tactical and management approach that he believes in, but the actual reality of what we need requires both tactical and personnel flexibility.

We've taken in four players -- Diomande, Chung, McNaughton and Servania -- and three of those are "trust" choices, at least, guys he wanted rather than guys recommended by our allegedly large scouting contingent.

ANd all three are below par so far, quite badly in fact.

I gave him the benefit of the doubt on Diomande, but he looked plagued with a lack of confidence on the weekend, and he's clearly lost a step in terms of avoiding pressure or turning with the ball.

Chung never looked the part. So ... why did we sign him? Trust?

Maybe what we need is a GM. I worry that LAFC's success was less down to Bob and more the players provided to him.



Maybe Servania was a turning point there and the scouting team convinced them he's a good signing. If so, it would be the first since Bob came in that wasn't him picking someone himself.

[reggie]

this is all on bill.he took the easy out again.making bb the GM

[jloome]

this is all on bill.he took the easy out again.making bb the GM

It's true. It's like he looked at LAFC and said 'the only thing preventing Bob from winning the cup" is that he doesn't run his own show, pick his own players.

But LAFC got better when he left. We haven't since he arrived.

He hasn't won a title now since 1996, and both the national teams he coached ultimately underperformed when the big game came. So did his club teams; Le Havre were heading for promotion and collapsed, losing badly on the last day to missout. Egypt? He bravely stayed through the revolution, then they got pounded in their final world cup qualifier and knocked out. The US famously lost badly to Ghana, a team it could've beaten, adn were knocked out.

Earlier, when he took the US to the COpa Ameria, he played a youth team to "prove" players and they were embarassed.

When he was given another MLS job, at Chivas USA, they were awful and he was sacked quickly. Yes, they won a supporter's shield at LAFC. But he didn't sign the players there, quite famously.

It's just starting to feel like a lot of reputation for "building" and "tinkering" without much real production.

And I think maybe we're seeing why; he's tactically inflexible, he wants to pick his own players despite not having an eye for talent, and he believes he can coach any player to play any position. And yet, he projects ferocious confidence, which is all a lot of people need to be convinced someone is brilliant.

I have to believe that some of our players are smart enough to know he's not the guy, which is just going to kill morale and energy, particuarly when they can't even talk about this shit in the dressing room, because their captain is his son.

I'm not optimistic right now. I want to be, but I don't see any logical reason to be.

[Ultra & Proud]

It's true. It's like he looked at LAFC and said 'the only thing preventing Bob from winning the cup" is that he doesn't run his own show, pick his own players.

But LAFC got better when he left. We haven't since he arrived.

He hasn't won a title now since 1996, and both the national teams he coached ultimately underperformed when the big game came. It's just starting to feel like a lot of reputation without much real production.

And I think maybe we're seeing why; he's tactically inflexible, he wants to pick his own players despite not having an eye for talent, and he believes he can coach any player to play any position.

I have to believe that some of our players are smart enough to know he's not the guy, which is just going to kill morale and energy, particuarly when they can't even talk about this shit in the dressing room, because their captain is his son.

I'm not optimistic right now. I want to be, but I don't see any logical reason to be.

As is he will probably be ousted by the end of the year and replaced with some random Italian manager who knows nothing about MLS.

I was pro-Smyrniotis before Bob and although I realize there's ugliness & politics involved, I'm sure he could be had with the right level of incentive. But he isn't a big name to sell for more season seats so that will never happen. All manager hires and big player acquisitions are scouted by PR people and approved by Bill based on projected membership sales.

[jloome]

As is he will probably be ousted by the end of the year and replaced with some random Italian manager who knows nothing about MLS.

I was pro-Smyrniotis before Bob and although I realize there's ugliness & politics involved, I'm sure he could be had with the right level of incentive. But he isn't a big name to sell for more season seats so that will never happen. All manager hires and big player acquisitions are scouted by PR people and approved by Bill based on projected membership sales.

I'd agree on Smyrniotis based on how his team play and how he develops youth. He'd be perfect. But I do worry that he projects the same kind of Svengali "deep in thought" mentor character as Bob, and he hasn't proven anything at a higher level yet. If we could get a Smyrniotis with the outward attitude and character of a Wilfried Nancy, on the other hand...

If they have any sense whatsover, they will find an international-quality manager with a constant winning record -- they do exist, Tata Martino is currently unemployed -- and back a truck of cash up to their door.

Really, that's what we need right now. No more MLS managers, no more guys who came up under 1.0 and think the entire game is a scrambling press.

We need quality. We need a Bielsa, a Martino, an Ancelloti. We need a career winner.

[ag futbol]

It's true. It's like he looked at LAFC and said 'the only thing preventing Bob from winning the cup" is that he doesn't run his own show, pick his own players.

But LAFC got better when he left. We haven't since he arrived.

He hasn't won a title now since 1996, and both the national teams he coached ultimately underperformed when the big game came. So did his club teams; Le Havre were heading for promotion and collapsed, losing badly on the last day to missout. Egypt? He bravely stayed through the revolution, then they got pounded in their final world cup qualifier and knocked out. The US famously lost badly to Ghana, a team it could've beaten, adn were knocked out.

Earlier, when he took the US to the COpa Ameria, he played a youth team to "prove" players and they were embarassed.

When he was given another MLS job, at Chivas USA, they were awful and he was sacked quickly. Yes, they won a supporter's shield at LAFC. But he didn't sign the players there, quite famously.

It's just starting to feel like a lot of reputation for "building" and "tinkering" without much real production.

And I think maybe we're seeing why; he's tactically inflexible, he wants to pick his own players despite not having an eye for talent, and he believes he can coach any player to play any position. And yet, he projects ferocious confidence, which is all a lot of people need to be convinced someone is brilliant.

I have to believe that some of our players are smart enough to know he's not the guy, which is just going to kill morale and energy, particuarly when they can't even talk about this shit in the dressing room, because their captain is his son.

I'm not optimistic right now. I want to be, but I don't see any logical reason to be.

Yeah, you summarized it nicely. I haven’t drawn any conclusions yet but a lot of the themes you hit on ring true. Decisions seem to be anchored by past history as opposed to a shrewd analysis of what will work in the league today. Wonder if the players feel that too.

Regarding your other post and Mo Farsi. It’s my observation that Tommy Wheeldon (coach of Calgary) is developing a track record of identifying / producing guys who are ready for the next step. Farsi, Waterman, Loturi (with Ross County), and others. Pretty good track record for a new club / league. Nobody i spot at the moment on Calvary that’s worth transferring but maybe something to keep an eye on.

[Ultra & Proud]

Really, that's what we need right now. No more MLS managers, no more guys who came up under 1.0 and think the entire game is a scrambling press.

We need quality. We need a Bielsa, a Martino, an Ancelloti. We need a career winner.

My bet right now based on Bill's tendencies would actually be us hiring Berhalter as first choice and Porter as option #2.

[ag futbol]

My bet right now based on Bill's tendencies would actually be us hiring Berhalter as first choice and Porter as option #2.

I don’t know why the board would give Bill another crack at things if this project failed and they had to replace the coach again. His judgement is very questionable at this stage.

His own personal track record too. He normally flies to coup at the first sniff of trouble. But maybe he knows he’s a horse close to the glue factory at his age and there is no “next” job after this one. Maybe he rides this out and our absentee owners fail to keep him on their radar.

[Kamp Berg]

I'd agree on Smyrniotis based on how his team play and how he develops youth. He'd be perfect. But I do worry that he projects the same kind of Svengali "deep in thought" mentor character as Bob, and he hasn't proven anything at a higher level yet. If we could get a Smyrniotis with the outward attitude and character of a Wilfried Nancy, on the other hand...

If they have any sense whatsover, they will find an international-quality manager with a constant winning record -- they do exist, Tata Martino is currently unemployed -- and back a truck of cash up to their door.

Really, that's what we need right now. No more MLS managers, no more guys who came up under 1.0 and think the entire game is a scrambling press.

We need quality. We need a Bielsa, a Martino, an Ancelloti. We need a career winner.

Absolutely, but I would bet money that the rot starts at the head. Manning needs to be replaced with someone with real pedigree and then a proven GM and a winning coach next. Plus MB should move on as well. Basically we need a full rebuild, not the weird transitions that have happened the last few years.

[Ultra & Proud]

Absolutely, but I would bet money that the rot starts at the head. Manning needs to be replaced with someone with real pedigree and then a proven GM and a winning coach next. Plus MB should move on as well. Basically we need a full rebuild, not the weird transitions that have happened the last few years.

I don't know if rot is the right word. Laziness and convenience seem about right. Most moves Manning makes are the simplest possible ones (managerial & GM ones to date) and then he hands off the keys (and responsibilty) to go play in ML$E land until there's wining & dining or a media event to attend.

I hope it all works out and the players magically adapt and we're good but if not then at least last season was the big tear down and we haven't added a bunch of boat anchor contracts (besides maybe Osorio) to the mix. If we have to fail and nuke the FO then this year is the year to do it.

[R.O.]

Do you think they are giving BB the keys to the house because the long-term plan is to turn the team over to MB? That would be my bet. Hopefully, MB gets his coaching license.

Off topic a little: Couple of years ago I was attending a wedding shower for one of my BF. One of his cousins brought her Husband with her. Eventually, I got to causally talking with him and asked what he did for a living. He worked for a start-up sports analytics company in Montreal. Interesting.

As I am a huge sports fan and I was just starting to understand advance analytics better (for all sports), I asked him what sports he worked on and he said, Soccer (Football, I know).

I hadn't heard much about Soccer Analytics (other than the Hockey Analytics community was using them as a guide) and which ones to pay attention too and I asked him that question: His answer: "Payroll, the best teams have the highest Payroll."

I think about that all the time re: TFC.

[Ultra & Proud]

Do you think they are giving BB the keys to the house because the long-term plan is to turn the team over to MB? That would be my bet. Hopefully, MB gets his coaching license.

A few years ago I wanted this but now don't at all. He just isn't what we need and we will require a Bradley break after this year probably.

However, he was a good ambassador from the club and his type of work hard, play the right way, and blah blah would probably translate well to working with our early teens level teams (12 to 17 maybe).

[JoesphNdo]

Do you think they are giving BB the keys to the house because the long-term plan is to turn the team over to MB? That would be my bet

It has felt like this was the plan for a while before BB even showed up. I may be wrong, but that's how it felt. I think it would likely be a massive gamble at best, and a huge, huge error at worst.

[Section 223]

As is he will probably be ousted by the end of the year and replaced with some random Italian manager who knows nothing about MLS.

I was pro-Smyrniotis before Bob and although I realize there's ugliness & politics involved, I'm sure he could be had with the right level of incentive. But he isn't a big name to sell for more season seats so that will never happen. All manager hires and big player acquisitions are scouted by PR people and approved by Bill based on projected membership sales.

We signed two Italian studs to look after the season seats, I am sure no one purchased seasons when the Bob Bradley signing was announced, I will take Smyrniotis or any random Italian coach over this disaster who is coaching us now

[SenorDingDong]

We signed two Italian studs to look after the season seats, I am sure no one purchased seasons when the Bob Bradley signing was announced, I will take Smyrniotis or any random Italian coach over this disaster who is coaching us now

Antonio Conte may be available soon!

[los sonadores]

One thing I find disturbing about the current regime is that I assumed Bob would have solid contacts to bring in new talent.

I also assume he would recognize talent well himself.

But instead, the people making recommendations to him have been a bit of a bust and his own decisions have been a bit baffling.

Jimenez is probably a good player in exactly the right system, but he was cold as ice here. McNaughton is a decent backup but won't be more than that.

Chung wasn't even that.

And when we signed Chung, we could've signed Mohammed Farsi, who was probably the best rated fullback in the CPL at the time (Along with Diyaddine Abzi, who went to Ligue 2).

I realize hindsight is 20/20, but anyone who watched Farsi last weekend for Columbus might be wondering how anyone with decent judgement would recommend Chung over Farsi, as anything other than ego self-gratification (Chung's manager was one of Bob's associates).

The same manager, when he went to MLS NExt, picked up Farsi from Calgary, no one from his own team, Pacific.

Even ineffective against us, it was obvious Abzi at York had more talent than Chung, who had a cup of coffee with the Whitecaps already and was a known entity.

Then there's the deicsion last year to a) switch Petrasso from fullback to winger, and Shaffelburg from winger to fullback,, then b) essentially cut Shaffelburg, despite his success to that point, then c) decide Petrasso wasn't good enough and give him away; he's now Orlando's starting left fullback, having been moved back to his ideal position.

Both baffling, baffling decisions. Like, right out to left field. They may not have been immediate starters, but they were our two best backups.

I'm starting to think he's very, very old fashioned, and thinks everything is down to athleticism and intelligence, that any player can be moved to any position (Edit: The Kosi Thompson effect).

At the current level the game is being played, even in MLS, that is really reductive thinking if it's the case, that in an age with more specific technical training available than ever, what they've learned up to reaching us that is position specific should be just tossed out.

WE see this arrogance from MLS managers from time to time, like Miami moving Brek Shea to central defense, where he was as fucking useless as you'd assume he would be.

I'm not sure if Priso will come good, as he seems pretty inconsistent. But... he's starting in Colorado, as a mostly number six central midfielder. If the talent isn't there yet, Robin Fraser sure seems to think it's going to be. Again, isn't this our natural depth? But we gave him up for... MAK!? Does anyone really believe, at this point, that his judgment about Kaye is not at least part ego. His "discovery" isn't a consistent player, and we paid a MILLION in Gam for him.

Insanity.

It feels somewhat like he has no handle on actual talent and how to find it. He has a tactical and management approach that he believes in, but the actual reality of what we need requires both tactical and personnel flexibility.

We've taken in four players -- Diomande, Chung, McNaughton and Servania -- and three of those are "trust" choices, at least, guys he wanted rather than guys recommended by our allegedly large scouting contingent.

ANd all three are below par so far, quite badly in fact.

I gave him the benefit of the doubt on Diomande, but he looked plagued with a lack of confidence on the weekend, and he's clearly lost a step in terms of avoiding pressure or turning with the ball.

Chung never looked the part. So ... why did we sign him? Trust?

Maybe what we need is a GM. I worry that LAFC's success was less down to Bob and more the players provided to him.

Maybe Servania was a turning point there and the scouting team convinced them he's a good signing. If so, it would be the first since Bob came in that wasn't him picking someone himself.

Bob Bradley’s first season was totally baffling to me right from the beginning. It still is because he’s done a 100% about-face in terms of the roster. Not from bad to good necessarily but from kids out of position to the oldest, most experienced eleven in the league. It seemed last season was much too laissez faire, that he could do what he wanted in terms of personnel with impunity and at the time he had his hands full coaching. But truly I don’t know what the hell he was doing especially when it came to Petrasso, Shaff, Priso who are indeed the cheap depth we currently lack. After being hired said he knew the roster well from years of following his son. Maybe not.

This season I’m going to wait and see what he does with what he’s built. Isn’t it 35 players he’s shown the door, one way or another, in in about 14 months!? That’s a hell of a lot. So far I don’t see that he’s learned what exactly to do with the sporting director/head coach role(s). Last season I suggested often that we needed a proper, dedicated GM and I’m thinking the same thing this season. It’s just that it’s difficult to square last season with this season, so far, in terms of evaluating Bradley. I want to see a little more ‘data’ as they say (the data provided mostly by one’s own brain/experience and eyes, I mean.)

Your speculations here seem plausible to me, for sure.

[Section 223]

Antonio Conte may be available soon!

cost would be too great rather they take that money and put it in our 3rd DP