(First written August 4 2026, X)

I am now currently three games into my life as a Columbus fan on a day where I get to watch my first Leagues Cup game and wow it has been a three-game roller-coaster, so I feel as new fan to the club I will share my thoughts. This article is purely opinion and just what I have personally noticed in my brief time watching. This article will only focus on things that have happened on the pitch as I already notice a few areas where we could possibly stand to improve but remember this is all opinion and you may disagree with me.

The first game I watched was against NYC and honestly for my first game as I watched I already saw a lot of issues that this team needed to address. In defense we had a hard time keeping possession and that cost us- going forward we tried hard to rush every action, because we were playing with too much haste, we could not get our passing right and we were just trying to over-complicate every single move, when there was a final ball on that could have led to goal scoring chance we tried to play it to complicated. We would float a cross to a defender or the keepers' hands, or we would play the ball right back to the New York defense, it was not good. I did however realize that some of these players did not play for a couple of months due to the World Cup and I understand that this can have an adverse effect on player performance. I put this one down to a lack of games, but we did not look great to me, however I am more than used to supporting teams not playing at their best- I have been a Villa fan for over 30 years. The highlight of that first game for me came from the Penalty spot and a player whose name I will never forget- Daniel Gazdag slotted home calmly for the consolation goal. Not a great introduction to the team but we keep on moving forward.

Second game in and I was still optimistic, the game was against FC Cincinnati, I understand how big of a rivalry this is- the battle of Ohio or as the fans of these teams call the fixture- Hell is Real. I was very excited for this game and it did not disappoint, in the early going we looked like we had no ideas, our defensive positioning was off and it looked to me as though Cincy were just going to hit us on the counter at every opportunity they got and just exploit all of the holes that we kept on leaving in our defense and they scored fairly early on. This at the time felt like more doom and gloom but I have never bailed on a team I support. I am with the Crew for the long haul, but I felt certain I was about to witness another defeat. The Crew showed a lot of heart towards the end of the first half to battle back and take a lead into the break. I felt like the team showed an incredible amount of determination against their rivals to win. I was happy to witness the win, however I still feel that we were leaving to many holes at the back and if Evander or Denkey had learned how to pass during that game then the scoreline may have been different. In the two games I had seen so far it looked as though we were also struggling to find the net from open play and for any team that is a problem. We were also floating way too many crosses but the way Cincy were setup and the way they have defended this season, it would have been perfect to put some whip on the ball as I am sure it would have caused chaos in their box. Columbus was able to squeeze out an important rivalry win though, which was good because our next game would be on the road.

Up next we would face Inter Miami in Miami and that is a game I really had doubts about. It is no secret that they have been building a powerhouse roster- the likes of Messi, Suarez and Casimiro would be enough to worry any defense in the league and I was not at all surprised to see them quickly take the lead through a bad defensive error that was pounced on by Suarez who chipped Schulte; who was way too far off his line- I felt a sinking feeling. The crew were playing deep and leaving far too much space out wide, after that first goal went in the defense looked like they lacked confidence and forgot how to do the basics, every time a Miami player got the ball out wide, they looked dangerous. Columbus managed to hold them off and started to grow into the game, one dangerous whipped ball into the box and the “Superstar” Casimiro knocked it into his own net, just like I was suggesting we should do against Cincy- whip on the ball. Columbus thought they would go into the break ahead, but hearts were broken right before half time. Columbus came out in the second half and still looked shaky in defense, but Schulte was keeping Miami from adding a third. We started to find a decent defensive shape and played to hit them on the counter. Mid way through the second half we bought on new signing Brais Mendez who looked energetic and willing to attack. We won a free kick on the edge of the box, and he scored an absolute screamer- a wonderful moment for him and us. We held on for the point- a great result on the road.

So, I know I am the new kid on the block, some of you may have supported for years- but I enjoy sharing thoughts with you guys. The way I see it for the rest of the season is we need a marquee striker, someone who will regularly score goals. The midfield is good, but they need to not over-complicate things, look for the simple pass, the open teammate- it does not have to be rushed. Stop the ball think about your next move- play at a more comfortable pace. We have players than can pass the ball although Arfsten will be a big loss. We need to go back to basics with defense, we need better decision making at the back, and we need to learn to hold position and mark a man. We loosely zonal mark and not very well, this creates pockets of space all over the back line and a good team will exploit that every single time. We need a natural leader at the back with a decent level of experience, and I am hoping that a player like Bailly can provide that. I also believe we play to flat; I like the 4-4-2, of course I do I am English, but I would like to see a diamond offering more protection to the defense. This system also means you can pass in triangles in any direction- this system is perfect for creating chances and if your striker gets one parried there is usually an attacker following in from midfield, but you always have that extra midfielder for defensive duties to. Obviously, I am not the coach, and I will be interested to see how Laurent Courtois sets up the team moving forward and it will be just as interesting to see if he does well enough with this group of players to become our permanent head coach.