A Month of Misery With No End in Sight | OneFootball

Columbus Crew fans have been left frustrated and disappointed as their team has failed to secure a win in the past month. The Crew's recent performances have been a stark contrast to their promising start to the season, and several factors have contributed to this slump.

Recent Losses

The Crew's most recent match ended in a 5-1 defeat against Inter Miami. Lionel Messi's brilliance was on full display, capitalizing on Crew mistakes and scoring twice. This loss extended the Crew's winless streak to six games and was one of the worst score lines in Crew history. Prior to this, the Crew managed a 2-2 draw against Nashville SC, and a 1-1 draw against FC Cincinnati. These results highlight the team's struggle to convert draws into wins and their inability to maintain a solid defense.

Struggles on Both Sides of the Ball

The Crew's attack has been disappointing, with deeper analytics revealing significant issues. Despite having talented players like Diego Rossi and dynamic players like Max Arfsten, the team has struggled to score consistently. The Crew's expected goals (xG) stand at 28.5, but they have only managed to score 25 goals, indicating a lack of clinical finishing and poor decision-making in the final third. The Crew's shots on target percentage sits at 33.5% putting them squarely in the middle of the pack at 16th in the league. Additionally, the Crew's goal creating actions (GCA) per 90 minutes this season is 2.18, while their opponents' GCA per 90 minutes is 2.35. This gap highlights that the Crew are conceding more goal chances than they are creating on average in games.

The Crew's defense has been equally problematic. The team did not reinforce their defense with starting-level players in the off-season, and injuries have exacerbated the situation. Key defenders like Sean Zawadzki and Malte Amundsen have been sidelined, leaving the backline vulnerable. The Crew's goals against (GA) stand at 19, and their expected goals against (xGA) are 21.7. This squad is only one of four teams in the league that have yet to hold a clean sheet. The defense has been underperforming and failing to prevent opposition attacks effectively despite averaging a whopping 60% possession per game.

While, Nancy's style of play leads to a lot of opportunities for opponents to take advantage, the team is third to last in tackles and tackles won defensively at 231 and 131 so far this season. Not only that, the Crew are the second most tackled team by opponents (312) and the second most tackled team in their own defensive third (177). Reiterating the imbalance between offense and defense.

Lack of Ambition & Reinforcements

Surely the front office has noticed the recent turn in fan sentiment towards their recent roster decisions. The Crew's lack of moves in the offseason are starting to be seen as a lack of ambition that has been a significant factor in their recent struggles. The team did not prioritize signing a Designated Player (DP) or starting-caliber players, leaving the roster with lacking depth and quality.

The front office continues to talk about the upcoming transfer window as the key opportunity for the Crew to address these issues and reinforce their squad. But with the season more than half way over by the time the window opens in late July. Not only would the team need to identify, negotiate, and sign a new target, the new player would need time to learn Nancy's before they can be expected to make a significant impact. By that time it may be too little too late to salvage the season.