Two weeks are left in the MLS regular season. Three weeks remain in the NASL regular season. Five weeks until the NASL final. Eight until the MLS Cup final and the expansion draft.
It’s all happening very fast for Minnesota United FC. As the current seasons race towards their conclusion, Jeff Rueter and Alex Schieferdecker sit down to discuss the current roster status of Minnesota United FC, and the club’s needs at every position.
Previously, we’ve discussed goalkeepers, defenders, midfielders, and wingers. This week, we’ll look at the front of the attack!
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Jeff: Hey Alex! We’re in the home stretch of our series as we move to our final area of the field.
It’s clear that Minnesota United has one of the best (if not the best) strikers in the NASL with Christian Ramirez. Before we go too deep into how we think he fits into next year’s plan… Does the club even have a second striker on the roster for us to talk about?
92 appearances. 51 goals. 15 assists. That’s .792 goals and assists per 90 minutes. I mean, you absolutely have to bring Christian Ramirez to MLS, right? – Alex Schieferdecker
Alex: That’s a good question. Christian has been remarkably healthy with Minnesota, but I actually do think we have several respectable back-ups in Stefano Pinho and J.C. Banks. That said, both of those guys have played in other positions this season and Stefano only got two run-outs as a center forward. We’ve already discussed both of those guys in the previous weeks. I think this week’s conversation is basically about one person, and then the questions of what the club is looking for in terms of other options.
So let me start off the chat this way. Ninety-two appearances (including the cup). Fifty-one goals. Fifteen assists. That’s .792 goals and assists per 90 minutes. I mean, you absolutely have to bring Christian Ramirez to MLS, right? I know there will be salary negotiations, etcetera etcetera. But at the end of the day (wink wink!) Ramirez’s production has been exceptional and he both ought to be and deserves to be the starting striker next March.
Jeff: Pff, only 51 goals in 92 games? What a scrub. No room for him on the MLS roster.
There really isn’t a discussion about whether or not he’s MLS-level. I agree with you that he should be the starter for opening day next season and that the club wouldn’t be starved for talent if that were the case. I think it’s going to be a big question to see if the club is willing to lock him down and pay him what he deserves. Starting/first-backup MLS strikers generally start at around $200k if they aren’t on their rookie contracts or Designated Players. If that’s the case, then Ramirez deserves at least that much, if not more. His scoring rate over three seasons shows that he isn’t a fluke and his ability to create chances and make shots from difficult situations have me confident that he’ll be fine for at least 10 goals in 34 matches next year.
All of that said, the most successful MLS strikers in the preferred 4-2-3-1 formation are larger target forwards. Ramirez’s skill set isn’t one that has him muscling down center backs, winning headers, and being a bruiser. That isn’t a bad thing, but if the club is going with a solo-striker formation, it might aid them to find someone who fits the mold laid out by the likes of Fanendo Adi, Didier Drogba, and Jozy Altidore. All three of those guys entered the league as DPs, so it’s safe to say that it’s tough to find those players without paying up. That said, a guy like Los Angeles’s Alan Gordon would be a great change-of-pace from the bench if the game needs a bruiser. I think he’ll be available in the expansion draft, too.
“Starting MLS strikers generally start at around $200k if they aren’t on their rookie contracts or Designated Players. If that’s the case, then Ramirez deserves at least that much, if not more.” – Jeff Rueter
Alex: You bring up three good points there. The first is how much it’ll cost to keep Christian around. I think he’s worth that market rate. After Miguel Ibarra, he’s really the face of the club (I own his jersey). And if he scores at half his current rate, he’ll still be a reasonably successful MLS striker. I mean, Will Bruin is making $300k and has four goals and three assists this year. I think he’s better than Will Bruin. Pay Christian what he’s earned and let’s all find out. There’s a chance that he can’t adjust to the new league. But there’s also a chance that he adjusts very well, scores another twenty goals, and someone pays the club a million dollars for his services. It’s not like paying Christian would be some charitable mission. There’s a significant upside for the club as well.
Enough said on that front. Second, I do think Christian is an interesting style of player. Looking at his build, you’d really expect him to be a bruiser, as you put it. He’s actually not at all. He uses his physicality rarely and it’s not something he seems to enjoy doing. I think a good comparison is Cyle Larin, who is another big guy who likes to make runs and play with the ball instead of bullying people. In MLS, I suspect that it won’t automatically be easy for Christian and that he’ll need to be stronger, quicker, and faster if he’s going to replicate his NASL performance. You’d definitely like to see him get better at winning the ball in the air, which has always been his biggest weakness. But what will serve him well is how good a shooter he is. There’s nobody in the NASL who takes more good shots than Christian. He’s inventive, he’s accurate, and he can score from anywhere on the field.
The third point you led into was the issue of who else the club adds to the striker corps. I think we’re both bullish about Christian’s chances of success in MLS. But the club also needs a back-up option, and it shouldn’t hesitate to look at people who might challenge or supplant Christian. I don’t mean a DP necessarily (I think that’d be needlessly self-destructive), but someone who would be like Christian was for Pablo Campos. To me, Alan Gordon is always a great option because of his ability as a super-sub, but he’ll soon turn 35. What the club needs is at least one guy who’s on Christian’s heels from the start. I don’t think you find that guy in MLS; I think you’ve got to look abroad.
“What the club needs is at least one guy who’s on Christian’s heels. I don’t think you find that guy in MLS; I think you’ve got to look abroad.” – Alex
Jeff: As the club gets to nailing down 1-3 DP(s), it’s a massive advantage that they don’t need to find a starting striker. I think you’re absolutely right: Ramirez can and will be better than guys like Will Bruin and Darren Mattocks, who’s also on a similar salary. Gordon’s age is a huge red flag and I’d understand not wanting to bring in a one-year rental. Someone like Conor Casey (in his prime) would’ve been perfect, and the club sure could have used Aaron Schoenfeld, who ended up signing with a club in Israel.
There isn’t much to talk about at this position considering there’s one player on the squad who fits the bill and we both agree he should start. I would be really curious to hear what you think the club should do tactically, and we’ll use the striker position as an entry point. Ramirez was on Campos’ heels in 2014 before the latter was injured, but 2015 showed me that the two of them worked really well in tandem. Ramirez hasn’t gotten many touches when the midfield struggles, but he’s most dangerous when Banks, Speas, or Pinho line up at a similar plane as him and keep a backline honest. During the U.S. Open Cup match, SKC’s Ike Opara (whom I desperately hope is left unprotected in the expansion draft) was able to muscle Ramirez any way he wanted and kept the striker at bay. I would love to see the club run out two strikers, with the second guy being a taller, more physical target guy.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v2BhCJSy5d0
Alex: I’ve never been convinced with Christian and a second striker. I disagree, I don’t think he and Campos ever looked particularly good together. I stand by a 4-3-3 system, but I just don’t think our wings or #8 have been enough of a threat to the other team’s defensive center. Lance Laing and Danny Cruz, for the most part, want to get to the byline and put in a cross. Ben Speas has been played very close to Christian, but there’s been a big gap behind him to the other midfielders. I think as a result of all of this, teams don’t have to worry about a huge amount of real estate in the final third and they can sort of glom onto Christian because there’s no late run into the box, or there’s not enough of a threat of the winger breaking into the box. For me, it’s not about a second striker, it’s just about getting more people into different parts of the box. Once that happens, there will be more space for the No. 9.
All of this discussion strikes me as a bit academic, though. There’s no guarantee that we play the same system next year. I don’t think the team should be thinking about a DP for this position. But I do think we’re absolutely looking for a player who could take Christian’s spot. If someone’s good, let’s bring them in, regardless of type. If they happen to be a tall, meaty, Olivier Giroud-type who complements Christian well, than that’s good. If they’re a Joao Plata-type who’s dribbling around people’s ankles, that works for me too. To me, this is the position where the club have the most freedom, thanks to the fact that we’ve already got a good option here. We can be speculative.
“As the organization looks to fill 28 slots, bringing 8 would mean there are 15 non-expansion draft players left to acquire. I think that’s manageable.” – Jeff
Jeff: This series has been nothing but speculative! It’ll be fun to watch as the roster gets cobbled together. From my count, we’re bringing two goalkeepers, five defenders (counting Lowe), three midfielders, three wingers, and a striker. That’s 14. That’s waaaaaay too generous. Obviously that’s just a list of players we think could do it; realistically, maybe half will make the cut. Still, as the organization looks to fill 28 slots, bringing eight would mean there are 15 non-expansion draft players left to acquire. I think that’s manageable.
Alex: Yeah, that sounds quite generous as well, given how the team has performed this year. Then again, we’ve often been talking about our current group as depth and been taking flyers on possible starters. I could see more current players move up than expected, and then a lot of attrition following a year in MLS. The shortened expansion draft certainly complicates things, but if the last expansion draft was any indication, almost none of those guys remain on the teams that selected them.
In one year, perhaps we should do another series of these discussions. Anything else we ought to talking about in this section?
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Did we miss anything? Do you want a discussion about the coaching position next week? What about the best role for Ramirez or new faces you’d like to see? Take it away in the comments below.
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