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I was originally going to post this on Monday, but after the mass amount of moves on Friday, I felt like this needed to go now.
To recap today:
Shane O'Neill was sold
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Colorado Rapids have announced the transfer of defender Shane O’Neill to Apollon Limassol of Cyprus <a href="http://t.co/IAG0bSLUUj">http://t.co/IAG0bSLUUj</a></p>— Colorado Rapids (@ColoradoRapids) <a href="https://twitter.com/ColoradoRapids/status/629720328160288768">August 7, 2015</a></blockquote>
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Sean St. Ledger was signed
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Colorado Rapids acquire Irish international Sean St. Ledger <a href="http://t.co/FQttqgyeUk">http://t.co/FQttqgyeUk</a></p>— Colorado Rapids (@ColoradoRapids) <a href="https://twitter.com/ColoradoRapids/status/629723540665827328">August 7, 2015</a></blockquote>
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Maynor Figueroa was signed
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Colorado Rapids announce the signing of defender Maynor Figueroa. <a href="http://t.co/sOwQoc3g1v">http://t.co/sOwQoc3g1v</a></p>— Colorado Rapids (@ColoradoRapids) <a href="https://twitter.com/ColoradoRapids/status/629741846256873473">August 7, 2015</a></blockquote>
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So on Thursday I asked what Colorado Rapids fans wanted to hear from the Fan Forum that is scheduled to be held on Tuesday, August 11. I am hopeful that these folks who submitted these questions are looked at as the real stewards of this club as are the supporters who are passionate and who bleed burgundy. Without these folks, the Colorado Rapids are nothing. So I implore the Rapids to read these and contemplatively think of answers that are truthful, impactful and that try and restore faith in a struggling fan base.
From Bulldog Ben:
1) If you were a Colorado based soccer fan, and you enjoyed attractive, attacking oriented, possession based soccer, and you went to a Rapids match, would you be pleased with what you saw from the team? Would you see this team playing a "thinking man's game"? Would you see them playing some of the most fun to watch or attractive soccer in the league?
Since the answer, obviously, is "no", then why should fans after two lost seasons of awful kick and rush blood and guts type soccer, expect anything different from this management team? And why should new fans bother coming back to another Rapids game, when all they can expect is this kind of rough, brutish game where the team is barely competitive against any club in the league?
2) In preseason, the justification for a massive overhaul of the roster was that there were not enough experienced veteran players on the squad. Now the Rapids have a starting 11 which is mostly made of experienced, veteran players and the team has been comfortably in the basement of the Western Conference for nearly the whole season.
Given all this, how do you continue to justify more roster moves for experienced, veteran players (mostly the spare parts of other teams) while marginalizing and jettisoning younger talent and ignoring the Development Academy and how is it you can ask the fans to trust your judgment with regards to any roster move made by your office?
3) There was a shakeup in the Front Office after the 2011 season, where executives changed and team management changed. The reason given for the management change was because the previous management could not coach the kind of soccer that embodied the values of the club: attractive, attacking-oriented, possession based soccer.
How can the fans of this club trust the President of the Club to hold anyone accountable to the values he himself stated when he has thrown his full trust and support behind a management team which has thus far put out a team which not only does not demonstrate a single one of those stated values, but has shown no desire nor inclination to put out a team that ever could play to those kind of standards outlined by the club?
Does the Colorado badge, the Colorado Rapids Soccer Club itself, stand for anything other than "eh, it's just kind of the team that plays in Colorado?"
From JasonMa:
1) Last year at the Celtic you talked about what you were going to do different to prepare for 2015 to get different results, yet almost nothing of what you said you were going to do actually was accomplished and we're seeing worse results at the same point in the season this year than last year. How do you explain this and why should fans have any belief that things will change going forward?"
2) Secondly I'd ask about the "improving Arsenal relationship" since again, nothing that they mentioned at the Celtic that was improving about that relationship actually took place (no evidence that we had access to Arsenal's scouting, Pablo did not spend time with Wenger, etc.).
3) Assuming nothing happens today with the close of the window (and there are no rumors suggesting otherwise): "This is the second year in a row where we've stood pat during the summer transfer window despite clearly needing to improve. Can you explain how that strategy makes any sense?"
From @CapTied96:
@Burgundywave First, I would just like to hear the plan. What is the plan for making the club competitive again?
— @CapTied96 (@CapTied96) August 6, 2015
--and--
@Burgundywave Secondly, I would like them to address the disconnect between what Hinchey/Bravo have said they want vs what Pablo is doing.
— @CapTied96 (@CapTied96) August 6, 2015
--and--
@Burgundywave I want them to tell me why I should continue to have faith in their leadership, then give me time to ask some follow up ?'s.
— @CapTied96 (@CapTied96) August 6, 2015
From jackswaninco
1) Why should any of them keep their job?
From Purple Rox
1) Why is the Front Office so quiet? You're quick to tout your successes but a good management group also gets out in front and leads by example. It doesn't tuck tail at the first sign of trouble, which is basically the 2015 season.
2) What does #OneClub mean to the Front Office?
3) What on the field, development of the team since Pablo's arrival, suggests that he still should be manager of this club?
4) Year 2 Pareja took a young exciting club and slipped into the playoffs. Year 2 Pablo gotten rid of the young excitement and as built a team of has beens into a last place, cellar dweller. Where are the Rapids going?
5) How are the Rapids going to succeed in a league that values huge DP contracts to attract eyeballs. Is there a place for Rapids going forward. Are we not the next iteration of the Chivas organization?
6) You've sold Brown, you've potentially sold O'Neill...where is that money going to? To help the club or line its pockets?
7) As supporters we support the players, do you support the players?
8) Where is the Rapids Youth Academy homegrown talent? If you are going to be money adverse, the next untapped potential is bring up young players developed within. It's been almost 3 years since we've seen any talent. What is your goal with the youth teams, who is in charge?
9) You've stated fans in the seats as your number one priority. A creation of a home field advantage. How does the brand of soccer you are promoting hope to achieve this with a manager unwilling to lay it on the line at home to ensure victory. Conservative and head scratching substitutions have lead to lost points at home. Frustration every single match. We'd rather see a loss blazing forward then a bogged down tie.
10) Why have you not embraced your supporter's club? You've taken them from the terrace, you continued to turn a blind eye to the one group that knowingly supports you.
11) Why do you sign Argentinian's? Is there a large Argentinian population I'm unaware of in Denver? How is a fan suppose to get behind a gun for hire from South America? Meanwhile you continue to ignore a soccer loving community of Mexican descent fans that have no reason to come to Dick's to watch a bunch of unknowns to them.
12) Doyle is a great ambassador for the team. How does the midfield choices lead to the ability for him to be his best on the pitch? A defensively minded team as no answers for the dearth of goal scoring. You can't win by not scoring.
13) Why should I renew my season tickets? What have you shown me in the last two years to indicate progress? How as trading away two of the players I enjoyed watching each and every game make me connect to this team? When will Rapids host a playoff game?
14) Why can't the same effort that was put into the All Star game experience not be experienced every home game?
15) As a Front Office are you committed to winning football or not losing money?
From bbrunerbob
1) The designated players the Rapids have attracted so far have been less than exciting. Why not spend some money on a player who really can draw fans to the games? Someone from Arsenal, surely one of the young guns on the Arsenal side could use more playing time. Or someone from Mexico, like Jesus Corona. If only for a season, it might make it worth my money to actually come back out to the park.