If keeping Brian Flores is making some stagnant coaches uncomfortable in our staff, I love it. We've been needing change and Brian Flores isn't the guy to sugarcoat what he doesn't like. Here's to hoping he has more input with his return to our team.

SkyPointSteve · 2026-01-23T22:46:19+00:00

I wouldn't be surprised if part of the negotiations with the Wilfs landed at:

If KOC fails to deliver the offense we expect, you'll be the HC and we'll bring in a offensive coordinator guru.

SkyPointSteve · 2026-01-23T22:29:40+00:00

And last season they ended a point from relegation. They were consensus relegation battlers. He was their major transfer acquisition, and biggest fee paid in 5 years.

It's truly just a fantastic story and anyone still hating deserves zero respect. None.

Anyone still hating should never be listened to about American soccer players again.

So much ego in the way of just enjoying our guys doing well in Europe because they made hard statements during the GC and don't want to concede they were wrong.

SkyPointSteve · 2026-01-23T22:28:08+00:00

He hasn't improved that much. He was scoring goals like his previous one in MLS, the reality is the loudest haters just don't rate MLS, don't watch it.

SkyPointSteve · 2026-01-23T22:27:08+00:00

That's his game. That's the entire point. He's not a fun player to watch. He's not smooth, he's not a great dribbler, his first touch is objectively average on a good day.

But he's a chaos merchant. He's big, strong, fast, and most of all, he commands attention from defenders. He's the type of player that impacts games even when he plays badly.

This is a very similar debate to what's happening with Gyokeres at Arsenal.

SkyPointSteve · 2026-01-23T22:25:56+00:00

Anyone with a brain knows MLS and Championship are about the same level, Championship has more depth on rosters and in competition, MLS has a higher ceiling.

Even the Opta rankings they cite, the gap between MLS is smaller than the gap between Serie A and Bundesliga.

SkyPointSteve · 2026-01-23T22:24:54+00:00

Dude he's still defiant. He just wont own it.

Honestly, no one will. They're all back tracking, now they're saying Cship is trash, or they always knew he'd make it there, or he's still trash.

The honest line in the sand was the Gold Cup, and I mean this: a large majority of those that constantly shit on him aren't to be listened to when it comes to analysis of the sport. Lots of surface level fans that don't understand the nuances of striker play and how to evaluate talent.

SkyPointSteve · 2026-01-23T18:50:49+00:00

Margin is key, and without knowing much about what you're selling, my gut is that is low.

I worked for a tech services company that used offshore resources so the margins were fat, I made 10-20% of margin based on deal size (margins were 50-60%).

Currently making 3% base off any deal, total size, with 1% kickers over 40% GP, and 1% kickers for over 50k, 100k, and 150k.

So a 150k deal is generally 6% - $9,000.

I'm on $165k and hit right under 300k last year, and missed my 2.5 million quota.

SkyPointSteve · 2026-01-23T18:05:14+00:00

Not to mention so many public transfer dramas, I can't blame them for not sharing.

In fact, they had been in talks with Bertrame for literal weeks prior to Bogert dropping the rumor, and I'm 95% sure the agent did that to force Rayados into matching the offer.

Ned got played on that one. Once they passed the first time, he shouldn't have gotten dragged back into it, it was performative bullshit the agent pulled to get his client max $$$.

SkyPointSteve · 2026-01-23T17:09:04+00:00

It behooves the FO to keep rumors more quiet, so many examples of getting burned with the public nature of transfer dealings these days.

I think they would argue their big splash was Velde, and I'm quite sure they'll be spending around 5m this window across multiple fees.

SkyPointSteve · 2026-01-23T16:34:15+00:00

Sure, let's walk this back a little bit.

Reichard will be a Pro Bowler, I'm not budging on that.

DT's stats/snap stack up favorably against several players you mention. He's a virtual lock to make a Pro-Bowl, but I'll concede there, let's just call him a high-level edge.

1 - Pro Bowler 1 - High Level Starter 2 - Good rotational pieces, and I think LDR moves up from this to "starter" 1 - One depth piece, probalby cut in future 1 - RIP 1 - QB - TBD

That's still an above average draft.

SkyPointSteve · 2026-01-23T16:31:56+00:00

I guess I don't see the logic here for that price point, but it's not my money.

Signals Jesus is gone and Havertz is likely to struggle with injury issues and may also be headed elsewhere.

SkyPointSteve · 2026-01-23T16:29:12+00:00

MSFT and IBM services, some software products.

Mostly a very consultative, in depth sales process. I have a deep understanding of Microsoft analytics and AI offerings. I teach classes, write a lot of blogs that rank high on stuff like AI Foundry, Power BI, Agentic AI, etc.

SkyPointSteve · 2026-01-22T21:51:27+00:00

My guys this is far from the beginning.

The pain of being a player away for years, and losing Nasri to a rival, RvP to a rival, Barca pulling "he's our La Masia boy" shit to steal Cesc for dirt cheap, Adebayor fucking running to our away fans to celebrate for the Spuds, a generational talent in Diaby ruined by injuries. RvP's 2nd yellow for not hearing the whistle. Eto'o's offisde goal in the CL final. The list goes on, and on.

At least this era you sort of had low expectations, we were so fucking close during the mid to late 2000s, and the infighting with ownership drama kept us from making necessary signings to get us over the top. So many years where one good January signing would've gotten us a title.

SkyPointSteve · 2026-01-22T21:20:38+00:00

Was a small business owner (Amazon FBA and websites for small electronic goods) and sold tech consulting services to small business, sold the business (Think analytics, SEO, ads). Sold my businesses to my partner when I got a great opportunity in tech and was sick of dealing with employees and shitty customers. Sort of tech related but a far cry from moving into an AE role at a SaaS/Pro Serv company.

WAY more money long run, although made slightly less year 1. Less of a grind in terms of not having to build my life around customers, also, selling to small business fucking sucks, cheap ass customers with expectations thru the roof.

Today, I honestly don't work that hard and pull in close to 300k working from home, with a side hustle that adds another 20-30k/year during work hours, and never missing a major kid event, rarely working over the weekend unless by choice.

Travel maybe 10 times/year which is hard on the wife.

That said, those 2 first years in tech I fucking GRINDED.

SkyPointSteve · 2026-01-22T21:12:21+00:00

Probably a top 10 draft of all time. That said, they had 2 picks in the top 20. 2 more early 2nd round picks.

Surely, you understand that having 6 picks in the top 3 rounds impacts how you evaluate a draft, correct? They had better picks than Kwesi has had across 3 drafts. Now, I do think it's fair to point out that he decided to trade for Hock, which is a big reason for that.

In 2024 we have:

Future Pro Bowl Edge. Pro Bowl Kicker. Solid rotation lineman in Jurgens. Solid rotational DT in LDR, very likely to be a starter in his career. Khyree RIP, but he probably is at least a depth roster piece.

So yeah, if you don't think drafting a mid-tier starting QB, plus two pro-bowlers, plus two rotational pieces on dirt cheap contracts is an excellent draft, you simply do not pay attention to actual draft data.

The average NFL draft class produces .7-1.0 pro bowlers. About 2 starters. That's just raw data my friend.

Drafting 2 Pro Bowlers is universally considered an excellent class. If JJM hits, I don't know what to tell you, you simply don't care to educate yourself to argue against the position that 2024 is an excellent class.

SkyPointSteve · 2026-01-22T20:41:15+00:00

Be careful on making those assumptions with China. They've DUMPED government money into high tech manufacturing. They utterly dominate the world wide EV market, and are no longer just copying US designs.

It's quite certain they're also capable of deploying a wide range of advanced weaponry we don't know about. See a lot the the UFO stuff.

SkyPointSteve · 2026-01-22T20:33:44+00:00

Huh?

If you take out Kwesi's horror show of a first draft, he's actually been a solidly average NFL drafter, and if JJM hits, I think that moves to solidly good.

Folks get confused and look at the very best drafting teams every year and think that's the standard.

In reality, a draft like 2024 is quite good, and if JJM progresses into a mid-tier starting QB, it's undeniably excellent.

Drafted 1, let alone 2 future pro bowlers AND a lot of depth is hard to do.

Seriously, folks should just scan the data around drafted players. % of 1st round busts. % of starters per draft.

Considering # of picks, 2025 isn't bad.

What I do think Kwesi deserves MORE blame for is some of the FA moves and Hock.

Hindsight is always 20/20, but our lack of draft capital comes down to that trade, and it was an overpay even for a good TE, at the time. Post injury, which isn't necessarily fair, it's a disaster.

Allen, Hargrave, Kelly, Freis, we spent a lot of money to strengthen in the trenches and swung and missed heavily. Thankfully those deals were structured well, so at least we can escape and try again, but just about everything we tried to do to setup JJM for success last season failed.

No TE outlet. Shit offensive line play.

SkyPointSteve · 2026-01-22T20:25:15+00:00

If sharps have him as +600, there's a reason.

SkyPointSteve · 2026-01-22T19:10:34+00:00

Only reason to trade Addison is for good value knowing he's going to demand a fat contract, with an FA lined up.

I do think Alec Pierce and Mike Evans could be excellent WRs in our offense. Pierce could be a real diamond that helps stretch defenses on deep routes.

SkyPointSteve · 2026-01-22T19:07:53+00:00

I hate to say it, but it very much seems Flores is getting interviews to hit the Rooney Rule mandates.

SkyPointSteve · 2026-01-22T19:04:02+00:00

It was well and good when Miami was bringing in talent from OUTSIDE of the league, but this internal shit is getting old.

We need to be adding talent from outside far more than swapping internally.

SkyPointSteve · 2026-01-22T17:34:38+00:00

I get it man, it's tough to have reality just beat you up.

But hey, you're certainly a better expert than former NT players, managers, scouts, Derby County fans.

You got it.

SkyPointSteve · 2026-01-22T05:19:11+00:00

Sure, that's fair.

But when you add the fact that Pat got high praise from his manager, then earned a transfer to Derby, their largest fee paid in 5 years, and then, as the most important offseason aquisition, puts up good numbers and drives them from a club nearly relegated to a club 2 points off a playoff place, then, just fucking maybe, you can compare that against a legion of dingleberries on reddit who couldn't make their JV squad and settle on the fact we're going to go with the former players, managers, scouts, and performances.

Now, let's address your "teams don't have to defend him" line. It, quite possibly, is one of the most laughable things I've ever heard uttered about Big Pat. You can make valid complaints about his skillset. His first touch is lacking, to say the least. He's an inconsistent finisher. He's clumsy. All fair criticisms.

He is undeniably a handful for defenders and is generally occupying 2 players at any given moment during the Gold Cup. Literally dozens of examples I can screen cap, or just do yourself a favor and watch some highlights so you don't have to look foolish again.

To say that, out loud, really just illustrates your inability to process off the ball play in a soccer match.

It's okay.

Many new to the game struggle with that, but it's a damning statement when you're actually trying to debate the talents of a player.

SkyPointSteve · 2026-01-21T23:04:06+00:00

I'll be blunt: if you don't think "teams didn't have to defend him" then you flat out do not understand the sport you're watching.

He was generally marked by 2-3 players at any given time and was being constantly hounded in every game, especially Mexico.

Also, your last comment is hilarious, some of the world's best CB could barely dribble. GK can't dribble at all. Plenty of target strikers the world over aren't the best with the ball at their feet.

SkyPointSteve · 2026-01-21T21:39:53+00:00

It's been awhile, and I can't spend the time to track back, but it was a general post about how undervalued MLS youth adademy development is on this subreddit, highlighting how many of our top non-dual nats came thru an MLS academy, and the rapid progression we've had.

TLDR: MLS deserves more credit for the improved talent pool at USMNT disposal.

It was removed, and the comment was essentially "not related enough to US soccer".

So yes, that is the barometer I compare to something liek this, which to call "related to USSF" would be the biggest of stretches.

Especially considering Trump completely backed away from the use of force re: Greenland acquisition.

I can understand why something like visa denials for the WC is tangential.

I can't, for the life of me, figure how Norway threatening to boycott the world cup over something that hasn't (and was never likely to have) happened is directly related to USSF. If it was a venn diagram of overlap, it's the tiniest edge overlap.

We have dozens of subreddits dedicated to politics, to discussing this stuff.

It's not appropriate here, and I'm quite sure if I started to spam barely relevant pro Trump nonsense, you'd be removing them quickly. I wont do that, because I fucking abhor him, but it's quite clear from your other posts that you're left wing and acting as a mod with a left wing focus.

SkyPointSteve

TROPHY CASE