Welcome back to “Down The Hatch,” a weekly mailbag about FC Cincinnati and their time in MLS. This is Charlie Hatch, the club’s Digital Host and Writer.
Questions can be submitted here or on Twitter by tweeting to @charliehatch_.
Jason: Do you feel the lack of signings show the financial hole we are in or just not any quality players available in this transfer window?
Can I say no to both? I’ll be transparent: I don’t know how much money the club has either available or is interested in spending. That said, the team would make the right move if there was an opportunity.
Summer windows (or winter ones in Europe) tend to have slightly inflated prices because there’s an urgency to get deals done midseason when there are title or playoff implications. There are quality players available, but teams can have different valuations for specific players. Overall, there have only been nine moves throughout MLS since the summer transfer window opened.
Additionally, FCC need to sell players to free up roster space before they can sign more.
Jonah: Can you give us a list of nicknames of players on the team? (Example: LeBron James = ‘The King’
I’m not sure what many of the nicknames are, but I do know Kekuta Manneh goes by “Scooter.” It dates back to his Vancouver days. (He doesn’t like it.)
Paul: When are they going to announce the new coach or confirm it?
My understanding is that FCC will announce someone their new head coach very soon. The hiring process began back in May.
When I visited General Manger Gerard Nijkamp in Zwolle back on July 9, he said the team had circled in on a specific coach they wanted, but details weren’t done. The paperwork is finalizing now.
To put this into context, it’s worth revisiting the Maikel van der Werff scenario.
Van der Werff joined the team on July but didn’t actually play until last Saturday in Toronto. In his case, the club announced the deal when the contract was signed – not when his immigration documents went through.
With FCC’s head coach paperwork, the club has decided to wait to make an announcement when all documents are official and in hand.
Whenever the team hires or signs someone from outside the U.S., there’s an additional immigration process, on top of just negotiating a contract and transfer deals. The next head coach could be going through that process. Obviously, immigration is a topic in news headlines currently. While I won’t comment on any political matter, just know that the policies affect FCC’s international business, as well.
Steven: Last I saw, Gerard said he was looking to improve the attack and left back in this window. Any progress with that? Are we expecting a deal for Gutman now that we’ve acquired his rights?
Yes. FC Cincinnati wouldn’t acquire Andrew Gutman’s MLS Homegrown rights from the Chicago Fire if they didn’t see him as someone they could bring in. That said, he’s a Celtic player, so the only way he joins the Orange and Blue is via a loan deal or permanent transfer.
That doesn’t mean a deal is done, but it does mean there’s interest.
If Gutman arrives, that instantly makes FC Cincinnati one of MLS’ best teams in left back depth. Greg Garza, when healthy, is a proven U.S. Men’s National Team international. Gutman was just named to the USMNT 40-man provisional roster for the 2019 Concacaf Gold Cup. He was the first active USL player named to the roster.
Considering he’s 22 and was the best college soccer player last year – and at Celtic – his arrival would be a huge coup.
As for improving the attack, the Orange and Blue need to sell before they buy. I can’t see them signing a fourth striker. One needs to go first.
