Who should the Executioner's Axe fall for?
by Gregg Mixdorf on Dec 19, 2011 9:14 AM CST
in Fire Roster News & Analysis
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So Tweed did this article and wanted me to do a follow up. "You're full of hatred and black heartedness why don't you take a stab at who should be cut." He says to me over the Gchats. I pause wondering if to take his comments as a compliment or just a statement of truth. "Hmmm that has to be a compliment" I think to myself. I reply "Do I get to rip into Baggio Husidic again?". Tweed "No, he doesn't play for us anymore and didn't you get this out of your system on Twitter the other day?". Me: "I might be addicted to bashing Baggio. It is going to be hard to quit cold turkey, but I'll try with this article thing you want me to write. It can't hurt anyways."
And with that I present to you "Players who should be cut that are still somehow on the roster"
1. Mike Videira: Somehow Mike is still on the roster. There is a strong possibility that Mike Videira is the main reason Carlos de los Cobos lost his job last season. See at the beginning of the season he decided to start Mike instead of some guy named Daniel and this DID NOT WORK. Videira proceeded to be a turnover machine. His lack of passing ability stalled ball control and killed offensive flow. He did work hard and had solid cardio (+2 on the BH) but unfortunately these things don't make up for a complete lack of ability. The problems in the midfield led to issues with the rest of the team. He did get hurt (concussion) and was replaced by Paladini. Thankfully Mike rarely saw the field after that. Yet the early season damage had been done and nothing could save DLC after all those draws. If I were the coach I'd probably cut Mike just so he doesn't cost me my job. Wouldn't want to give myself the chance to fall for a hard working practice player and decide he is then worthy of minutes.
2. Pari Pantazapoulos: Pari, the winner of the Fire open try out, was around last season. He was around in the way that Steven Kinney and Mike Banner were around except that he wasn't hurt. I kept wondering to myself why this kid was worth a roster spot. Even if it was just a developmental slot it was still a slot. He clearly was not going to get any meaningful minutes. He dressed a few times on game day but we all knew he wasn't going to see the field. It just meant our bench was shorter, like there was a late scratch in the lineup. I don't even like being this hard on the kid. Seems like a good guy, works hard in practice and is good with the fans. Yet due to his position, Left back, his lack of ability was glaring. Gonzalo Segares essentially had no backup last season and this was a huge problem as Sega logged an ungodly amount of minutes last season. If Pari was 17 there would be little issue with him in that slot. But the guy is 23 years old and if he can't give you 500 minutes a season by now there is no reason to keep him.
3. Kwame Watson-Sirboe: Kwame was sent on loan to Tampa Bay for the season. I really have no idea if he played well there or not. Honestly there is no reason to care as he shouldn't be kept. Look at the depth at center back. You have Cory Gibbs, Jalil Anibaba, Josip Mikulic and Yamith Cuesta. All of whom have proven to be more talented at the MLS level then Kwame. "Yeah but Kwame is younger than all of them except for Cuesta" you decide to foolishly say to me. Um sorry to break this to you but Kwame is 25. He is older than both Anibaba and Cuesta and only younger than Mikulic by 7 months. Sorry but I don't see any reason to hang on to him considering that information. Also he occupies a senior roster spot and is now too old for developmental anyways. It would be better for Kwame if he was cut now so he had a legitimate chance to catch on with another squad. I see little chance he makes the team this year unless he shows considerable improvement at the MLS level during camp.
4. Diego Chaves: If you believe the scuttlebut then Diego is already long gone. With the Re-Entry draft selection of Kheli Dube a strong message was sent that Diego will be gone this season. I wouldn't mind keeping him but his lack of domestic status is killing him here. His hot start and finish kind of obscure his complete lack of contributions during the season. He was a victim of the posts far too often. Still he can contribute in the league and I'd like to see him stay in MLS instead of returning to relative obscurity.
5. Mike Banner: No lies I frankly love Mike Banner. He can play in the midfield, will sacrifice himself to the right back position when necessary, doesn't complain much, and if he grows a goatee he becomes Evil Mike Banner from another dimension and that is AWESOME. Yet one has to worry about his injury issues from this past season where he didn't play a single league game. Mike is 27 going into this season and I'd like to see him in form and healthy during training camp. His domestic status and position flexibility make him valuable going forward as long as he has his injury situation sorted out. Yet he could be a late camp victim which would be too bad.
So there you go. I don't really expect any other players currently on the roster to be potential cut victims. Trade options should be explored on a few players. Packaging a solid player along with the rights to Willman Conde could net a significant return at a position of need.
I'll be back with more vitriol soon.
Gregg can be reached on twitter @merwin_6
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Overestimating ease of finding defenders
Unless we sign a starting quality foreign defender with the accompanying salary, it’s hard to draft a domestic defender. I doubt there’s an MLS quality LB in all of NCAA. I don’t think it’s wise to cut all of our depth at that position: Banner and Pari.
iron, I’m shocked to read you voice this opinion. I think you’ll find that most full backs in MLS went through NCAA first. Our starting full backs Dan Gargan and Gonzalo Segares certainly did. You cite Mike Banner and yes, he went through NCAA too. The 2011 ‘Double’ winners LA Galaxy got their full backs AJ de la Garza and Sean Franklin from the draft. When the Seattle Sounders defeated us in the U.S. Open Cup Final, they had Wake Forest Demon Deacon James Riley at RB. The list goes on and on.
That’s somewhat besides the point. As Gregg mentioned, Pari and Banner did not play a single minute in the MLS regular season this year. The only time either of them even made the bench under Frank Klopas was against D.C. on October 18th. Klopas choose to start Videira at right back because Dan Gargan was out that game. The only time that Segares didn’t start a MLS game, Klopas started Gargan at LB and moved Pause to RB. Klopas isn’t showing a lot of faith in Pari so I don’t know if you can count him as depth. If anything Pari is not depth but shallow because Klopas won’t play him and he takes up the roster spot for another potential player. I love the fact that he made the team as an open try out player. I’ll always use him as an example of hard work paying off because he got into the game against Manchester United and Chivas Guadalajara. No one can ever take away the fact he shared the field with those squads. This ain’t Rudy though so he has to gain Klopas’ trust this spring or open the spot for someone else who has the potential too.
With Mike Banner it’s time for him to go if he can’t stay healthy. He is taking up a Senior Roster spot and the senior roster is getting very full. Love his salary, has a positive attitude, can take some minutes at midfield or a little at full back but if the team has a chance to replace him on the roster with a younger, healthier version, they should do it in a heartbeat.
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by Tweed Thornton on Dec 19, 2011 3:07 PM CST up reply actions
Banner was healthy enough at the end of 2011 to play a reserve game, so hopefully he turned his health issues around. Skill wise, he was good enough to get an occasional start over Sega and Krol in 2010, both of whom were pretty good.
Of course, it’s hard to evaluate Pari’s skill given how little he played. But I remember thinking he played pretty well against Chivas (and not very well against Rochester). In the Chivas game, he and Barouch combined well to control the left side. I also thought Pari made the bench more than once in a league game, though I’m not going to go check.
I’m not saying that these guys should be immune from competition in the preseason camp and I’d be fine with Frank drafting a defender or two. I’m just saying they’re favorites to make the opening day roster.
Banner never started on the left over an available (ie healthy and not suspended) Sega, his spot starts came due to need. Banner is a midfielder and not a true defensive player. He will go back there when you need him to but he is a stop gap measure at best.
Also Kroll sucked and this should never be forgotten.
RE: Pari: Making the bench is not the same as playing. If Frank does not feel comfortable giving him minutes during a regular season contest then he shouldn’t be on the roster. A backup LB is needed and I would rather spend developmental time on someone who isn’t already 24.
by Gregg Mixdorf on Dec 19, 2011 5:23 PM CST up reply actions
I’m not saying that these guys should be immune from competition in the preseason camp and I’d be fine with Frank drafting a defender or two. I’m just saying they’re favorites to make the opening day roster.
I’ll say that’s a fair statement.
I think any defender that the Fire take in the draft will be a favorite to make the team over Pari and Banner. I’m willing to bet a beer or a brat at a 2012 tailgate that if we take a defender with the #23 or #28 pick, that player will not get cut in favor or Pari or Banner.
As for Pari’s bench time, he made the bench in 3 of the 11 games Carlos de los Cobos coached. He made the bench once in the 23 games Klopas’ coached. In that one game, Gargan was out, Klopas went Videira at right back, Pari never entered the game.
I would even go so far to speculate that it was Carlos de los Cobos who pulled for Pari and Videira to make the squad. Klopas didn’t appear to trust Pari at all. Frank didn’t play Videira at all until the end of the season and that was at RB. Carlos de los Cobos thought Videira was a starting MLS midfielder.
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by Tweed Thornton on Dec 19, 2011 7:26 PM CST up reply actions
1. It isn’t hard to draft defenders. Every year decent players are selected. Hey look at that Jalil Anibaba starts for us last season as a rookie defender. One of the Farfan kids plays a lot of LB coming out of college. MLS backlines are filled with NCAA talent.
2. There is probably a starting MLS LB in the draft this year. There almost always is. Michael Farfan was drafted with the #23 pick last season (thanks Tweed). Philly starting LB.
3. Considering Banner and Pari played a combined 0 minutes in league games last season I don’t see how you can consider them depth in any way, shape or form. I don’t see how cutting them hurts anything going forward. Instead it frees up two roster spots for players who might actually contribute.
4. A high quality LB to push Sega would be preferred but a player who can at least give you 500 minutes over the course of a season is desperately needed going forward. That can be found in the draft or otherwise (trade, academy, what have you).
Gotta agree with the list Gregg...
I can definitely see all the above names not being back. Would it be nice if Pari and Banner could make an impact? Yes, but how long do you wait? It’s like the Cubs with Mark Prior and Kerry Wood. Wood eventually got past his injury issues to get his career back on track somewhat, but Prior never did. For years, the Cubs refused to fill either spot, hoping instead that things would finally “come together” and Wood and Prior would come back to 2003 form. That never happened, and who knows how much it cost the Cubs if they could have filled those spots with others.
Banner is the Mark Prior here. I like the guy, good worker and attitude, but the injury history says we gotta go in a different direction. I would love for nothing more than him to be a healthy contributor, but when you have an injury history staring you in the face and telling you otherwise, you have to make tough decisions. This team, if the right pieces are added, can go on a serious run next year. I don’t see Banner as a part of that.
As for Pari, I agree with Tweed’s sentiment about it being a good story. It certainly is, and I don’t think there is anyone that isn’t pulling for him. However, Frank and co. get to see him in practice every day. if he had the skill to be out there, he would be. We just can’t afford to go into next year with a spot taken up by a guy that won a talent contest (which is essentially what happened). While it warms the heart, maybe it’s the cold monster in me that says he shouldn’t be on the team come opening day next year.
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