What I Want For Christmas | Part III

To wrap things up with the “What I Want For Christmas” series, we’ll begin with a bit of a tactical aside before prioritizing the shopping list…

(In case you missed the beginning of this discussion: Part I and Part II are available.)

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Our likely man in the middle?

In all of this discussion, we’ve curiously ignored tactics for the most part. Why is that? Well, for one, I’m going to assume that while Olsen is going to be somewhat more flexible in his second term at the helm, the basic manner in which he set his team out is going to be largely similar. And secondly, I don’t think the roster and wage restrictions of MLS allow you much scope for variety.

Thus, I’m basing my target-list on the assumption that United will line up with a back four and either (1) a diamond midfield with two up top or (2) a midfield bucket with a lone striker and a trequartista floating between attack and midfield. Ultimately, I can imagine something more progressive, like so…

… but that’s not so much of a change from the bucket + trequartista1 or diamond-midfield2 models. Indeed, most of the current roster could probably move between the two fairly seamlessly. But it does leave an awful lot of weight on the shoulders of young Kitchen.

Yes, you could pull Pontius and Najar deeper, but I think that both blunts their danger and shifts an inordinate load onto the back of a striker we don’t even possess yet. The key is going to be Boskovic, and there are so many questions there.

Can he withstand the rigors of playing in the middle in MLS week in and week out? Does he have enough range and energy (not to mention desire) to help lighten Kitchen’s defensive burden? Can he not only thread the delicate through ball and make nice touches in limited space but ping the cross-field bomb to flank attackers as well?

The elephant in the room here is that instead of two top priorities (forward and left back), we might actually need a midfield dynamo as well if Boskovic doesn’t pan out. But United seem to be entertaining giving him a go, so I suppose we’ll have to as well, and trust that either (1) he works out and/or (2) there’s enough time to switch to Plan B come the summer.

With that established, let’s sort the list. We’ve got two broad bands of priority here. The obvious holes in the starting line-up are left back and forward. Yes, Woolard was our starting left back last year and Wolff started more often than not, but I’d argue that starting the season with them reprising those roles seems to signal a lack of ambition inconsistent with the club’s current off-season behavior and, more damningly, another season probably spent watching the playoffs from home.

Of the two, the demands of the position and the relative scarcity/cost of a quality forward would make that my first concern. But what type of forward? Given that the supporting cast of Pontius, De Rosario, and Najar have goals in them, I’d argue that we need less a poacher in the Emilio/Fowler mold and more a dynamic presence up top that creates space for those coming from deeper positions. This would be a forward that can worry defenses and stretch them with movement, strength, and pace as well as hit the target when called upon.

Bit of an ask to find all of that in one package on an MLS budget (unless we’re looking DP), which is why that has to be the first priority, with a left back sporting a big motor, decent crossing ability, and good recovery speed3 rounding out the top tier of targets.

But what about the secondary needs, the depth? Given that we have a decent array of bench-quality forwards and some attack-minded mids who can play up top in a pinch, my initial look would be elsewhere. With White proving a decent third option in the center of defense and only a third-string keeper required to fill out the netminder quota, I’d push d-mid and right wing cover to the top. Hell, if you could find a quick winger who can also play up top, you’ve gone and killed two notional birds.

That said, I’d rate cover for Kitchen at d-mid slightly higher. Yes, we’re hearing that Morsink is looking to re-up and King can probably do a job there, but I’m not sold on either.

After that, the order probably doesn’t matter as you’re looking less at coveted players being targeted by multiple clubs and more at who you can squeeze onto the roster with the cap space available. In other words, journeymen, draftees, and trialists.

So what does your shopping list look like? Mine is…

1. Forward - starting quality, decent physical presence, passable finisher, mobile, likely from foreign climes
2. Left Back - starting quality, decent crosser, high endurance, good recovery speed, outside shot at a domestic trade/draftee, but likely from abroad
3. D-mid - cover for Kitchen, good range, aggressive, decent distributor
4. Right Wing - cover for Najar and up top as well, quick, good engine
5. Central Defender - depth, preferably veteran, but that may not be an option
6. Keeper - third stringer

Seems obvious? Probably. Most of you playing the home game probably have similar-looking lists. What will be interesting is to see if Olsen and the FO do as well. Are they chasing roster-filler or genuine quality? Do they really think Woolard is a viable starter? How about Wolff? Does the acquisition of a dynamic central midfield presence signal the end for Boskovic? How does Olsen modify his tactical approach, if at all?

Given the ruthlessness of the cuts thus far, you’d have to imagine that the Bearded Bombardier has a definite plan and list of his very own. That said, experience says you’d have to stretch your imagination a bit to entertain the possibility that the current FO can tick all the boxes on his wish list.

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1. Just with the wings pushed higher and the central midfield withdrawn slightly. ↩

2. With Pontius almost acting as a second forward cutting inside and the diamond skewed to the right. ↩

3. I wonder if the thought of trying da Luz there in pre-season has crossed anybody’s mind? Wouldn’t be my first choice, but if you’re thinking attack-first… ↩

What I Want For Christmas | Part II

In the first part of this series, we ran the rule over the current United roster. In this second part, we’ll compile a list of wants by position, setting us up for the grand finale, where we put those wants in order…

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Would you trust this man with your roster?

GOALKEEPER

Needs: Hamid and Willis are solid in the first two spots on the depth chart, so there shouldn’t be much work to do here.

Targets: If there’s a solid keeper available in the draft, nab him if he’s the best player available with that pick. Otherwise, bring in a few undrafted or unattached young keepers for pre-season and see which one is left standing.

Priority: Low.

DEFENSE

Needs: A starting quality left back. Given the tendency of the likely left-wing starter (Pontius) to drift inside and get the ball on his right and Russell’s generally stay-at-home tendency at right back1, the ideal candidate would provide a quality, quick overlapping option down the left flank. Depth, preferably experienced, in the middle is a secondary concern, with the starry-eyed optimist also entertaining a potential challenger for Jakovic/McDonald for starting minutes2.

Targets: There are some fair, though not outstanding, options around the league at left back, but I don’t see what we have in trade value to get them outside of draft picks and allocation money3. I’ll make the charitable assumption that we’re looking for outside-the-league help while simultaneously fretting that the braintrust are content with Woolard as the starter. Central depth is likely available through negotiations with those on the current MLS scrap-heap (if we get there first – given our slow movement thus far, that’s in severe doubt) or via the youth route (draft/academy).

Priority: A starting left back would be near the top of my list; is it near the top of the FO’s? Central depth is a middling concern, alleviated somewhat by Russell’s versatility and the presence of the promising White.

MIDFIELD

Needs: I would assume the starting quartet to be set with Pontius, Boskovic/De Rosario, Kitchen, and Najar. If we go to a five, De Rosario is the fifth floating atop it. Depth is a concern at d-mid and on the right flank.

Targets: How long will United be able to keep hold of Najar and Kitchen? I would assume they will both remain in D.C. for this season, but both will also miss time with their national and/or U-23 national teams, and, though planning for the long-term isn’t really an option in MLS, we should be looking at options for their eventual replacement whether this be through the draft, the academy, or acquisition from abroad.

Priority: High, but not yet desperate. I’ll be interested to see what the FO comes up with as an alternative to some of the long-serving players that could have served in these capacities.

ATTACK

Needs: Assuming that De Rosario will be playing the trequartista role between forward and midfield, we’re still short a starting forward as Wolff is no lone striker candidate and, and, while Brettscheider can fill the role, he’s not proven as deadly in front of the net in the regular season as he did last pre-season.

Targets: If we’re not actively pursuing a starting-caliber forward, I’m pretty much ready to give this team up for dead in 2012 already. Given that the FO ignored Jacqua in the Re-Entry draft, I’d argue that Benny wants a quick poacher whose running pushes defenses back and opens space for De Rosario to weave his magic in4 rather than a bruising target-man. Wolff and Brettschneider are adequate depth, but maybe another, different style option (a speed merchant, perhaps?), would not go amiss.

Priority: I think the first sentence of the “Targets” section pretty much laid out how big a priority I think a starter is. Depth? Not so much, but also not off the table completely.

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So that leaves us with the following list of wants, in no particular order:

• third-string keeper
• starting left back
• central defensive depth
• d-mid cover
• right mid/wing cover
• starting forward
• forward depth

That’s a lot of boxes to check over the next month or so, particularly given the not-exactly-inspiring “50-50 chance that at least one [player acquisition] could be completed and announced before the end of 2011.”5 In part three, we’ll take that list and prioritize it.

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1. Yes, he can cross and get forward, but he’s a defense-first option at fullback. ↩

2. Perhaps that’s White. I still think he needs seasoning, but maybe he’ll surprise. ↩

3. Assuming, considering how precious little depth we have remaining, that you’re not going to create a hole elsewhere by trading away any current players. ↩

4. Assuming, considering how precious little depth we have remaining, that you’re not going to create a hole elsewhere by trading away any current players. ↩

5. Noting that the optimist reads this as “we’ve got targets who can’t move until the transfer window opens in the new year.” ↩

What I Want For Christmas | Part I

It’s that time of year again. Time to consult the D.C. United roster list, see who’s been naughty and nice (and who is, frankly, useless), and compile my own off-season shopping list. Ready to begin?

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Russell: Finally a replacement for Namoff?

The process of re-shaping the roster has already begun. Scouting missions have been dispatched, Robbie Russell has been acquired to bolster the back line, and severe roster pruning has already seen United definitely part ways with at least three long-serving veterans. So let’s take a look, in this first part of “What I Want For Christmas,” at the current state of the roster, identifying weaknesses and potential dead wood.

Some caveats and assumptions before I get started:

• For the purposes of assessing the current roster, I’m going to assume that the players who did not have their options picked up are potential trialists at best and certainly aren’t part of Olsen’s core plans going forward, even if their names are still on the roster page at United’s website. For that reason, I may mention them as potential depth, but likely will ignore them altogether.

• Charlie Davies is gone. He’s not coming back.

• Outside of the players we’ve currently lost to either retirement or the Re-Entry draft, we’re not going to lose anybody else. Trades or bids from abroad may very well happen, but I’m going to assume that nobody is being actively shopped and that those retained thus far are part of the plans for 2012.

GOALKEEPERS

We begin at the back. Hamid staked inarguable claim to the #1 spot this past season, and, though he has his flaws, his current quality is high and potential even higher. Might that see him attract outside interest? Absolutely, but assuming he’s still around, he’s the starter.

In limited duty last year, Willis did enough to surpass the veteran (and projected competition for the starting spot) Cronin, who hasn’t had his option picked up for 2012. Willis is still largely unproven, but should be a decent backup option, an option United will have to exercise with Hamid facing potential Olympic and/or qualifying duty.

DEFENSE

The post-season pruning has left the defensive ranks looking rather sparse. Add in the likely move of Kitchen, a defensive starter for most of 2011, to midfield, and those ranks are thinner still. The addition of Robbie Russell from RSL locks down the right back spot and provides potential central depth. Korb provides cover on both flanks while Woolard is the putative starter at left back with Burch gone to Seattle. McDonald and Jakovic are the likely starters in central defense, with Ethan White (and possibly Shanosky?) as depth.

Given my documented doubts about Woolard and uncertainty about the central pairing of McDonald and Jakovic, at the very least we’re short a couple of bodies for depth here. Perhaps a fully-healthy Jakovic makes the central partnership more reliable, but given his injury history (not to mention potential duty with Canada), that’s not exactly something you can count on is it? Russell will likely be a rock on the right, but I’d be shocked if we weren’t actively scouting left and center backs.

MIDFIELD

The potential starting four (or five) look strong. Najar and Pontius are among the league’s best flank players. Kitchen looked impressive in closing the season with cameos at d-mid. De Rosario is a solid central option (though I prefer him further forward) and Boskovic looked like he was beginning to click before his injury last year.

The problem, as should be obvious given that the options on a third of the roster weren’t picked up, is depth, particularly with Kitchen, Najar, and De Rosario all potentially being called up for national team duty. At the moment, said depth consists of the decent King in the middle, the reasonable da Luz on the left flank, and possibly the unproven Shanosky (who has not played a single professional minute, lest we forget) at d-mid. Word is that Morsink is looking at a restructured deal as well, though I’d entertain his presence as a trialist at best if we’re looking to increase the quality roster-wide (read as: not a fan).

ATTACK

Wolff and Brettschneider. That’s it. Maybe you could toss in the tweeners like Pontius and De Rosario, who range from “likely” to “almost certain” to start elsewhere. Either way, that’s thin to the point of vanishing. Considering that I don’t think consistently starting Wolff or Brettschneider is step 1 in anybody’s plan for world domination (though I’m fine with them off the bench), that leaves United needing severe help in the form of starting-quality forwards.

While I’d argue that United should probably start De Rosario either up top or in a free role working off a solitary striker, thus filling one of those starting spots, questions about Boskovic’s health, consistency, and effectiveness could force De Rosario’s use as a midfield creative dynamo. That leaves you with potentially two holes to fill up top.

UP NEXT

Having run the rule over the current roster and identified where it is lacking, Part II of WIWFC will compile those weaknesses and assign priorities for addressing them.

WIWFC | The Final Reckoning

I've taken a different approach to the "What I Want For Christmas" series this year, and I hope you've enjoyed having other voices put forward their lists of what they want shoved under DC United's tree for next year. My sincere thanks to the five of you who were brave enough to submit your lists for public consumption.

But now it's my turn. In no particular order, I want...

1. A new stadium: It was refreshing to see that the other list-makers placed a similar value on a new stadium, though I think its importance may be underestimated. Not only has the continued failure on the stadium front led to dispondent pessimism on the part of the supporters, but I think it's also seriously affecting the mojo of the organization as a whole. This is a club that is used to winning, and the successive setbacks when the opportunity for success seemed to be just around the bend seem to have spread throughout the club. Is it just me, or does there seem to be both a creeping sense of nostalgia for a golden age that has passed and a tendency towards settling for mediocrity? Likewise, the lurking threat of the club being moved has to be deeply upsetting for a club that prides itself on tradition and connection both to its supporters and to the community.
2. Coherent team play, both in attack and defense: Too often over the last couple of seasons, the United defense has been prone to silly errors, a lack of communication, and a surprising vulnerability to counterattacks and direct play. Some of the blame will fall at the feet of individual defenders and goalkeepers, but it should be apportioned. Our attackers often haven't applied pressure to opponents on the ball, allowing them time and space to pick out passes. Likewise, our midfield was often too slow or too poorly positioned to cut out attacking play. On the other side of the ball, I had huge frustrations with our lack of off the ball movement, balls played quickly into space, and the expectation placed on individuals that they would simply beat a defender or hit a pass that would magically split defenses to somehow set up immobile teammates. This often translated into slow and pointless offensive play.
3. A quality goalkeeper: Yes, we are carrying three goalkeepers at the moment, but do you trust any of them as the long-term starter right now? Hamid, for all of his promise, is still a teenager. Kocic never showed the confidence or decision-making ability that would allow me to trust him. And while Wicks showed admirable confidence and a willingness to take command of his defense, my abiding memories of his 2009 are misjudgements, blank stares after one-on-ones were slotted past his hulking, statue-like form, and losing the plot mentally, be it the infamous stamp on Montero, screaming at defenders, or mindlessly charging out for balls that were never there to be won.
4. A coach who can read the game & take advantage strengths and weaknesses: Though he often prepared the team well for a match, Soehn had a disturbing inability to react to changes in the match, most often highlighted when a tactical shift by the opposition at the half created problems that Soehn could not adjust to. Indeed, he rarely seemed able to make changes during the match that forced the opponent to make their own adjustments. This led to a frustrating number of ties when the team had been in a winning position. It also probably had something to do with his increasing tendency to sit on one-goal leads and/or make pre-halftime substitutions, a desperate move by any measure and particularly indicative of a coach that sees no way to make a change beyond swapping the actual players at his disposal.
5. A defensive organizer: Jakovic and, to a lesser extent, James are both promising young central defenders. Though Jakovic brings polish to James' bruising athleticism, both are the types of defenders you would want to pair with a deeper-lying defensive leader. Though I could see having a better keeper provide some of this quality, my preference would be to bring in a savvy veteran to pair with Jakovic, providing cover not only for Jakovic's libero tendencies and ability to anticipate direct balls from the opposition, but also for either the inexperienced (and attacking) Wallace or the substandard Burch at left back. Where does this leave James? As much-needed cover for now. Ideally, I'd see Jakovic using his ball-skills and reading of the game to develop into a sweeper-libero, but I suspect that requires a more experienced cast, comfortable in their roles and with each other, to be manning the defense along with him.

Of course, that's not all I'd wish for, merely the biggest issues I see with the team as it exists today. Wrapped up in that "as it exists today" caveat is the knowledge that all of the pieces currently assembled may not be on hand when pre-season rolls around. Are the Brazilians on their way out? Does Gomez have a future in DC? How much will our speedy South African attackers be able to contribute next year and in what positions? Where will Wallace play? Can Szetela live up to his promise? How long can Moreno keep going? Can Pontius get on the scoresheet with regularity?

Too many questions, and not enough wishes. But such is the nature of all but the most elite of clubs, particularly under the oppressive thumb of MLS parity.

WIWFC | Rob's List

And here's the fifth and final reader contribution from Rob (also @eatingbark on the twitters)...

Rob's What I Want For Christmas List

I'd really like one thing: a long-term plan, focused on building a stable, long-term future for the team. Ideally, it encompasses just about everything: coach, stadium, players. No more of this "we just need one or two more pieces and we'll win everything this year" nonsense; even if it's correctly calculated, it'll blow up in a year, and you're back where you started.

The best summation of this strategy that I've seen is this Peter Wilt article at Pitch Invasion. The goal, roughly paraphrased, is to nurture and develop a core of players that can stay together for 4-6 years. This core will be supplemented by talented young players who will eventually graduate out of MLS to better-paying jobs in tougher leagues overseas, as well as older and experienced players who offer direction to the younger core. Namoff, Moreno, and Simms will be the latter next year (as would Arnaud, with my fantasy draft). Pontius and Jakovic (and Wallace, though I'm less certain about that) are probably the former.

The wishes:
1. Three young players and one savvy vet: Will Johnson (M) (51,000), Davy Arnaud (M/F) (220,000), Nathan Sturgis (M/D) (100,000), Kevin Alston (D) (55,000). I don't think we could realistically trade for them (they're worth more than they cost, which is an expensive commodity in a salary-capped league), but we could probably afford the salaries (dump Emilio and Fred, and it's relatively easy; in fact, you've probably still got room for a new goalkeeper, which would also be great), so it's not as unrealistic as a list of washed-up Euro talent or even a selection from the All-Star list. Really, though, it's arbitrary; the point isn't the names, but the principle of picking up relatively young, relatively cheap talent, which is good enough to start, but not so good that all of it will leave and/or need massive raises in a couple seasons.

2. Castillo and Szetela to flourish under the new coach, whoever he is.

3. Drafting well. One or two impact players, one or two successful long term projects.

4. Continued progress from last season's rookies, including Wallace to left back successfully.

5. A stadium on the Metro, whether in Maryland, Virginia, or the District.

I wouldn't mind replacing Wicks, and obviously a quality coach figures in there as well, but I'm out of wishes...

Here's how I'd line this prospective team up, in 4-2-3-1 or 4-4-2

4-2-3-1
GK: Wicks
LB: Wallace
CB: Jakovic
CB: James/Sturgis
RB: Namoff
CM: Simms
CM: Szetela
ALM: Castillo
ACM: Quaranta
ARM: Johnson
ST: Arnaud/Pontius

4-4-2
LM: Castillo
CM: Simms
CM: Szetela
RM: Johnson
ST: Quaranta
ST: Arnaud/Pontius

The drafting wish brings up an interesting point. Since we're likely to be shedding a bunch of salary this off-season, it would be a nice year to have a solid draft position. Unfortunately, as best I can make out, we don't.

Climbing the Ladder has us with one pick each in the first, third, and fourth rounds. Plus, we owe LA a conditional pick for Wicks. Since Wicks did become our starting keeper last year, I'm guessing we would have been giving up our second-rounder if we hadn't already traded it away for Gomez. Does that mean we lose our third-rounder? Tough to draft well with the 7th and 55th picks overall, even in what appears to be a deep draft class.

That said, I think we do have a solid core of guys in their early to mid twenties already. Can it be augmented? Certainly. I'll probably touch on that in my own WIWFC post tomorrow. But I don't see that we're in a solid position to be trading for the types of players Rob outlined above. We have few draft picks to trade, and there's not much interest in the players we'd be willing to offload. Therefore, we'd either have to give up promising youngsters or hunt for talent abroad.

I wonder if the FO is paying attention to some of the young American talent out of contract overseas?

WIWFC | Eric's List

Eric in Baltimore weighs in with our fourth user-contributed DC United Christmas wish list. My own list will be up tomorrow, in case you were wondering.

Eric's What I Want For Christmas List

1. A strong head coach that can implement the changes we will need to make to adjust to the growth in the league. Regardless of what KP thinks.

2. Consistent wing play. Hopefully Castillo is the answer on the left.

3. Faster transition from back to front. The glacial pace we displayed last season (and historically) was and is unacceptable.

4. A nasty streak for Clyde Simms.

5. A stadium resolution. The situation is sapping all the positive energy from the supporters.

Excellent list. There's not much there I can argue with, and #5 I think goes even deeper than the supporters. What I would like to highlight and expand on here is #4...

I'm sure I haven't been completely alone in recognizing that sheer number of minutes played and the lack of too many terrible mistakes do not make a player great. Simms is a decent player, but that seems like all he'll ever be. He's reasonable athletic, though he doesn't have the fire to really make it count in a midfield battle. His positioning is often suspect. He seemed to be developing a threat from distance with low, grass-cutter drives (the Clydewinder Missile!), but hasn't really progressed beyond that early promise. Similarly, I think we'll see that the handful of really nice through balls he managed this year will turn out to be an aberration--the promise of a false dawn in Clyde actually getting the ball forward, rather than back or lateral.

While we're busy worrying over wingers, center backs, keepers, and forwards, somebody should take a long hard look at how much better this team would have been with a really effective d-mid.

WIWFC | Le Belge's List

Our latest list of Christmas wishes for DC United comes from Le Belge...

Le Belge's What I Want For Christmas List

The top five gifts Santa can bring DCU this year.

1. A great coach. One who can pull us above the morass that is MLS soccer into something that resembles a flowing, attack oriented style of football that will leave us breathless from cheering all the time and the rest of the league in the dust.

2. A new stadium. We need to find a new site and at least sign an agreement to build a stadium this year, otherwise St Louis or Baltimore will start to look more menacing as alternative venues.

3. A dynamic playmaker. I know that the idea of a playmaker is so passé in modern football, but I want one, preferably Riquelme. If not Riquelme, someone as good as Etcheverry used to be or at the least as good as Gomez. Where to find someone like that…I don’t know, that’s Santa’s job. If we can’t find someone quickly, then I’d settle on spending the DP money we won’t use on Riquelme to bring Seedorf in for a couple of years. He is getting on in years and might be ready to make the move.

4. A rock solid stopper to pair with Jakovic. A stone wall that will have opposing attackers wish they were on the bench . Nelson - if we could get him back, maybe Needham if he wanted to come back or possibly Opara if he is as good as folks think he is.

5. A target forward who scores goals – someone in the McBride, Ching, Zamora role – but who can score 12-15 goals a year while also having the kind of workrate where he can fight for balls, hold up balls and feed our other attackers. I also want him to have some height so he can get a head on the ball and we finally score on a corner kick. If we can’t find someone who quite fits the bill, then I’ll settle on using the DP money we don’t spend on Riquelme for someone like Raul, Van Nistelroy or Henry to give me some thrills for a year or two while Pontius or 2010 draftee Andre Akpan develop.

I will stick my stocking up against the wall at RFK. Hopefully I will not find it filled with coal come Christmas day.

The coaching consensus builds, and I'll build myself on the importance of #2 when I get to my own list. There's no way in hell we're getting Nelsen back, and I just haven't been impressed when I've seen Opara play. Needham? Does success in the Norwegian second division mean he'll be "rock solid" in MLS? We've already got a project in James. Do we need another?

It is interesting to consider the approach that the front office will take with the DP slot (assuming Emilio is either gone or on a significantly reduced salary). I suspect that the "stylish" Kevin Payne won't sully himself by going with a big target forward. Riquelme? Great player in the right setting, but do I think MLS is that setting? Nope.

Thoughts?

WIWFC | Ben's List

Our next entry in the What I Want For Christmas list-a-thon comes from Ben.

Ben's What I Want For Christmas List

1. A coach. When did coaching DC United become such an undesirable job?
2. Consistency and stability in the 2010 lineup. A starting 11... I'll even settle for a rotation of 13-14 players.
3. Youth (or less age, I'll take either). This would work well with #2 to supply us with some healthy, fit athletes that can go 90 minutes every match.
4. Less schedule congestion. Oh? We already have that? How did that happen?
5. Nick Rimando. How are Jay Nolly, major player allocation, future consideration, and not having Freddy Adu working out for you DC?

Methinks #2 and #4 come wrapped up in the same shiny package. Rimando? I suppose if you're not going to be facing crosses and every game ends in PK's, he's your man...though I can't deny he'd be an upgrade on the current lot. That says more about the current lot than our need for Rimando though.

Thoughts?

WIWFC | AMT's List

We'll start off the user-generated portion of this year's WIWFC show with regular contributor, AMT (@the_amt on the twitters)...

AMT's What I Want For Christmas List

Love reading the site. Here's my wish list for United this festive season:

1. A four man back line.
2. A season with fewer than 3 sports hernias.
3. A proper left winger/left back combination. (Wallace can be in one spot. Burch cannot, barring a revelation.)
4. A settled spot for Party Boy, preferably up top.
5. Is a coach too much to ask at this point?

This was, in true lawyer-like fashion, thought about for a while and then hastily assembled and improvised in 3 minutes or less. Cheers!

Looks like a bit of Christmas may have come early for AMT with the signing of Castillo late last week (after he had submitted his list, for those of you wondering).

I agree with all of those wishes, though only two of them overlap with my own "top 5." Thoughts?

And don't forget, there's still time to get your list in. Send your top 5 wishes for DC United in the new year to fullbackfiles (at) gmail (dot) com.

Open Call for Submissions

Loyal FBF readers will know that every year I put together a "What I Want For Christmas" (WIWFC) series of blog posts. The posts examine the current state of DC United and make a list of off-season additions that I feel would make the club better. This year, I've already done a lot of the "roster analysis" heavy lifting with the United Autopsy posts, so while I have my list, I don't necessarily have as much substance to flesh out an entire series.

And that's where you come in...

Make a list of the top five things you'd add to, subtract from, or change about United. While my list normally consists of generic player positions or qualities, there are no real restrictions. Be as general or specific, pragmatic or fantastic, detailed or broad as you like, and feel free to do as much (or as little) analysis/explanation as you'd like surrounding your choices. Then email your submissions to:

fullbackfiles [at] gmail [dot] com

Don't forget to provide a name or handle that I can attribute your list to and a link to your blog/twitter/cause/whatever if you so desire. Alternatively, those of you who want to post to your own blogs can just send me a link to your post so I can include it. The deadline for submissions is Monday, though I'd love to have them as soon as possible so I can start putting the series together.

Let's get the digital ink flowing, folks!

WIWFC (In July!) | The Omnibus Post

Rather than my usual modus operandi of splitting the "What I Want For Christmas" analysis/FO rant/starry-eyed wishlist into several posts, instead I'm going to try to cram it all into one steaming jambalaya. Ready or not...


Roster Rundown

Let's start at the top, shall we? Emilio and Moreno are front line MLS strikers, even if the former doesn't provide consistent effort or results, and the later is increasingly slowed by age and injury and sometimes seems a touch too patient for a more energetic attack. Pontius and Quaranta are both hybrid midfielder/forwards at the moment, but look to be an intriguing successor pairing to Emilio and Moreno. That said, they're needed in midfield as well, either as starters or as cover, leaving the bustling but largely ineffective Khumalo and the not-so-bustling and even less effective N'Silu as depth.

On the flanks, we have Wallace and Quaranta as the current starters, with the likes of Pontius, Fred, McTavish, Khumalo, and possibly even DiRaimondo as potential depth. That's an awful lot of cover for the right, but the left is worth considering. At a reasonable cap hit, I wouldn't mind having Fred as depth on the left, but he's pulling over $200k. That's an awful lot for a backup, though perhaps his providing cover for Gomez in the playmaker role mitigates that somewhat (not too much, but somewhat).

The holding roles are currently filled by Simms and Olsen, with McTavish, Jacobson, and potentially DiRaimondo and Pontius as available cover. That's reasonable, but not ideal, and I'm not going to quit harping about having a bit more steel and precision passing in these roles. Likewise, Olsen's battered body can't keep him on the pitch consistently.

At playmaker, Gomez seems to be returning to something like the quality we expect, but he too is operating on 30-something legs. Fred provides decent cover and danger in spurts, and Quaranta can be slotted in here as well assuming we have some cover for the right flank. Barklage would have been nice to have as cover for the flanks and at playmaker, but I think we're in decent enough shape here despite his season-ending injury.

The back is where we find the most glaring hole. At keeper, we've settled on Wicks as the starter and Kocic as his understudy. Not great, but not terrible either. The pleasantly surprising Jakovic in the middle with Janicki as cover works for me, as does, to a somewhat lesser extent, Namoff on the right with McTavish as cover. The left, however, gives us Burch to start and John as his backup. Frankly, I don't believe John belongs on an MLS roster, and Burch is cover, at best, for the left back and left midfield spots.


Open Slots

The departures of Peters and Crayton free up two senior roster spots as well as an international spot (leaving us one to three international spots potentially unfilled--I'm unsure of who has green cards). Barklage going on the IR gives us a developmental spot as well. I suppose I could speculate about how much cap space we have available, but frankly, I'd be firing blanks at ghosts, so we'll just assume that we can't bring in a truly big money signing, but have enough space to add either one reasonably highly compensated, Crayton-level ($175k) player or two journeyman to good ($80-100k) senior players. And, of course, we've got the $15-20k worth of Dev Dollars to throw at some gullible (or ambitious and not risk-averse) youngster.


Fill 'Er Up!

So what's a front office to do? The rumors are swirling about the possible addition of Szetela, and the defensive depth problem appears to be a target as well, given the trialists we're bring in. Shockingly, those would probably meet my two primary targets for the summer transfer window. The third target would be subject to what's available. Rather than rambling and hedging, let's put the cards on the table, shall we? We've got three spots. What do we do with them?

1. Senior roster (possible international) #1: The biggest hole in the roster at the moment is a solid left defender. Burch is young and still has some promise, but he's not a natural defender. He does provide solid cover for left back and left midfield, but I think he's the weakest link in the defense as a starter. John hasn't done anything to convince me that he's not a spent force. Looking around MLS, I don't see anybody on the trading block that meets our needs which means we need to look abroad. The trialists mentioned above seem to indicate that the FO is addressing this.
2. Senior roster (possible international) #2: Let's face it, if we qualify for the Champions' League proper, we're going to have a real mess in September/October between the CCL campaign and a backalley knife-fight in the tight Eastern Conference. Olsen might be available for half of these games if his ankles hold out. Simms can log major minutes and doesn't have a history of injuries, but we all saw how gassed he was at the end of last season. And if we're relying on Jacobson and McTavish as our depth here, I think we end up punting the CCL and focus on making the playoffs. I've never been a fan of Szetela's behavior, but if he's learned a little humility struggling in Spain and Italy, and is hungry to prove himself, he'd be a huge upgrade to our depth in holding midfield and on the right flank. Otherwise, we need to find another d-mid from somewhere to provide minutes in place of Simms. Jacobson is decent cover for Olsen, but I'm not sold on McTavish for Simms.
3. Developmental roster: Here's the "best option available" selection. I'm nervous only carrying two keepers, so If we could keep one of those two big kids from the academy from jumping on the Euro-boat, that would be my first choice. Other possible options? Pretty much anywhere on the pitch, though you've got to be looking at low-skill, big effort position for developmental players, so I'd think left midfield, d-mid, or flank defender (right-sided if the left gets addressed with a senior spot) could all be spots you'd look to fill if the right situation presented itself.

So that's my shopping list. Of course, had I provided this a week ago, there probably would have been more discussion as the FO already seems to have created the same list and is busy trying to fill their order with parts off the shelf.

Any arguments with their logic (and mine)?

WIWFC Addendum: Plus Ça Change . . .

Well, while we're patiently waiting for the boxes on the United wishlist to be ticked off by the front office, I thought I might revisit a comment left by our buddy Shatz from DCUMD in the final "What I Want For Christmas" post. What did he notice? Glad you asked. To quote the man himself . . .

Your December 2007 priorities were:
1. Winger
2. Central defender
3. Forward
4. Keeper
5. Replacement for Gros's energy

Your December 2008 priorities are:
1. Central defender
2. Forward
3. Holding midfielder
4. Winger
5. Replacement for Olsen's heart

Wow! That's some pretty shocking consistency (and fairly damning evidence of the FO's 2008 failures). So let's review. As we headed into the 2008 season, expectations were high, and we seemed to have addressed most of the needs I laid out . . .

@winger - Quaranta? Kirk? not ideal, I'll grant you, but there seemed to be an indication of progress and potential
@central defender - Peralta & Martinez - the flying Gonzalos!
@forward - Niell the mighty mite + "Don't Call Me Francis" Doe (not added in pre-season, but April/May is early enough for our consideration)
@keeper - Wells + Carvall0 - one of them has to pan out, right?
Gros' energy? hmmm.

And yet, here we are, a year later, with many of the same needs, and the same glaring problem hanging over our heads. Change the roster too much and you risk losing continuity (arguably one of the big problems with the defense last year--bringing in two new starters), but don't change anything and you're left with gaping holes in the lineup. What's a front office to do? Let's isolate the defense as an example of a possible approach.

Priority #1: Get Namoff back in the fold.

He's not flashy, he doesn't have tremendous athletic gifts. He is what he is--a reliable and consistent MLS defender. We could probably replace him quality-wise, but how long would said notional replacement take to blend with the team? Would this replacement be as durable and consistent? And don't count MLS experience out of the equation.

So assuming we do get Bryan back, what does the back line look like?

Burch--McTavish--Janicki--Namoff, with Zaher and Carroll for depth. Ruh-roh! Burch hasn't yet proven to me that he can be a solid defender, McTavish is a hole-plugger who seems to fit better in midfield than he does in defense, and Janicki showed decently in a handful of games on the back end of last season after making the jump from USL2. That's three-quarters of your defense.

Priority #2: Don't add too many pieces that you're counting on to save the day.

What? Didn't I just say that three-quarters of the defense seemed inadequate? Yep. But we saw what throwing too many unproven, new pieces into the mix did to the defense last year, didn't we? Sure, injuries played a role, as did Wells not being able to organize the back line, but I think the key here is to add two players--one a veteran, preferably domestic with MLS experience, though an import of real quality (Osman Chavez?) is an option as well, and the second a draftee that we think can absorb some minutes this year, but who were aren't heavily reliant upon.

Obviously, I'm not overjoyed with this solution, but I think too much tinkering will hurt more than not having an ideal set of defenders. Given another year of growth, Burch may well turn the corner he seemed to be stuck on last year. If he doesn't, Guerrero can plug that hole in a pinch and Zaher should pick up some minutes. Janicki showed enough last year to suggest that he has the potential to be a reasonable MLS center back. Can he hold up over an entire season? That's a gamble, but we've got McTavish and Carroll and (hopefully) a mystery rookie for cover.

Of course, all of this is predicated on getting Namoff back and landing a reliable centerback as part of the bargain. And don't forget that defending is not solely the responsibility of the backs. Will Crayton's tendencies towards "sweeper-keeping" make up for our lack of speed in defense? Will adding more steel and energy to midfield via formational shift (pairing Vide & Simms in the center behind Gallardo?) or simply playing Guerrero more than Fred allow us to close up some of the gaps that were too easily exploited last year?

I wonder.

What do you think? Has the FO learned from the mistakes of 2009? Will they attempt to "garnish" the existing roster rather than presenting an all new main course? Or are we just awaiting the arrival of the next boatload of foreign legionnaires at RFK? Perhaps the United braintrust think we've already got guys on the roster (Zaher, Carroll?) that are ready to step up?

WIWFC Part IV - Making A List, Checking It Twice

At long last, we've come to a final reckoning. There are still more questions than answers when it comes to the status of the roster for next year. Will (Peralta, Kirk, Namoff, Olsen, Doe, hell, even Gallardo, insert player who might possibly be shipped out here) be around come the first week of training camp? Whatever the case, here's my wishlist of the top 5 things I want to see holding up black shirts for the media before we launch the 2009 campaign.


1. Center Backs.

Go ahead, name your starting central defense as of now. Peralta-Janicki? 2nd division Argie + 3rd division domestic brew? And what if Peralta won't take a pay cut? McTavish + Janicki? Burch + McTavish? Christ, I'm gonna be sick.

This is priority #1, not just with a bullet, but with a freakin' tactical nuke.

So where do we do our shopping? Well, the FO's standard answer is to look to Latin America for assistance. Yeah. Remind me again how that went last year. So do we go for Sudamericano Defense Force, Part Deux, or have we tasted enough of that bitter cup of disappointment?

The draft? Well, there does appear to be a fairly strong group of defenders available, but the transition from college to pro is always a crap shoot, so you wouldn't want to bank on it.

Trade? Perhaps, but what are we going to dangle out there as bait? Fred? Emilio? Will anybody take a slightly used and nicked up Gallardo? Do we want them to? If healthy, he'll most likely be one of the best players in the league.

The best I can come up with is some combination of the above. Use one of those first-round picks on a highly rated college prospect. Bring in a vet to add to the foreign legion. Then pad your bet by landing a reasonable MLS journeyman. Of course, given the cap and roster sizes, you might be lucky to get 2 out of 3, though Generation Adidas may be of some assistance if we can land one of those kids in the draft.


2. Forward for depth and variety.

Granted, I'd be tempted to swap this with #3 if we're assured that Doe will be returning, but only just. Right now we've got Moreno and Emilio with Quaranta, Khumalo, and maybe Kirk as our questionable depth. Moreno isn't getting any younger, and Emilio's sophomore effort wasn't up to par, perhaps because he's a one-trick pony (is he really worth a DP slot?). Now, if we can get a fast or physical forward that scares the bejeezus out of defenses, thus creating room for Emilio to poach in, maybe he returns to his best. If he's the only threat for defenses to key on, we're pretty easy to defang.

Of course, all of this flies in the face of my mutterings about single-striker formations. And the fact that fast, physical forwards who can finish consistently are at a premium in MLS. But we need something to threaten defenders with--something to create space and gaps for our technical types to exploit with passing or dribbling runs. Is Walter Martinez this something? could we already be close to ticking off one of the boxes on my list?

Another consideration, even if we do land Martinez, is what we do about having a physical presence up top. We don't have anything, outside of Kirk (if he returns), in the way of big bodies to lump the ball up to if the entire game plan is collapsing around us. In other words, even if the coaching staff was so inclined, they don't have the variety available to go to Plan C if A and B fall flat on their faces. It's not pretty, but it sometimes wins games.

One thing is pretty likely--if there is an answer, it's going to come from outside MLS and the draft. Marcus Tracy might check the box, but will he be around for us to snap up? Unlikely.


3. A box-to-box midfielder.

Yes, we have Simms to hold and Vide for cover, but I'm still hugely unsold on pairing one of the two with Gallardo, Fred, or Quaranta in the middle of the park. And neither really carries the attacking threat, outside of an occasional bomb from distance, to make a Simms-Vide pairing anything to fear either.

Hell, if I thought it was easy to land an energetic, physical box-to-box midfielder who can pass and shoot under the cap without using a DP slot, I'd probably put this up to #2 on the list. As it stands, unless we get rid of Gallardo, it's not going to happen. The best we can hope for is to get lucky in the draft or trade/shop for some depth.


4. Pace and danger on the wings.

Khumalo? We'll see how he pans out. Let's just say that, at the moment, I'm not convinced. Our other wide options would be Fred, Quaranta, Guerrero, Thompson, Cordeiro, and maybe Kirk. There's a bit of guile there, a few hard workers, and maybe one guy who can hit a decent cross. Is it the worst set of options? No. But neither is it one to strike fear in the hearts of defenses around the league.

Again, the issue becomes: where do you find pace and danger to bolster your wing play? That's part of the reason that this entry finds itself so far down on the list. We've got adequate options already, and upgrading may not be feasible, practical, or fiscally responsible. The best bet is to draft speed and hope for Dane Richards.


5. Ben Olsen.

What? But don't we already have him? Sure, but will he be able to return to the field? If he does, that does wonders for our potential depth in midfield, but is there any guarantee that he can pick up significant minutes? Will he have the wheels to cover enough ground as one of two in central midfield, or will he only work in a three-man setup?

What I'm really getting at is general heart and grit, something this team was sorely lacking last year in Ben's absence. Is it possible to draft grit or trade for heart? Perhaps not. But this is a wishlist after all.


Conclusions

So what do you think? Agree? Disagree? Got a list of your own? Let's hear it!

Look, I'm not naive enough to think that the FO can land all of the above in a single offseason, nor do I think that MLS can yet afford a roster that features depth and quality from top to bottom. The best you can hope for is to play to your few strengths and minimize your weaknesses.

It also has to be stressed that tearing the whole thing apart and going back to square one isn't a viable or particularly intelligent decision either. When the team was healthy and blended for that short span last summer, they showed signs of quality. Heck, they even padded the trophy case and qualified us for continental competition! Sure, the trophy was the Open Cup, but it was a tournament win after all.

With that in mind, I guess I should amend my list to include what might be the most important change this off-season.

Healthy bodies.

WIWFC Part III - The Gaping Holes

When last we met, the discussion revolved around what DC United's tactical approach would be going into 2009. While I made some mention of "modern" single-striker frameworks and formations built around allowing the crown jewel, Gallardo, to shine, I also stressed having a roster that would allow for tactical flexibility.

Not so easily accomplished with a reduced, 24-man roster, but perhaps more possible given the expansion of the senior roster to 20 players. Theoretically, this gives us more room to employ a greater quantity, and by extension, a greater variety, of players. Despite having two DP's on the roster, ditching some of last year's inflated salaries frees up a little bit of cap room in which the front office can operate.

So what do we go after? Part III of What I Want For Christmas identifies the gaping holes in the roster and what we could use to fill those holes. Let's take it line by line . . .

Defense & Keepers

Assuming Namoff re-signs, I think we've got a fair amount of depth at fullback (huzzah!) with the likes of Burch, McTavish, Carroll the Younger, Guerrero, and Zaher, although it's a bit of a worry that most of those listed would not be primarily considered fullbacks. In goal, we're pretty much set with Wells as a decent backup to Crayton, though I think the latter is overpaid and has the potential to become a headache over the course of an entire season.

It's in the middle where we're woefully undermanned. We've got Carroll and Koroma from the developmental ranks, a USL2 import (Janicki), and a handful of guys (McTavish, Burch, maybe Namoff) who can do spot duty, but who I wouldn't list as likely long-term starters in central defense. Peralta may be back as well if his salary comes down.

Primary Need: Central defenders - quantity and quality, and pace wouldn't hurt either
Secondary Need: Depth at fullback if Namoff is gone


Midfield

We're pretty well stocked with attacking options, though outside of possibly Khumalo, we don't have much in the way of speed in the wide areas. Fred, Coredeiro, and Guerrero down the left; Quaranta, Khumalo, Thomspon, and maybe Kirk down the right; Gallardo in the middle, with the likes of Quaranta, Fred, and Moreno available for cover.

But when it comes to defensive and two-way, center of the park guys, we're a bit short, and our shopping needs will depend upon Tommy's tactical approach going forward, though I'd argue that having some depth here would increase our flexibility. Simms and Vide are decent options, but I'm sure most of us are pretty much expecting that Olsen will not return. If he does, fantastic!, we probably only need a draft pick to fill out the numbers. If not, I'd say we have both shopping and drafting to do.

An interesting addendum to this section of the discussion would be the Goffmeister's recent story about Appiah. Now that would have shaken things up a bit, not only because we would have been shipping Gallardo out, thus changing the formation, but because it would have addressed the depth issue and brought some real steel and dynamism to midfield--think Benny's fire paired with athleticism. As it stands . . .

Primary Need: Depth in defensive/holding midfielders
Secondary Need: Speed/crossing from the flanks


Forwards

There are some major questions to be asked here. Can Emilio rediscover his 2007 form? Can Moreno continue to roll back the years? Will Doe be available on loan again? How many Central Americans are we going to be bringing in as reinforcements?

I'll take a stab.

Emilio + Moreno isn't a bad combo, but it doesn't bring much in the way of speed to the equation. Equally questionable is how much Moreno will be able to contribute this year. Doe proved he can pick up some valuable minutes last year, but right now, he's your only depth, unless you include Quaranta (who I think should be spelling Jaime as a deep-lying, playmaking striker) and Khumalo (who can't finish, thus making him a bit of a liability in the forward department). Outside of Khumalo, none of the above are (currently) blessed with fleet feet.

Primary Need: SPEED!
Secondary Needs: Depth and variety. If Kirk doesn't resign, it wouldn't hurt to pick up a physically gifted (fast and strong) forward, if one were available (they grow on trees, right? ;-)


What Do You Think?

Okay, so that's the current state of the roster as I see it. Feel free to leave your comments and suggestions below, and I'll take everybody's input on board for the fourth and final post in this series, tentatively scheduled for Tuesday. In that rousing finale, I'll present the top five off my wishlist and sit back to await the arrival of the fat man with the beard.

WIWFC Part II - How Do You Solve a Problem Like Marcelo?

In Part I of this series, we identified some of the personnel issues facing United this offseason. But before we can figure out where we need reinforcements most desperately, we're going to have to figure out how the team will line up in 2009. In Part II, we're going to tackle the sticky issue of tactics, and, in particular, where our big money DP, Marcelo Gallardo, fits into the picture.

The Problems

Tactically, the two biggest issues last year were defensive fragility and a lack of width. When did we see the defense tighten up? Well, the arrival of Crayton certainly played a role, but I think we were at our most stifling when Soehn played with two holding (I hesitate to say defensive) midfielders. Of course, while the defense tightened up considerably, attacking possession was also at a premium as United focused on eliminating mistakes and keeping the opposition in front of them.

Does that mean that we can't be an effective attacking side with two holding mids? It seems to be working in a variety of leagues around the world, MLS included, lest you missed the Crew lifting both the Supporters' Shield and the MLS Cup. And the Crew, while being solid defensively, were also dangerous on the wings. Sure, some of that has to do with personnel, but it also has to do with allowing your wide men more freedom to get forward by sticking two guys who can cover ground, fill gaps, and get the tackles in behind them.

Can Gallardo be one of those guys? Unlikely. He doesn't have the physical tools for it, nor does it showcase his ability properly. Correct me if I'm wrong, but everything I could dig up on YouTube or remember from watching Gallardo with River had him playing higher up the pitch, generally in a left-central attacking midfield position. Jeebus! Left-central? Sounds like I'm talking sudamericano politics all of the sudden ;-).

How Do You Solve a Problem Like Marcelo?

We can't very well build a system and not feature the crown jewel, can we? I mentioned the Crew earlier, and I did it with a specific intention.

There but for the grace of God . . .

We've got some fair depth and a variety of abilities in positions supporting the attack. Gallardo and Quaranta bring an eye for the killer ball and both can hit shots from distance, Fred and Khumalo can dribble (even if they are worthless in front of the net), and Moreno can do both.

Why not pick three and give them a bit of license to roam and create danger? We know Fred and Tino both tend to drift inside (as does Gaven for the Crew), so instead of forcing them to stay wide, why not allow for a more fluid three in support of a lone striker? "But where's the width?" I hear you saying. That's where the fluidity and switching positions comes in. Or that's where having a Khumalo (or Thomspon or Cordeiro or Kirk, should they return and get significant time) on the opposite flank (in the wide "Rogers" role) keeps things stretched. Also, with two holding mids, the fullbacks have more license to overlap and get involved, spreading out the attack over an even wider front.

Happily, such a system also frees Gallardo (like Schelotto for the Crew) from having to devote so much of his energy to defense. With cover behind him, he can work himself into gaps between the opposition defense and midfield, ready to take possession and have a little time to consider his passes. Surely, if your crown jewel DP is known for defense splitting balls (ah, Ray, how we miss the "dagger ball") and arriving late to finish chances, then you want to have him in the proper position to do so. I even remember Tommy stressing last year how they wanted to have him playing higher.

Weaknesses In This Approach

There is one minor flaw and then there is the major one. Let's get the minor one out of the way because it's the more easily addressed. We've got Simms, and I think that Vide will be a decent two-way midfielder in this league. But after that, we've got precious little to fill the holding midfield roles with unless Olsen returns for 2009. Is that something we can find in the draft? Possible, but a trade or foreign acquisition would be a more likely route.

And what about that major problem? Well, that's more of an issue. By setting things up around one DP, you do no favors to the second DP. I'm not sure that Emilio is suited to playing as a solitary striker. Doe? Perhaps a bit more so, but still not ideal. Of course, if the system functions properly, and the attacking midfield is high enough, this becomes less of an issue. Still, a terrier (Alejandro Moreno) or physical specimen would allow more flexibility.

And that, of course, is the key. A system is all well and good, but it's tactical flexibility that makes the team effective. Soehn has shown signs that he's making a few improvements in this department when it comes to match preparation, but his in-game adjustments need work, to put it mildly.

Conclusions

So what have we learned, if anything, in Part II? Well, three things primarily.

1. In order to create more tactical flexibility, we need depth in the two-way or holding midfield department and some variety up top (physical specimens or tenacious terriers).
2. Our current strength lies in the attacking midfield positions, so we would do well to emphasize that area in our tactical approach next year. Specifically, Gallardo should be higher up the pitch.
   
3. I'd like to see someone brought into the staff that can serve as a tactical guru (or at least sounding board) for Soehn. Ashton just doesn't give me that impression. A number two man who can more quickly identify problems or opportunities on the pitch--someone with a "footballing brain"--would be ideal. Too bad Etcheverry is otherwise occupied.

Okay, that about wraps up Part II. In the Part III, we'll synthesize what we've taken from the first two parts and identify the big needs going forward.

WIWFC Part I - Bird's Eye View

It's that time of year again (thanks for the reminder, Shatz!). Time to dust off the crystal ball, spike the eggnog, and compile my Black and Red wishlist for the coming year.


The Lay of the Land

First let's orient ourselves with regards to the team going forward--a task easier said than done. Despite high expectations from most quarters, a team that, on paper, looked like a fairly good bet to succeed in 2008 managed to crash and burn. Was this the result of too much reliance on foreign talent unproven in MLS, a horrible string of injuries, too many matches, too much roster turnover, a stagnant coaching staff, or, most likely, an explosive cocktail of all of the above?

And considering the failures of 2008, what will be the response in preparation for 2009? Do the front office blow it all up and start over again? Do they blame injury and bad luck and stick to their guns? Do they reassess and make minor tweaks to try and succeed with only a few adjustments to last year's philosophy? If I'm a betting man, I go with the latter, but I wonder if the shorter leash that the ownership are putting the FO and coaches on plays a role in their thinking.

So questions abound about the direction the club moves in. But what about the current roster? What are we working with, and where are the big, obvious holes that need to be filled?


Roster in Flux

At the moment, the big question is Marcelo Gallardo. Rumors continue to swirl about a return to Argentina, a move that would bring even more questions than his current presence on the roster (and the salary cap) does. For the moment, we'll assume that Gallardo is going to be in Black and Red for 2009. If he does return, and if he manages to stay healthy, I think the next step is going to be adapting the formation to highlight his strengths and minimize his weaknesses as they pertain to MLS. This will be the subject of an entire post in this series, so stay tuned.

But Gallardo is not the only player whose future is in question. We already know that Martinez has made it at least three of five 2008 sudamericano signings who won't be returning in 2009. But what about . . ?

1. Kirk and Peralta? Word is that we're trying to resign both at lower salaries. I think Kirk has potential and would provide some much needed athleticism if we can talk him down from that big Generation Adidas contract. But I'm still not sold on Peralta unless he takes a massive pay cut. Still, his loss would be the harder to replace, given that the only other center backs on the roster are Janicki, fresh from USL2 and unproven in a full MLS season; Koroma, a complete unknown; Carroll, still raw; and part-timers McTavish and Burch, neither of which I can see as first-choice options in central defense.
2. Namoff? Simms' contract has been wrapped up, but what about our other consistent rock in the back? Namoff is never going to be a world-beater, but for MLS, he's precisely the type of player that United needs: consistent, tough, experienced, and savvy. We have some candidates to fill the potential void, but will any be able to step up and do so?
3. Olsen and Mediate? More so the former than the latter, but do either of these guys return from their injuries? Olsen's return would be huge for our depth in midfield, the vacuum in the hard-nosed veteran leadership department, and the heart of the team in general. If he can't return, we've got some cap space to play with, but we're also left with a gaping wound in the pride, passion, and guts of this team.
4. Doe? Did anybody else even realize he was technically on loan to MLS last year? Whatever the case, Doe proved that he could be a solid contributor, particularly in some clutch situations down the stretch. If we can't extend his loan, our depth up top is hugely suspect and will require reinforcements.
   

What's Next?

Having raised the major questions surrounding the roster and the potential direction the FO takes, we'll need to lay the groundwork for the type of players that need to be brought in. The first place to start will be determining where United is headed tactically in 2009, and that will the subject of Part II of the 2009 edition of What I Want For Christmas.

WIWFC(IJ) Part IV - Makin' a List, Checking it Twice

Alright, let's begin to pick our way through this tangled web I've woven. We'll start by summarizing the shopping list items from each of the preceding three posts in this series, after which we'll weed out the duplicates and ruthlessly prune the downright unlikely (can you tell I've been out in the garden this evening?) . . .

Part I - WIWFC Carryovers

• A keeper to challenge, and possibly (hopefully) displace, Wells.
• Trade up for a better central defender
• A tricksy, speedy winger

Part II - The Boys at the Back

• A keeper of MLS-starter quality
• One more center back, preferably of significant size
  

Part III - The Dangermen

• One more viable option up top
• A speedy winger with good control

So right off the bat, we've got some duplicates and overlap. Tossing all these wants in a blender leaves us needing (in no particular order): a starting-quality keeper, a backup/upgraded central defender, another forward, and a classic wing wizard. Now, in an ideal world, that's a pretty realistic shopping list, but we all know that MLS is marginally dystopian at best when it comes to fleshing out rosters. With that in mind, let's address the viability of those acquisitions and see if we can reach some sort of conclusion.

Reality Bites

Right off the bat, we've got to take a hard look at what was going on in the Open Cup and assume that Marc Burch playing in the center when Martinez and Pat Carroll were available means that he's being groomed as cover at center back. We got a bit screwed when Curtin had to retire due to injury, because he looked to be the ideal cover--young, cheap, big, and with MLS experience to boot. Well, Burchy's got those qualities as well. The only problem is that he's a converted attacker who's still getting used to defense. Regardless, I'll give the FO a pass and say that between Burch and the few positive signs we saw from Pat Carroll (kids make mistakes--let's hope he learned his lesson against the Fire), blended with the unlikely event that we'd be able to find a quality center back without having to give up a valuable piece of the puzzle, we can stand pat (not a pun, I swear!) on this one.

Likewise the speedy winger. Though I desperately, desperately want one, they don't just grow on trees--at least not good ones. In order to acquire one, we're going to need to give up something big, and I don't think we're that desperate yet. The other option is to find somebody overseas and use the Niell money, but I think we've got more pressing needs for that salary space. Namely . . .

A keeper has got to be well up there, and the FO knows it. How else to explain the trialists and the downgrading of Carvallo's contract? The question is: how high up on the proverbial cherry tree are we willing to reach? If we're going to be bringing in a keeper from another MLS side, we'll be dealing significant draft picks or a fringe starter at the very least. So do we place our trust in Wells and bring in a young, talented kid to push him, or do we go whole hog and look to land a veteran starter, either already in the league or returning from abroad?

Finally, let's look up top, where I think we all heaved a massive sigh of relief when Doe put one in the net. If he can start spelling Jaime in preparation for the playoffs and post some numbers in the process, that's fantastic. Unfortunately, he's really the only other option up top outside of shifting Quaranta, which leaves a hole on the right. We really do need another forward as we head into the land of Massive Fixture Congestion. The question is, can we find one cheap enough that's going to be able to stick the ball in the net? Reliable forwards aren't exactly a stock MLS commodity.

The List

So we've wound our way at long last to the conclusion. A month ago, this list probably would have been the size of the one Osorio's drafting for the Red Bulls. But the turnaround and solid play in the intervening weeks has cut it down significantly. There really aren't too many pieces that we desperately need to add, but my list runs like this . . .

1. Keeper. We need a new one. I don't think we'll be able to get a veteran who's going to automatically push Wells to the bench, but I think there are enough decent young American keepers that we can at least land one with the ability to really push Zach for playing time.
2. Forward. This isn't quite so necessary as #1, but I think we'd be foolish to embark upon the number of competitions we're going to be involved in from now to November with only three legitimate forwards on the roster (Quaranta not included as he's starting elsewhere).
   
3. Winger. This falls more under the "nice if you can get it" category. We've got some decent starters in Quaranta and Fred out wide, and can call upon reasonable depth in the form of Mediate, Burch, hopefully Benny when he's back from his latest bout of surgery, and young Cordeiro. Kirk hasn't shown me much, but he's young and has the physical tools, so I hope he gets a chance to prove himself.

So what do you think out there in blog-land? What's on your United shopping list for the upcoming transfer window? What do we need to ensure some more silverware finds its way into the already-crowded RFK trophy cabinet?

WIWFC(IJ) Part III - The Business End

Previously on "What I Want For Christmas (In July)" . . . So what's all this Christmas nonsense about anyway, and does anybody remember December? . . . Let's figure out what, if anything, needs to be fixed at the back . . .

So now I'm back from my holiday journeys and safely ensconced in Fullback HQ, and the time approaches when we have to deal with the business end of the United roster--namely the playmakers, wide midfielders, and forwards. The transition from Gomez to Gallardo at the heart of the beast hasn't been a smooth one, but the deluge of goals over the last month seem to indicate that the team is figuring things out. Ready, kids?

Wide Midfielders
There's no doubt that the wide spots were always going to be an issue going into the season. The retirement of Josh Gros and questions about Ben Olsen's ankles left us staring down the barrel of Fred and . . . um . . . Dominic Mediate, maybe super-utility man Devon McTavish? Not exactly the sort of options that fill you with huge amounts of confidence. Fortunately, the prodigal Q returned to the fold and has been playing a valuable role. Still, I'd really like to see Tino be available to cover for the absence of Jaime or Gallardo, and that means that we still need some wide options.

Burch has done a decent job as our third-choice wide man, and Olsen may be able to pick up some minutes here or there. The problem that arises is that neither of them provide us with real speed on the wings, nor do they have the ability to threaten defenders on the dribble, and I'm not entirely convinced that Benny is back to stay. Mediate's substitute performances out wide have been pretty encouraging of late, and we've got a couple of young guns in Cordeiro and Kirk that could become viable options, on the left and right respectively, if they can just acquire that pesky little skill known as ball control. So what's it all add up to? I wouldn't mind having a true winger with pace and ball control, but that's not really something that I think is necessary (or even feasible--damnable MLS roster restrictions again, I'm afraid).

Playmakers
This is where we break out into, "How do you solve a problem like Marcelo?", right? There's no doubt about it--he's a quality player. The problem in my mind is that he's a subtle player--the type that really needs a lot of quality around him that places absolute trust in him. That's when he really has the potential to shine. I'm just not sure that DC United provides enough trust, speed, or movement to let him really shine at the moment. That said, the only way to get him fully integrated is minutes, so you'd be insane to leave that sort of salary (and talent) on the bench.

Fortunately, even if we lose Gallardo to injury or suspension, I think we've got pretty decent cover in the form of Fred. I think back to the Red Bulls match, and the difference in our attacking threat when we pushed Dyachenko wide and slid Fred into the middle. Similarly, I think Tino, and possibly even Jaime, could fill the spot capably, so I think we're pretty solid both depth- and talent-wise in this department.

Forwards
Which brings us to the men up top. Emilio started slowly, but he's starting to make the same sort of charge up the scoring tables that landed him the Golden Boot last year. Jaime's been turning in some excellent performances as well in a more withdrawn role. The problem of course is that given the heat of summer and the number of matches and competitions we're going to be playing, those two need some rest. Assuming we can find some good minutes from the supporting wide options, I think that Tino can spell Jaime adequately. The bigger ask is going to be filling Emilio's shoes.

At the moment, that weight is going to fall on Francis Doe, who we haven't seen terribly much from so far, but who looked to be a dangerous player for the Red Bulls in the later stages of last season. I'd like to have more options at this point, but again we butt our heads against that damn salary cap. True, we have the Niell money to play with, and a direct replacement for Niell might be an option, but is it the best option money can buy? In case you haven't noticed, MLS isn't exactly littered with reliable striking options who are going to reasonably cheap and/or satisfied with coming off the bench.

Conclusions
There can't be much doubt that United are one of the most potent attacking teams in MLS; both the names on the roster and the stats in the books provide ample evidence of that. But is there room for improvement? Of course, there always is. In this particular case, I'd say that the biggest issues would be depth and speed, both of which are a bit questionable. With that in mind, let's get out that shopping list and make some additions.

Added to the Shopping List:
(1) Another forward option. Even if Quaranta is an adequate fill-in for Jaime (and perhaps might be the long-term answer at withdrawn forward), and Doe can start to find the net and become viable cover for Emilio, what else is there? If we don't bring in somebody new, I'd be tempted to try Kirk up top, just to give us a different type of forward--a big body with speed--that we lack at the moment.
(2) A speedy winger with good control. Not a strict necessity, but having this sort of option frees Quaranta to cover other positions and gives us the depth out wide that we're going to require as we advance into the busy late-summer, early-fall, multiple-competition schedule.

Okay, class--pencils down. So that completes our romp through the current roster situation as I see it. In the next, and final, installment of WIWFC(IJ), we'll take everything we've discussed in the first three parts and reach some final conclusions, including the master shopping list for the rapidly approaching summer transfer window. So what are your thoughts so far? Anything I've overlooked/missed/been completely oblivious to? What would you add to the shopping list?

WIWFC(IJ) Part II - The Case for the Defense

Following on from yesterday's navel-gazing look at the initial WIWFC series, let's continue with something more current and a little less rambling. In particular, I want to focus on the defense--in this case including not only the back four, but the keeper and the d-mid/anchorman role as well. So let's get started, shall we?

Goalkeepers
I don't think I'll have many arguments when I label this a problem spot. Wells was originally touted as a horizontal move from Troy Perkins, and Carvallo was seen as a real challenger for playing time--someone to push the starter, and not just another Nolly. I'm sure most of us have been disappointed on both fronts, and it looks like the United brass agree.

We've been shopping for help, be it foreign trialists or the rumors of sounding out RSL for Seitz' services. Either way, both of those options smack more of "project" than they do of "solution". For better or worse, I think we're stuck with Wells. Is there any valuable piece of this team that you'd sacrifice in trade to bring in a more reliable, veteran netminder to start?

The Back Line
In Martinez and Namoff, I'm pretty certain that we've got the best pair of fullbacks in the league. The boys in the middle are a bit more of a worry. I can live with Peralta and McTavish as starters, though I'm mildly disappointed with how Peralta has turned out, and I think of McTavish more as a utility guy than an out-and-out center back.

The big problem is depth. This is where Jeff Curtin's retirement hurts. He was a big centerback with MLS experience. What are our backup options now? Rookies and converted midfielders. When Mediate is our first choice replacement for injuries or suspensions, that's trouble. Pat Carroll showed some promise in the Open Cup match, but is he ready for MLS? And does Burch end up in net next? He's gone from forward to winger to fullback, and now he's playing at center back in the Open Cup?

Defensive Midfield
Clyde Simms has continued to grow. His positioning and passing are improving, and he's added the thunderbolt from distance to his game. I don't have any qualms about the starter--again, it's the depth that becomes an issue.

I've already said in the opening post for this series that MLS roster restrictions make it impossible to be strong and maintain solid depth at every position. D-mid is one of those spots where we're in trouble if Simms goes down. Stratford has some playing time, but he's more of a passer than a destroyer, and we need some heavy lumber to cover for Gallardo. You can pull McTavish or Namoff from the defense, but then who covers for them? Getting Olsen back might be one solution, but how much ground can he cover on gimpy ankles?

Conclusions
So all is not rosy in Defense-land. We've got a pretty good assortment of starters. Though upgrades at centerback and in goal would be ideal, you'd have to be doing some serious roster voodoo to accomplish the ideal given the restrictions the league imposes.

What I think might be more probable would be making some moves for depth. Carvallo getting pushed to a month-to-month contract makes it plain that the FO is looking to make a move in the keeper department. As far as the backs go, I'd either like to see us pick up a journeyman centerback as cover, or give Pat Carroll a chance to get some league minutes. From all accounts, he played fairly well at both right back and in the middle in the Open Cup match. If he can be reasonable cover for both positions, that would go a long way to addressing my concerns about what the inevitable injuries and suspensions do to our lineup, particularly with multiple competitions coming over the horizon.

Added to the Shopping List:
(1) A new keeper. Starter or with the quality to really push the starter.
(2) One more back with size. Whether he comes from
our own ranks (Carroll, possibly Burch if he can handle the middle in MLS) or through trade/acquisition is still up in the air.

Next up, we'll move on to an area where things have been much prettier as of late. The defense may not be pitching shutouts, but the attack is scoring
in droves to make up for that lack. So is this a case of "if it ain't broke, don't fix it", or do we look to fine-tune the purring engine? In the meantime, what do you think of the defensive situation? What's on your "Christmas in July", summer transfer window shopping list?

WIWFC(IJ) Part I - The Wayback Machine

Looks like it's going to be a glorious day for picnics celebrating the 4th here in central PA. The rain has been coming down since early morning and doesn't look like letting up anytime soon. But fear not! Despite being 80 miles or so from the Back-Cave, I've got internet access, so it's time to start the mid-season roster analysis series.

In the spirit of continuity, I'm going to dredge up the ghost of posts past and reference the "What I Want For Christmas" posts that I ran way back in the Decembrish offseason. So, in this first installment of "What I Want For Christmas (In July)"--hereafter known as WIWFC(IJ)--we'll take a look back at what I was looking for in the way of upgrades in the last installment of WIWFC. Please remember that this post was prior to our Latin Invasion and the Gallardo DP signing. In fact, we were just fresh off the disappointment (or relief in some corners) of missing out on Veron. Did we get any of what I was looking for? Bits and pieces, I'd say.

WIWFC - The Final Reckoning

1. True Winger with Pace
Down an Olsen, but up a Quaranta. Quaranta brings the tricksy, but not the pace, and he isn't a natural winger either. I still think he's a natural fit for the Jaime-style forward, which would help us out with #3 below. In the meantime, we've got some youngsters coming up in Cordeiro and Kirk, both of whom need to work on their ball control before they become viable options for the first team.
Verdict? This isn't a particularly high need on my radar anymore. I think we've got more pressing issues, and given roster restrictions in MLS, we're relatively well covered here.

2. Stud Center Back
Bits and pieces again. Peralta is physically imposing, but I'm not really sold on him--too many mistakes and too much pump-and-dump distribution. Martinez fits the bill, but he's proven much more effective for us out wide. Verdict? While I wouldn't hesitate to trade in Peralta on a more steady, better-passing option at the back, I think he'd be pretty servicable if the man between the sticks behind him did a better job of communicating with the boys at the back. (see #4 below)

3. 2nd/3rd Striking Option
Moreno has been playing really well for us, but he's also piling up the minutes on aging legs--a recipe for disaster from seasons past. Niell was a bust and is gone, Doe hasn't had much chance to prove himself yet (though he does provide the sorely lacking speed we need to stretch defenses), and the reserves don't look like providing any options soon.
Verdict? I think that Doe can do a decent job for us off the bench, given a chance to settle into regular time with the team after returning from his travels to Africa. Also, as stated above, I think that Quaranta can fill Jaime's shoes quite well if we have the wide players available that let us push him into a more natural role as a withdrawn forward.

4. Challenger for Wells
Given the FO's recent moves, I think that we've seen their cards already when it comes to this one. We've been entertaining trialists and have pushed Carvallo to a month-to-month contract.
Verdict? More than a challenger, I think we might actually need somebody that can push Wells to the pine.

5. Replacement Engine
Do we really need a Josh Gros chugging up and down the wing anymore? Given how the nature of our wide play has shifted with Gallardo playing deeper than Gomez, it looks like our wide midfielders need to be more technical, passing midfielders than the bust-a-gut style.
Verdict? We're all about sport bikes and superior handling on the wings now, rather than the big muscle engine, so this particular upgrade has nearly fallen off the radar altogether.

So that about sums up how well the FO has addressed my off-season concerns. Frankly, a lot of what we need has changed from December, and I would have been surprised if it hadn't. In Part II of this series we'll take the discussion forward by examining the current stituation starting, as is fitting given the name of this blog, at the back.