Phil Neville

How are we rating his first season as head coach? I feel he’s really transformed the team in his short time. He inherited a club that lacked identity and had a lot of guys who were aging out or dead weight and Phil and Ned have turned the ship around and given us one of the most exciting teams we’ve ever seen at Providence park. Buuuut….

We’re basically in a similar situation that we’ve been in the past two years in terms of the standings. A fringe playoff team that with results similar to last night ( as exciting and as heartfelt as it was) will see us on the outside looking in come October. I’m conflicted in a lot of ways but ultimately I’m happy where we’ve improved and how much we believe in the system Phil has in place but will another potential playoff less season be an ultimately disappointing season or are high expectations unfair? Gimme your thoughts.

I just don't understand how anyone who isn't being bitter can sit there and say that Phil Neville is the problem with this team. I'm not saying that he deserves no criticism and the right to be backed blindly, but at what point do we as fans start thinking critically about the players? I'll be honest, I was one who hopped on the "fire Gio" bandwagon at the start of last season, and I still stand by that because in six years I saw no development and forward thinking in our style of play. That being said, he was still able to win in the first half of his reign with quality players at his disposal. But as the years went on, he lost Valeri, Blanco, and Chara, some of the best players this league has ever seen, and things started going downhill. We have some great players, but how many do you actually think are starting caliber for a contender?

McGraw was considered a future captain last year, but now that he isn't playing in a low block his lack of speed and awareness has been exposed. Juan Mosquera is a defender and a defensive liability. I'm gonna give Kamal time but Araujo just looks painfully mediocre, and that partnership has not looked convincing. Eryk Williamson, man. Love the guy, and at his best he can be a gamechanger, But he is just way too inconsistent to the point where I would look to cash in on him in the summer. Another that falls into that category is Santi Moreno. When he's on it he looks like a DP, but there has been to many games in which he has been anonymous.

This is not just based on the Charlotte game. It's a culmination of the last couple of years. We need wholesale changes, and a new manager is not gonna just change water into wine.