While watching NYCFC draw Houston on Saturday, it began to dawn on some in the stands that someone running around out there in a light blue kit is going to lose his job when a certain English midfielder shows up. But who? What might NYCFC’s Starting XI look like with Lampard on the pitch?
Good question.
Let Me Be Frank With You: NYCFC’s Starting XI with Lampard
Let’s start by assuming that, barring injury, international call-ups or acts of God, there are three players we know will start, regardless: David Villa, Mix Diskerud and Josh Saunders.
Villa because, well, you don’t sit your marquis-signing, face of the franchise DP unless you’re nuts (or Mike Petke, not that those are always mutually exclusive groups). He’s your best player, your best chance of putting something in the net, and the more time he gets on the pitch with Lampard – and all the other players – the more they learn each other’s play.
Mix, of course, is in a more tenuous position because 1) he’s not David Villa, 2) he hasn’t produced, and 3) he’s never going to be David Villa. But, as with El Guaje, the sooner he and Lampard figure out how to work together, the better off NYCFC are.
And third, Josh Saunders, though admittedly, when the season began, who thought he’d have been a lock?
That leaves us 8 places to fill – one for Lampard and one each for seven lucky dwarves.
Let’s start with what I’ll call the “Second tier” – players that are, for me, at least, obvious choices.
Up top – Adam Nemec. Yes, he hasn’t scored. But what we started to see in the Houston match is very exciting – posting up with his back to the goal to distribute the ball to onrushing attacking midfielders. And while he may not have quite the feet or vision yet, the only way he’s gonna develop them is by playing. Having someone who can feed teammates as they cut across the box presents an entirely different face for NYCFC. And right now, no one else on the team can even remotely take that role.
In the midfield, Andrew Jacobson – when he’s playing above the back line he provides the fire in the belly and physical play that is sadly missing from the rest of the team. Plus, he provides a relatively smooth transition from defense to offense when the team have the ball.
Hernandez – on a backline that’s been, um, challenged, he’s been consistently positive. If anyone has tried to marshall the troops, direct traffic and threaten attackers, its been him. Clearly our best defensive option right now.
That leaves four. Prepare to tear your hair out (if you haven’t already).
Ballouchy – Simply because the guy has as many goals as Villa, and they’ve come from different parts of the pitch. His goal against Chicago showed hustle as he followed up a Villa shot in a way that no one on the team has been doing. His two other goals were mid range shots, one from the left, one from the right. That gives us variety. That’s good.
Alvarez –First, because he’s played with Villa before, and is that much better at being able to anticipate and intuit what our best player will do on the pitch. And second, when he and Allen came on against Seattle they had a chemistry and a teamwork that was remarkable, especially between two guys who had hardly played together. All together, that creates the opportunity for smart passing from the backline to the goal line.
RJ Allen – I’ve been high on this guy since the Seattle game when he came on as a sub three days after signing; I like his physicality. I even like how he didn’t lose his cool when he got ejected against Chicago. Add to that his work with Alvarez that we noted above and we’re more than willing to overlook any learning curve in the short term.
And last, Javier Calle – He takes set pieces, he gets back on defense, but mostly, he never hesitates to shoot. If teams think, as I believe they do, that he’s likely to shoot from the parking lot if given the ball, they will begin to cover him more closely than they normally would – which will create more room for Villa, Lampard, Mix, Ballouchy and even Nemec to create in. And more room for those guys means goals for everybody.
This line-up gives Lampard options to pass to and options to receive passes from. It lets him find his game in MLS and doesn’t demand he carry the entire team the moment he steps off the plane. And it gives Kreis flexibility when he has to sub Frank – as he undoubtedly will – with more attack, midfield or defense as the game demands.
Of course, NYCFC’s Starting 11 with Lampard will look completely different if a certain bearded Italian announces he’s moving to the Bronx. But a great source of calamity lies in regret and anticipation; therefore a person is wise who thinks of the present alone, regardless of the past or future.
Even if that present has you bottom of the table.
