Okay, so 2014 is a wrap. It sucked, again.
However...
We have a core of decent players. We have a coach at least willing to try moving forward. We have owners with deep pockets.
With all that sunshine in mind...
I'd like to see us move to a different formation next year, one that takes our best players into consideration for their strengths, and one that accounts for trends around the league tactically.
We need to switch to a 4-3-3 or variant thereof. With our personnel, I'm thinking a 4-2-3-1:
----------------Bendik------------------
NEWRB/Bloom--NEW CB--Caldwell/New CB--Morrow
------------Bradley---NewDM/Warner------------
--------Oduro---Gilberto/NewAM--Osorio
----------------New DP striker/Larin/Hamilton/Dike---------------
We drop defoe, bring in a new DP striker. We draft Larin if we can get him, but look for someone else to bolster the midfield offensively as well; if Gilberto leaves, we get a DP AM. We sign two new center backs and a new right back.
We play is as a largely four-man offense built around speed, with Bradley as an extra trailer. in defense, we use the dual anchors to break up anything going into the danger zone just ahead of the box. One can also be used to man-mark danger players like Higuain or Morales while the other plays as a straight anchor. We transition with speed through Oduro and Gilberto/AM, and Osorio drops back slightly to be the second outlet man after Bradley. That way, depending upon which side the ball is played to, we'll have a good passer moving the ball in transition to our more talented offensive players.
Ideally, even if we don't get a DP AM who replaces Gilberto, we'd find someone stronger than both Oduro and Osorio and make those two compete for the other spot.
Thoughts, opinions, options?