I think your three points are true — scoring is a sore spot, creation from the midfield, wing play. But the defense is also a significant issue. CJ is older, our 5th man Prideaux is gone, Segares is gone, is Conde’s status final yet? Defense has been a strong suit for the team, but needs a lot of rebuilding, and I don’t want to just trade fates and end up a team that loses a lot of 4-3 games instead of 1-0…

We had plenty of speed and talent on the wings, but really lacked a true creative attacking center mid. So I’d put that topp on the list (now that the coaching decision is made), and that’s why I definitely agree that the hiring decisions are going to be a major factor in how we should judge him early on. We need someone with Blanco’s skill and intangibles, but a younger man’s fitness. And that’s going to be very very expensive. My biggest hope for CdlC is that he’ll have the connections to find someone like that — much in the way that Osorio brought us Conde.

As far as the player analogies, like will he be a Wnchope or a GBS, for example – who knows? I’m not sure that such analogies are actually helpful….They seem to stem from peripheral discussions/arguments that have been burning-to-raging for 2 years now.

For me, this dichotomy of MLS-experience vs. no MLS experience is a touch limiting – as it is as much apart of our reality – we believe in it and some will point to the league’s youth to support such a belief, not that she/he would be wrong, either. That said, it seems we are talking about 2 different strains of experience – MLS experience vs. foreign experience. In the context of our domestic league, when the two aforementioned strains are juxtaposed, both would seem offer up shortcomings when one factors in player recruitment vs. squad restrictions and domestic vs. non-domestic cup play. It would be interesting to hear folks’ thought on such points.

Also, how do we juxtapose de los Cobos with the even further beyond the MLS box hiring which has occured in New York?

If the league is going to grow, when and how much do we scour outside of the temporal confines created by our collective youth – both national and regional? Why don’t we look more to the Irish league, for example – where the fiscal and physical squad restrictions surrounding the signings of players closely mirror those of MLS, and where there is also a wealth of excellent coaches and players now available? For those who don’t know, after myriad financial disasters during their past season, basically every top flight player in Ireland has been available on a free since season’s end….who knows how clean those bones are at this point….

Also, I agree, Marsch as an assistant would be great, but it would seem, perhaps in 2 seasons time if Peter’s predictions are correct, that we’d just be setting ourselves up for the Hamlett scenario all over again. Would that be such a bad thing? I’m sure it makes at least some pretty nervy, and though I would sympathize, I wouldn’t necessarily count myself among those ranks.

Also, the Fire, perhaps more than any other team, have continually looked inward rather than outward for coaching hires. We all know this, but it’s only fair that such a “bold” move be met with equal amounts of skepticism and excitement, trepidation and intrigue.

Anyway.

Had the reserve league not been canceled, I think the Fire’s season would have produced some piece of silverware – we just had too many injuries that were continually being filled by guys who hadn’t had the chance to play regular competitive soccer. Say what you like about them being professionals, but we all know how difficult this makes form-finding.

That said, if he relly does want to play attacking soccer, here are the 3 areas I’m keen to see Klopas and de los Cobos working together to improve, and in the following order:

1 – Goal scoring – we generally create decent amounts of scoring chances, but if we just had a goal machine….
2 – Consistent creativity from center of midfield – fitness leads to form, which is to say that as good as Blanco was at times, for the amount of money we were shelling out, I think it’s fair to say he was never as consistent as he should’ve been, especially against weaker teams. His frees and corners always faded with his fitness level in any given match, as well.
3 – Speed and talent simultaneously on display on both flanks, not just one.

Anyway, I have my reservations and ambitions about de los Cobos’ hiring, but I’m forcing them to temper each other. I just think we need to judge what he does and not our opinions. Perhaps this is a moot point, perhaps I’m wrong altogether.

Ethics not discarded, I just want us to win.

Also, **Gitecmo** only when you come as close to committing a quarter of your life to accomplishing even a quarter of what Peter has accomplished in and for American soccer, and during much less soccer friendly timess, perhaps your cheap shots will carry something more than something less than even a half-ounce of credibility. And, yes, I apply the same thinking to my own opinions, as well.

Soehn is not an upgrade. I think this attitude holds up via the fact no one else hired him this offseason. Jesse would be a risk in a similar vein to DLC.

Unless you’ve a better alternative, saying “he’s not the guy” really isn’t enough. He may not be the guy, but one has to hire a coach in the context they’re presented. We can’t jump back (or ahead) in time to hire Bob Bradley.