Thursdays are all about the fans on Starting Lineup. So why not join the fun? I've decided to run through some of the questions Jason and Andrew couldn't get to in this week's episode below.
1. (@userInfoPopup twitter">ActuallyBBottei): Hold Darlington Nagbe for one more week or sell?
It doesn't take a rocket scientist to know that the Portland Timbers haven't been playing up to their full potential to start the season. I expect things to turn around for them soon. And by soon, I mean this week.
I'll get to this question in more detail later on, but for now I would suggest holding onto Nagbe. He's scored 17 goals in MLS and four of them have come against FC Dallas – the most of any team he's faced.
The Timbers are ready to get things going offensively, and I'm predicting multiple goals for them this weekend. I expect
Diego Valeri
and
Will Johnson
to be more involved as well.
2. (@userInfoPopup twitter">UrquizaRudy): Is it time to get rid of players like Kenny Miller and Sebastián Fernández?
In a word, yes.
I like Miller as a player, but I think Vancouver have some issues to overcome in the coming weeks. They play Houston and Colorado at home (two of the better defensive teams in MLS), then travel to LA, back to Vancouver to face LA again, to RSL, back home for San Jose and then to Columbus. It's going to be a rough stretch of games, and I don't trust their consistency enough to feel comfortable starting these players week in and week out.
That money can be spent better elsewhere.
3. (@olafnorway99): Who to captain?
Simple enough, right? Not quite. Other than stocking your lineup with starters, who you captain is likely the most important decision you make each week.
Pick the right player and watch your team leapfrog up the standings. Pick the wrong player and, come Monday, you probably won't be a happy camper. Here are my top picks for Round 4 captain.
- Playing at home against one of the worst defenses in MLS, who, by the way, are traveling 2,500 miles across the country to play in a much colder climate than they're accustomed to.
- His team hosts a struggling New England side that is also traveling from one side of the country to the other. Plus, he'll want to make an impact before he joins up with Jurgen Klinsmann and the US national team.
- Not a risky pick this week. Many owners have picked him up and many will captain him. The question is whether you'll be one of them.
- A relatively safe pick like Le Toux. Houston have to travel to Vancouver, but they've had a week off and Bruin has been getting great service. He will be among the most-captained players is week.
- Nagbe's had a lot of success against Dallas in the past, and they'll likely be without a few key central midfielders in Adam Moffat (injury), Andrew Jacobson (injury) and Hendry Thomas (suspension). That could spell trouble for the home side, and you can bet Portland will be looking to capitalize.
- Magee is playing against D.C. United, who haven't exactly been defensively sound so far, and has a huge chip on his shoulder after a slow start. That means goals.
- Leading the league in successful crosses (11), and he's only played two games. He takes corners and set pieces, plus the Quakes are playing at home. Real Salt Lake are one of the better defensive teams in the league and even they gave up three goals at San Jose the other week. With deadly finishers in Wondo, Steven Lenhart and Alan Gordon at his disposal, Salinas is a must-have in my opinion.
Well, there you have it.
The choices above are risky, some more than others, but each player has significant upside. After all, if you're not taking risks, you're doing it wrong.
