Downgrade

Mike Wise's column today about Ben Olsen makes appropriately obligatory reference to Olsen's missing heart contributing to United's woes, and since I've been making the same point since game one I certainly can't dispute.

Olsen's absence hurts, but is not the root problem. Here's my abridged version:

Ownership went to management in the off-season and said crashing out of every competition but Supporter's Shield sucks, make next season AWESOME! and thank Ba'al for that. But...

Ownership/management negotiations with Gomez, whoever was at fault and in what proportion, had already soured before the Veron negotiations crumbled. After the Veron talks broke down, ownership said, buy me the splashiest name available within our working budget and that player was Gallardo, and since the relationship with Gomez was already poisoned, Gallardo's signing could be justified as replacing an already departing Gomez.

Gomez, the ten, was United's strength, not the problem. For a few extra $100K United could now have Gomez and a DP on the wing or Gomez and a DP as withdrawn forward or Gomez and a DP in midfield behind Gomez in a 3-5-2 or Gomez and the DP in hand.

Gomez and a DP or Gallardo? (And please remind me if I'm wrong: Gomez wanted more $$$ and two years, not DP money and designation, yes?)

UPDATE: Goose corrects my memory (and thank you, sincerely):

If we re-signed Gomez, we would not have had the 400k free for a DP UNLESS Jaime Moreno did not re-sign.

This doesn't really change my argument that much in that while I love Jaime and honor his service and yadda, Gomez and a DP probably still trump Gallardo and Moreno, if that's the either/or.

I've nothing against Gallardo - yet, and hopefully never - but Gomez was the last player off last year's roster that needed upgrading, especially if United hoped to run a 3-5-2 this year.

Soehn will be the scapegoat if scapegoating is necessary because management can't fire the players and won't fire itself, but management fired Gomez when it could have had Gomez plus a DP. Management decided that McTavish and Burch are MLS starters, management decided not to upgrade the wings, management brought in Franco Niell to back up Jaime Moreno.

Yes United misses Olsen and his intangibles, and yes a healthy Olsen behind Gallardo would be a vast improvement over now, but Olsen plus Gomez plus a top-flight winger or withdrawn forward?

Whether Soehn gets the most out of the talent he has is one issue. That the talent he has is mediocre, that's on management.