Three simple questions: Kansas City Wizards

Our old ASD colleague Alex Abnos is an idea man, a musician. Today, he has all sorts of ideas on how to orchestrate a comeback season for the Kansas City Wizards. Lots of ideas. And-a-one-and-a-two...

NSC: What went wrong?

AA: The short answer: this.

The long answer: It's tough to point to any one thing, as I believe the team's failings in 2009 were the result of many little wrongs that built up over time. However, one thing that really stood out to me about this season was how there were almost almost no clearly defined, consistent roles for anybody on the team.

Offensively, consistency was hampered by the roster itself. With Adam Cristman injured and Abe Thompson languishing in the Onalfo doghouse for most of 2009, the KC offense relied almost exclusively on different versions of the same player: versatile, hard-working winger/forwards. That isn't to say versatility is a bad thing, but when you constantly take advantage of it as Onalfo did, players are denied the opportunity to get comfortable in a set role. Davy Arnaud played right wing, left wing, attacking mid and striker in 2009. Josh Wolff and Claudio Lopez did more or less the same. So did Herculez Gomez. And Michael Kraus. Those five players represent over 75% of KC's meager scoring output, and none of them had a consistent role that they filled day-in, day-out. As a result, KC went large stretches of 2009 without scoring, including an especially barren eight game run in July and August where they only scored once.They finished 2009 having scored the second fewest goals in the league.

The problem wasn't just limited to offense. Right back was a revolving door, with the role being filled by utility man Jack Jewsbury, reserve midfielder Lance Watson, and actual right back Jonathan Leathers at various points. Left back was similar - rookie Matt Besler, Michael Harrington, and Matt Marquess all saw time in that spot as the season progressed.

Just about the only place on the field where there was any consistency was in the center of defense with Jimmy Conrad. But even then, Captain Kansas City had to spend significant time with each of three different stopper partners (Besler, Raushawn McKensie and Aaron Hohlbein). The end result was a frightening lack of progress from 2008. The team continued to give up goals the same way as they did a year ago - poor far post defending, a frustrating inability to effectively clear the ball out of danger, and a general lack of communication between teammates.

NSC: What went right?

AA: The short answer: this.

The long answer: The firing of Onalfo looked to be a good move. Though the results under Vermes weren't all that much of an improvement, the performances on the field were a world apart. Whether he can maintain that into a new season while also balancing his role as Technical Director remains to be seen.

We also made some good additions to close the year. Adding Kei Kamara gave us a long-awaited extra dimension to our attack, and Hungarian import Zoltan seemed to really grow in confidence as the season drew to a close. Second year lefty Roger Espinoza also showed flashes of real quality on the left wing, which makes the possibility of losing Claudio Lopez for next season a little easier to swallow. Also, Kevin Hartman was a total beast for the team this year - had it not been for some fantastic saves from him, the Wizards could easily have finished below New York.

There's also the fact that, despite playing in a converted minor league baseball facility, our field was apparently really nice. So that's a plus.

NSC: What, if not who, does the team need to acquire?

AA: If Onalfo were still in charge, I would have said "A coach that will maintain some form of consistency in his lineup selections and on-field role assignments." However, with Vermes now officially at the helm, I think we'll start to see a lot of those problems go away.

Player-wise, it depends. While I get the impression that many Wizards fans would be in favor of nuking this roster into oblivion, I'm not convinced that's necessarily the way to go. True, there is a LOT of dead weight that can easily be trimmed, but there are also a few key areas where, with a little bit of an upgrade, we can have one of the deepest teams in the league without too much turnover. In my view, KC needs:

• Experience at RB - Harrington, with time, can mature to be one of the better LBs in the league. Conrad's a rock, and one of Hohlbein and Besler are bound to work out with him in the center. RB is probably the team's weakest position, with Leathers performing below-average, Myers being untested, and Jewsbury not really being a right back in the first place. With a young back line and a history of poor wing play, a grizzled veteran might be the solution.

• Somebody new to shake things up in midfield - The team hasn't had a true playmaker in midfield since Preki last laced up his boots. Time to change that.

• A stone cold killer up top - It's been two years since Eddie Johnson left, and KC is still looking for a truly dangerous striker that defenses have to account for at all times. Be they a DP, an established MLS star, or somebody that waltzes in off the street, Kansas City needs to find that person.

- Greg Seltzer