CAN ALEXEY MIRANCHUK MAKE ENOUGH OF AN IMPACT FOR ATL UTD?! | FIVE STRIPE WEEKLY #329

welcome to Five Star weekly the new boy has arrived but do we have enough games for him to make the impact that we need him to we get into all that more coming up before we get into it become part of the notification Squad by hitting the Bell next to the Subscribe button on YouTube Welcome to the show five FM I'm AJ and La United played LA Galaxy to a 2 N loss uh La United finally returned from the leagues cup break after crashing out but unfortunately it was against the league or not the league but the Western leaders in LA Galaxy and it proved to unfortunately be too tall of a task but before we get into that review and we'll do that briefly uh let's give some shout outs to our patreon members our loyal patreon fam uh Gavin Jordan Nile Andrew and Chris much love to you guys as always but uh yeah getting into this match so yeah uh you know well rested for sure uh you know when you have three weeks uh it's pretty much like a little mini preseason but against the uh you know western conference leaders right now uh yeah 75 minutes we looked okay but uh yeah it was definitely a tale of two halves and the first half we looked to be the better team we had uh probably the better chances the XG was 1.32 to L Galaxy's .55 and uh yeah also guys I'm a little bit under the weather so uh if I cough or if I'm uh struggling a little bit with my voice I apologize beforehand but uh yeah it's uh it's been a struggle this week uh but yeah hopefully I will get over this cold so uh but yeah essentially uh you know as far as the uh the chances I mean it was you know in the first half I mean we looked you know a little bit where uh you know some of the uh the chances from maybe uh Jay Fortune from what he was creating uh you know from uh Midfield as it was a Midfield of Fortune uh also mccardy uh muama missed out so SCH uh was uh the guy in as well uh Mardi seemed to be the you know or maybe Fortune seemed to be the guy that actually played in his uh stad but uh yeah the backline patro Amador uh Williams Gregerson Lennon uh and then tiar played up top uh as the surprise possibly uh instead but yeah it was definitely uh you know a little Helter Skelter a little bit uh I mean yeah it was as well uh you know the the night just seemed to be where we're the same problems kind of arise uh you know we we look okay we look pretty decent uh in attack but we just cannot finish our dinner cannot finish off the chances and and uh yeah I mean it was uh in the second half seemed like the momentum at least according to uh to Rob Valentino he mentioned that uh he felt the shift after the penalty chance for uh LA Galaxy uh when paintsil uh yeah he when he took the kick bragan well he was able to make a stop I mean he's been insane this year uh in terms of you know the penalty stopping output has been completely 180 from his career here and uh yeah for whatever reason uh it has been so so much better this season and even though he was able to guess right uh and you know stop it by diving to his left it was still apparently uh a little bit of a momentum change and uh Rick Ricky P Ricky puj uh one of their Stars he was able to break the scoreless deadlock and uh yeah uh basically Marco Roy he came on at the exact same time that our new boy uh Alexi miranchuk was subbed on as well Marco Roy of course the longtime barusa dortman Legend uh often injured but still when he was playing very very good and yeah you know he showed his class he was able to pretty much be patient in the final third and was able to draw the defense out a little bit and create some space and PO he was able to Rocket one into the back of the net a little bit from distance and uh yeah I mean just it's the the first MLS minutes Roy was able to get uh first career MLS assist and then later on in the 84th minute was able to get his first MLS goal uh and that was through a bit of a uh a shot initially that he took uh that was blocked by Goo and then uh he finished off the rebound and I mean it's just class prevailing here uh didn't even need a ton of minutes pretty much you know just uh just less than 10 minutes it seems so yeah very very tough uh when you go against uh you know a a legend in Marco Roy and uh yeah you kind of have staved off you know uh the LA Galaxy for the better part of 60 minutes and you know unfortunate it's uh you know Greg vany the LA Galaxy coach has been just a turnaround uh has turned them around and made them a real force and that's kind of what you hope on this side uh for La United is you know our fortunes to turn around this well and this quickly uh like an Al Galaxy but yeah uh I mean as far as La United in some some bright spots I mean fortune uh you know look bright as kind of the the furthest forward as uh a midfielder but uh yeah as far as you know the uh just it got a little bit ugly uh in the the second half uh when Al Galaxy just ran a little bit rampant uh you know pretty much when Roy came on uh it just seemed like it was oneway traffic a little bit but uh yeah as far as uh you know miranchuk when he came on it uh it seemed a little bit of a mixed appearance uh mixed debut uh he you know is definitely he's definitely class it looked like he was uh a player that's very aware of his surroundings and uh you know was trying to make things happen maybe not getting a ton of service from his teammates maybe uh you know the the rest of the teammates kind of not knowing where and what kind of ball he's really wanting and uh you know just how to uh feed him but uh yeah it is uh it is where yeah miranchuk it seems like yeah he will need some betting in time and uh you know it is uh he is not he is not Mark a Roy that is for sure it is uh there is a a bit a bit of a difference in uh in the class between uh Roy and miranchuk but uh still you can see the glimpses the flashes a little bit of the uh the quality and uh hopefully he'll be able to you know get some Fitness very very quickly in order to to do so but uh yeah I mean shaa Silva he did uh quote uh say a quote uh to the Press uh he mentioned I can see he has a beautiful left foot he's a guy who likes to make good passes in behind and I think he's going to help the team in the future and hopefully so uh we're going to really really need it very very soon I mean eight games not very many to uh do so but yeah uh so yeah very very ugly score line in a sense of yeah 2N just kind of yeah not not what you really uh prefer uh I mean it's on the road it's kind of almost expected at this point so it's kind of annoying uh that's yeah we're not going to really uh maybe get three points but it is you know there was the hope that we could topple a top team and uh you know play against kind of the grain but uh yeah kind of the uh the class showed in this one so uh yeah it was uh you know the score line that's probably most betters would have expected but uh yeah la United they uh they will play Charlotte FC at Bank of America Stadium this coming weekend and we'll have that preview later for you uh and yeah there will be back-to-back home matches after that after an international break but uh let's get into the news and so with that loss we still somehow stay in the playoff uh kind of table in uh in one of the places and uh we are 9th just above Philadelphia at 10th one point above them Toronto are unfortunately Five Points above us in eighth so we definitely have some uh making up to do in the very near future but uh yeah so it is uh is definitely where yeah a lot to do and uh yeah we're going to have to hope for other other teams to kind of draw points and uh yeah kind of for us to go on a run and we shall see but uh next bit of news Jason Longshore he had a discussion on off the woodwork with president and CEO G lerway and also the uh VP Demetrios eatu and yeah basically they uh they uh talked about how they have hired a search firm for the head coach search uh Valentino is a candidate uh a stat to he did say about the club's attempt to bring in a striker quote our challenges were not uh with reaching a mutual agreement with the player and all of our key targets where ultimately we hit a real challenge was what the counterpart or counterparty Club was asking for and so yeah the uh the teams that we were uh you know negotiating with wanted maybe more than we were wanting to part with and uh you know obviously that is uh kind of part and paral when it's very much announced what you have to work with seemed like maybe logway maybe needed to be a little bit more kind of uh you know uh Under Wraps about what we actually had uh gotten for these players even though yeah part of that I get it it makes it where it is uh it makes the fans feel more satiated that okay we got a big transfer fee but the difficulty is now yeah turning around in the transfer market everyone knows what you have to play with and so they want that money but yeah uh if that too he also mentioned that uh Fords from England were commanding transfer fees that were 60 plus uh percentage greater than their fair market value and an increase that uh if statu said was caused by uh Harding hardening Financial fair play regulations and so yeah it's basically the kind of salary cap uh for the uh the leagues have been definitely a lot more stringent and yeah you know we were uh kind of looking at I think a lot of uh the different leagues around Europe but uh it seems like you know the uh the fees were exorbitant and we didn't want to pay them now it is that's an argument for well should we have should we you know kind of pay uh a little bit more for kind of the the player that we want and uh I mean it it is an AR that maybe it doesn't matter we have the goods so who cares but it also is well yeah you know the uh the transfer fre is going to be announced and then yeah it's going to be kind of all over uh you know MLS news and all that type of thing where uh these players will have to live up to that Hefty transfer fee and so there is that aspect as well and especially if they're not quite at that level of okay they break the uh the transfer fee uh record in MLS so I mean I get it from that standpoint to a degree but yeah I I think we still absolutely needed to bring in somebody if they're trying to reach the uh the the said goals that uh they set out not only in the beginning of the season but midseason saying that uh yeah they wanted to kind of uh at least make the the playoffs and I mean we have all to do still and uh yeah we're clinging on to that LA playoff spot but it is by a thread and yeah ultimately uh you know kind of maybe talking uh about the head coach search as well it's a big big part of it I think that aspect is one of these uh one of these things that you know really ultimately will kind of solidify uh who and what type of players that we can bring in because yes we could throw money at the solution all we want but yeah you need a head coach that can coach these these players that we bring in to a successful team to a team that is cohesive coherent and I mean just some a team that looks and plays attractive football and I mean right now at the moment Valentino has his playing uh very direct very vertical which can be attractive at times but I mean ultimately it's still not doing what we need uh we obviously have a very lack of quality in the side right now so that's a big part of it but yeah ultimately like La United we the the very fact that yes the it's probably about two to maybe three months later now that you know a uh a search firm has now been hired it just seems very very slow very methodical and yes maybe that's what we need to or maybe that's what GTH logger way thinks we need but I think yeah it's uh it's very much where uh a lot of fans have punted the season and for them to actually think that we have a chance in the playoffs I mean yeah I I think there there needed to have been significant strides in that regard but yeah moving on from that uh and thank you guys for the patience I am struggling with my voice a little bit I'm powering through but uh yeah uh the next bit of news is that uh and it's the Lait 2 News uh they fell 4-1 against Carolina core FC at uh truus uh Point stadium and uh yeah Defender Ethan D Ethan Dudley bagged his first professional goal congratulations to him uh while Matias Garda added his third assist in three matches so the twos will uh continue its three match road trip on September 1st when they travel to Chattanooga to take on Chattanooga FC at Finley Stadium but uh yeah that does it for the news and it gets us to the mailbag and you guys send in these questions through Discord and IG Story please continue to do so and we might answer your question in the future so first question comes from uh greatest Josh Cohen fan should Dax be a starter or a bench player uh get some on when our Midfield is dying I mean yeah with his retirement coming on uh at the end of the season I mean and this kind of being a little bit of a Lost season I mean it's one of those I think you play a Johnny Fortune as much as you can you play btoes uh yeah Dax can be a little bit of a you know uh spell a guy here and there if we need uh but I think yeah at this point he should finish games and uh yeah especially if we need it if we need the experience I think that's where uh he's probably most needed at this moment but uh Mr Matrix 09 asks uh been asking this elsewhere but figured I'd ask here as well what are some reasonable expectations for Mir and Chuck during the last stretch of the Season well we've got eight games uh I mean I don't think you know he's going to play every single minute of every single game uh we definitely yeah I mean we have to bet him in a little bit uh I think a reasonable expectation is probably a goal and a couple of assists maybe several assists I think that's uh probably what we can hope uh anything more than that I think it's gravy uh and you know so he can kind of bed into this side uh but I think as well from a uh you know non-stat standpoint I hope he can kind of really acclimate himself to uh the the team the squad the city uh so that uh yeah you know he can come in in 2025 raring to go ready to to really kind of gel with the uh you know existing Squad and the new players that uh we'll have in and uh yeah hopefully he will have established a little bit of uh just some some uh you know just knowhow of uh essentially where you know some of these uh these players are you know as far as Tendencies uh I would say Gregerson sches Saba uh you know kind of just the chemistry with these guys hopefully yeah that's that's the the main part is uh kind of with the core of the squad uh if he can kind of acclimate like I said but uh yeah next question comes from uh let's see uh Misty taken or Misty staken or Mi Mist Misty is taken okay there we go yeah but why haven't we tried to rebuild our team yet I think uh that's the interesting bit with uh more of the C fans it feels like yeah you know they they're like okay why haven't we been tried and uh obviously they have been trying and uh you know since 2019 they've been trying to retool but uh it's just gotten worse and worse from a uh a kind of roster building standpoint and uh yeah you just kind of see uh Miss after miss and you know some players that uh kind of do well temporarily possibly but larger part it's just not good enough as far uh from a quality player standpoint but uh yeah and speaking of that mikachu uh asks what positions do we need to sign during the next transfer window besides the obvious number nine uh yeah I mean I think uh Shae Silva has left a lot to be desired this season and and uh yeah if we can move on from him I would probably and uh try to find a more goal scoring number or yeah a more goalscoring left Winger uh I think also we need a uh possibly better uh number eight where uh we can get some goals and assists from because again our Midfield we have barely any goals to speak of and uh that makes it really really difficult when the burden of scoring is all on the forwards so yeah absolutely we need that for sure I think possibly as well uh Brooks Lennon I mean the right back position needs to be upgraded I think we can upgrade there and uh I think from a defensive standpoint if we can get someone I think a little bit more Stout and I mean I think you've just seen lennin uh his stats kind of fell off a cliff when he didn't have uh kind of a focal point to uh to assist to it it just seems like yeah you know the the service was a little bit more uh one kind of uh I guess one one faceted if for a lack of a better phrase and so it's it's super difficult to uh to to say every single piece but I think those are kind of the uh the highlights of some of the positions that we need to uh really upgrade on and then I think we need to raise our floor but can we do it all in one window I'm unsure and uh yeah with the the roster restrictions you know we uh we have a lot to do this off season but uh yeah gab spatz asks not a question but was it just me or did the qu or or the players seem reluctant to pass to miranchuk on his debut I think you're a little bit uh maybe correct is that yeah it seems like they didn't exactly know where he was uh you know preferring some of the balls and uh you know maybe his uh his good zones where he likes to operate there's still probably a lot of uh just yeah you know kind of acclimating like I mentioned earlier that uh is super important when uh yeah he has just come in so it's super super duper difficult to uh to really say that yeah he uh he'll be able to kind of uh do that quickly either but hopefully hopefully very very quickly uh and hopefully it's not even an issue but uh Frank uh deeli asks is there ever going to be an end to our mediocrity man I hope so very very soon it is uh definitely uh it is is maddening it is something that uh a lot of the fans have really cried for uh yeah just you know better management from the front office because it really it really stems from that and uh yeah I think there's a bit of that that needs to happen as well where uh not only upgrading on you know the uh the player positions but also from the front oppos upgrading from the front office positions as well so uh yeah okay uh I think that is it for the mailbag and uh you guys uh thank you so much for sending those in we are going to move to the match preview and 7:30 on Saturday against LA Galaxy uh or not against LA Galaxy against Charlotte FC rather uh they're sixth in the East we are ninth in the east so 6 v9 and uh yeah they last played to a 1-1 draw against New York Red Bulls uh their previous match against us was in June uh on the 2nd and we lost unfortunately to them at home to a 23 score line but uh yeah essentially our last uh five against them they've uh won three we've only won two and we've drawn zero so uh I think what's something interesting is their uh their GM uh zoron ketta he said quote we're not interested in making profits I mean we will when the time is right and the right Club comes but we're not into making profit for profit sake we want to make sure that we basically improve the team and get the team better and then compete first we want to be on the same level as LFC and Columbus and those kind of guys and I think we are very close I think that's a very very interesting quote and uh maybe kind of uh is a little bit of a jab to us as well uh because yeah you know we're pretty notorious as a club that likes to sell make a big profit but uh yeah I think we also have proven that's okay yeah buying wise we're not that great as far as spending that money at least in The Last 5 Years and so uh yeah that ambition to uh you know being on the same level as a lafc and Columbus well the hire of Dean Smith has uh definitely put them in uh kind of the the best form they've ever been in their entire existence so uh yeah it is uh definitely uh something that's uh they're one of the surprise teams of the seasons of the season but uh yeah you know some of the uh the players that uh they brought in or uh brought back in recently well Carol Carol swerski struggling there uh but uh sersi he uh returned uh you know and basically as well they got a new massive player in the sense of uh yeah it's uh you know player coming from the Premier League from a premier league side in Fulham and the US Men's National uh Team Member Tim ree where yeah this Defender he yeah previously had played for uh you know the likes of New York Red Bulls uh but basically is familiar with MLS is a big signing and is going to make them better in the immediate and yeah that's uh that's huge I mean he uh is a player that says he wants to play until 40 I mean yeah uh in I mean he I think he's taking care of himself pretty well too I think he will uh probably make them a lot better but uh yeah I mean the predictions around the league uh basically had them pretty much around the kind of wooden spoon areas uh as low as 15th as high as eighth but no one had them and at six six you know where they are now and it is woo I mean they are a t a team that's overperforming and also a side that has beat uh the likes of uh FC Cincy and uh yeah we we have a tough assignment against us uh this weekend at Bank of America Stadium but yeah they uh they are a side that's good at protecting their leads uh yeah they're good at at creating some chances through their individual skill they're also not as great uh like us at finishing scoring chances and uh yeah uh aerial duels wise not as great as well so uh yeah a uh a team that likes to play with their with and uh yeah you know their 11 doesn't change that much either so uh yeah some match facts or a match fact for us here uh so Charlotte FC they have drawn their last three matches uh yeah I mean it's could very well be headed in that sort of direction as well so uh we shall see but let's get into the unavailable players for La United uh so bua he missed the last match because of hip soreness uh he began feeling it last Friday uh whether he will play a part in this this next match we shall see but uh yeah it seems like everyone else is largely healthy so uh yeah because we also saw moscara uh return as well so yeah that gets us into the predicted starting 11 then so uh yeah Brean I think between the six obviously uh Lennon and Amador at the fullback positions Gregerson and Williams the center back pair uh what's probably really going to be interesting is who is going to be playing in Midfield I think it's going to be SCH I think it's also going to be aani Fortune who I think earns earns this start with a good performance in the last match the real question is uh is it going to be uh Mardi again is it going to be mua who's going to return possibly or is it going to be uh the new boy Alexi miranchuk who uh maybe it's maybe it's a lot to ask for him to uh to start this match but we shall see so uh I think I think miranchuk does start maybe gets 60 minutes and then comes off but yeah uh I think on the wings saba and Silva and uh yeah up top it's going to be Daniel Rios so uh maybe coming back a little bit from uh yeah there's a little bit of the uh slight uh injury that he was uh nursing this uh this past week but he was able to to play a little bit too so uh yeah maybe he will get the full run out but we shall see like uh like always but uh let us know what your uh your starting 11 prediction is in the comments below but uh that gets us to the score prediction and I think it's going to be a 1-1 draw uh yeah it it looks like it's a draw heavy in the past four for Charlotte and as well it's another road game for us it's going to be a little bit difficult so not always the easiest uh in that regard so uh yeah one-1 draw for me so what do you guys think let us know in the comments below so uh that is it that is the episode there and there it's a quick one but guys uh yeah let us know what you you think but that gets us to the question of the day and the question of the day is Will Alexi Mir Chuck get the start get in those comments let us know what you think looking forward to what you have to say but guys that is the episode there and there remember to like share comment and subscribe I've been AJ thank you so much for watching and we will see you in the next video [Applause] h [Applause]