Pigeon Post: We Back Up Edition
Pigeon Post: We Back Up Edition
The Outfield answers your questions ahead of NYCFC’s matchup against Chicago. Santi and Sands are back. Can Talles play the 9? Roster next steps? Chris Campbell did what?
James Sands didn’t dress and wasn’t injured for the Rangers final, what could it mean and is he coming back? -811mo
Kevin: HE’S HERE AND HE’S GLORIOUS.
What’s Santi’s status? Pellegrini did not look like the answer at the 10. -CaptainKoconut
Trey: HE’S HERE AND HE’S GLORIOUS.
Didn’t we try the Magno-as-9 experiment last year and find it didn’t work? Is there hope of him improving there, or is signing a new striker the only way? Feels like a waste of his talents to force it. -Zana
Trey: As a thought exercise, I will argue against my initial gut reaction, which it seems most of the fanbase has, and walk myself back from the ledge until we see more. With the loss of Taty Castellanos and Héber, and the only addition being former USYNT-prospect and current owner-of-swole-arms Gabe Segel, it is clear that the front office intends to rely solely on Talles Magno for the No. 9 position, at least for the time being.
However, there are several reasons to preach patience as Talles adapts to this new role. First, there’s time. Last season, Taty and Héber played a combined total of 2,471 non-Talles regular season minutes at center forward, which accounts for just 20% of the season being devoted to the Mag-Nine experiment. Moreover, Talles is still a few months away from turning 21 years of age, and his progress could change drastically with more minutes.
Second, Talles has already demonstrated transferable skills from his time on the wing to the center. As Paul Harvey noted in his American Soccer Analysis preview, Talles has created more value from the No. 9 position in terms of passing and receiving. Receiving glow-up feels obvious, as he now occupies more valuable space on the field, but his talent contributes to that as well. Talles has the unique ability to shake off defenders to create space for himself and his teammates have been invaluable to set up NYCFC’s other playmakers. His one- and two-touch passes should provide more scoring opportunities now that NYCFC will have both Gabriel Pereira and Santiago Rodriguez diving into the box.
Additionally, Magno’s size coupled with a Lampard-esque capability of scoring in a multitude of ways and body parts should have wingbacks like Cufré and Ilenic as well as set-piece maestro coach Rob Vartughian drooling to meet that wondrous hairline.
The most apparent hurdle here is Talles Magno’s devotion to keeping the ball like my devotion to carrying around my blankie to a rather uncomfortable age. His dribbling is one of the reasons to fall in love with him as a highlight-heavy player, but the value of his possessions has tanked when playing center forward when he holds onto the ball for too long. Tales absolutely needs to learn when to choose his spots and get rid of the ball, like I begrudgingly did with my blankie. Against Nashville, NYCFC’s 119 final third touches led to just two shots on target- 21 and 0 respectively for Magno. Less tootin’ around more shootin’ around please and thanks.
However, there is still time and talent to build on, and head coach Nick Cushing has stated that Talles will continue to play at the No. 9 position, as well as on the wing. Also, perhaps the panic at the binary could be dismayed as well - NYCFC looked more dynamic in Tennessee when Talles was allowed to move more fluidly from the center to the left side of the field. Additionally, rumors suggest that the club may use its remaining u22 spot to acquire a young European striker. So, the refrain from this that can be generally applied to most things New York City FC related - patience, and caution.
What do you think the most important area to improve is (AKA sign someone for)? Our defense (looked a little lost without Callens), midfield distribution (may be handled if Santi is actually coming back), or a number 9 to get Magno back on the wing? -Anthony Figalora
Paul: It’s unquestionably been a notably quieter offseason for NYCFC in terms of player acquisitions. While the team brought on two exciting outside backs, there have not been any significant additions to the roster. However, the return of James Sands and Santi Rodriguez will strengthen the team's lineup. It remains to be seen how much flexibility the team has left for further moves. Is there an opportunity to bring in a competitor for Talles Magno at the striker position? Is there potential to sign a designated player? These are questions that have yet to be answered.
Here’s what The Outfield writers think the current roster looks like and how it fits into MLS roster rules:
With Santi's announcement, there are now three spots available on the roster. Additionally, Santi’s green card means that NYCFC easily acquire a few more international players before the transfer window closes.
Based on rumors, NYCFC is targeting a left-footed center back and a striker. With a u22 initiative spot available and perhaps a DP spot, they have the opportunity to bring in game changers in those positions. I correctly prognosticated that Santi would be a young DP, which would reduce his cap hit to just 200K this season and allow for more flexibility with the last two spots. This is the last season that such an option would be available for him, and after 2023 he could be bought down since there would be no value in keeping him on a DP contract. Regardless of what mechanism the club decides to use, it's clear that NYCFC's priority is to acquire new talent at LCB and striker.
How much of an overreaction should we have to our only subs being fullbacks? When you look at yesterday’s bench, it looked like we had zero options that could help or mix things up in the midfield or attack. -bec_SPK
Kevin: Although the bench in the game against Nashville was underwhelming, it's too early to panic. NYCFC is known for finalizing their “preseason” roster well into the season, as evidenced by the recent returns of James Sands and Santi Rodriguez. With their addition, the roster mix is reshuffled, and the bench already looks less despondent.
Furthermore, inserting Santi back into the starting lineup is likely to push Matias Pellegrini to the bench as the first attacking substitution for Cushing. Even if Pellegrini's limited minutes with NYCFC have been unimpressive, he would be a much more promising option as a bench attacker rather than a starter in the No.10 position.
Rumors persist regarding further incoming transfers, and it is widely speculated that David Lee is targeting a center forward. Signing a starting-caliber No. 9 would not only bolster the attacking group but also allow Magno to return to his preferred position on the left wing.
It's understandable to be apprehensive until these rumors become reality, given how the team has deprioritized the center forward position over the past year. However, in the meantime, supporters can convince themselves that Andres Jasson and Kevin O'Toole are still wingers and Gabriel Segal is the future.
When can we sign a striker? Do we have to wait for the next window or is there any way to fill the void before then? - Doug Condon
Chris: The MLS winter transfer window is currently open, and teams can make additions to their rosters until April 24th. In fact, NYCFC has a history of signing strikers late in the primary window, such as Héber who joined in March 2019.
There is a possibility that NYCFC will acquire a new striker before the window closes. Brad Sims recently hinted at upcoming signings, and the team was recently linked to Slovenian forward Zan Vipotnik. Filling the No. 9 position is crucial to the team's chances of winning a trophy this year, so hopefully, the club will make a move soon.
What will happen when Taty’s loan expires? I believe Girona doesn’t have an option to buy and in theory, the expiration is before the window opens so probably won’t get sold on day one. Might we see him again or will they keep him on ice until a buyer emerges? -forget the taxis
Justin: It seems unlikely that the City Football Group's ultimate goal for Taty is for him to be permanently purchased by Girona. The best possible outcome for Taty is that he is sold on a permanent deal this summer. To achieve this, CFG will need to find a buyer who recognizes his exceptional skills and abilities, despite Girona's poor performance. Taty's contract with NYCFC is valid until 2025, and if they are unable to find a buyer, it's likely that we see him loaned out to Girona again. Although Taty's talent is undeniable, his future lies in Europe, and the question remains as to where that will be. It's possible we may see him again later in his career, but for now, finding the right destination in Europe is crucial.
Kevin: Welcome to the CFG loan merry-go-round! Where you can’t get off until someone pays the sticker price CFG have set on you. Until then, enjoy the ride with short-term stops at potential destinations throughout Europe with constant trips back to Girona and Troyes.
Do you think Keaton and Haak just need time to gel? Or is it just a non-starter? -hapoo123
Paul: Last Saturday didn't go as planned. The team's performance was poor, and every player received some justified criticism. A significant contributing factor to the team's poor performance was the double pivot consisting of Haak and Parks, who both struggled to perform their best. Parks offered some valuable contributions to the team's attacking play, including a memorable run that was one of the game's highlights. However, he also made several concerning turnovers, which put the team's defense under pressure.
During the first minute of the game, Haak made three passes, but he then had very little involvement in the game for the following 20 minutes. He was largely absent from the first half until Gray dropped deeper into the defensive line, and Parks dropped back in the buildup. Haak received some unwarranted criticism for the turnover that resulted in the second goal, but he cannot be blamed for the disastrous chain of events that led to it. Thiago's turnover occurred when the team was out of natural rest defense, giving Hany Mukhtar space to run. Furthermore, Jacob Shaffelburg's marker, Tayvon Gray, sustained a hamstring injury at the halfway line, which contributed to the goal. A cavalcade of errors culminated in that goal, and Haak played little to no part in any of them.
Despite the rough first half, both Parks and Haak performed better in the second half and made valuable contributions to the team. Together, they contributed 0.22 G+ to the team's total mark of 0.68, with Haak achieving his highest single-game total of +0.10 in his career. It's important to note that this was the first time the two players had ever started a game together or played significant minutes alongside each other. Their partnership shows promise, with Haak playing a more defensive-minded role, and Parks taking on a more attacking, freelancing role as an 8. However, the addition of Sands to the mix may complicate things for Haak, who has had previous success with Keaton. Nonetheless, there is still room for both players to fit into the team structure, and it would be premature to dump this partnership after just a single game.
What do you think the plan is with Malte Amundsen? LB seems to be a consistent moving target for us. -TheCapitolCrusader
Kevin: Malte Amundsen is not long for New York City. There’s no shame in losing a starting role to Braian Cufre, who looked quite dangerous against Nashville. But it’s not a great sign that he appears to be behind Kevin O’Toole in the depth chart as well considering he started playing the position like yesterday. Amundsen has graded out as an average fullback according to goals added (g+) in his ~4,000 MLS minutes but he regressed slightly in 2022, to the point that O’Toole was the preferred choice by season’s end. That regression was disappointing given how highly NYCFC thought of Amundsen when they brought him in, paying the 5th-highest transfer fee for a left back in MLS history for Amundsen, according to Transfermarkt.
NYCFC have learned to live without elite play from their wide defenders after Anton Tinnerholm and Ronald Matarrita established the fullback empire in 2018-2019. The constant churn at left back indicates they’d like to re-establish some dominance there. That’s more important now that Tayvon Gray is the primary right back, presenting more possibility of an asymmetric backline where he tucks inside and the left back pushes far upfield as the primary wide attacking option on that side. Amundsen was never well suited for that role, nor as a wingback for the 5-at-the-back lineups, and there’s better ways to use $300K in salary then as a third stringer. His value might have taken a hit but it’s never going to go back up if he’s not playing. I expect Amundsen to be sold this summer, at the latest.
What’s your strangest/wildest fan story at a game or watching on tv? Doesn’t have to be about a game. -JCMore
Chris: Let me tell you about the time that Ned Grabavoy made me dump a beer on my head.
The 2015 season for NYCFC was full of mostly disappointing results on the field. The roster was full of expansion team players that didn’t provide a whole ton of quality and many of them were not on the squad the following year. One of those players was Jason Kreis’ best buddy Ned Grabavoy.
Grabavoy was awful, and everyone could see it. In 2015, I was just learning about what overlapping fullbacks but even I could see how big of a void was in the midfield when Grabavoy was in the lineup. According to American Soccer Analysis, Grabavoy was the second worst player for NYCFC in 2015 per g+ with -1.31 for the season. But somehow Jason Kreis just kept playing him.
In September 2015, my buddy Carlos and I got to Yankee Stadium early for the night game against San Jose, getting in the front row of 237, grabbing our spots next to some other fans we didn’t happen to know. Early in the second half, Grabavoy did the unthinkable, slotting in a shot past David Bingham, giving NYCFC the lead. We were all ecstatic in the supporters section, but also a bit in shock. This was Grabavoy’s first goal of the year, and while it did involve a fortunate deflection, not expected to come from the long-time RSL player.
Shortly after the goal, the fan next to me (I hope to Kwadwo Poku you’re reading this) proclaimed “If Ned Grabavoy scores another goal, I’m going to dump my beer on my head.” There was no way it was going to happen. He was awful. So I responded and said I’m in. If Grabavoy scores another goal, I’ll also dump my beer on my head. It’s a sure-fire “wager” that won’t come through.
Well, over the next several minutes, Grabavoy started to get the ball in some dangerous spots, and I was getting a bit nervous. I started drinking my beer faster than usual so in the one-in-a-million chance he gets another one, maybe my beer will be empty and that was an easy way out for me.
But just twelve minutes after his first, Frank Lampard sent a dangerous ball into the box and it seemed like Grabavoy jumped fifteen feet in the air, getting on the end of the cross and nodding it home to double the lead.
Once again, the supporter’s section erupted with everyone celebrating. Except for two people. Me and the dude next to me. As high-fives were being exchanged all around us, we calmly turned to each other, clinked our cups together, and dumped the rest of the contents onto our heads.
What’s your strangest/wildest fan story? As in ceiling fan, box fan, AC fan, or the like. -JCMore
Chris: I’m not sure I have any strange/wild fan stories in that regard, so I’m going to give you a bonus “sports fan” answer.
It’s fairly obvious if you follow me on Twitter that I’m a huge Marquette basketball fan. It probably annoys some of you just looking for the latest on the stadium or another “Anton Tinnerholm is good at soccer” tweet, but I can’t help myself.
What you probably don’t know, is how I displayed my fandom at games in my earlier years. I’ve made it onto national broadcasts fairly often and was even included in the intro to Sportscenter. The below still shot is from when my buddies and I went down to Nashville for an early season “neutral court” matchup with Tennessee. See if you can pick me out.
Kevin: I accidentally dropped an air conditioning unit out of a two-story window once. Nothing got hurt except my pride. I still own it and it works to this day.
Trey: One year I had a box fan break during a sticky New York City August. In the month before I could afford to replace it, my now open window was seized as a moment of opportunity for exactly three (3) sparrows and one (1) bat in a short period of time. ❧
Image: Spanishguitar101, Homing pigeons in flight
