Malachi Jones

I think it's speed that they brought on.

They brought on Benny and Malachi, two really fast players that can get in behinds.

But I think at that point, Mike, like you said, they're absorbing so much pressure that

There's no space behind him.

Yeah, there's no space behind to do that.

So in that case, I would bring on Luigi instead of Benny.

I think Malachi came on and made a difference, too.

I think Malachi came on and shone bright.

Keaton Parks, Mia Illinich, Nico Cavallo.

Arnaud, Farnos, Cooper Flax, Malachi Jones, Max Murray, Kevin Pierre.

We'll talk U22, stay or go, and then give me other thoughts.

Yeah, I mean, I've got, this was a little bit tricky because he hasn't really been like a mainstay.

I didn't see a lot of players who I was like, yeah, this guy's got to go.

Kevin Pierre is the guy I picked.

Again, it's kind of a... boring one because it doesn't really matter they haven't really contributed but i'm a malachi jones truther i think that guy when he's healthy is going to be another level cooper flax uh is doing well with the second team uh farnos was actually the starting choice over a couple of their bigger name players before the winter window before he got hurt uh You mentioned Cavallo already.

Illinich is kind of the rotation piece with Tavon Gray, who gets hurt every third game.

This time we're going to go to the press conference after the Miami game, before the LAFC game, because I want to talk about one of the other subs that came on in this match, and I got to give him some props because I was critical of him last week.

Let's hear what Pascal Janssen had to say about Malachi Jones.

Watching the game in Miami, I was pleased or impressed by the off-field performance spirit of Malachi Jones coming into halftime, trying to raise the spirits of the players.

Is that something you're seeing from other players that's maybe not as visible to the supporters or the fans?

Yeah, 100%, Michael.

I mean, I'm looking at the slow-mo replay right now.

There's no question that I believe it's his left foot that gets clipped by the defender.

So, yeah, because I, and actually I'm thinking about it, you know, in the beginning of stoppage time, Malachi Jones does the same thing.

Whatever influences he- he's had on the team has just become exponentially negative.

Uh, that's just what the hard data is saying, right? I mean, I speak about how much value, like I think I said in the last podcast, that like the slip of Malachi Jones from before and after we beat Chicago, uh, is one of the biggest slips perhaps ever for any player.

Uh, and, uh, I think it's, uh, I'm, I'm just pulling up the data that I, you know...

I've, I make so many data charts and then never write anything to put them into.

But he won three dribbles, and frankly, that's much more impressive than anyone else did on the field outside of Taiesh Magno winning a penalty.

So it's been, it's, it's the, it, it, it is such like a You have to find new ways.

Th- that's the whole point of this long season and having playoffs, is finding new ways to turn the corner on a player like Malachi Jones, who is, has put up such great numbers and is such a talent, but has clearly not been playing well or used well, and had a clear, like, just a absolute mental slump.

He single-handedly cost us some games in there.

Uh, Alonso got ano- another 60 minutes.

Um, and, uh, Malachi Jones looked bright again today.

So those are things that, uh, we can take with us into the next game again.

Christian Arnold.

Uh, no, no, I'm not gonna lie, he's not Nico Fernandez when he came in last summer.

But he looks like he has some talent.

Like, if you're just evaluating Malachi Jones versus Nico, versus, uh, Benny Troure, you would think Benny Troure's the better player, but he's not showing it on the pitch.

So it's, it's tough decisions that need to be made.

I had a Jamaican-flavored coffee today in honor of Tavon Gray, who's got the start, thankfully.

Yeah, looking on the bench for Luigi Shore, maybe Malachi Jones, maybe Miazga.

Benny Charaway is on the bench, who is obviously a bit of a controversial figure right now in NYCFC spaces.

Yeah, still waiting on Benny to find his Jets.

Like, Hannes Wolf is just completely, has nosedived in terms of form.

It's shocking from him and Malachi that they both are players we've seen perform at high levels in this league.

It is shocking that they're both not, but they both are not.

Hannes Wolf was invisible in this game yet again, and Malachi Jones, again, wasn't even on the field, and I don't even blame Pascal for not subbing him in.

It's, it's...

I don't know how much it would've added necessarily.