August 22, 2024 – Major League Soccer (MLS)
FC Cincinnati News Release
The secondary transfer window has come and gone. FC Cincinnati added a needed center back to the mix after injury shook up the roster and introduced a new need, and despite now well-documented transfer deadline drama they also brought in a new striker to augment the offense and maximize the roster they had going into the stretch run.
It wasn’t a perfect transfer window, FCC General Manager described a theme of the window getting to “plan Z,” after things didn’t break the way they hoped they would close to the deadline. But to do the business they did, given the circumstances, was tidy work to optimize the roster without kneecapping themselves for the future.
“We kind of had to pivot strategy a little bit,” Albright said Tuesday morning at Mercy Health Training Center. “We’ve positioned ourselves … to where we’re in the trophy conversation to start the year. We don’t shy away from that now at this point, and I think we’ve strengthened ourselves to give ourselves the best shot to win a trophy.”
“The work done in this window,” Albright expressed, “is a continuation of the work that was started this time last season and has continued onward to now. In 2023 FC Cincinnati similarly showed themselves as a trophy contending team and when movement occurred (for one reason or another) counter-measures were taken to ensure a continuity of competition.”
Since Summer 2023, the FCC roster has been made over. Many new players were out, some tough decisions made on old friends to move along. Moves made to strengthen the roster.
But the overarching modus operandi was more bluntly defined Tuesday by the club’s chief soccer leader.
“We assumed that we were going to have a championship window coming into this season and probably next season, and maybe the one after that,” Albright explained. “The results early on lend credence to that fact. I think that validated that we do have this championship window. So we’re being a little bit more aggressive in some of the inner workings of the salary cap than maybe we would if we were having a five year plan.”
“I think we’re on a two to three year window here, with a lot of guys in their prime playing at a high level, that we can compete with anyone in this league. I don’t think we need to shy away from that or be modest about that anymore. We’re a really good team, and we’re going to be aggressive in how we pursue winning things.”
The focus is on the present and…
Click Here to Read the Full Original Article at OurSports Central Major League Soccer MLS News…