That's what SoccerAmerica's MLS Confidential reported yesterday: "Defender Mike Petke's name has been bandied about in trade talks for the past month or so and those discussions might intensify in the aftermath of the Metros' 3-2 loss to Columbus." With the Metro planning to keep Mathis, Diallo and Howard and paying them the max league salary moving Petke might make sense for salary cap reasons alone.
i would hope that petke would take his head out of his a$$ and focus and play to his ability..... maybe the dye got inside his head.... it would be a shame to see him go...he's become a metro marketing staple.....and i think he thinks he's indispensible....unlike rambo.
A few points: 1) No one should want to see Petke go, same way no one should have wanted to see Gio, Harty, or Amman go. These guys have been the heart and soul of Metro over the years and it's always tough to see that go, especially in a season with as high a player turnover rate as this one. 2) OZ and Nick seem to think the answer is always immediate player movement. Trades, sigining aging foreign defenders, etc. Amazingly, OZ still complains that it is MLS's red tape on signing new players which is the cause of Metro's woes, even though every other team in the league has long since come to terms with SEM and its regulations and have decided to learn how to work within the system instead of beating their heads against it. Instead of player movement, how about focusing on player DEVELOPMENT (of guys with last names other than Klinger and Alvarez)?
I say we keep Petke but bench him for a game or two, maybe only play him in the Open Cup matches. Let him learn his lesson just the way players all over the world at all levels have to--ride the bench. If anything, I think Chrono is more at fault than anyone on defense. We should think about benching him as well, or trading him for another American defender who is a little younger.
a good coach would work him out of the slump. a ad coach would commit to the 4234234235th trade of the season.
I think we should play with 3 in back: Addo sweeps, with Petke and Jolley right and left. this would keep the defense back and in shape. There is a lot to be said for a 3-4-3, with 2 D-mids and 2 A-mids, at least one being good at holding the ball. 2 wing players and Diallo on top. Or return to the familiar 3-5-2. In the current setup the outside backs get caught up field and lack the pace to get back and support the center. 3 deep gives us better odds against fast counters. On the other hand, most of the recent goals against have come from outside shots or inside the 6 where we simply fail to beat an opponent to the ball or keep him from turning on goal. Finally, it has to be up to the coach to work with what we have to solve the problems in midfield and defense -- find a way to enhance our strong points and correct our weak points. I thought that was part of a coach's job. Silly me.
Absolutely. Let Ziadie and Chrono play in the mid-field - where both are more comfortable (until Tab and Davis come back). The coach should be fitting the men to the positions they play best, not forcing them to play in certain places just because he wants someone to play there. Work with your strengths, rather than making them your weaknesses. I must be silly as well, because I too thought this was a coach's job!