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| This Guy Has Nothing on the Viper's Nest Brain Trust |
Since the Red Bulls exited the playoffs courtesy of Houston, many players have said goodbye to Harrison--at least as members of the home squad. Espindola, Carney, Barklage and, perhaps most surprising, Markus Holgersson were all shown the door.
While MLS (more specifically, Toronto) has welcomed some big names in the past week, the Red Bulls have been pretty quiet. I'm not sure anyone is terribly excited about the addition of Bobby Convey, who I hope isn't the second coming of Heath "Bay Leaf" Pearce.
Now, there's no doubt Mike Petke, Andy Roxburgh, and the FO are carefully choosing among Xavi and many more world class players who are desperate to join RBNY. But, if history is any guide, the team usually waits until mid February to make any moves. At least we have a coach in place.
While waiting for our new Galacticos to join the team, The Viper's Nest crew decided to share our thoughts on where RBNY stands right now. One rule imposed was that there would be no discussion of a "true #10/CAM." You'll see that this was, I guess, sort of followed.
Biggest Hope:
Matt:
That Peguy Luyindula can be more like the guy we saw at the end of last season and less like the clueless, washed up, injured player we saw for most of the summer. If we are not going to add another creative midfielder - and that looks unlikely at at the moment - we will need someone to step up and provide a spark. Hopefully Peguy can be that guy.
Big Viper:
That we finally win MLS Cup! What else is there to say to that question? I'm hoping that Thierry Henry has enough in the tank and that Tim Cahill can continue where he left off last season. That said, it doesn't look good right now as 7 players have left our team, with only one coming in so far (Bobby Convey). The massive holes in our backline and in the middle of the pitch have to be plugged with quality if we are to have MLS Cup success this coming season.
Tom:
That Thierry Henry steps it up in the final year of his contract. Look, Henry had many brilliant moments, is one of the best in MLS and has shown he can still compete in the Premiership. However, his production and impact lagged a bit last season. It's not a bad thing for the team to be less reliant on TH14, so RBNY is more difficult to defend against (especially with Cahill's banner season). But this is likely Henry's MLS swan song and he should want to leave a lasting memory. If Henry wins the Golden Boot, RBNY wins the Shield AND the Cup in 2014. Also, it wouldn't kill him to smile a bit more.
Greatest Fear:
Matt:
That we will find ourselves exposed at the back after letting several veterans go, including Barklage and Holgersson. One injury and we look very very vulnerable. I know I'm only supposed to pick one thing but I am also concerned about the fact that we have what is undeniably a thinner squad, even as we have more games to play.
Big Viper:
That all of what Mike Petke has talked about (on how he envisions our team playing) has been just that - all talk. Hopefully he'll set us on a course of playing possession-based and creative football. I've longed for the day that our team's main attacking options are not long ball from the back and a hundred crosses into the box from the wings. We saw a small glimpse of what having another option can do for us, with the emergence of Peguy Luyindula as an creator (improvised as that move was) and can only pray to the Football Gods that small option is improved upon. Do you get what I mean, Tom?
Tom:
A Cahill breakdown. Tim Cahill was a revelation for RBNY last season. As a consequence, he was also one of the most banged up--and, perhaps, targeted--players in the league. The question is, for how long can the Warrior go at full effort for club and country, before his aging body just can't take it? I don't even want to think about an injury that causes Cahill to miss a significant stretch.
One Thing from 2013 to Fix:
Matt:
Conceding penalties. This is of course something that is hard to control, but letting the opposition have 10 or so penalties over the course if the season is a sure fire way to dig yourself a hole.
Big Viper:
The Backline Brain Freeze. Needless penalties, and other errors that an Under 8 team would not commit (yeah, Sekagya, you!), have to be eliminated. Carney is out, so that's a disaster avoided, but we still have several players back there who, this past season, were good for a bone head play (or two) on a regular basis. That has to stop.
Tom:
One thing I've witnessed over the past few years is a more specific weakness of our back four, namely letting attackers take the ball to the end line inside the penalty area and fizz a ball into the mix in front of goal. Frankly, I'd rather we give up more corners than allow opponents these dangerous balls.
One thing I've witnessed over the past few years is a more specific weakness of our back four, namely letting attackers take the ball to the end line inside the penalty area and fizz a ball into the mix in front of goal. Frankly, I'd rather we give up more corners than allow opponents these dangerous balls.
One Thing from 2013 to Build on:
Matt:
Luis Robles and Ryan Meara. We may have the league's best 1-2 punch of young goalkeepers. So even if our defense is less than airtight I like our chances to not concede many goals.
Big Viper:
We won the Supporter's Shield mates! We, finally, have a piece of actual Silverware that matters! Let's get something else now. An MLS Cup, a US Open Cup and a Concacaf Champion's League Trophy are there for the taking. Git In and 'ave it Lads!
Tom:
Team spirit. While it took some doing, it seemed that RBNY players finally all got on the same page and were playing for each other, rather than for themselves or a paycheck. Whether you attribute it to the Petke-Henry blowup or Tim Cahill's locker room presence, it was a noticeable and refreshing change. If the team has that camaraderie from Day One, I see great things in 2014.
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